Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife
by Nebelfleck
Summary: To create a future, you have to make peace with the past and work through it in the present. It is not just a leap of destiny, it is a reason to continue fighting. -Third Season-
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N:** Hi. it's me, Nebelflecke-the girl who had the idea of writing two stories named Divinity. It has been a while, I know, and I have gotten a lot of messages during my absence asking me if I was ever coming back to keep posting the third story. I thank you for that. A third story, well, that is still hanging under the 'maybe' category, because it pretty much depends on how you feel about it. You, who have followed and supported me since day one. You, who have found my second story and liked it and dared to read my first one. You, who have given me supportive words and silently encourage me to continue writing. _

_You see, I understand the terms given to me when I first published a chapter. I understand how bothersome bad grammar and bad spelling can be, trust me, I do, but I also remind you that I am not a professional writer and I while I accept criticism I do not accept rudely or mocking messages and/or reviews. I am too old for that anyway, so I encourage you to move on and look for something else to read in case you find this story boring, too long or badly written. I do not want to go down that road again, it is very demotivating and that same reason have made very good writers I used to follow to just vanish and never finish their work. So, basically, this story depends on good vibes only._

 _I wrote this chapter right after I finished publishing the last chapter for Divinity: A Question of Honor so if you are new to this story, I welcome you and inform you that you may get a little confused along the way if you haven't followed my two previous stories. You do not have to if you do not want to-it's just a recommendation._

 _Thank you for the encouraging messages, thank you for keeping me in mind and well let's just hope the best with this story- best wishes._

* * *

 **Divinity: The Fates and the Afterlife**

Chapter one

The sun was shining between the fluffiest white clouds Casanova Akira had seen in her life. She looked up and covered her freckled face from the intense rays at noon and smiled widely with excitement at the sight of her new adventure.

The woman had been a freelancer archaeologist since she was 18 years old; born from an Italian mother and a Japanese father. Casanova Akira grew up listening to her parents' stories about the many treasures that were still hidden in Earth and its mythological meaning behind them being that the fuel to ignite her curiosity to pursue her dream as a treasure hunter.

Akira knew many stories and had achieved the knowledge and praise from the media with her great discoveries at the young age of twenty-four years old.

She was now standing at the top of a hill with the cool wind crashing against her young face looking down at the pitch darkness of her next adventure, an adventure that was going to give her and the world the biggest treasure ever discovered by a human being.

She looked around and pushed her shoulder length hair and tied it in a loose ponytail and put her hands on her hips "This must be the place…" she muttered to herself as she watched to the cave below her feet.

"Oi! Akira! Where are you?" she heard a man's voice call for her and turned with a smile on her face, she raised her hand and waved it in the air "Over here!"

A man with blonde hair appeared minutes after and put down the equipment he had been holding for the last couple of hours with a tired sigh. He looked at him and waved his hand at the crew that was joining him behind and then turned at the girl standing in front of him, looking at him with loving eyes.

It was no secret to anybody that Akira Casanova and the Sweden archaeologist and photographer Mikael Ahlstrand shared more than just business. The two had been photographed together several times before by the paparazzi holding hands and even sharing one too many kisses in public. It was one of those situations where everybody knew they had an affair despite he had a playboy reputation and neither she or him, admitted it to the public.

"What took you so long eh?" she asked playful "You are missing all the fun!"

Mikael put his hands on his waist and took his sunglasses off "I've been carrying your things, young lad—you left us behind!"

Akira giggled and put a finger on her lips "Listen,"

Mikael frowned and put his hand on his face to create a shade for his eyes "What is it?"

Akira took a deep breath and exhaled loudly "It's the sound of adventure."

"You really are very excited about this mission, aren't you?" Mikael asked with a grin. Akira nodded and extended her arms with a sense of freedom "I always knew I didn't belong to an office or a Museum," she chuckled and turned more serious "I have grown knowing about so many things that happened way before our mere existence, things we could not even start to imagine," she turned to look at her lover over her shoulder "My mother always told me these stories about secret civilizations and mythological people and I was always hitched to them…I wanted to be in those places and find all the objects hidden in our planet."

"Like this crown you've been wanting for so long?" Mikael asked serious "Do you know how much recognition this discovery will give you?"

Akira widened her eyes, not really following what her partner was trying to say. The man cleared his throat and looked around "We won't have any more private time for us," he muttered, "You will be sucked by the media."

Akira put a loose strand behind her ear and frowned "I won't."

Mikael looked at her "I wanted to be part of your crew in the first place because I was tired of being working for others, I wanted to live the adventure…you gave me that, independence, triumph, satisfaction…"

"…Sex?" Akira raised a brow.

Mikael looked at her with serious eyes "I do not want us to become a circus for the media; I want us to remain free from any agency or museum."

Akira licked her upper lip and reached for his hands "We won't," she said softly "We will remain the same—I promise."

"You are basically looking for the past we are not sure if it happened," Mikael said slowly "Is this is what you want?"

"Mikael, I've always followed my gut…and look what I have discovered because of it," Akira said in a serious and reassuring tone "I know we are going to find something down there, trust me on this one, 'kay?"

The blonde pressed his lips in a tight line and nodded "Fine, fine—you win" he looked behind him and saw the crew was finally joining them at the top of the mountain "Well Miss Casanova, what's next?"

Akira smiled and looked down at the dark hole beneath their feet "We must prepare the equipment to go into that cave."

"It's a god damned hole in the ground!" one of the researchers said surprised "What makes you think that object you seek is inside that cave to inferno?"

Akira shrugged her shoulders and smiled "I just have a feeling."

Mikael looked at her and smiled, knowing that his playboy days were now long gone. He turned to the crew and began undoing the security cords on the equipment "You heard the boss, let's get going."

Almost three hours later, the crew finally prepared everything for the exploration, including themselves. All of them were wearing their gear and equipment and were ready to go inside the intimidating cave "This is going to be something interesting to tell in the many parties we are going to have after this discovery." the photographer said excitedly, he turned to a very serious Mikael who, turned to see Akira waiting anxiously to go inside "I'm ready." she said.

Mikael nodded "I can go first if you want to—that way I could prepare the ground for you, tell you how the ground is—if there is any."

Akira smiled at him and shook her head "No, I want to go first. You can go after me," she turned to the photographer and the other five crew members "Let's find us some treasures!"

"Yeah!" the crew clapped and cheered in excitement, then clamped the cords on her security belt and vest and prepared her to lower her down in the vast darkness "Okay! Here she goes—ready Akira?" the one taking charge of the equipment said while looking at the cameras strategically placed on their helmets.

"Ready!" Akira said with a big smile on her face and turned to Mikael "See you down there."

Mikael smiled and nodded "Just, be careful… don't leave us behind like you always tend to do."

Akira waved a hand and secured her helmet as she slowly began to descend into the depths of the cave below her feet. She turned to look around and slowly began to lose any sight of the remaining light that was feeling her secure and attached to the ground she now had above her head.

As she descended, the light filtering through the many branches and roots from the trees slowly began to disappear and was going deep down a place where her breathing and her gear was the only thing that kept her company besides her very much excited conscious.

Mikael watched the small monitors one of the technicians had next to his seat, near the great hole and frowned at the pitch darkness "Akira?" he asked.

"I'm here!" he heard her say and kept staring at the monitor "Turn the light on! We can't see a thing!"

Akira stayed silent and took in the mysterious surrounding her, she heard like the echo of what could be a constant dripping "Water?" she whispered in wonder and continued descending until she felt a cold wave that chilled her to the bone "What is this?" she asked to herself as she extended her arm and tried to see if she had any walls to hold on to. She began feeling vulnerable in the midst of pitch darkness, anxiety began creeping as she realized the immensity of the hole she was now into. Uncertainty was beginning to drive her insane.

The brown haired adventurer kept going down for what it appeared to be an eternity that in real time was equivalent to almost half an hour to descend between constant stops and check up points. Akira began to think if this choice of coming down alone was the best of her decisions ever made and wondered with slight concern if she was ever going to touch soil anytime soon.

Akira put her hands on the long cord that was helping her lower deeper into the cave and felt a disturbance, to her surprise she began to feel like if she was moving like a pendulum to one side and the other and let out a soft cry "What's happening?!" she asked and went to look for the light switch on her helmet; with trembling fingers she touched the small button and turned on the light and was met by a thick mass of angry bats that flew from one extreme to the other in the cave, scaring the crap out of her.

"Ahhhhh! Ahhhhh!" she screamed and alerted the men who were now ready to descend. Mikael secured his gear and leash and looked down at the cave "Akira-I'm coming down!" he said, returning the girl to her own thoughts "A-Alright…" she said softly as she slowly felt like she was closer to the ground or, was she?

The light from her helmet was not enough to give a good glimpse of the place, even when she looked down all she could see was darkness "At this rate I don't think I'll ever reach for any soil." she was about to pull the metallic cord and give the sign to the crew to take her up all the way again when she suddenly felt what for a moment thought it would never happen. Her feet touched the ground.

With a steady thump, her combat boots splashed in the water that was clearly stalled in the unleveled ground. Akira felt like herself again, away from any kind of fear her spirit slowly returned to her body, she was there…she was finally there.

She took off the secure hook on her vest and went to look for the lantern inside her backpack; after a few minutes of searching for it, she turned it on and gasped at the sight of the immensity she has been hanging on for almost an hour "Un-freaking-believable" she said with amaze. Akira pointed the light at her feet and confirmed her thoughts "There is water in this place…" she followed the small stream of clear water with her light but again, was lost in the depths of darkness.

The young adventurer began to walk towards the direction of the small river while trying to catch a glimpse of something inside the cave. She readjusted her backpack with a small shrug and continued her way not really minding if her crew was coming behind her.

After a several more minutes of walking into the unknown, she finally waited for Mikael and the rest of the investigators go down to meet her. With a surprised stare, the blonde Swedish man looked at his love interest and patted her shoulder "Scared?"

Akira smiled and shook her head, then turned to look around "No more like excited" she frowned "Come on! I've waited long enough! Let's explore this place and find that crown!"

"Yes, ma'am." Mikael said and took his own lantern to guide his way; all seven talked to the technicians through the small microphones they had attached to their vests "We can't see clearly—where are you guys?" one of them said.

Mikael moved his face closer to the mic and frowned "Not sure, it's very dark in here…the light coming from the lanterns is not enough for us to even see the magnitude of this place but there's water in here…we may be in some kind of cenote."

"Keep us informed." the voice of one of the techs came out of the walkie-talkie "Got it." said Mikael as he looked for Akira "Wait…" he frowned "Where is Akira?"

Akira got separated from the group as she continued following the small water stream on the ground "This has to lead me somewhere…the river must have an end." her brown eyes saw something in the distance that caught her eye, she looked up and saw light coming from the rocks and stones, like stars in a dark sky.

Akira opened her mouth in amaze and looked up at the mesmerizing sight of bioluminescence hanging from the cave walls like streams of shining stars. She looked down at her feet and just like she suspected, she was standing in a small creek that followed a ray of clear light that made her think that her discovery was not too far away from her now.

With a wide smile on her face, she was unaware of the very fragile and cracking ground. She tripped with some stones on the ground and rolled down. Mikael saw her trip and fall and widened his eyes in panic "Akira!" he called her.

Akira let out a soft cry as she fell on the moist ground and widened her eyes in shock. She looked at the surface where she miraculously landed and rubbed it in surprise "What the…" she muttered and widened her eyes at her magnificent discovery.

"Akira!" she heard Mikael call for her "Akiraaaaaaaa!"

"Down here!" she said, still in shock.

"Are you alright?! That's why I asked you to stay close to us!" Mikael told her slightly upset "Akira?"

"I'm alright…" Akira said and stood up slowly, careful enough of not to break the surface beneath her "I'm alright," she repeated softly and gasped in awe "By all heavens…"

"What is it?" one of the archeologists asked, "Did you find the crown?"

"Is it placed on a pedestal like in fairytales?" another researcher asked playfully.

Akira walked with extreme care until she reached for a more solid ground and raised her head to take in the magnificence of the place she had in front of her; it looked like a dream. She couldn't explain how or why such strong light could be inside of that cave of pitch darkness.

Akira's eyes gleamed with excitement as soon as she realized what she must have discovered "No," she said breathlessly "Guys… this is much better than the crown I was looking for—this is…" she trailed off.

"What is it Akira?" Mikael asked, surprised.

Akira sighed with content " _A_ _Land of dreams._ "

The bird shaped clock began to chirp in a constant beeping sound over and over and over again. A slender hand appeared from behind the soft pink covers and grabbed the vibrating object. Looking at it, she pushed the covers in one swift move "What's the big fuzz? It's only—8:30" she whispered and closed her eyes again, then after a fraction of a second she opened them again and sat on the bed "What!? 8:30?! Oh my god! Oh, my god!" she jumped out of bed and went to take the towel she left over one chair in her bedroom and ran straight to the bathroom in the corridor.

After a few minutes under the strong stream of hot water from the shower, she opened her eyes slowly and took a deep breath. Allowing Minako to do a mental idea of what her day would be like. Sighing, she thought about her choices in life. Not that she was depressed or that she wanted to give up her dreams but she wondered why was it so damn hard? She pursed her lips as she squeezed the bottle of shampoo and poured some on her hand while thinking about the auditions she had been going for the past few months, sure she had gotten some good roles but lately, her star has not been shining bright enough.

Right now she was working at the local TV station as an assistant for the station's director and producer and even when she had a decent pay, she wanted more. She had tried stardom once and she wanted more; that's why she was going to this casting for a play because she knew she could be that idol she has always wanted to be.

After she rinsed her hair and washed her face, she was ready to step out of her warm shower and continue her beauty routine. The blonde looked at herself in the mirror and proceeded to dry her hair, all the time thinking of the many things she would get and do once she gets that part she wanted so bad "I could move to a bigger place—maybe ask one of the girls to join me." she pouted her lips and continued brushing her hair until it was completely dry.

Aino Minako was finally ready, after another 15 more minutes she was finally dressed and ready to face the world; she spent another five minutes to find her apartment keys and then, _finally_ , she felt like she could face the world for real this time.

As she walked down the street, she finally got to Ginza's Main Street where all the fancy stores and restaurants waited for people to go inside. Minako looked at the adorable yet very expensive outfits in one apparel store and sighed dreamily "Now this is something I would wear," she said at the deep orange angora sweater and smiled "One day." she said happily and turned around the corner and entered a fancy restaurant with tall glass doors and french decoration.

"Ohayō!" she said softly at the hostess and took her fancy rounded sunglasses off; the brunette girl looked at her and smiled kindly "A table for one?"

Minako shook her head and pointed at the kitchen doors "I am looking for a friend of mine, Kino Makoto? She is one of the kitchen assistants."

The brunette blinked and turned to the doors "Oh yes um—I'll see if she is available."

Minako flashed the girl a big smile and giggled "Thank you!"

After a couple of minutes, the wooden doors in the back opened, revealing a very tall and very pretty Makoto wearing her white uniform and a red bandana on her hair "Mina-chan," she said softly and smiled playfully at the blonde "This is a surprise—so early in the morning," she said softly and thanked the hostess "You usually come here later in the afternoon."

Minako smiled and waved her hand "I know, I didn't get a call to go to the station early today since we recorded everything last night so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for me to go to today's audition."

Makoto widened her eyes and motioned her to follow her to the bar where she usually served her a cup of freshly made cappuccino "How did it go?" she asked curiously.

Minako blew the steam off her hot beverage and smiled softly "I haven't auditioned yet, is in an hour but since the theater is close by I decided to come here first and tell you the news," the blonde widened her eyes "I'm so sorry, are you busy? Am I interrupting something?"

Makoto pursed her lips and turned her face toward the wooden doors from where she came out a while ago and shook her head "No, not really. Work has been very calm these days—since that other french restaurant opened a month ago, this one has been slow when it comes to customers." she grabbed the cup of cappuccino she just made for herself and took a little sip "There hasn't been much to do lately, the head chef has considered the possibility to close this place or even going to work at another restaurant and abandon this place to its luck."

Minako frowned "What!? And if he leaves who would take his place?"

Makoto blushed and looked both sides "Well…there are five assistants, so—he would have to pick one of us but it's still uncertain, who knows, though the most obvious would be the sous chef."

"Ah-the meanie," Minako said, Makoto nodded and took a sip of cappuccino "Yeah, the meanie."

"He should cut the nonsense and pick you," Minako waved her hand "You are the best cook here."

Mako blushed and chuckled "Thanks, it would mean a lot to me if I get picked—but who knows, there are other two guys who are very skilled and pretty good with cooking and again, the sous chef."

Minako blinked "Guys?" she smiled "Are they cute?"

Makoto arched a brow "Um kinda-why? She widened her eyes "Oh come on! No!"

"You should date one of them—it's time," Minako said softly and took a sip of her warm coffee, "I think you gave Masaru enough time to reconsider your relationship, you are only wasting your time with that guy."

Makoto arched a brow "You say that because you are dating one hot man who happens to be the sports anchor at the most popular sports show on TV right now."

Minako shook her head "I am not dating him."

Makoto widened her eyes "What?! You were head over heels for him, you even said he might be the one because he admired your volleyball skills."

"He is so boring…" Minako breathed "Besides…I only went out with him two times and nothing happened, he kept talking about his ex."

"Ouch," Makoto bit her lower lip "Red flag right there."

"Yeah," Minako sighed softly and took the last sip of her coffee and stood up "I guess I should get going," she looked at Makoto and smiled "There is one big role waiting for me," she widened her eyes "Oh, by the way, I was thinking—are you looking for a roommate or something?"

Makoto crossed her arms "Um, actually—now that you mention it, yes, I am looking for one. How did you know?"

"Ami-chan told me you asked her if she wanted to be your roommate," Minako said and frowned "Everything okay?"

"Well…" Makoto sighed "The thing is that ever since we don't have much work to do here my paycheck hasn't been enough to pay all of my dues—it's crazy! I was buying all this cooking stuff for my business and now the landlord raised the rent," she frowned "Why do you ask?"

"Because I want to move out of my apartment and if I get this part I might be able to look for something else but since Ami told me about you were looking for somebody to live with you, I thought why not me? Since Artemis spends a lot of time with Luna at Usagi chan's house I suppose he won't be returning to live with me anytime soon."

Makoto chuckled "Those two are finally taking their relationship to the next level," she smiled "That would be great, I would love to have you as a roommate, better for me to be with somebody I truly know and not a creepy stranger."

Minako grinned "I'm so excited!" she looked at the time on her cell phone and widened her eyes "Oh my god! I have to go!" she smiled at the brown haired girl and waved her hand "Thanks for the cappuccino."

Makoto smiled in return "Anytime," she widened her eyes "Oh wait, are you going to the café tonight?"

Minako turned and smiled as she pointed at herself with her thumbs "Maid of Honor."

Makoto chuckled and watched the blonde leave the fancy restaurant in a slight hurry. The tall girl blew her chocolate bangs and turned to the hostess "Nothing?"

The young hostess pouted her lips and shook her head "Tables 9 and 20 are occupied—they should be ordering in a couple of minutes, I just gave them the menus and offered some beverages."

Makoto nodded and walked towards the kitchen and tied her apron around her waist and proceeded to take the two orders on the waiting list and gave a nod "Easy," she muttered and widened her eyes when she heard the head chef call her name "Y-Yes Haruto san?"

The tall dark haired man tied his apron around his waist and frowned "What are we making?"

Makoto blinked and looked at the two orders and licked her lips nervously "Table nine wants an order of _Escargot_ as an entrée and two crab crêpes as the main course."

The chef narrowed his eyes and turned to the other assistant and asked her the same question "Suzuki, what's the second order?"

Suzuki, the sous chef blinked and hesitated to answer as she looked for the order in her apron's pocket "Um…" she kept looking for the piece of paper and turned to Makoto, hoping she might know what the second couple ordered for the day "I swear I had the order right here…"

Makoto turned to the head chef and took control of the situation "Table twenty ordered _Ratatouille_ and one _Bouillabaisse._ "

The chef arched a brow and looked at Suzuki "A Sous Chef's obligation is to serve and help the head Chef not to make his work harder—you should know that by now." his voice was clear and with a heavy weight of annoyance. Suzuki widened her eyes and shook her head "I understand Chef, is that—I swear I had the order in my hands."

Like gas to a blazing fire, her words only made the man get angrier "I don't like when people makes me waste my time like you are doing now with your excuses—we don't have time to be arguing this!" he turned to look at Makoto and arched a brow "You saved our reputation."

Suzuki widened her eyes and turned to look at Makoto with a face of disbelief and slight disgust "Her? Why!?"

Chef Haruto raised his hand and motioned to stop "Your incompetence is getting off my nerves!" he raised his voice in frustration and ran a hand through his dark copper hair and sighed "We don't have time for this, get to work!" he turned to the other kitchen assistants "Start the fire, get the pans and the right ingredients—move move _move_!" he clapped his hands as he prepared to start making the Bouillabaisse.

Makoto went to one of the large fridges to get the right ingredients to make the perfect crab crepes and bumped with a very stressed Suzuki on her way to her station in the kitchen; the sous chef looked glared at her and she was sure of how much she was cursing her as she kept walking to her place next to the chef "Watch it— _cook_." she muttered and turned the fire on.

Makoto frowned and tried to ignore the woman's as she began with the crepe batter and let it rest aside while she began taking the crab meat out of its hard shell. While seasoning the crab meat she forgot to get some fresh scallions and left the stew cooking in slow fire; Suzuki noticed her station was alone and with great care and a very studied timing and strategy she went to see the dish she was making and took the salt and pepper and poured it all over the meat and creamy sauce bubbling in another casserole.

"What are you doing?" one of the assistants asked the sous chef, startling her. Suzuki arched a brow and shrugged her shoulders "I am supervising her work."

One of the male assistants shook his head and frowned "Don't get us into trouble Suzuki, please. This could cost us our job."

Suzuki arched a brow and turned to leave once she saw Makoto coming her way back to her station with some extra ingredients and looked at Masao's worried face "What?" she asked softly.

Masao looked at her and pointed at the creamy sauce in the casserole "I suggest you taste your dish before serving it."

Makoto frowned "What?" she asked, confused then saw Masao pointed at Suzuki with his spoon and gave her a knowing look "Just do as I say," he said softly "You might be surprised."

Makoto looked at her casseroles and pans and grabbed a spoon, then proceeded to taste the cream first then the crab and widened her eyes in disgust "Oh my god..." she put her spoon down and looked at Masao to confirm her suspicions, the brown haired man nodded and pointed at the sous chef "You better fix that quick or start anew."

"I can't-I have to finish this!" Makoto said softly as she looked at her dish in panic; Chef Haruto turned with a questioning look and asked the others to start serving their dishes "Come on, we are known for being on time with our service! Where are the dishes!?"

Makoto looked at her sauce with panic and bit her lip; she closed her eyes and felt the chef's eyes staring at her "You, why haven't you served the dish?"

Makoto looked at him and shook her head "I-" she trailed off.

"You what?" he asked, "Start serving!"

"I can't…" she said softly, much to Suzuki's pleasure "I can make those crepes if you want Chef Haruto, the girl's not ready to take charge of a full course."

Makoto frowned "Not ready?" she pursed her lips and turned the fire on high and went for some white wine and fresh herbs; her action startled the sous chef and of course bothered the chef "What the hell are you doing!?"

"I am fixing this," Makoto said as she poured some wine on the creamy sauce and stirred until she had a thick reduction and began to chop some fresh herbs. She poured some crepe mix on her pan and proceeded to make the thin and silky crepes in a flash.

Suzuki frowned and turned to the chef "You are not letting her do whatever she wants with your recipe, right Chef?!"

All the other assistants looked at a very busy and concentrated Makoto pouring the thick white sauce over the perfect golden crab filled crepes and finished the plate by sprinkling some fresh herbs on top of her new creation.

Before the chef and sous chef could stop her from putting her dish on the bar, the waiter walked in and took the plates with him and went straight to the customers. The chef turned and gave the brown-haired girl a serious look "In all my years of being a Professional, World's Renowned Chef I had never met a girl who dared to go against my call."

Makoto blinked and felt her heart sink in her chest "Chef, I—"

Chef Haruto wiped the sweat off his forehead and turned to the waiter who was calling his name "What is it?" the waiter walked inside the kitchen "The client would like to have a word with the Chef."

Chef Haruto turned to look at Makoto and frowned but said nothing and turned on his heel to meet the client and listen what she had to say. Masao turned to Makoto and put a hand on her shoulder "You took a huge risk right there," he said softly, startling the brunette "I didn't mean to go against his orders but my dish was—" she trailed off and glared at the sous chef "You." she muttered.

Suzuki arched a brow and looked at Makoto with disinterest. Mahami Suzuki was a girl probably a year or two older than Makoto, she was known for having a strong temper and a lack of patience. Suzuki did not always have it easy; she had to study hard and sacrifice many things so she could study in several gastronomic schools. The girl was applauded by her skills and perfectionist style of presenting a dish. She was a genius in her own field and because of that ambition she had for her career, she won many scholarships to travel around the world and learn the many secrets of the french cuisine.

The moment she met Chef Haruto, her world changed, she changed. She was absorbed by his passion and his deliver in every dish he made and could not deny the attraction she felt towards him because, to be honest, the man was not bad looking…not at all, and the fact that he was one of the finest chefs in Japan was a tremendous plus to her career and her love life. Mahami Suzuki wanted that, she wanted his life and she wanted him to be in her life but all of her skills and dreams slowly faded away every time Makoto came into the scene; she was well aware that the brunette had good skills even when she didn't have the preparation she had to become a chef. She was a natural and Suzuki knew, Haruto noticed it among other things.

Haruto Asato walked back into the kitchen interrupting whatever Makoto was about to tell Suzuki and looked at her "You…" he muttered, slight surprised.

Makoto blinked "Chef Haruto—let me explain."

Suzuki tried to interrupt Makoto and went to stand next to her "I understand if you want to let her go if she can't keep up the good work."

Makoto widened her forest green eyes and turned to the other brunette "What?!"

"You disobeyed the Chef! You think that is something one can pass?" Suzuki frowned "You are here to follow orders not to do whatever the hell you want!"

Chef Haruto raised his hands and turned to Makoto, his lips curved into a big smile "You saved our reputation."

Makoto widened her eyes again "What?"

"The client loved it, she loved your crepes and she happens to be one of the toughest food critics in the Tokyo. Do you know what that means?"

Makoto shook her head "N-No Sir…"

"This will give a good position to the restaurant! And you—you just gave a food critic something that was not on the menu and impressed her!"

Suzuki frowned "The crab crepes are actually on the menu."

Chef Haruto turned to look at her "Yes, but not the way she prepared them." he turned to Makoto "You made a cream sauce with white wine and other secret ingredients—what did you do?"

Makoto blinked and rubbed her hands nervous to be the center of attention "I just…"

"Yes?" the chef asked.

"Improvised."

Chef Haruto's face stiffened and turned to Suzuki, who saw this as her opportunity to attack Makoto "She had been doing this since she was hired—she has been modifying your dishes, Chef, I've seen her but she won't listen!"

Haruto frowned and turned to Makoto "Is this true?"

Makoto bit her lower lip "Well…yes, I have—but in my defense, I did it because I feel like some of the recipes are too complicated and…" she trailed off.

"…And?" the chef asked.

"Well-old fashioned." Makoto finished.

Suzuki turned pale and turned to look at the man standing next to her "H-How dare you?"

Haruto narrowed his eyes and cleared his throat, his ego was not liking the words coming from Makoto "Old fashioned you say?"

"I know french cuisine is something you need to prepare with delicacy and that it has its tradition but—I think there are other ways to get the same result without stressing too much with each step." Makoto began to feel her knees weak, this was a moment where she no longer knew what she was doing but still remained as if nothing happened thinking:

" _Stupid Makoto…you are going to lose your job sooner than you thought if you keep talking nonsense…"_

She watched the head chef turn on his heel and went to one of the fridges and grabbed a bottle of vodka, then turned to one of the waiters that were walking into the kitchen "After _they_ leave…tell Hiromi to close the restaurant."

Suzuki frowned and so the other four people in the kitchen, including Makoto "Chef? You are closing…? Why? It's not even noon!"

"Goda Kahori is a very strong card we can use to be back in the game and be a serious competition to the other restaurants. I have a name and a reputation to protect and I won't let my business go down to hell; I know her presence here was not casualty…" Haruto turned his head from Suzuki to Makoto "…And she happened to love those improvised crab crepes—she loved them so much she said she would be back and bring Hiraoka Sachiya with her."

Makoto widened her eyes in shock, now, that name she did recognize. No one really needed to be a very good gastronomic connoisseur to know Hiraoka Sachiya was in fact, the most strict and respected food critic in all Japan.

Chef Haruto looked at Makoto and gave her a soft smile "You managed to charm a strong critic today and we are not leaving this place until we know how to make those crab crepes," he turned to Suzuki and frowned "We will change the menu and I want _her_ to contribute." Suzuki widened her eyes and blinked surprised "Change the entire menu? Chef—isn't that too risky? And it would take us all day _and_ night!"

The handsome man turned to look at Makoto and nodded "Well, it's good to know you don't have plans for tonight," he turned on his heel and began cleaning his station in silence leaving Makoto with four very annoyed pairs of eyes looking back at her. Makoto pursed her lips and turned to get her purse, took her cell phone out and dialed a number she knew already by heart and waited for the person at the other end answer.

"Hello?" she heard a soft powdery voice finally answer after several rings.

"Oh, thank goodness you answered me!" Makoto said with relief as she went to hide in the bathroom to talk "Please tell me I didn't catch you resolving a matter of life or death."

Ami giggled softly and covered her lips and cleared her throat as she caught some of the nurses and doctors stares "No," she said in a more serious tone "No, it's fine."

"Last time I called you, you were witnessing an open heart surgery."

"Yes I know but not every day I get the chance to be assisting in surgery." Ami said softly as she slowly walked away from the nurse station with new notes with information about new patients "I am actually hunting for surgeries—looking for nice and friendly doctors who can offer me to assist them in one" she looked at the sheets on her hand and pursed her lips "I came to one of the nurse's station to get more files to deliver hoping to be able to assist in one."

"What happened to A&E?"

"I'll go there after I give my rounds here," Ami said as she looked at the patient's name "It's part of being an intern and basically all doctors here unless you are a partner, you have to assist wherever you are needed."

"Yeah, but you are the best intern there," Ami heard Makoto's voice and smiled "I do my best."

"I thought you were going to assist your mother." Makoto said curiously; Ami pursed her lips and continued walking "And I do it from time to time but since my mother is in cardiology I do not get to help her as much as I would like to since that wing is on the other side of the hospital." her eyes sparkled when she looked at one of the patient's doctor and squealed with glee "Ami-chan?"

Ami widened her eyes and looked around then put herself together again and cleared her throat "Sorry…"

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, it's just that—I might be able to assist one case…hopefully." she said softly.

"Really?

"Yup," Ami smiled and blinked "Oh, I'm sorry…I totally got immersed in my own work but, what about you? Are you okay?"

Makoto sighed and leaned on the bathroom door and looked at herself in the mirror "Yeah…I just—something happened here at work and I needed some time for myself."

"What happened? That girl again?"

"She is so mean," Makoto exhaled "Anyways-I might be late for tonight's reunion at the café; I was going to call Minako but then I remembered she was in an audition and Rei doesn't answer her cell phone for some strange reason and I don't know if Usagi-chan was going to be available you know, because of her boss."

Ami nodded and made a knowing face "Oh right—well, I'll let the girls know you are going to get there a little late don't worry but…are you okay?"

Makoto cleaned a slight mascara smudge on her lower lashes with one hand while she held the phone with the other and blew her bangs "Yeah…it's just that the chef here wants to change the entire menu and he wants us to give him ideas and present him some prepared meals so he can try and decide."

"Oh, Mako-chan" she heard Ami said softly on the phone, Makoto sighed "Yeah…I will tell you guys as soon as I get out of here."

"Sure," Ami smilMako-chanI have to go—I must look for one of the doctors and I have several cases I need to give to Mamoru kun and Motoki kun."

"Ah I get it, those are the friendly doctors you have been looking to assist." Makoto chuckled, Ami blushed "Well, they are very accessible and for example, Mamoru asked me to assist him in one of medical cases since he knows I am very interested in that field and well, who am I to say no to that?"

"Wow", Makoto blinked surprised "That is awesome news!"

"Yup, he is one of the best resident internists in the hospital, he gets all types of cases from A&E and Special Units." Ami said softly as she walked closer to the intensive care area "If I see him I can ask him to give Usagi chan your message."

Makoto smiled "Ah that would be great, thanks a lot Ami chan and say hi to Mamoru and Motoki for me—I will see you later tonight."

"Okay Mako chan, good luck!" Ami hung up and put her cell phone in her right pocket and proceeded to take a quick look at the papers in her hands and finally reached the nurse's station in intensive care "I have these from Hirakawa sempai, he said it was important."

One of the nurses took a look at the record and nodded "Alright, thank you Mizuno san" she put the file on her desk and looked at the young blunette "Are you assisting this section today?"

Ami shook her head and looked around "No, today's ER."

"Ah…" the nurse smiled "You will get to see the handsome doctor again, lucky you."

Ami smiled and knew the handsome doctor she was referring to was no other than Chiba Mamoru. The bluenette nodded and gave the nurse another set of files "Every nurse in this hospital is well aware of that young doctor and his dashing looks." she heard the nurse say dreamily and smiled.

Ami giggled "My guess is that you are one of those nurses?"

The nurse known as Chiaki, giggled and waved her hand. She was known to be a very kind woman and was very much loved in the hospital since she was one of its most loyal nurses for over 10 years. Her light brown hair was tied in a low bun and Ami calculated she would be around her forties.

"Oh… of course," she smiled "And he seems like he is a nice young man."

Ami smiled and took the remaining files in her hands and waved her hand "He is," she said softly and smiled "Have a good day Chiaki san."

"Good day to you too Mizuno san."

Ami turned with a smile on her face and took a deep breath as she walked closer to the elevator and pressed the button to go down. The doors opened right after showing and several nurses both male and female walked out of the wide elevator "Mizuno san." said a warm male voice.

Ami looked up and looked at Satomura Akashi and blushed softly "A-Akashi san…" she mumbled, surprised. The young doctor had been Ami's crush since both started their internship at the hospital; with his kind of rebel, wavy hair in an ashy brown and his sparkling almond eyes the young man waved his hand at her and stepped out of the elevator "Well this is a surprise—I thought you didn't come to the hospital today."

Ami shook her head and wet her lips "N-No—I mean yes…but," she took a deep breath, this guy made her lose any concentration "I was asked to deliver these files to nurse Chiaki here in Oncology."

"Where are you heading now?" Akashi asked with obvious curiosity "Are you assisting Dr. Mizuno in Cardiology today?"

Ami shook her head "No, ER."

"Ah," Akashi's eyes lit up with joy "What a coincidence, me too! I was just helping one of the nurses with some of the papers but I'm actually on my way back there."

Ami blushed and smiled "Oh, really?"

Akashi chuckled "Yeah, I mean…I kinda knew you were going to be there…" his face darkened a little bit "…I know you enjoy assisting in that department."

Ami blinked and pursed her lips as she felt a cold air of 'jealousy?' she wondered and blushed even more as she walked inside the elevator and pressed the number 2 button. She frowned and turned to Akashi who suddenly fell silent "Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah…" Akashi said softly as he stared at the numbers changing color each time they went down another floor "It's just that…suddenly everybody wants to work there—I dunno why," he pressed his lips together "Well, I have one idea of why."

Ami frowned and joined him at his number staring contest and waited for the number two to lighten up. The doors soon opened and were received by the fast paced rhythm of the ER department and moved quickly to the nurse's station and went to look for her binder as she greeted the nurses filling a patient's form "Good morning."

"Good morning Mizuno san," Maki, one of the nurses greeted "Ready for another exciting day?"

Ami smiled and nodded "I sure am," she looked through the papers on the binder and frowned "Um, excuse me…by any chance do you happen to know who I will be assisting today?"

Maki gave the forms to the patient she was attending and turned on her chair to look at her computer "Um, let me check…" she typed something and then turned to look some papers on the desk "Well, here says you will be assisting Chiba san." she blushed softly and blinked "But…he hasn't checked in, though he called and said he would be a little late, he is probably on his way."

Ami frowned, finding it strange for her friend to be late and especially for work. She scratched the back of her neck "Well that's strange…" she mumbled and thought for a moment if everything was alright, if Usagi was alright because the only reason Mamoru would go late for work or any other thing is because it was something related to Usagi "Did he say if he had an emergency or something?" she asked concerned, startling Maki "Um, no…I don't think so, he didn't speak with me," she smiled "Ah… you are worried for the man…so cute," Maki smiled and tugged a strand of light copper hair behind her ear "You lucky girl."

Ami widened her eyes and blinked "Me? Why?"

"You get to work with him pretty often," the nurse said and smiled, then turned to a slight annoyed Akashi standing next to her "Why is everybody so infatuated with him?"

Maki blushed and frowned "You obviously don't understand."

Akashi sighed and shook his head "No, trust me—I get the idea," he sighed "But everyone is just being misguided by his looks, he probably is not that good but just because he is 'cute' everyone thinks he is…the guy is probably aware of it and uses it to his advantage."

Ami frowned and closed her binder with a loud snap "You cannot possibly be serious," she said in a cold tone "How can you say that?"

Her comment made Akashi feel even more annoyed "You too?"

"Have you ever seen him work?" Ami was very upset to hear him talk about her friend that way. Mamoru had become a role model for her since she began studying medicine at the university, she had developed a new respect and admiration for him and even gratitude. Since she started studying, he always offered to help her with many of her classes and when she had the opportunity to work at the hospital, he understood how much she wanted to step aside from her mother's shadow. To Ami, trust was one of the most important things in her life and he believed in her skills as a doctor. When she had the first chance to work with him and see with her own eyes how he develops with such professionalism in a place like ER, she understood how much he cared to help others. Saving lives to him was a big deal, Ami thought it was maybe because of his past. Akashi sighed again, this time more heavily and shrugged his shoulders "Well, no—I always work with Dr. Osuna."

"Well maybe that's why you think that way…Maki, what do you think I should do then?" Ami said and turned to Maki who was checking on some papers "I suppose you can go ask one of the doctors while you wait for Dr. Chiba to arrive."

"That won't be necessary," a male voice startled the nurse and the two young interns; Ami turned and smiled at the man behind her "Hi." she said lightly. Motoki smiled at the blue haired girl and went to the nurse's station and grabbed the binder Maki was just checking minutes ago "Hm…" he mumbled as he gave a quick view to the files and then turned to Maki "I'll take care of his cases until he gets here."

"O-Of course Dr. Furuhata." Maki said softly and turned to both Ami and Akashi "And them?"

"I'll take them with me until he gets here." he turned to Akashi and narrowed his green eyes "You've worked with Dr. Osuna before right? I remember you…"

Akashi widened his eyes and nodded "Yes," he looked around "It's actually my first time assisting another Dr. besides Dr. Osuna."

"Ah, good. It's good if you take experience from someone else from time to time, but I must tell you—this is going to be different." he looked at the chart in his hands "Neither Dr. Chiba or myself work at the same pace as Dr. Osuna so you will have to keep that in mind."

Akashi widened his eyes and clenched his jaw "Yes, I understand."

"Very well," Motoki said and turned on his heel "For what I see here, today's cases don't seem to be as bizarre as what we are used to, so—it will be a good training for you." he slid one mint colored curtain aside and saw a girl with deep cut from her knee to her mid thigh "All right…" Motoki put the chart down and looked at the girl "What happened here?" he asked softly at the crying girl and then turned to see her mother who immediately spoke for her kid "She was roller skating doing tricks for her talent show and crashed against a window from our home."

Motoki nodded and took a closer look at the girls wound after he put on some latex gloves "Okay, Mizuno and Hano san, what should we do in this case?"

Ami moved closer to the sobbing girl and smiled at her "Don't worry—everything will be alright," she turned to Motoki and cleared her throat "The cut is deep, but it's not close to the bone or any nerves we could say it will threaten functionality, so we should remove any remains of glass, clean the area, put some stitches and give her some antibiotic to fight any minor infections, that will help her heal faster. But some blood tests must be taken in order to make sure nothing more serious could affect her cicatrization."

Motoki nodded "Very well," he turned to Akashi "Is there anything else you would like to add?"

Akashi wet his lips "Maybe if we give her a shot to prevent tetanus in case she hasn't had the shot in the past five years and prescribe some pain killers and a disinfectant cream…I would even dare to suggest bandaging the wound until it starts cicatrizing."

Motoki turned to the girl and smiled at her "Dr. Mizuno and Dr. Satomura will be cleaning your wound, I will try to be as careful as possible so you don't feel any pain when I put this shot on your arm, okay? After we're done, I'll prescribe you with some medications so your blood can coagulate and make the wound heal faster."

The girl looked at Motoki then at her mother and nodded, Motoki turned and started to prepare the vaccine for the girl while Ami and Akashi began helping the girl with her wound. Akashi sat on a stool while he began working on the stitches on the girl's leg while thinking this could be the beginning of a very long day.

Thank god it was Friday.


	2. Chapter 2

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter 2

 _A/N: I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters. _

_Thoughts are written mostly in a separate sentence and in italics unless it is specified otherwise._

* * *

She turned at the blonde with humongous breasts standing next to her while waiting for the assistant near the curtains that would lead her to the stage call for her. With high spirits and a soft squeal, Minako quickly made her way to the stage the moment she heard her name.

With small steps and giant determination she finally stood in front of a vintage styled microphone, happy and nervous at the same time as she began to prepare to take character, she opened her perfectly painted lips but just before she could say the first word a big spotlight was turned on her direction making her feel the pressure and more like a bug under a microscope.

"Your name?" Minako heard a male voice asked, one she imagined it would be the famous Broadway director.

"Aino Minako." the blonde greeted and narrowed her blue eyes, hoping to see more than a few dark spots in the distance "Your age?" the male voice asked again, not giving her time to start any conversation.

"Twenty-four years old," Minako replied and bit her lip.

"And which role you are casting for?" another voice, this time a female asked less brusquely than the man before.

"Madame Castille," Minako said as confident as ever and cast a smile; she was determinant to go for it and chase the dream she always had since she was a teenager. "–Oh?" she heard the same woman ask curious and cleared her throat while looked at Minako's file and closed it "Madame Castille's role is very demanding."

Minako nodded "I can do it."

A moment of silence followed their verbal interaction, Minako was beginning to feel slightly anxious since she was very aware the role she wanted, was the bigger and more important one in her pursuit for success in her acting career.

"I see you have quite a history in theater—but nothing as big as this production." The woman said again in a monotone, and waved her hand "Perform scene four, paragraph two."

Minako pressed her lips together and took a deep breath before stepping away from the microphone and began preparing to get into character. She raised her hand and frowned "I cannot believe…" she trailed off and opened her eyes "You? On their side?"

A man who played the part of _Francis, the lover_ walked close to the blonde, startling her "What you saw... it is a lie," he moved closer to her and held her hand while looking into her eyes and frowned in an exaggerated gesture "Celina, it is a lie!"

Minako snapped her hand away from the brown haired man and turned on her heel "And what about the papers, huh? The gun? You killed those people—you killed _her_ ," she widened her eyes with forced horror and pointed at the man in front of her "You are a murderer!"

"Cut!" Minako turned to the light and blinked in startlement "W-What?" she mumbled, surprised by the sudden interruption. "Thank you." she heard the woman say in the dark "Next person in line—please."

Minako frowned and shook her head "What?!"

"That's all, thank you for coming."

The blonde shook her head more effusively "But I barely did a thing here! I didn't even finish the scene,"

"We don't need much, thank you."

Minako arched her brow "You don't need much for what, exactly?"

"Look—we'll call you ok? Thank you. Next in line please, we are delaying here!" the woman said to the casting assistant but to everyone's surprise Minako was still standing behind the microphone and being blinded by that same spotlight she was now insulting under her breath for beginning to ruin her makeup and probably her reputation.

" _I said_ thank you." there was an evident tone of annoyance in the woman's voice but Minako didn't move from her stand behind the microphone "I am not going anywhere," she cleared her throat and frowned "I was doing the scene and you just cut me off, the person before me had the opportunity to finish her scene, why can't I have the same opportunity?"

"Can someone please escort this girl to the exit? It's getting late."

"No," Minako said and closed her eyes. She could not take a no for an answer, she could not just be ignored this way. Aino Minako had been waiting to have a break in the artistic world for several years now; she had gone to many acting and dancing seminars to improve her skills, spent most of her money on trying to find an agent who could manage and promote her career but the closest she could get to show business was to work at the local t.v. station as the assistant to the producer and director of the nightly news and she was tired of being rejected time after time, this was her break and she was tired of not being given the opportunity to star in a big play like this one. The casting woman was right, she had a history in theater since she graduated high school she began her journey as a young actress starring in several roles from small to bigger ones but true, it was nothing too big or high budget productions.

"Wow," Minako shook her head " This is just—wow," she looked up and pointed at the light "I really can't believe the nerve you have to treat actors like this; if this is how you manage your crew and rehearsals, then—I don't want to be part of it." The blonde turned and stared at the men waiting for her at the other side of the stage, their tight black t-shirts gave away they were part of the security team, waiting to escort her out, "Miss…" one of them said and walked over to her; Minako raised her hand and waved her head disillusioned, "I can walk myself out." she began walking out the stage, slamming the doors behind her and cursing under her breath.

At the table, the director watched her storm out and turned to take the file with her resume and pictures and studied them in silence for a minute "I like her."

The woman sitting next to him widened her eyes and opened her mouth in surprise "H-Her? but the role is already taken, also—didn't you see the tantrum she just made?"

The director smiled while watching Minako's picture again "She seems," he chuckled "Different."

* * *

Outside the theater, Minako snorted, ignoring the people staring at her while sighing and cursing under her breath. "Stupid casting people." she bit her lip and closed her eyes for a few seconds, containing the wave of emotions that were beginning to flow inside her.

After a couple of minutes, she raised her head and stared at the huge clock at the top of the building across the street and widened her eyes "Oh my god, it's past noon already?!" she looked at her wristwatch to make sure her brain was not deceiving her and gasped a very loud "Oh my god, I'm gonna be so late…" she gritted her teeth in regret "Usagi-chan is gonna kill…oh wait, it's Usagi-chan we are talking about," she sighed heavily and continued walking "I'm so on time."

* * *

Rei walked with a wooden tray in her hands down the hallway all the way up to her grandfather's bedroom. The Miko kneeled outside the richly crafted paper and wooden doors and put the tray carefully on the floor and slid the door with most delicacy so she wouldn't wake the old man in case he was sleeping. Her amethyst eyes looked around the room and found him sitting on the bed, reading a book. His face lit up the moment he saw her on the door "And there she is, my beautiful Miko."

Rei smiled softly and tilted her head to the side "Can I come in?" she asked lightly and stood up, taking the tray with her; she didn't wait for her grandfather to say anything when she took the liberty to come in and kneel again, this time next to his bed. "I brought you some tea."

"Oh dear, thank you."

"Would you like me to pour you a cup?"

"That would be perfect, yes."

Rei took the handmade ceramic cup and poured some hot water on it, then sprinkled some green leaves over the cup and waited a minute for the leaves to simmer and release their unique fragrance "Mmm…I smell jasmine."

The Miko smiled and nodded, she handed the cup to the old man, "Careful, it's very hot."

The high priest took the cup with care and closed his eyes for a moment while he murmured what it seemed a little prayer to the gods and then proceeded to take a loud sip "Ah, perfect," he smiled "Just how I like it."

Rei walked to the windows and slid the curtains aside "You need to let the sun come in, you need fresh air." she turned to look at him and raised a brow "And you also need to eat. Maki-san just told me you didn't eat any breakfast this morning, why?" her motherly persona took over quickly, making the old man chuckle softly "Just like your mother." there was an evident hint of longing in his words Rei caught up right away, "Ojisan, you need to eat so you can be healthy."

"Healthy, Oh dear," the old man took another sip of his tea and stayed thoughtful for a couple of minutes "I won't be the man I was five years ago, I am not getting any younger,"

"Ojisan,"

"My health and vitality isn't the same as it was,"

"Ojisan,"

"My time is coming..."

"Stop it." Rei cut his words, her voice flat and weak, "I can't stand when you start talking like that." she closed her eyes and stood there, feet away from her grandfather's bed. Her trembling hands gave away the mortification she was trying to cover with all her might. Her stern face could not be held any longer but it was always like that, when in front of her grandfather Rei was like a leaf in the middle of an ocean, exposed and unprotected.

"I cannot see my life without you in it," Rei took a deep breath "I just," she sighed "I can't."

"Rei, come sit here with me." the priest patted his thin mattress and waited for her granddaughter to sit in silence "It's alright, you don't need to worry about what might happen, I am okay." he sighed and held her hand "We all have our life traced, our destiny. We come here to accomplish our mission and then part free," he smiled sadly "We've been together for a long, long time now child and it is time for you to move on."

Rei closed her eyes and fought the tears that threatened to come out "I don't want to move on without you."

"You are a great Miko, I trained you well. You are magnificent at what you do and I am the luckiest grandfather of all times for having you in my life." the priest wiped a tear rolling down his granddaughter's cheek and smiled "It's all right. We all are on the same boat dear, it just happens that mine has begun its journey some years back and it's finding its course to its end."

Rei looked up at him and frowned "The doctor said you were better, but you need to eat, sailed or not your boat, you need to eat." the mood in the room instantly lit up, her motherly tone came back in charge and everything came back to its usual routine. It was too hard for both to talk about what would happen if he was gone. They loved each other too much and Rei was doing her best at taking care of him to be saying their goodbyes. No, she was not going to let that happen.

After Rei graduated high school she continued with her duties as her grandfather's apprentice at the shrine and soon perfected her skills as Shinto priestess but things soon began to turn complicated when her grandfather fell ill and had a stroke, making it impossible to continue handling all the responsibilities he had to fulfill as the head priest. Since then, Rei followed her grandfather's wishes and took his place as the Hikawa Shrine Miko.

The old man chuckled and nodded in defeat "All right, all right," he sighed "I just don't like bland food."

"Ojisan, don't be melodramatic, it's for your own good."

The priest put his empty cup aside and sighed "I wonder what will happen with Yuuichiro."

Rei frowned and moved her hand away from her grandfather's "W-Why do you say that?" she stood up again and went to take the old man's medicines; she tried to open the lids for each container, but it was nearly impossible task to control her shaky hands from exposing her slight anxiety, "What does Yuuichiro has to do with you eating?" she asked softly, trying to diverse the conversation back to the main point.

"You are not an easy cookie, dear. You have a very strong character." the old man chuckled and noticed she was taking just too long to bring him the pills "Rei?"

"Yes, yes?"

"Are you alright?"

"Perfect. It's just that—these lids," Rei murmured and turned to place the mint colored pills on his wrinkled hand "Sometimes there are hard to take off."

The old man took the glass of water he had next to his bed and swallowed the pills "That man—I never thought he could win a special place in our hearts. He's a nice fine man," He pointed at his granddaughter "But he is lucky to have you."

Rei pressed her lips together for a moment and cleared her throat "Ojisan," she whispered and sat on his bed again and looked into his brown eyes while contemplating whether she confessed the truth that has been torturing her for the last four months. When she thought about Yuuichiro, the memory of the kind loyal man resurfaced from the ashes like a phoenix but the reality of things soon brought her back to her state of solitude and abandon. Rei wanted to tell her grandfather what she was feeling, but his heart was too weak to stand another deception. It took him a long time to finally convince her grandfather that his intentions were honest and real and that one day he wanted to take her hand in marriage, start a family, live a new life, despite the priest's first wish of her becoming a respectable Shinto priestess. Maybe it was the history between them that made her take the decision of not telling him anything that was happening between Yuuichiro and her. The priest loved the man and most of all, he trusted him.

"Rei?"

Rei snapped out of her deep thought and looked at her grandfather "Oh—I um—I wanted to let you know I was going out with the girls tonight, nothing fancy just coffee," she bit her lip and continued the lie "More than letting you know, I wanted to ask you if it was okay," she turned to the door and hesitated "I asked Mika-san to prepare you your favorite dish for dinner and made all the arrangements necessary,"

"Rei."

"So you don't have to worry about anything, Yuuichiro will be taking care of everything,"

"Rei-chan"

"While I'm gone but if there is anything else you..."

"Rei-chan."

"Yes?" Rei widened her deep purple haze. The priest smiled warmly, "You don't have to worry about anything. You haven't seen them in a while; it's not healthy for you to stay at home taking care of this old man all the time."

"You are _not_ an old man," Rei warned him.

"Go." The priest said "Go and have fun, come home late, go out dancing—go have a drink," he made a pause "Just don't come home drunk."

"Ojisan, it's just coffee."

"Bah!" the old man waved his hand and smiled "What are you girls planning this time eh?"

Rei smiled at her grandfather's light sense of humor "We are just going to talk about some details about the wedding."

"Oh right," the old man frowned slightly "Who's marrying again?"

"Usagi," Rei said softly.

"Oh right, right." The priest's eyes lit up "The petite girl with the hair of moonlight strings, eh?"

"That's her." Rei chuckled.

"She is a very funny lady, adorable is the right word to describe her."

"She's…one of a kind."

"She's marrying the very tall young man, right?"

"Correct." Rei smiled "Her long, long, _long,_ time boyfriend."

The old priest chuckled "Very nice couple."

"You are invited."

"You know it depends on this old heart of mine dear, but Yuuichiro is going with you to the reception, I imagine?"

"Um," Rei sighed softly "I guess."

The priest nodded "Well, I can tell it is going to be a beautiful wedding." He patted her granddaughter's hand "Go have fun tonight and say hi to the girls."

Rei smiled "I will." she turned her head to look at the windows and their blowing curtains "Are you cold? Want me to shut the windows?"

The priest shook his head "They're alright. I'll ask Yuuichiro to close them if it gets cold."

"Alright." Rei leaned and kissed her grandfather on the forehead and stood up "I love you."

"I love you too."

Rei smiled and turned to leave, sliding the door closed again. She sighed and took a few steps down the corridor and stopped, with her hand covering her mouth, she took a deep breath again and leaned on one of the pillars unaware that she was not alone.

"Are you okay?" she heard a male voice cut deep into her thoughts. Rei widened her eyes and turned to find Yuuichiro standing just two feet away from her "What are you doing here all by yourself?"

"I'm fine." she said coldly and turned to look away "Do you need anything?"

"Yes. Talk to you." Yuuichiro said softly "Rei—we can't go on like this. I can't go on like this," the man lowered his gaze "And I don't want to."

"There is nothing for me left to say to you," her voice was calm, but sounded tired "We have nothing to talk about. You are here because you wanted to be my grandfather's apprentice, stick to your plan and leave me alone."

"This is not what my Master wanted, he gave us his blessing."

"A blessing you surely forgot about months ago."

"Rei, how long are you going to continue lying to him? He doesn't have a clue that we are not doing okay," Yuuichiro sighed "And I want us to be okay, I want us to be like before—Rei, this distance is breaking us apart."

Rei turned to look at him, there was anger and hurt in her amethyst eyes, "Unbelievable." she turned on her heel and continued walking until she was far away from her grandfather's bedroom not really paying attention to the man she was aware, was still following her.

"What do you want me to do?!" Yuuichiro raised his hands in frustration, "Hmm?" he frowned "I've been trying to have a conversation with you and you just walk out on me! Tell me how this is not breaking us apart."

This was the drop that fell from her glass of patience, with fisted hands and rage firing on her chest she turned to look at him and raised a finger in his direction "You broke us! You. Broke. Us. _You_."

"Rei,"

"You broke what we had that night. You broke my trust—my heart."

"Rei," Yuuichiro breathed her name.

"How can I tell my grandfather that?!" she raised her trembling hands "How can I tell him what you did without causing him pain? Without hurting him?"

"Rei—I'm sorry," Yuuichiro took a step closer to her, one she took back and away from him "If you said you loved me so much, why did you break my heart that way? You know how I felt towards men, you know I didn't want anything and still, you tried to convince me. You made me trust."

"I was drunk. I didn't know what I was doing."

"A treason is a treason—no matter in what state you are in." Rei said dryly "And I cannot stand deceivers." she turned on her heel and walked back to the shrine, brushing her pristine kimono sleeve against his skin while she passed him "Don't you dare tell him anything, I will find the way to talk to him and make this less painful for all of us."

"Rei."

"Be the man you claim to be and don't say a word."

With a loud sigh, she walked inside the shrine and went straight to the prayer room and slid the door closed behind her. She leaned on the wall and closed her eyes thinking about how this situation with Yuiichiro was starting to go out of control; she tried to keep things calm and as normal as she could but her grandfather was starting to give her more obvious hints that he was expecting her to settle with him soon, even when she was supposed to be a Miko for the rest of her life.

The constant lying and pretending for the sake of the old man was starting to take a toll on her. The more she smiled to Yuiichiro while having dinner together the more she felt sick by his betrayal. With a heavy sigh, she decided to take one final glance at the fire and one final meditation session before starting to get things done before her night out with the girls.

There were only a few things that could make her feel secure and in control, one of them was the sound of the fire crackling in the middle of the room. Rei lit the candles around the hearth and sat on her knees in respect to the gods and mostly the power blazing in front of her.

Her amethyst eyes watched the intense dance in front of her and with a loud and long exhale, the raven-haired priestess closed her eyes and chanted her usual prayers allowing a familiar feeling starting to take over her and opening her mind to the calling.

" _It's been so long…so long since we showed ourselves to the world."_

The priestess looked down at her wiggling hands "It's been a long time since I showed my true nature," she whispered "My true nature." she said more convinced to herself.

Her thoughts were correct, it felt like it had been a long time since they stop fighting for love and justice. The amazing feeling of fire burning inside her and through her veins felt like it happened a long time ago. Rei smiled sadly and turned her palms up while still looking at them. It was undeniable; she still felt that spark inside of her waiting to come out like in the old days while wondering if she really missed the countless nights she had to sneak out of her room to go and fight the enemies with her friends. It had been months since she started wondering if she missed her days as a soldier.

Rei closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Is it that being a soldier was the only exciting thing in my life? Was it being a Sailor Senshi the only purpose of my existence?" she asked the fire in front of her "Am I the only one that ever wonders if I am going to be as strong as my secret alter ego?"

Rei opened her eyes and sighed in defeat "No Rei, don't be silly," she mumbled and shook her head "I should not blame my side as Sailor Senshi for my lack of conviction and my failure with love. Those are two different things."

As soon as those last words came out of her mouth a strange feeling of doubt and uneasiness possessed her already troubled spirit making her stare at the fire moving violently like a whirlpool of angst and madness.

The Miko shook her head and brought her hands close to her chest "Why is my mind so clouded? Why am I feeling like this? What is this heavy energy I am feeling inside of me?" she exhaled heavily, "What is it?" she whispered as she looked into the fire and frowned "Tell me!" the priestess stood up and threw a handful of blessed salts to the blazing fire, hoping that would release the negativity that was evidently trapped within the dancing flames.

To her surprise, the fire grew bigger and turned even more violent "W-What?" Rei's eyes widened in shock and stepped back when she knew this was something that if not treated with extreme care it could cause a disgrace. It was just when she was about to scream for help when her purple eyes caught the shape of a silhouette appearing in the middle of the fire.

Rei widened her eyes in shock "What…is that?"

She turned to the sacred mirror on the other side of the room and noticed how it slowly turned pitch black. She turned frantic, the fire was trying to tell her something, it was warning her about something she could not even describe. The figure became clearer as the fire kept moving, she could not tell if it was a man or a woman but it was clearly _something_ with a weapon and ready to attack.

A strong, very strong smell of charcoal and sulfur began invading the room, almost choking the priestess to death. Desperate, she turned to scream for help but her voice never found its way out; Rei came closer to the raging fire and put her hands together "This cannot be," she murmured "It's like the fire is battling against something," she closed her eyes and brought her hands together and began chanting several prayers when a voice suddenly echoed from the fireside.

" _Totum est meum est"_

Rei's brows knitted together and tried to decipher the words coming from the fire. She could clearly hear a deep dangerous voice repeating the same words over and over again.

" _Totum est meum est"_

'' _Omne quod est in me"_

Rei moved closer to the flames, ignoring their anger and frowned "Whoever you are, I command you to leave this sacred place!" she closed her eyes and moved her hands forming different symbols _"Rin,_ "

" _Pyou,"_

" _Tou,"_

" _Sha,"_

" _Kai,"_

" _Jin,"_

" _Retsu,"_

" _Zai,"_

" _Zen,"_

The priestess raised her arms and threw a sacred piece of paper to the struggling flames, her amethyst eyes never leaving the dark entity that was reflecting in front of her, challenging her.

" _Akuryo Taisan!"_

As soon as the flames ripped and burned the paper, the dark figure began to fade away and the once raging flames were now returning to their tranquil natural state. Her body was shaking thinking that for a moment she barely could control and stop the rage and whatever it was trying to come out of the flames.

The priestess walked towards the windows and opened them wide to let the suffocating smell of sulfur leave the shrine for good. With troubled eyes she looked at Phobos and Deimos fly in circles around the dark smoke "What did just happen?" she asked confused and turned to the calm fire again "What was that?"


	3. Chapter 3

Divinity: The Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter three

 _A/N: I want to give a special thank you for your reviews. You know who you are, big thank you._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

* * *

Friday night eight o' clock; the weekend was just starting and you could see people feeling the urge to leave their offices and start relaxing and shedding the stress from all week. Whether was to have dinner, chill at a café, catch a new movie at the theater or to have a drink with friends at the hippest place in the city, Tokyo had it all to offer some good fun.

Minako was one of those girls who enjoyed the light and sounds of the city at night. She always said it was like if she was transported from one place to another on the same day, which was one of the main reasons she wanted to pursue a career in show business, because of the power the city at night gave her.

With a big smile on her face, she walked her way to the café where she was supposed to meet the girls ten minutes ago. After her audition, she went back to the station and arranged the meeting she had with Usagi and some people from her office and continued her day, trying to block and forget much of what happened earlier-this had been her routine for a while now. Audition, wait for an answer then, forget. As she walked down the sidewalk, she took a glance at her wristwatch and continued her way to her destination while looking at the many projections on the buildings large screens.

Everything was going smoothly and her failed audition was already being archived as another experience point added to her skills list until she saw a blonde girl, one she found very familiar and stopped in her tracks while gaping at the flashing screen. "Well I'll be damned," Minako covered her mouth with her free hand and frowned, "It's her!"

By _her_ , she meant the blonde bimbo with big breasts she saw at the audition and when she cursed herself absently, she was meaning that and the advertising was presenting her as the star of the play she went to audition that very day. Minako could not ignore the girl's pronounced breasts and frowned, slightly disgusted and upset. Minutes after, while still very immersed in her own misery she completely ignored a very confused Makoto was standing next to her "A penny for your thoughts?"

Minako blinked and turned "Oh, hey!" she said, trying her best to cover her lack of enthusiasm. Makoto arched her brow and turned her face at the screen and frowned "Why are you doing here so absently staring at that blonde girl?"

The blonde blew her long bangs and pursed her lips, "She is the star of the play."

"What play?"

"The one I went to audition this morning." Minako turned to Makoto with deception in her eyes, defeat was not a feature the blonde could process and mask very well. she almost looked embarrassed while confessing the real reason for her strange behavior. Makoto widened her eyes and made a face of disgust while looking back at the large advertising "Really, _her_?" she knew her friend was disappointed because she was well aware of the effort and investment she has done to make a career she could be proud of, she understood her well because she has gone through the same rough patches before having a break in the culinary world.

If Makoto was sure of something was that her blonde friend had struggled in the past year with pretty much everything in her life. The man she dated for two years turned out to be a complete destructive and jealous parasite, her job didn't quite give her any more challenges and she was still waiting for that promotion that both knew was probably not going to happen anytime soon if the producer continued spending the money the way he was in unnecessary things; her relationship with her mother was not in the best of terms and to top it all like a juicy cherry on a frosty cake, every audition she went to participate did not go as she expected. But even with all those things happening to her, she still managed to be the bubbly, cheerful and positive Minako she has been knowing for years and that was what she admired the most. Her passion and love for living and continue fighting for her dreams always gave her the drive to continue fighting for what she wanted.

"I know, right?" Minako tilted her head and tried to ignore the discomfort she felt by watching the other blonde bouncing her breasts up and down while talking to the interviewer. She could not help but to find the silver lining to the situation like she always did and pursed her lips "I met her today and I must say-she is a little mean," she shrugged her shoulders "And when she mention to another actor that she had gotten the part I didn't think she was being serious-I thought she was just being overconfident."

"Hmm—she's probably sleeping with the director or somebody involved in that play," Makoto clicked her tongue "That is the most probable thing."

Minako chuckled, her spirit felt uplifted by her friend's honest and brutal review. She felt genuinely happy to see her friend after a long and exhausting day, "Do you think so?"

Makoto ran her arm around her friend's shoulders and tightened the hug, "Don't worry, you will get something better."

"Thanks." Minako smiled. Without saying anything else, they walked down the street until they reached the corner and the so famous café they have visited since their high school years, "It doesn't matter how many hip places they open in Juban and Azabu, we will keep coming here." Makoto said between chuckles, "I guess it's because it brings good memories."

"Or the free snacks we get for being such loyal customers." Minako giggled, Makoto nodded "Or maybe because we are good friends with the owners."

Minako smiled and nodded, "I think that might be it."

As they made their way to their usual place far in the corner, a raven-haired woman shook her hand in the distance, "Hey!" Makoto said as she entered the café with a smiling Minako walking behind "Rei-chan!" she greeted happily.

As usual, Rei had gotten there too early, she even dared to say she beat Ami in her punctuality skills since she started working at the hospital but there was much more behind Rei's early arrival. After what happened at the shrine, she needed to get away to clear her head and think thoroughly about the incidents happened earlier that day. As she drunk her cup of hot tea, she pictured in her mind several scenarios that could happen if she ever opened her mouth to speak about the shadows she saw in the fire, the most important being Usagi's reaction.

Usagi, she thought. Usagi had been the one that has been to the test one too many times in the past; the girls understood it and vowed to protect her from any situation that could bring her mood down but then was her duty as Senshi, who swore to a queen to always look out for her daughter. The question was still lingering in her thoughts, lurking like a shadow playing with her own mental peace _'Who are you-who are you meant to be?'_

Her two long time friends finally arrived at the table, snapping her out of her long train of thought. Rei scoot over on the large circular seat and moved her purse out of the way so either of the girls could sit next to her while waiting for the rest. Makoto was first and gave her Miko friend a hug, "Have you been here for too long?" she looked at the cup of tea in front of Rei, the priestess smiled "Just a little while-it's alright. It seems I will never learn, I always show up too early for our meetings."

"We could have been here sooner but I was distracted by an ad I just saw on one of the huge screens outside," Minako bit her lower lip apologetically, "It's my bad."

Rei widened her eyes and remembered Minako's grand return to the stage, "Oh right, the audition! It was today, right? How did it go?"

Minako felt the tug of rejection in her chest once again and answered with a soft sigh at first, "I didn't get the part."

"Oh no, Minako," Rei reached for her friend's hand and patted it gently, "The one who did is probably sleeping with the director."

Makoto laughed and turned to a very surprised Minako "See? I told you."

"Wait-how did...?" the blonde was about to say something when a familiar laughter caught their attention, it was no other than the forever cheerful and fashionably late Tsukino Usagi. It didn't matter how many years could have passed, how she did her hair or how many pencil skirts, fancy blouses and high heels she wore, she was always going to be the girl with a terrible sense of time.

Usagi had grown up to be a beautiful lady, not that she wasn't before but you could see how much she matured over the years and became more ladylike and less of the cry baby everybody once knew, she was still as distracted and sometimes could be clumsy with things but now she did it with high amounts of grace. The girls came to the conclusion that it was the result of Mamoru's influence and the many experiences she had to endure and live that made her who she was now without taking away her characteristic charm and endless amounts of dreams and ideals.

For the once lunar warrior, it did not become a problem to wait for her moment to be a bride; sure, she dreamt about it and talked about it with the girls very often. Like any girl would, she day dreamed about how she would like her special day to be and what flavor she would like her cake to be—chocolate, of course. She wanted to start a new life with the man she had known for more than just one lifetime, she wanted to be with him, she wanted to make him happy, and she yearn for her ever after but also she was very aware that at the age of 16 it was still not the right time, for either of them.

Mamoru was against the idea of leaving to study abroad again to finish his medical career and thesis after what happened when Galaxia appeared, it was a topic he preferred to leave aside due to the exhausting and painful amount of emotional baggage that came attach to it but after long talks and arguments, she managed to convince him to start the necessary paperwork he needed to send again to Harvard and leave again this time, with the promise that he had to call her regularly and come home for the holidays. And so, he did.

Usagi realized she wanted and had to do more things before finally becoming a bride and wife. She wanted a career for herself as well and to become a professional with goals and challenges, she wanted to explore her possibilities in the real world and achieve her own level of success while Mamoru was away studying and finishing his thesis. During that time, Usagi graduated high school and followed his example by going to Keio University and decided to pursue a career in Art and Design with his entire support. She accepted his offer to stay in his apartment every time she had to study for a major exam or when she needed the space to work on her projects and prepare her class assignments. Sure, being apart could be hard sometimes; there were days when she missed to go and have lunch with him, and there were nights when she wished he was next to her reading a book while she watched TV or read a magazine, but she was happy they finally lived at peace, they had free long distance calls and he had free mileage to spend on air transportation.

After eight years of self-discoveries, experiences, much souvenirs, and calls, all those dreams and wishes were about to come true. That—and her chocolate cake.

With a long happy sigh, she saluted her friends with a big apologetic smile "I'm so so sorry,"

"Usagi-chan!" the three girls said in unison. Minako raised her hands dramatically while motioning her to sit next to her "You made it!"

Usagi nodded and took a seat next to her blonde friend and sighed in relief, "Yes, I finally made it," she combed her choppy long fringe to the side and waved her hand like a fan "I thought my boss was never going to let me go, she can be a lot sometimes," she put her binder on the table and her big tote bag on the floor since she sat at the edge of the circular booth.

Rei chuckled "Well, you should be proud. This is probably the first time you got here before all of us!"

Usagi widened her eyes and blinked her crystal blue eyes with surprise, "Oh?" she turned to see Ami was missing "Ami-chan is missing?"

"I'm here, I'm here!" a very hurried Ami walked towards them with her backpack on one shoulder, "I'm so sorry—I'm so late!"

"Crazy day at the hospital?" Makoto asked softly as she scoot over on the long seat and gave the bluenette enough space for her to sit, "It was not as hard like other days but it was sure crazy." she smiled and put her bag on the metal hanger at the end of the table, "How are you girl?" she blushed "Oh my, please don't tell me you have been here for too long?"

Rei smiled and shook her head, "No, Usagi beat you for like—5 seconds."

"I still won." Usagi laughed and shrugged her shoulders "5 seconds are 5 seconds."

Ami laughed too "Well, that's a first."

It wasn't long after Unazuki came with five menus on her hands and a big smile on her face "How are we doing today? Long time no see girls!"

"Hey, Unazuki!" Minako smiled at Motoki's little sister, "Well we came here like—what?" she turned to look at the other girls "A week ago?"

"Yeah," Makoto said "Well, Rei chan couldn't come because she had things to do at the shrine but you, Usagi and I came, Ami chan got here like an hour later,"

Ami sighed "I think it has become a tradition of mine to be late to every meeting."

Usagi chuckled and turned to the bluenette "Tell my fiancé to stop being so bossy and let you go an hour early." Ami chuckled at the joke, "Actually, I was supposed to assist him today but he wasn't at the hospital, so Motoki kun asked me to assist him all morning." she turned to Unazuki who was laughing softly "Oh, how is he treating you at the hospital?"

"He's cool." Ami smiled and shrugged her shoulders playfully, "You know-Motoki like."

Unazuki laughed and handed them the menus "That's my brother—I honestly don't know how Reika can keep up with him, he's so hyperactive."

Rei smiled and leaned her chin on her hand, "Opposites attract. What better example that the one we have here in front of us?" she chuckled at Usagi who was reading the menu; Unazuki giggled and nodded "That's right!"

"Hey Unazuki, I love what you have done to the place. It's very cozy." Makoto said while looking around, "I love the neutral colors with wooden furniture and the pop of color you give with the accents." she sighed dreamily "Oh how I wish I could have my own place to decorate it as cool as this place."

Unazuki blinked surprised "Oh right, you were planning on opening your own place. How is that coming along?"

Makoto half smiled "Well, there have been some hiccups along the way that has kept me busy working at the restaurant."

"Well-as long as you don't lose hope, I am sure you will open your place soon and that will give serious competition to the Crown."

Makoto chuckled, "Thank you-I really hope so."

"Everything has a vintage vibe to it, I like it." Minako joined the conversation while looking around the newly refurbished area near the bar. Unazuki giggled and turned to look around, "Right? Yeah, I knew my many rough sketches would come up in handy someday," she smiled.

"So are you running the place from now on?" Ami asked, "Motoki kun finally stepped aside and left you to do your own thing huh?"

Unazuki nodded, "My dad was hoping Motoki would take care of the business but with his career as doctor and his new role as husband it makes it nearly impossible for him to be here and well—I once was a waiter here so I learned more than a few things on how to run this place, I think I am going to give it a shot and see how it works out. I want to keep updating this place, and open a little cocktail bar on the other room."

"Oh that would be amazing!" Usagi clapped her hands with excitement, "I hope you do it, it's a great idea."

Unazuki crossed her fingers "I'm hopeful." she smiled "Well, you let me know when you guys are ready to order."

"I think we are," Makoto said while looking at the menu "I'll have a lemonade with mineral water."

"Ok," Unazuki nodded and waited for the others to order their drinks. Minako waved her hand and bit her lip "Well, since you are introducing new drinks to the menu and are planning on opening a cocktail bar, _and_ this is a girls night out, I'll have an apple martini."

"Ouuhh fancy!" Unazuki smiled and scribbled down the order on her electronic pad. Ami closed the menu and nodded, "Minako-chan's right, I'll have the same as her."

"Right on Ami chan!" Minako winked her eye at her, making the bluenette blushed and chuckled, Rei thought carefully what would be best to have and pursed her lips in thought, her grandfather's words scratched any possibility to order another cup of herbal tea.

' _Go have fun, have a drink…'_

"For me it's going to be a vodka tonic with a lemon twist," she finally came to mind and returned to menu to Unazuki. "You guys…" Makoto sighed slightly surprised and annoyed, "Am I the only one drinking a silly lemonade?"

"Yes, most likely." Usagi chuckled and turned to Unazuki "I'll have a blue moon martini."

Unazuki laughed "Mako-chan, I can turn your silly lemonade into an electric one if you like?"

"Oooh Ooooh _or_ you could have a Long Island tea, instead." Minako looked at the brunette with a knowing look. "Never _again_." Makoto blushed nodded at Unazuki's suggestion, "Since we all are skipping coffee—that sounds like a more suitable idea." she laughed. The red haired girl nodded "Alrighty and to eat?"

"A sampler with everything sweet you have." Minako looked at their friend "You know, those sweet little pastries and chocolate covered strawberries—I love those."

"Drinks and sugar-the perfect combo to shake all the stress off of our day." Makoto chuckled.

Unazuki nodded and waved her hand "Alright, I'll send your order right away." With a warm happy smile she turned on her heel and left the girls alone. Five good minutes after they all had their drinks on their hands; Minako cleared her throat and raised her glass, "I would like to make a toast," she turned to a blushing and very excited Usagi "Here goes to our dear friend who is _finally_ getting married with her Prince, I love you so very much Buns."

Usagi smiled and raised her glass "I love you too Venus," she turned to look at the other girls with a big smile on her face "I love you all and since we have our glasses up, I would like to make a toast for being together after all this time and after all the adventures we have lived in the past. Thank you for being with me on this whole crazy life journey _and_ on my wedding planning. I love you girls. Honestly, if I had the opportunity to go back in time and do it all over again, I would choose to go the same path as long as you are with me."

"Awww" the girls clinked their glasses together "Cheers!" Usagi said happily and put her glass down after taking the first sip. She looked so polished and chic with her cream colored blouse with pearls as buttons and flowy sleeves and her navy inspired, vintage pencil skirt matched beautifully with her black stilettos. Her hair had gone through an amazing change as well, it wasn't as long as it used to be when she was in high school but it was still several inches below her breasts; now her usual and much known 'buns' style had changed to a sleek high ponytail or a super chick messy top bun. At first it was shocking for her friends to see her sporting a new look, but with time they got used to this drastic change, she may have perfected her way to dress with her job as an assistant to the chief of the art department of a cult fashion magazine but Usagi couldn't deny she kinda missed her quirky yet carefree hairstyle, so she did it from time to time. Especially on Sundays.

With big eyes she took a bite of her chocolate covered strawberry and turned to a very surprised Minako "Wait, weren't you supposed-" she widened her eyes "Your audition!" she asked with great enthusiasm, hoping to hear the great news.

Minako's lips pursed as she took another sip of her drink "Yeah that—I didn't get it."

"What?!" Usagi's eyes widened and turned to the other girls who shared the same surprise, "What happened?"

"A blonde silly girl got the part."

"What silly blonde girl?" Ami asked confused.

"A blonde girl with big breasts." Minako added "I met her today at the audition. She was bragging to others that she had gotten the part but I didn't think she was being serious."

"Ah, well," Usagi shrugged her shoulders and put the strawberry stem on a napkin, "She is most likely sleeping with the director."

"Oh. my. God." Minako shook her head with surprise.

"What?" Usagi licked her thumb with delicacy, "It's true."

"You too?"

"What?"

"Everyone has been telling me that."

"Who's _everyone_?" Usagi arched her brow.

"Me." Makoto raised her hand and took a sip of her icy electric lemonade "Me." Rei said softly while deciding which strawberry she should pick next, and then all eyes rested on Ami who was taking a sip of her drink "What?"

"What do you think Ami-chan?" Minako leaned forward, expecting a more neutral, realistic response. Ami rubbed the back of her neck in thought and nodded, "I think I agree with the girls, I mean, if it's that blonde I've been seeing in mostly every ad on the streets—it's most likely she's sleeping with someone with influence."

"See?" Usagi accentuated her logic by waving her hand.

"Can't you just believe in success?" Minako asked between chuckles, "Wait," Usagi turned to her friend with a puzzled look, "Are we talking about this new blonde model advertising a new bikini line?"

"Yeah," Makoto said "That's the one," Usagi pursed her lips and took a sip "The magazine has chosen her to be on the next cover issue."

Minako rolled her eyes with annoyment, "She's everywhere now. Why the hell I am the only one who's only seen her once?" Usagi bit another chocolate covered fruit and shrugged her shoulders "Well, to answer that burning question, yes, she _is_ sleeping with the director of that play. So there, no success just-good body genes I guess."

"You met this girl?" blonde asked blonde "How is she like?"

"I didn't meet her personally, but I did see her coming out of the editor's office once, she talks— _a lot._ "

"Ah," Minako said thoughtful. "Well-I am not sure if that makes me feel better or not."

"She mentioned she has been _'dating'_ this new famous director. So I take the word 'date' as 'sex'." Usagi put her hand over Minako's shoulder "So to me dear friend, that is not success—it's far from it."

Minako's eyes lit up "You think so?"

Usagi nodded "I know so—so you didn't get that part, who cares? Next time you go to an audition you'll get the part you want because you earned it and not because you were _'romantically'_ involved with the casting director."

"Here goes to our royal bride!" Makoto raised her glass again for another toast. "That's me!" Usagi clapped her hands excitedly and bit her lower lip "Although, I feel like there are still a ton of things to look after and I have so little time."

"If you need any help you know you can ask any of us," Rei said softly "We have told you that so many times in the past."

"Thank you, Rei-chan." Usagi smiled, but was soon distracted by Makoto "What else do you need Usa-chan?"

Usagi laid back on her seat and counted with her fingers "Well, the flowers—the music for the ceremony, the catering."

"Hey! I told you to leave that to me, why are you even worrying about it?" Makoto frowned, "You are adding more things to your 'to do list' than are already taken care of."

"Because I know you have a lot of work and I don't want to be a bridezilla." Usagi chuckled, Makoto laughed "Usagi chan, you are NOT being a bridezilla. Calm down, I'm taking care of the catering I already asked some people at work to help with that. Don't worry."

"A guy, maybe?" Minako's lips curved into a playful and devilish smiled while turning to Makoto. The brunette couldn't hide her flushing face, catching the girls attention "What!? When did this happen?" Usagi asked with shock. Makoto waved her hand "Nothing has happened, we are just co-workers—friends maybe."

"You should invite him to the wedding." Minako suggested.

"Well, if he is going to help me with the food, I think he will have to go but not as a guest. It's work. Usagi insisted in paying us."

"It's the right thing to do." Usagi said softly.

Ami turned to Rei and tilted her head "Are you alright Rei-chan?"

"You have been awfully silent tonight." Minako said softly, showing genuine interest and concern for her friend, "Everything okay at the Shrine?"

Rei looked at Minako and then at the rest of the girls on the table and shook her head, "Yes, yes—it's okay. I am just a little tired, you know—there is so much to do at the shrine and I have to take care of my grandfather."

"Are things going the same with, you know— _him_?" Makoto asked softly.

Rei sighed and stared at her drink "Yes-I just," she frowned and closed her eyes for a moment. The sole mention of her past relationship with Yuuchiro always ut her on the edge. Rei was not the kind of girl that would weep in front of others, she hated to be seen as a vulnerable, broken girl; but when she was around the girls it was as if her hard shell slowly crumbled revealing a girl with a broken heart. Yuuichiro had been a part of her life for too many years, way before she awakened as senshi, and the situation between them only strained more and more with time.

But now, things were getting more complicated for the priestess, with the strange events that happened earlier that day. The image of the dark figure and the visions in the sacred fire came to her mind again, making her open her eyes with evident distress. "Rei-chan?" Ami asked with concern, "Did something happen with him?"

Rei looked at the girls and had a mental battle with herself, as she tried to decide what was best to do for them. It was either telling the truth of what happened that afternoon or leave it in the past, along with any speck of suspicion for a new enemy. She turned to very concerned Usagi and thought if it was a good thing to say in a moment like this, whatever happened, whoever that was, she had to keep it to herself, at least until she knew more about-if there was more to know about it. Her emotions were against each other, like a battle between good and evil; she could not do such thing to her best friend in the midst of her wedding, just when they have just got used to be normal again. There was that word again

Her emotions were against each other like a battle between good and evil; she was against the idea of becoming the one who brought bad news to good moments like the ones they enjoyed for 8 years. She could not do such thing to her best friend in the midst of her wedding, just when they have just got used to being normal again.

There was that word again, she thought.

 _"Normal."_

"No—he didn't." the priestess shook her head and sighed heavily, "I just can't stand seeing him near me—not after what happened."

"I just can't believe he did that—I can't believe he cheated on you that way." Makoto said with deep surprise and shook her head, "He was like a beacon of hope for the rest of us to believe there were still good men out there, you know?" she sighed, feeling defeated "But putting that aside, he didn't look like the kind of guy who would do something like that."

"True," Minako nodded "Like the guy I was seeing until a week ago, he seemed nice but then found out he was just another jerk from the bunch."

Makoto narrowed her eyes "You said he was boring,"

"Talking about his ex all time makes him a jerk, Mako-chan," Minako said greatly annoyed, "It's offensive, he wants to meet new people but he clearly is not over her." Rei arched her brow and nodded "Point taken. Nobody wants to go out with someone like that—but, I do not trust men so," she shrugged her shoulders dismissively.

"Well, at least you didn't go out on a blind date like I did." Ami said softly "I barely have time to socialize that I had to fall for that."

"Why did you agree to do it in the first place?" Makoto asked puzzled, she couldn't help to chuckle, Ami blushed and bit her lip shyly, "I know what you are going to say, but I thought it would be fun and of course—it wasn't."

"Usagi is the only one who has come out triumphant on this whole dating ordeal." Minako patted her friend's hand "Lucky you."

Usagi blushed, she tilted her head low and smiled widely, "I am very lucky, yes."

"Mamoru is a special case—he's not just any random man. He's a big deal." Rei said softly and leaned her face to rest on her hand, "I mean—he's the man you met a thousand years ago and promised to find you in the future." she smiled, "Who does _that_ these days?"

"You can't beat that." Makoto nodded "You two have overcome so many obstacles."

"Even when Seiya was here." Ami said but abruptly stopped from continuing her reasoning, realizing she had touched a very sensitive fiber in Usagi's heart. The bluenette knew very well what the once singer meant to Usagi. She never considered the tiniest possibility of leaving Mamoru for him but he did a lot to try to gain the blonde's heart while Mamoru wasn't around, all of them were aware of that. Even when the terran prince didn't say many things about that chapter in their lives she knew it was something that really bothered him, and made him take a defensive stance.

Mamoru wasn't stupid, and just because he was the reincarnated version of a prince it didn't mean he couldn't feel jealous of the man that got to be with her, in times when she needed him the most. Just because he was not around during that time, it didn't mean he did not know exactly what the other man tried to achieve. "It was hard." Usagi breathed, "But in the end, things got better and we are together. To me, that is all that matters." she turned to Ami and smiled, the bluenette returned the gesture and put a finger under her chin in thought "Speaking of Mamoru-kun, I was scheduled to assist him today at the hospital earlier this morning but he called in and said he would be late, I thought for a moment that maybe something happened because the only reason he would be late for work is because it's something related to you."

Usagi blinked and shook her head "No, not at all." she bit her lower lip "I haven't talked much with him today, but I think he was going to see his lawyer or accountant, I honestly don't remember what the man actually is."

Ami widened her blue eyes "I didn't know he had a lawyer."

"Yeah, me neither." Makoto said softly.

"Um, well, he is more like a family friend. He took care of his parent's will when they were gone and he took care of everything related to his parent's passing while he was at the hospital recovering from the accident," Usagi said softly, "He has meetings with him regularly to see the status of what was left to him, if that's the correct way to say it."

"Wow—even after all these years, he still has to face his past and the loss of his parents that way." Minako said softly "I mean, even with everything they left him, he still had to live in an orphanage and face life alone." she frowned, "Why would destiny want to give him such a hard time?"

"I know-I mean, tell me about it." Makoto said softly. Minako leaned closer to her friend and ran her around her shoulders "I know Mako-chan, but, the good thing now is that you are not alone."

"Exactly," Rei said softly, "You have many friends and us,"

Usagi smiled "Rei-chan's right."

Rei nodded and turned to Usagi "So, about the wedding,"

"I already asked the hospital if I could have the day off," Ami said excitedly and turned to Makoto "Mako chan, did you speak with the chef to ask the day off?"

Makoto slurped the remaining of her drink and bit the long straw she used to stir the cold beverage, "Um,"

Usagi widened her eyes and turned to the tall girl "Oh my god! You haven't? Mako chan, you know how volatile that man can be!"

Makoto raised her hands "Don't panic! Everything is under control," she bit her lip "I'll manage."

Minako tilted her head "I guess it won't be such a big deal if you don't go that day since the restaurant has such competition with that new place across from you it has been very lonely."

"Actually, I want to talk to you about that," Makoto blushed and smiled "I kind of did something amazing today,"

Four pairs of eyes were fixed on the amazon girl "Today, after you left," Makoto turned to Minako and continued "Two customers came in and ordered something from the menu. I got an order to make crab crepes and well, I knew it was going to take me a while to finish my order if I followed the chef's recipe so,"

"So?" Usagi asked.

"I improvised and created my own version of those crab crepes."

Rei frowned and leaned forward "And?"

"Well, the customer loved my dish, then Chef Haruto learned by one of the waiters that the customer who had the crepes, was one of the toughest food critics in the area."

"Oh my, Mako chan!" Rei widened her eyes and leaned back surprised, "That is great news!"

"And what did the food critic say? What did the Chef say?" Ami asked, joining Rei's surprise. Makoto sighed softly and rested her hands on the table "At first Haruto-san was very upset because I changed his recipe but after he got compliments for my dish, he made the decision of not leaving the restaurant and change the whole menu."

Minako covered her mouth with both hands "Mako-chan! That is incredible!"

"Well, yes, yes it is but now Haruto-san wants us all there to give him ideas of how we could _'revamp_ ' the menu and turn it into something new, fresh and appealing." she turned to Usagi and smiled "Don't worry, I am not missing that wedding for anything in the world! Even if I have to stay the next few days cloistered in the kitchen with everyone at the restaurant, including Suzuki."

"Yeah, what's up with her?" Minako frowned, "Is she still nagging?"

Makoto sighed "She always nags,"

"I can't stand when people are like that," Ami said and took a sip of her drink "There are several people like that at the hospital."

"Well that is a bit better than living with your ex-boyfriend and pretending everything is great in front of everyone at the shrine." Rei said dryly "I think that is worse."

Minako sighed tiredly, she was always against the raven-haired idea of keeping him around, for various reasons. Her friend's well being the most obvious one. "Why Rei-chan? Why is he still there—it's been four months."

Rei bit her lower lip "Because I find it more complicated to let him go than to make him stay. My grandfather's health is on the line."

Usagi looked at her friend with sad eyes, "But that is torture for you Rei-chan."

Rei shrugged her shoulders as if trying to ignore the freshly packed baggage of emotions, "If he finds out what he did, it will devastate him—I can't do that. He will probably would have another heart attack."

"I feel so powerless—I wish he could just vanish from your life." Usagi said softly, making Rei chuckle by the drastic comment in such sweet, powdery voice, "No one knew how stupid he could be, me included," she reached for Usagi's hand "Don't worry Usagi, I will handle it."

"Well, you guys know you can bring a date if you want to, you are the only ones I could ever say no to anything." Usagi turned to the girls and smiled, Minako laughed, "Thanks Usagi-chan but in my case, I think I'll ask Haruka to dance with me, she's such a good dancer!"

"I was thinking of doing the same!" Makoto laughed.

Usagi smiled while she rested her head on her hands; she was very happy to see her friends gossiping and joking around like if they were still in high school. She thought hundreds of times how she couldn't have gone through so many things if she didn't have them in her life; they were a part of her, they were her family.

She could talk to them about what she couldn't even mention to others, she could ask for advice or seek comfort when days were not going too well at work, just a phone call to any of these girls would make her feel a lot better.

Ami saw her friend from across the round table and chuckled "What are you thinking about Usagi chan?" she asked in her always sweet voice; she never changed even after having all the achievements as a young doctor. Ami had the ability to keep her feet on the ground and be the nice girl she always has been. Usagi looked at her and let her smile grow bigger "It feels like we were in high school again. Remember when we came here almost every day to gossip about the couples in school and how did we do in our pop quizzes?"

"I know," Makoto smiled "We practically grew up in this place."

"Well, some of us came here to see Motoki." Minako turned to Makoto and arched her brow when she turned to Usagi, "And some of us came here to fight with his friend."

"I didn't come here specifically to fight with Mamo-chan, besides—he started it all the time. Every time we argued was because he said something mean to me. I had to defend myself." Usagi said proudly.

"Yeah well, you are now marrying him." Minako made the girls laugh with her last comment.

Rei looked at Minako and Usagi talk playfully and felt a tug in her chest; it was a feeling of melancholy or maybe it was just longing. She didn't want to believe she felt like something was missing in her life just because she was having problems with Yuuichiro but sometimes she wondered if the other girls ever missed being the soldiers they once were, like she did.

She lowered her gaze and looked at her hands, hesitant to ask the question that has been burning her senses for quite a while now. Without any introduction to the subject, she gave in to her emotions. "Do you miss it?" her voice barely left her mouth but it was finally out and it waited for an answer. A long pause followed her question, making her think that maybe it had gone unnoticed.

"Miss what?" Makoto finally asked, breaking the sudden uncomfortable silence. There was no turning back Rei thought; she had asked the question that has been drilling her mind for the last few weeks, or even months. She took a deep breath and dared to look up "You know," she trailed off and turned to Makoto " _That._?"

Minako's smile faded and looked at Rei "Is something wrong?"

Rei bit her lip and shook her head "Nothing's wrong," she responded bitterly and abruptly, she was starting to become frustrated and almost cursed herself for even bringing that topic to the table. "I just wanted to know if any of you miss that part of our lives."

"Well, since we fought against Galaxia—everything calmed down," Makoto said, "Since then, everything has been normal."

There was that word again, the damned word that started all in the first place."It's been eight years since that battle." Minako said softly "I guess our duty as soldiers came to an end."

"Do _you_ miss it?" Ami asked Rei "Do you miss that part of your life?"

Rei leaned on the back of her seat and sighed " I—I" she hesitated and frowned, not really sure of what to answer. Did she really? she thought and even considered that maybe was what came attached to that alter ego of hers. "Have you ever wondered if Setsuna's predictions were real?" she turned to Usagi "I mean—she said you would become Queen by the age of 22 and that you would be having a child and here we are, still planning your wedding."

"And you're 24," Minako muttered, startling Usagi, "Yes, thank you Minako-chan for the reminder," the blonde sweatdropped, "But," she bit her lower lip, now in a more serious manner, "I don't want to be Queen—just yet."

"I am not complaining, I am just asking," Rei tried to sound more convincing and less panicked by the whole unexpected turn the conversation had, silently hoping someone would change the subject.

"I do remember Setsuna said once that the future was always subject to change, maybe—it did. Peace has reigned for a long time now and we all learned how to put that part of our lives aside and take our role as normal human beings again." Ami said "I see your point, it sure feels strange but—we're happy and maybe what we all saw back then was just the result of the enemies we ended up defeating."

Minako pursed her lips and leaned back on her seat, following Rei "Good point."

Rei sighed and tried to change the mood the conversation was taking "I was just being curious, though, I won't deny that sometimes I wished I could throw a burning mandala at certain people—Yuuichiro for example."

This last comment made everyone burst into laughter, "If that's the case, I would so love to chain some people too! My boss has been giving me a hard time lately, or even that blonde girl." Minako chuckled.

"Yeah!" Makoto laughed and cracked her knuckles, "I would like to put my thunder into use!"

Rei looked at the girls and swallowed her doubts like someone would normally swallow a huge pill. It was uncomfortable and it felt like it was still somewhere on her throat waiting to be expelled. She felt somewhat guilty for avoiding to mention what happened earlier that day but maybe, it would be too much for the girls, especially for Usagi.

She looked at her blonde friend in silence, pretending she was still paying attention to the conversation while thinking about the many times that petite girl in front of her sacrificed her safety for the sake of others, for the sake of them. She had seen her bleed and cry, she had seen her suffer. She had seen her in her most lowest points and immersed in a sea of confusion and still, she had the courage to move on.

That was something she will always admire from her, sure, she could still cry about something or be a little dramatic but she had to admit how much she had grown and matured over the past eight years; maybe it was the challenge of being away from her lover for some time or maybe was just the fact that she saved the world one too many times.

Rei took a deep breath and reconsidered, her problems were affecting her too much and maybe all that happened today at the shrine was the result of her own stress and problems. She was so concentrated into taking care of his grandfather and into pretending everything was alright with Yuuichiro that maybe she wasn't paying much attention to the signs the gods were sending her. Maybe the dark shadow she was seeing was no other but her own inner demons, the ones Galaxia released when she fell into the cauldron along with Usagi. Maybe the fire just exposed her true feelings and she was just trying to find a distraction to her problems by wondering what would be like if she became a soldier again.

Her friends were right, Setsuna's prediction didn't seem to be that accurate and either she or Michiru and not even Mamoru had seen anything threatening since that battle came to an end. So maybe, this was just her imagination.

"Maybe," she thought as she sipped the last drop of her beverage.


	4. Chapter 4

Divinity: The Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter four

 _A/N: A special thank you for your reviews, private messages, and good vibes. It means a lot, really._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

* * *

She bit her lips as she stared at her almost finished work. Her deep aquamarine eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she grabbed her long brush and traced a few more strokes over the canvas.

Michiru Kaioh stepped back and tilted her head while giving the canvas another stroke with her brush loaded with deep blue paint against the pastel colors painted n the background. No different than the rest of the girls, she too considered what would be the best for her to pursue as a career and it came with only one option: Fine Arts.

When she was not giving a classical music concert at auditoriums, she was in her study painting for a new art exhibition at many galleries around Tokyo. Very similar to the lifestyle the other girls followed, Michiru focused on her personal life leaving her other half as Senshi in the back of her mind. After Galaxia was defeated, she decided to move in with Haruka and Setsuna, taking Hotaru with them to raise and take care of her. She had a very comfortable life and had made quite a marvelous career but even her had that typical inspiration block of an artist from time to time so when things turned complicated for the bluenette, she would ask Haruka to drive her to a little house in the mountain valley they rented during the summer to clear her mind and find the peace and inspiration necessary to paint and finish her work.

With a long sigh, Michiru stepped back and took a good look at the painting again and stayed silent for a few minutes, while still holding the brush between her fingers, not really minding if it dripped or stained her overalls.

"Well, that's interesting."

Her blue eyes widened and lowered her gaze, her lips curved into a sensual smile; one she only had for her longtime companion "My, I thought you were out, you almost surprised me."

Haruka smiled in response and leaned on the door frame "I will be extra careful next time."

Michiru waved her hand and put the brush on the glass with solvent and turned her face to the painting again, "This is taking forever, I know."

The tall blonde woman walked slowly and stood behind Michiru and stared at the paint in silence for a couple of minutes, "It is very unlikely of you, yes. But this is something different."

Michiru frowned "Different?" she felt her ego as an artist be threatened by the comment Haruka might give her about her work. Michiru could handle any commentary, any criticism from practically anybody; she knew how to deal with bad criticism but what she could never learn to handle was when Haruka had something to say when she had a special opinion about something because it was the one that only mattered, the only one she cared about.

Haruka walked away from Michiru and stepped right in front of the huge painting, bringing a hand to her chin in thought, "Your work is normally about the calm ocean and the stars, it's always so peaceful," the blonde narrowed her eyes and tilted her head to the side, "But this one…it's dark, powerful and almost violent," she turned to look at Michiru over her shoulder "Why?"

Michiru rubbed the back of her neck and sighed, "I don't know—it started the way you were first describing it and it suddenly turned out to be like this, I don't even know when did that happen. It was almost like a necessity."

Haruka arched a brow and wrinkled her nose, just as she always did when she made an extra effort to understand the girl with aquamarine eyes. "A necessity," she said, not sure if it was a question or a comment. Stepping back, she ran her hand through her sandy hair and sighed softly, "Maybe you are feeling too much pressure with this exhibit. The gallery has been very insistent on how much they would like to show your new work as soon as possible," the blonde shrugged her shoulders "You are just feeling the stress of having this one done on time."

Michiru bit her lower lip "Yes, I suppose you are right," she sighed "I suppose I must be letting my feelings take over my mind and this—" she made a pause and pointed at the large canvas with her brush "—This is the result of it."

"My, my, you have softened."

Michiru frowned and turned to look over her shoulder "What is that supposed to mean?"

Haruka smirked "Years ago you would have painted a calm and peaceful ocean and you would have said it was a strong reflection of who you were as soldier but now—you paint a stormy night sky and—"

"It's not a night sky, it's a galaxy." Michiru interrupted with a frown.

Haruka blinked and sighed softly, she chuckled and continued "My apologies, now you paint a _galaxy_ and you say your feelings are troubled." she brushed her lips with her index finger in thought "Troubled or not…" she paused and looked at a very quiet and hesitant painter in front of her "It's majestic."

Michiru smiled and tilted her head to the side, her eyes gleamed with triumph and satisfaction "Then my job is complete."

Haruka widened her eyes "Really?"

Michiru nodded and stretched her arms and put her remaining brush to soak in solvent "I think I deserve a fancy dinner." She turned to look at the blonde over her shoulder "I haven't eaten properly since I got here," she scratched her nose "Two weeks ago."

"I have barely seen you these past two weeks. You have been in here all this time." Haruka came closer to the other girl and wrapped her arms around her, "I've been ignored and abandoned by you and was exchanged for brushes and paint, but it's fine, I wouldn't change it for anything."

Michiru giggled and turned to look at Haruka straight in the eyes "I will compensate you for the time lost I promise, but for now…" she made a pause and blushed when a loud growl echoed from her stomach. Haruka widened her blue eyes and cracked a laugh "Alright alright, I will cook something."

Michiru chuckled and walked away to the bedroom "I will go change my clothes so we can go to the grocery store and buy some things we need to make dinner." As the blue haired woman walked away from the blonde, she heard her mumble the lyrics to a song they both liked to listen when they were on trips, especially on that little cabin. It was no secret to the world know that they had a special relationship, some were still hesitant to actually believe they were a couple but to them, there were never boundaries to share a life together and to show their deep love for one another.

Despite Haruka had more masculine habits like racing or managing her sports cars shop and being one of the best at it or to have a more androgynous look, such as sporting a short hairstyle or to barely wear any makeup compared to the very feminine style of Michiru and her many silk scarves and sun dresses, they shared more than their interest for one another, but a more spiritual one.

A millennial one.

Since Michiru found Haruka and showed her the truth about their lives and the meaning of them having reincarnated into this world and this time specifically they have been connected in body and soul to fulfill their mission as legendary sailor soldiers. They overcame many obstacles and risked their lives to find and protect the reason of why they were there: Their lunar princess.

As Michiru walked into the small room to change her clothes she began to think about their past lives; it was something that always captivated her, how they were able to travel through time and space and find all of the girls she once heard of their existence and who know she called them friends. It was too fascinating to just ignore and leave in the past their many adventures, their confrontations and the many times they went against their mission just to protect them.

The girl sat on the bed and looked down at her hands in silence. Since she made the decision to dedicate her life to the arts she made a promise to herself to portray all her experiences and many adventures into something great and wonderful. She still believed that it was a miracle that they managed to survive their last encounter with Galaxia and be living from the memory of who they once were. Michiru was not the kind of woman who doubted much, she was known to be precise and very much intuitional and she deeply believed in the Princess and the great power she possesses but she couldn't help to feel sometimes that there was more they could have done to save her from a lot of the pain and grief she endured during that period of time.

With a bittersweet feeling, she stood up and went to stand in front of the mirror to give one last look at her attire and walked out the door.

* * *

As the wind disheveled her rebellious hair, Michiru looked up into the afternoon sky and sighed deeply, catching Haruka's attention. The blonde turned quickly to look at her and then back at the road "You have been awfully quiet since we left the cabin,"

"I'm okay, just tired and relieved that I finally finished the paintings for the show."

"Hmm…"

"What?" Michiru looked at the blonde, then smiled "What are you going to imply this time?"

Haruka chuckled "Nothing."

Michiru looked away and leaned her head on the leather seat of Haruka's Porsche, "It feels strange not having Hotaru around, I think this is the longest I've been away from her."

Haruka made a soft turn and parked on a small bistro café and turned off the engine of her car. "I think we better eat out, I've been eating whatever I found on the shelves—I could use some real food."

Michiru laughed and nodded, then stepped out of the yellow car and walked inside the small restaurant. Once seated near a window, Haruka spotted a newspaper on the register and asked the young waitress if she could take a quick look at it while they decided to order something to eat.

"Looking for something in particular?" Michiru asked with curiosity; Haruka frowned as she kept reading the news section, then looked at her "All clear."

Michiru smiled when she knew what she meant and reached for her hand at the other end of the table, "Sometimes is hard to believe it, isn't it?" her turquoise eyes locked with one pair of royal blue ones "After all we went through, everyone we met and lost—we are still here, living in peace."

"I can't help it, it got stuck with me." Haruka smiled and shrugged her shoulders "I feel like a hunter, waiting for a new prey to come out."

Michiru smiled again and intertwined her fingers with the blonde's "The only thing you need to hunt is that Gran Prix trophy," with a soft sigh, she leaned back in her seat, her fingers slowly leaving Haruka's, "We tried to find new excuses and many new enemies to keep ourselves active but, life— _normal_ life, caught up with us."

"I think subconsciously we are still trying to find that good excuse." Haruka bit her lower lip and took a sip of her drink. She could not debate Michiru's words because deep inside she knew she was telling the truth. She couldn't deny how happy she felt to be at peace and very much left alone with her decisions and lover; she loved her racing career and to spend time at the shop she opened with another racer comrade but sometimes it wasn't enough. Sometimes, getting her hands dirty with oil or paint from fixing and upgrading cars wasn't enough, sometimes stepping hard on the accelerator while driving didn't help to curb that rush of being prepared to part the ground in two with just the flick of her hand.

Michiru was right. She was still trying to find a good excuse. "It's not that I don't like being at peace." Haruka looked away, "But I will always look for my Princess' well-being." Michiru looked at her and tilted her head "I believe that's an interest we all have," she patted the blonde's hand "I know you didn't mean it that way."

"She suffered too much," Haruka closed her eyes "Sometimes that memory still haunts me…"

"I know, but," Michiru patted her hand again, "She was never alone, even when we were under the influence of Galaxia's power—we never left her alone."

"I am just not talking about what happened eight years ago, but what happened more than a thousand years," Haruka looked Michiru straight in the eyes, "They both have suffered too much. They never hesitate to give their lives for each other." she closed her eyes for a moment, giving Michiru the opportunity to lighten the mood. She knew exactly what Haruka was feeling, she knew it well because she too thought about it and she felt the same way when it came to her. That suffering, struggle and deep love

That suffering, struggle and deep love were the main reason why they opposed to letting Seiya get closer to their beloved Usagi. "I believe the one who has softened is not me after all…"

Haruka smiled and shook her head "I think it's the wedding."

"It has softened us all; it's an event none of us want to miss." Michiru smiled.

The blonde nodded and chuckled, "So you can cry your heart out when you hear them say 'I do'?"

Michiru chuckled "What is wrong with that?" she laughed louder "Besides—the one crying is not going to be me but _you_." her eyes drifted from Haruka's to the newspaper, where an article caught her attention "Could you pass me the paper?"

Haruka arched a brow "Um, well that was sudden…" she turned and gave the bluenette the paper which she took immediately and read with great interest. The blonde frowned "What is it?"

Michiru kept reading then put the paper on the table, her perfect French manicured nail followed each word slowly, "The treasure hunter strikes again," she read, "Japan's most famous treasure hunter has set a date to return to Tokyo with what she claims to be the discovery if not of the year, the one of the Century."

"Oh?" Haruka listened carefully as she cut her fillet and took a bite "Who's this famous treasure, hunter? I've never heard of her."

Michiru put the paper aside and took a sip of her coffee "A girl who has made a name for herself at a very young age. I heard about it on the news before we came here that she would be leaving to an excursion soon to find a crown."

"All that for a crown?"

Michiru shrugged her shoulders "She's known for finding very rare treasures from all over the planet, this time, I heard she was after some tribe and claimed they had a royal or leader whose crown had the rarest gems in the world."

"You sure keep track of what this _girl_ is doing."

"Are you jealous?"

Haruka cut a piece of her steak, "Me? Oh no—I do not compete with young girls."

Michiru arched her brow "Oh?" she chuckled "No, you do not compete with them but you do charm them with lovely words."

Haruka blushed crimson red, "Where did that come from?"

Michiru giggled "Oh, you know."

Haruka swallowed and took a sip of her water "W-We better finish this so we can go back to the cabin, we can leave first thing in the morning."

Michiru chuckled "Alright, alright." She extended her hand and reached for Haruka's "To me, that wedding and being with you-living like this, is the event of the Century."

Haruka blushed and smiled "Mine too."

* * *

After several days investigating, Mikael found his way back to the hidden treasure. With secure steps, he walked on the slippery and very fragile ground with more style than the young treasure hunter did days ago. The view still shocked him and still captured his full attention as he moved his flashlight all around the area to get a clearer look. His eyes widened at the sight of the remains of what appeared to be an entire kingdom they happened to discover by accident "Akira…" he breathed and looked at the other men that just joined them to help and take more pictures and samples of the ruins, "What the—" the man said in surprise, almost breathless.

Akira smiled at the blonde and turned to walk towards the mysterious ruins "This is amazing!" she said happily. Mikael turned to the photographer who already was immersed taking hundreds of shot of the beautiful place surrounded by vegetation and—"Ice?" Mikael frowned once he paid attention to the ground beneath his feet "We are standing on ice—" he widened his eyes "—The river," he trailed off and pointed the frozen ground beneath their feet.

"Are you suggesting this place holds any kind of life?" One of the archeologists asked confused "These ruins have been here probably for centuries!"

Another archeologist began taking his equipment out of his backpack and started analyzing the surroundings, "This place is as ancient as—probably mythology itself." he said surprised. Mikael frowned and turned his head "What do you mean?"

"There are symbolisms all over," The dark haired man said as he adjusted his glasses. Mikael and the others tried to catch up with Akira who was now standing at what appeared to be the main court "This is surreal," she breathed, "This place is huge, how can all this be hidden under such darkness and depths?"

Mikael put a hand on her shoulder "Toshi says it might be here since very ancient times—he compared it with a mythological place."

Akira widened her eyes and gasped in shock "Mythological?"

Mikael nodded and looked around "This places resembles very much to a palace and it appears we are standing right at one of the courts."

"A Palace." Akira looked down at the stone floor and gasped when she saw a symbol on its center "Look!" she said and kneeled next to the engraved symbol. Her dirty hand touched the polished stone and wiped the dirt and debris covering it and turned to one of the archeologists "How old do you think this stone might be?"

The Japanese archeologist known as Toshi, crouched next to her and bit his lip "We are standing on very old grounds; symbols like these are only found in religious parchments and books about semiotics and symbolism and for the looks of it—it seems to be something more significant."

Akira widened her eyes "Such as?"

"This symbol could be a cult or even—royalty." Toshi adjusted his round glasses again as he traced the lines of the engraving "The symbol of a cross inside of a circle is known to be the astronomical symbol of Earth but, we would have to study as much as we can about this place so we can have a sure answer of what all this might mean."

Akira blinked "The symbol of Earth,"

Toshi nodded "In ancient times, according to many mythological books and legends, the planets were identified by different symbols depending on their 'element' in this case, Earth was given the symbol with a cross because it's a self-sustainable planet, it has all the elements so Earth was also considered a royal and divine planet." he took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose "But of course, I am speaking from a mythological point of view."

"Mythological…" Akira breathed "Gods?"

Toshi nodded again "There is a legend that says that the planets were once guarded by chosen gods or goddesses known as 'protectors'."

"Well, that is pure mythology, pure fantasy stories," Mikael said dismissively, "There has never been solid proof of that."

Toshi shrugged his shoulders and stood up "Well no, but then—what kind of a place is this? We are in a place that obviously went through some serious damage and was put here to rest and be preserved." the Japanese man looked around "For I can see, these are just ruins but there must be an explanation of why a place like this exists in such penumbra like this cave covered in luminescence matter."

"There's life in this place," An American archaeologist by the name of Joe said, "Otherwise—how would you explain the plants and water all around?"

Mikael shook his head "The small stream of water comes from the ice surrounding the ruins and it's slowly melting—the melted ice in this place mixed with the solid ground is what gave life to those plants." he turned to Toshi, Joe and the other three people around them, "We need to take as many pictures, samples of everything and go back to study them at the lab." he turned surprised to Akira "This is much more than just a simple tribal crown."

Akira stood up and shook her head still in disbelief and wonder, "I've grown listening to my parent's stories about mythology, Olympus, and its divine protectors but this…" she trailed off and smiled, "To be standing in a place that could confirm all those legends is—beyond amazing."

"Well, believe it." Mikael said while looking around "You didn't get to find the crown you were looking for but you discovered a whole ruined Palace from a civilization it might not even be written in history books."

"I feel an air of melancholy…" Akira said softly as she turned to look around "It feels like we are in a resting place, a grave you might say." she turned to Mikael "After we give the news of this place it won't be much of a peaceful place anymore—people will want to come here and take more samples." she touched the stone walls "And somehow I feel like this place is here with that purpose, to rest…forever…"

"You are about to give this world the best discovery ever. There has been a Kingdom beneath our feet for so long."

"Well despite its tricky way to get here," Toshi said and pointed up "This place is like a cocoon that only guards these ruins but we can make an exit at the opposite side of this place."

"We can create an access from this side," Mikael nodded and grabbed his walkie talkie and pressed a button "We are close to an exit at the south side of the cave—take some ropes and meet us there."

The interference of the device brought Akira back to reality and winked in surprise, "Mikael," she said softly "You know what this all means?"

Mikael looked at her "I know."

"This might be the Kingdom my mother once told me about…" Akira said softly with wonder written all over her face, "If it is—that privacy and independence you want might be over, the media will be all over us."

Mikael smiled and sighed, then put his hands on her shoulders in support "Akira, you just discovered something bigger than a crown—of course, the media will be all over us, but it's worth it, you are giving society a piece of history." he squeezed her cold and moist skin in acknowledgement, "Savor it."

Akira watched her not so secret lover walk away giving orders and suggestions to the other fellows in the cave with them and the people up above and turned to look at the symbol engraved on the stone floors "The symbol of Earth…" she breathed "Could it be?" she widened her eyes and gasped, "And if it is—who buried this place here?"

* * *

The sound of keys startled the blonde laying on the couch in the living room reading a magazine, her lips curved into a smile as she heard the door open and close slowly behind the person walking inside the foyer. She heard a soft sigh accompanying the sound of keys placed on a metal plate strategically placed on a small table at the entrance— her idea.

Her eyes kept staring at the many outfits and ads on the pages of her magazine but her attention was more on whom she knew was about to come into the living room "Is it you?" she asked playfully and she turned the glossy page and bent its corner for quick access later on.

"Uh—no, I'm a thief coming to steal something from the guy who lives here."

"What do you want, _thief_?"

"Nothing—just came to take a look around."

Usagi sat on the couch and turned to the man standing behind her "Hey, you are supposed to say you came to see _me_!"

Mamoru put his briefcase on the other side of the couch and bent to give a peck on Usagi's lips "I didn't know you were here," he murmured "I thought you were going to be out with the girls tonight." he moved away and began undoing a few buttons of his grey shirt and tucked his sleeves up a quarter, finally losing all formality.

Usagi nodded "I did, we went to have some drinks." she closed the magazine and looked for Mamoru who was nowhere in sight "Are you here or did I just speak to a ghost?"

"You most likely did speak to a ghost."

"I think I'm going crazy." she said with playful sarcasm and put her magazine away, "How was your day?"

Mamoru walked from the kitchen to the living room with a glass of water and sat on the couch next to her, "Long, busy-very busy," he said softly and took a sip "But alright."

Usagi moved closer to him and lowered the volume on the t.v. "You came home pretty late, where were you?"

Mamoru took another sip of his water and put the glass on the coffee table "At the hospital." he said softly and turned to look at her "They wouldn't let me go."

Usagi smiled and ran her hand through his midnight hair "Well, if I had a doctor this cute I wouldn't let him go home either."

Mamoru smiled, he loved when Usagi would comb his hair with her delicate fingers. "Cute?" Usagi giggled, she knew the gesture always lulled him, "What?"

"Nobody ever in my life has said to me I was cute."

"Ugh please, of course they have!" Usagi stopped and moved back, looking at him quizzically, making Mamoru chuckle softly, "What?"

Usagi's eyes narrowed, "You are telling me no one ever has called you _cutie pie_?"

"Eh—no," Mamoru shook his head "I mean, I wasn't implying that it bothered me or anything," he scratched his nose "When you say cute, I think of a teddy bear or a fluffy bunny—like you, not me."

"Why? Because you were always aware of your dashing looks?"

Mamoru laughed "What? No! that's not what I meant either!"

Usagi narrowed her eyes playfully and poked Mamoru on the stomach "Oh my god, you are such a hypocrite!"

Mamoru widened his eyes "Of course not!" he said between chuckles, "You are imagining things."

"Then what did you mean?"

"Cute was not a word to describe me when I was a kid Usako. Nobody ever called me that or referred to me as a cutie pie or anything—maybe because I never gave them the opportunity." Mamoru pinched Usagi's nose playfully "I was pretty much a loner."

Usagi knew what his term of loner meant and couldn't help to feel bad. Sometimes it was very hard for her to understand how different their lives had been; while she had everything since she was born he, on the other hand, was ripped from everything when he was just a child. Sometimes she forgot about that tragic part of his life because he never acted like he lived through such hard times. The silver blonde girl bit her lower lip and grabbed his hand "I'm so sorry." she said softly.

Mamoru frowned and shook his head, confused "For what?"

"I know I touched a very sensitive nerve."

"Usa, it's okay—I'm not hurt besides, this happened a _long_ time ago."

"But I should know better that you don't like to talk about _that_ part of your life."

Mamoru took a deep breath "Usa, I was a loner because I liked to do my own thing, I hated being pitied but that doesn't mean I didn't have any friends." he looked at her and smiled "But enough about me—how did it go with the girls?"

Usagi's eyes sparkled again and smiled "Really nice, it felt like the old days." she widened her eyes and sat straight, her index finger poking him in the arm "Oh, by the way—don't forget to ask for your vacation leave."

"I won't," he smiled softly.

"See, I don't want to find out that just a few days away from the wedding you come all "Oh, by the way I can't leave because I have to take a zillion exams on a patient," she said, mimicking his warm voice. Mamoru tried to contain his chuckles and arched his brow, "What are you doing?"

"I am being you."

Mamoru burst into laughter, Alright—alright, I will make sure to have my leave covered by someone else."

Usagi smiled and turned to see the briefcase on the couch and frowned with curiosity, "I've never seen that before—it's fancy." she turned to look at him again and tilted her head, "I don't remember you had one for work."

Mamoru looked at it and shook his head, "I don't—but remember I told you I was meeting my parent's friend today to give him some papers."

"Oh right, Ami chan said she was supposed to assist you today and you didn't show up."

"I _did_ show up. That's why I'm home this late," he leaned his head on the back of his couch, "Motoki covered for me and took my cases so he probably called her to assist him today." he looked at her and arched a brow "So, what were you doing before I got here?"

"Uh, nothing, just reading a magazine while I listened to the t.v. in the back—I thought you would be here by now but I got too immerse in the gossip that I didn't realize it was this late," she moved forward and looked for her black stilettos "Actually, I should go home."

Mamoru pulled her back to the couch and into his arms "I just got here! Why are you leaving me so soon?"

Usagi laughed when she felt his fingers tickling her "No!" she began to laugh without control, "Then don't leave!" Mamoru said playfully. Usagi looked at him and poked him in the arm "It's your fault!" she said between laughs "You got home too late!"

"I was working!" Mamoru widened his sapphire eyes, "You can't punish me for that!"

"Well—now it's too late."

Mamoru leaned over her and looked at her with puppy eyes, a gesture he only did when they were alone. Nobody actually knew how mellow and adorable the almighty Chiba Mamoru was when he was alone with Usagi; his always polite and mysterious character melted away once he stepped on that room and found her alone, and Usagi couldn't deny how much she loved it.

She loved everything about the man; his character, how smart he was, his warm voice, his deep blue eyes, his silky black hair. She even loved when sometimes he didn't shave on Sundays and gave her what she called itchy kisses. Usagi was mad about Mamoru and the best thing of all is that he felt the same way for her.

Usagi looked at him and smirked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I'm hungry," he murmured and blew his dark bangs, before laying on her lap, "I haven't eaten anything today—I'm starving."

Usagi widened her eyes in utter shock thinking she could not even go through her morning without munching something at work. Skipping lunch or a meal was an unthinkable task for her. No wonder why he was in such weird, but still adorable mood. "Why would you deprive yourself from such marvel as eating?"

"Because I was busy—I had to catch up with my hours and it was quite hectic today," he mumbled and exhaled softly, his hand loosely caressing her arm "Don't leave just yet—please?"

Usagi smiled and combed his hair back "Alright, alright—but after you eat something, I'll call for a ride."

Mamoru frowned "Like if I am going to let you go by yourself at this hour. I'll take you home."

"Mamo chan..." She said in a warning tone, Mamoru chuckled at her "What?"

Usagi bit her lip "You just got here,"

"So?" he frowned, "I can take you home and come back. It's not a bother, Usako, I would take you to the end of the world if you asked me to—and you know it." Usagi blushed, he knew how to dismantle her with just one look and one sensual smile. "Really?"

Mamoru leaned closer to her and kissed her softly on her lips "Really."

Usagi smiled while caressing his jawline with her fingers in a feathery touch, "So what could we order at this hour?"

Mamoru pursed his lips in thought "There is this little place a few blocks from here, I could order some _o-dan-gos_ ," he said playfully, referring to her former hairstyle and nickname. Usagi giggled and smacked his hand playing with her hair "Shut up, you loved that hairstyle."

Mamoru smiled, "I still do—I actually miss it."

Usagi arched a brow "Can't you see I am a grown up lady now? Ladies don't wear pigtails!"

Mamoru huffed with annoyance, "Please, those were not pigtails but a royal hairstyle and—" he frowned at her and tapped her nose with one finger, "What's gotten into you anyways?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, curious. Mamoru's frown deepened, "Because you are a lady you are not allowed to wear your hair with two buns at the top of your head?" he asked with slight wonder, "Since when?"

"Well—I can."

"Then, what is the problem?"

Usagi sighed and rolled her eyes, "My boss and her assistant told me I should look more my age."

Mamoru arched a brow "More your age? How old are you, a hundred years?"

Usagi ruffled his hair playfully, once she understood the pun, "No, but I am 24—in _this_ era."

"So? I am 27, what does that has to do with age?"

"What do you mean what? I need to act my age!" Usagi frowned and slouched on the couch and tousled her choppy bangs to the side, "Also, you don't have long hair like I do, you're a _dude_ —you don't know the struggle that is to deal with so much hair and all its criticism."

"The struggle," he said in a sarcastic tone and rolled his eyes "No, I don't buy it."

"You don't buy what?"

"Well—this silly argument." Mamoru waved his hands dismissively, "It doesn't even make sense Usa, just because you're your age you have to style your hair differently? Does a hairstyle affect your performance as a creative person?"

"No, but—"

"No Usa," Mamoru looked at her while he lay on the couch with his head resting on her lap. He reached for her face and cupped her cheeks with his hands "That has nothing to do with it," he sighed, "We are talking of two women who nag you about almost everything. I have always thought they are jealous of you, that is why she makes those unnecessary comments, especially the assistant—you don't need to be like them. You are perfect just the way you are."

Usagi sighed again and leaned down, her face just inches away from his, "I can't afford to lose my job Mamo chan."

Mamoru frowned and moved from his lying position to seat next to her, "Are you telling me that she warned you about your job just because of your hair?"

Usagi tried to look away, but his eyes were too serious and too concerned to ignore. He had the amazing ability to make her feel like if he looked through her soul, it was impossible to ever keep secrets from him. Being that the main reason why she gave up planning surprise birthday parties for him. She lowered her gaze and exhaled with resignation, "She said it would take some credibility off my work and my image as a professional."

"That woman drives me insane." Mamoru muttered and looked away, his playful tone was no longer stamped in his words. He could not stand to see her feel miserable by those women, he could not stand to see her with a broken spirit. It angered him the power their words could have over her, "It's not the first time that woman tells you something stupid—but this is beyond that," he looked at her and held her hands, "Usa, don't ever take what that woman tells you too seriously. Never, _ever_. Do you hear me? She has no right to make you feel inferior."

Usagi looked down and took a deep breath "Mamo chan, I can't afford to lose my job."

Mamoru frowned "Usako, there are plenty of other options out there. Places where your talent and abilities can really be appreciated."

Usagi looked up at him "There is a wedding we must pay and well—someday we will want to buy a house and—"

"—And?" Mamoru sighed and shook his head, "Usa—no, no, no, no. The wedding expenses are being taken care of, yes, there are still some details to look after but I am with you on this, and about the house—you don't have to worry about it—we have all the time in the world to look for another one."

Usagi bit her lower lip "I just," she sighed, and felt on the verge of tearing up, "I don't want you to take care of all our expenses, I want to help you, you work until very late and—"

"And?" Mamoru interrupted her, now realizing she was crying, "Usa—please don't cry, I don't like to see you cry."

"I want to help you."

Mamoru felt his heart melting in his chest, after all this time she still had a heart of gold. He couldn't take any longer to see her like that and pulled her closer to him, crashing his lips against hers in a passionate, loving kiss that lasted for a couple of minutes. He moved back and looked into her pale blue eyes, "I wish you could realize how much you have done for me—what you do for me every day."

"Mamo chan," Usagi sniffed and wiped her tears with the back of her hand, Mamoru caressed her lips with his thumbs and smiled, "You have helped me throughout all these years Usako, more than you can ever imagine. What you have done for me, cannot be even compared with anything in this world."

Usagi blushed and caressed his face with the tip of her fingers, a gesture he loved very much and smiled, "I'm the luckiest girl in the world."

"No, Usako. I am the luckiest _dude_ in the world." he smiled and leaned his forehead on hers "Because I found you."

Usagi understood his words and couldn't fight the tears pooling in her eyes again. The bond they had could never be compared or even matched to anything or anyone. They were millenary lovers who were given a second chance to live their romance freely without being chased like criminals or not accepted by their society or rules. They were best friends and they were their own family.

The lunar girl closed her eyes and found her lover's lips and kissed him again only realizing after a few seconds of pure bliss, that she too shared her boyfriend's feelings. She opened her eyes and looked at him with a playful stare "You know what?" she smiled,

"What?" Mamoru asked curious.

"I think I'm hungry too."


	5. Chapter 5

Divinity: The Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter five

A/N: I want to thank you for your reviews, they're the motif for me to continue carrying on with the story. I am really glad to know those who are reading this third part are enjoying what has been posted so far. This is where I ask of you to start to be patient as it appears to be the beginning of another long, long story. This is where you can choose to either continue reading or move along to something else. Of course, you are most welcome to stay and join me on this crazy project of mine.

I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters.

* * *

Akira sat on a stool, in front of a lit up table with what appeared to be hundreds of samples taken from their excursion on the ruins underground. Her gloved hands touched every shape and texture with delicacy analyzing up until the last detail with great interest; Toshi's words have been engraved in her mind since the moment he mentioned mythology could be the main reason for the existence of such mystical place. Since their return, she asked for access to every book about mythology and occult science available at the museum and library to feed her curiosity and find an explanation of the symbols carved in almost every piece taken from the palace. With a sigh, she put her glasses down and rubbed the bridge of her nose, Mikael turned to look at her and smiled, "Tired already?"

"No," Akira shook her head and put her glasses on again, "It's just—I can't seem to find a link."

Mikael stood next to her and offered her his cup of coffee "Here," he sat on another stool next to her and looked at the samples carefully arranged in front them, "Maybe the link you are looking for is not in that particular area." the comment made Akira sighed heavily, "I know it's there." she looked at him, "I just know it—the symbols are just like Toshi said, they're from an astronomical perspective. There is a reason to all these signs and symbols."

"Akira, that doesn't say much—many cults or Royal Houses have used astronomical symbols in their ensigns, why is this different?" Akira turned and grabbed a crystal case and put it in front of Mikael. The blonde frowned "A pendant. That's the clue?"

Akira took the transparent lid off and grabbed the chain with pendant, a teardrop shaped golden stone, "This stone—Toshi and I studied it already, its components are not entirely mineral."

Mikael's frown deepened "It could be a composition of minerals and amber."

"One would think that right away because of its color but there aren't any of those things in it." Akira said while wrapping the long gold chain around her fingers and let the stone move from one side to the other like a pendulum, "Every time I do this, it reacts—like if it connects with some sort of energy around it, it's almost like if it's alive." she looked at the chain move around in her hand slowly and with a steady motion. "There is also little to no damage to the jewelry piece—if this necklace is as old as these ruins, it's unnatural for a piece of gold to be this well preserved and shiny, also, the stone would be cracked and dirty. It makes no sense to me, other than it's magical."

Mikael caught the moving stone and felt it was slightly warm and frowned with curiosity, "Where did you find this? I don't remember seeing it anywhere we were at."

"While you were gathering some pieces for examination I went further inside to take a look around—it was laying on what appeared to be one of the chambers of the palace." Akira bit her lower lip, "I also found several articles of personal use like a golden brush, a mirror... combs with stones on them, things like that." she went to look for a book and opened it where it was a small red mark and began reading, "Gods were believed to live as Royal Protectors of each Planet—" she looked at Mikael, "If we go all the way back to the origins of Earth, it is said that it was once created and protected by two Titans—being Gaia the one to take control as heavenly guardian."

"Akira—are you suggesting this pendant belonged to that Goddess?" Mikael chuckled, making the treasure hunter frown, "What is so funny?"

"It's too risky to say all these... there is no solid proof." Mikael stood up "I do agree with you that this is ancient and of royal descent but to jump to these conclusions and say it was a place where a goddess of Earth once lived—it's a little crazy."

"Mikael—a royal palace, a _normal_ royal palace would have remained on the surface. Why is a palace with astronomical symbolism all over buried deep underground, surrounded by bio luminescent matter? Why is this pendant moving on its own? How come there are no natural minerals found on this stone?" she turned pointed at a symbol on a book "See this?"

Mikael sighed softly "Yes, it is the symbol of Gaia."

"Ok, now look at these items—" Akira put the sample of the brush in front of Mikael and put the pendant over one of the books Akira had been reading. The blonde man sighed, "So they worshiped this Goddess—what about it?" as soon as he said those words, the stone began gleaming a warm light as if it was reacting to the inscriptions on the old pages of the book where it was resting; Mikael widened his eyes and pointed the object, "Akira..." Akira turned and saw it move like a compass around the page of the book, "I-It's moving..." she turned and looked at the page of the book and widened her eyes with amazement, "It's reacting to this symbol..." she looked at Mikael "I've seen this symbol—" she turned and went to look for another sample crystal case with a piece of fabric she also found inside the chambers where the pendant was found and put it on the table. It was more of an elaborate cross with a sapphire looking stone in its center, resting on top of a circle that with four cardinal points, her finger tapped the photograph and then the image in the book where the pendant was resonating, "It's the same insignia—and it is said to be the one that identified the Protector of Earth."

Mikael looked at Akira "This is surreal..." he breathed in wonder. Akira nodded and smiled widely, "She exists, Mikael! The Goddess of Earth lives among us—somewhere, the Terran Protector is watching over us."

* * *

Usagi sat behind one of the three desks inside the large office in silence as she continued editing some of the pictures from the photo shoot they had last week with who appeared to be the actress of the moment. The same girl Minako was talking about last weekend. The blonde sighed softly as she moved her mouse across the screen to cut and paste some texts across of what looked like to be the cover for their next issue. She looked at her watch and sighed at the hour while she rubbed the bridge of her nose, her action caught the attention of one of the other girls working in the same department with her, "You alright?" she asked slightly worried. A red haired girl with deep green eyes stared at Usagi like if her job depended on what she was doing. Usagi turned to look at her and nodded, "Just a little tired, that's all."

"Good. I thought something happened to that cover." the redhead said with relief, "We cannot afford to be late to that presentation. I must present that to Maya in an hour."

"I know." Usagi said softly, "I'm almost done."

"Calm down Yuki-san, she always has everything on time, lighten up." Another woman with dark hair said to her coworker from her own desk across from Usagi.

"I always get really nervous when I have to explain Maya all the ideas we came up with for the next cover. You know how she is Mika-san, if she doesn't like it we will have to do it all over again." Yuki, the redhead said with a tone of annoyance and hurry.

"I am kind of tired to see this girl everywhere…" the dark haired girl joined the weak conversation Usagi and the redhead were having; as much as Usagi loved to make friends and being nice to everyone, sometimes it was hard to keep up with some of the people who worked at the magazine, Yuki was one of them. Not that she hated her job but sometimes she found it exhausting and sometimes, she had to admit she felt like she deserved a little more credit for her efforts, a thing something her boss took for granted most of the time.

"She's the girl of the moment." the redhead said and bit her 2B pencil on her well-manicured hand, "And Maya _loves_ her."

"Hmm… she loves _everything_ that's in trend." the dark haired girl said softly, "I bet she will be invited to the dinner Maya's throwing to celebrate the magazine's anniversary." Yuki nodded "She is at the top of her list."

Mika pursed her lips and rested her head on her hand, "That party is going to be out of this world. She has everyone from the PR Department working like crazy."

"I know!" Yuki said and grinned, "I already know what I am wearing… what about you?"

Mika shook her head "Not sure, I have two options… but I haven't decided yet." The dark haired girl turned to look in Usagi's direction and smiled, "Hey Usagi-san, have you decided what are you going to wear for the dinner party?"

Usagi turned to Mika and smiled, but before she could even answer Yuki interrupted their conversation "She's not on the guest list." Usagi widened her icy blue eyes and blinked in shock at Yuki's lack of touch. It wasn't the first time the redhead came up with a rash comment and she knew perfectly well how she could be sometimes and decided not to pay much attention to her usual imprudence.

It was obvious Usagi got along better with Mika; she was a lot more easygoing and friendly than Yuki ever was and she even warned her about the redhead's competitive personality one which only escalated to a larger scale when Maya, the editor in chief and founder of the magazine named her her assistant because in Mika's words:

 _-The Art Department assists Maya in anything she might need and since Yuki is the one with more time working in that department, it was only a matter of time that once she hired more staff, she would be the one in command; or so to speak.-_

Usagi smiled softly and shrugged her shoulders, "Well, I guess I don't have to worry about finding the right outfit to wear then."

Yuki blinked and turned to Mika, who was shaking her head slowly disapproving Yuki's comment. She turned and then it came one of those moments that made Usagi reconsider and not to take her words too seriously. The editor's new assistant apologized without really apologizing, "I mean—you know how Maya is, you never know what's she going to do or say—one day she says one thing and the next she will say you imagined everything." She pressed her lips together, "I mean, Mika's going because she works more directly with the PR department and you know, she wants me to be with her all the time."

Usagi smiled and shook her head "It's okay Yuki, I get the point. Maya has her reasons and I'm basically new here so…"

"New? You've been here for almost a year!" Mika said.

"Well yes, that is true but my time and duties here can't be compared with yours and besides, I have tons of work to do so—yeah… I'm okay." Usagi smiled again and continued working in silence until she finished her urgent task, saved the designs on a USB drive and gave them to Yuki so she could go and do her job as assistant/ass kisser and be rewarded by it without giving any recognition to her for her effort. "Good luck," she muttered softly.

"Ugh, thanks-let's see how this goes," Yuki said and turned on her heel, both girls watching leave the office mumbling a chain of indistinctive chatter. Giggling, both stood up and prepared to go to lunch; finally, a moment Usagi was waiting for too long. As they walked to the elevator Usagi sighed in relief once the door closed and began to move down, making her feel butterflies on her stomach. "I'm starving." she said softly and closed her eyes for a moment, not realizing Mika was looking at her with an apologetic stare, "Usagi-san I'm so sorry…"

Usagi opened her eyes and turned to look at her coworker, "For what?"

"What Yuki said was out of place."

"Isn't everything she says out of place?" Usagi giggled, making the other girl laugh a little louder, "Well, you have a point there."

With a curious stare, she turned to the blonde as she opened the large glass door that led to the cafeteria "Hey, I didn't know you were that positive, I remember when you used to feel insulted by her comments all the time, what happened?" she grabbed a tray and passed it over to Usagi who smiled in return, "Well…" the blonde turned to the large salad bar and began her hunt for the perfect lunch, "I guess I listened to my friends and boyfriend."

Mika smiled at the mention of the word boyfriend and followed the blonde's steps and proceeded to serve some veggies on her plate "So… this boyfriend of yours, what does he say?"

Usagi blushed at the mention of her long time lover and smiled like a schoolgirl, she walked to the cashier and paid for her food, waited for her coworker and friend and went to look for a table. "About?" Usagi said as she ripped the paper wrap from her straw and dipped it into her ice cold lemonade. Mika took a sip of her diet coke and waved her hands, "Well, you finished your internship here and got the job, is he happy for you? I didn't even know you had a boyfriend until I saw you were wearing one of _those_ in _that_ finger, every day." Mika blinked, "Is that... for real?"

Usagi smiled and nodded "Yes,"

"Wow," Mika blinked with surprise "Can I…?" she asked with sincere amazement as she leaned to take a closer look of the piece of jewelry. Usagi giggled and nodded, "Sure." she extended her hand out to her while continued eating with her other hand. Mika whistled with astonishment "Wow… that is one gorgeous ring right there, congrats!" she let go of her hand and took a sip of her drink, "How long have you been engaged?"

 _'Since more than a millennia ago,'_ Usagi thought and smiled, "Um, a few years," she looked down at her hand and caressed her ring with her fingers, "He proposed to me right before going to his internship abroad and I was in my senior year in high school." with eyes full of tenderness she looked at the ring on her hand and paid close attention to every little detail on it for the hundredth time and smiled.

It had been eight years since she got the first version of the ring she was now wearing. Since Mamoru returned from America, he insisted on upgrading it or at least, give the ring some maintenance and make it look like new again, after many attempts she finally agreed. Usagi looked at the gleaming stone on her finger and thought how she would never have wanted a new one, she had worn it every time, from her happiest to her toughest times and it was because of that ring that she could keep her sanity despite the madness that was happening all around her during that time, when she felt everything was about to be lost.

Mika widened her eyes "Now that's what I call a promise."

Usagi blushed, "He hesitated and was against going away, but I knew it was a big dream of his to become a doctor."

"Oh? He's a doctor?" Mika widened her honey colored eyes, "Well that proves even more how much he loves you, he went very far away and came back just for you and with a good future to offer. Not everyone does that let me tell you."

Usagi frowned and tilted her head, "Why do you say that?"

"Well…" Mika sighed "I've had terrible break-ups in the past, all because they do not love me enough to come back for me."

Usagi widened her eyes and blinked, she felt horrible for talking marvelous things about her boyfriend without realizing this could be a soft spot for her friend across the small table, "Mika-san, I'm so, _so_ sorry. I should have been..."

Mika smiled "You should have been what?"

Usagi pouted her lips "Well, less Yuki-like."

The small joke cracked Mika into a fit of laughter, she looked at the silver blonde with a wide smile on her face and shook her head, "Don't worry about that! That happened a long time ago, now I'm married to a very good man."

"Oh, really?" Usagi asked with shock, "I didn't know you were married!"

"Well, not exactly _married_ but we live together. That should count as a marriage, right?"

"It sure does," Usagi giggled.

"I've done the ring thing before but it doesn't always work out the way you hope to. Like I said before, not everyone comes back for their beloved. In my case, he found another girl more interesting who luckily for him worked at the same company as I did and well, one day he left and never returned!" she raised her hands and laughed, "He didn't even come back for his belongings!"

Usagi widened her blue crystal eyes "That is just wrong, I am so sorry."

Mika waved her hand and shrugged her shoulders "He did me a favor, really. He was a terrible cook and he never took a shower on Sundays." she frowned with slight disgust, "It drove me insane." this time, both laughed at her confession. Usagi found a lot of resemblance between Mika and Minako, they both had that cheerful, positive attitude, both had an awesome style and a great sense a humor. But most importantly, both were truly honest with themselves and even when they had rough times in the past, they always looked the bright side of any situation. Both were believers in love.

* * *

The sound of sirens echoed in the walls as ambulances drove in and out of the hospital; nurses and doctors walked from one hallway to the other all immersed in their daily schedules and appointments with the many patients coming in and out. It was another busy day saving lives and Ami couldn't be happier as she walked down the long hallway. She finally reached for the nurse's station and gave one of the nurses several files from one of the doctors she just assisted at intensive care. Chiaki turned and smiled, Mizuno-san."

"Ohayo Chiaki-san, how's your morning going?"

"Oh it's doing just fine." she looked at the many folders Ami was giving to the younger nurse and pursed her lips, "More studies for that patient?"

Ami sighed sadly and nodded, "Yes, the boy might need surgery if things keep up like this."

Chiaki clicked her tongue in shame and took one of the folders to take a quick look, "He's been here since last week, Dr. Urikawa ordered to give the boy a transfusion."

"It really depresses me when children get involved in these situations, I've heard they are going to call many of the surgeons from this hospital to a meeting and evaluate what would be the best option for the boy." Ami said softly "If there is anything I can do, please let me know Chiaki-san, they will be needing more assistants on this case if things carry on like this."

Chiaki smiled and nodded "I will try to keep you posted and if one of the doctors asks me to call interns, you'll be the first to know." she put the file away and smiled proudly, "You don't see interns this passionate every day."

Ami smiled "I really love what I do." she sighed "Even if it takes all my social life away."

"All doctors go through the phase of not having a social life, once you get your residency you might breathe a little bit more, but in the meantime…"

"I have to work hard. I know," Ami smiled and took some other files to take to the archive, "Well, I better get started with my day." with a small wave she turned on her heel and waited for the elevator to take her to the first floor where she knew, some new and very unusual adventures were waiting for her. As soon as the elevators doors opened, she was again greeted by the fast pace of the department and quickly walked towards the nurse station at the center of the room "Ohayo," she said cheerfully.

"Ohayo Ami-san," Maki said and turned to look at the many binders and files over her desk "Ready for another day?"

"I'm ready!" Ami giggled, turning when she heard the sound of the elevator and saw Akashi walking out and towards the nurse's station making her heart flip a few times in her chest before regaining her composure. "Good morning Mizuno-san."

"Good morning, Akashi-san," Ami said softly.

"How was your weekend?" the young intern asked, one could tell the young man was maybe a year older than her and that he was closer on getting his residency than she was but she had to admit, she sure liked to have him around. More than a romantic interest, he turned out to be a good friend of hers in the hospital besides Motoki and Mamoru, who, most of the time were beyond busy.

"It was alright, just scratches and a few stitches." Ami said softly "Yours?"

"A few consultations with Dr. Osuna, nothing fancy." Akashi smiled, "I was waiting to catch at least one surgery but I wasn't called to assist one."

Ami smiled and nodded, "Oh I know the feeling," she turned to Maki and leaned on the desk carefully, "Excuse me Maki-san, do you know who I am going to be assisting today by any chance? Has it been decided?"

Maki looked through her computer's file and then printed another sheet, "Well, it seems you will be assisting Dr. Chiba today, it's been a while."

Ami smiled, knowing for a fact that if she got to assist Mamoru, then it would probably involve cases with a certain level of complexity, a challenge she always welcomed with open arms. "Oh, lucky you…" Akashi's dry tone distracted her from her exciting thoughts and turned to look at him, "What?"

"Nothing, it's been a while since you assisted him—last time you were supposed to assist him he was nowhere around."

Ami felt annoyed by his comment. Sometimes she felt like she was on the horns of a dilemma because of them; she really enjoyed to be around him, she really saw him as a friend rather than just a co worker but his usual comments implying that maybe there was something more between her friend and her was really starting to burst her bubble and if Akashi didn't think before talking next time, maybe she would reconsider their friendship and keep her distance towards him. Without saying a word to the brown haired man, she turned to Maki, "Do you know if he is already here?"

Maki turned to the computer where she was typing something, just when she was about to say something a warm voice interrupted her, "I'm here." Maki blushed slightly and nodded her head, "Ohayo Dr. Chiba."

Mamoru smiled at the young nurse and returned the gesture "Ohayo, Maki-san," then turned at Ami "Ami," he said lightly. Ami felt relieved to have him there, she didn't feel like talking to Akashi for the rest of her morning, "Ohayo, Chiba-san." she said in a friendly but playful tone. Mamoru smiled and took the file Maki already had there for him to read, "Let's see…" he mumbled as he looked through the pages, "A few appointments, a consultation…" Mamoru turned to Maki "I might need to see if there is another Dr. available to take this last case. I am going to be in a meeting all afternoon, could you check this for me Maki-san?"

Maki blinked and nodded, "Of course Dr. Chiba, I can ask Dr. Sukinawa or his assistant to take a look at it."

"That would be great, thank you." Mamoru turned and looked at Akashi, who was still waiting for his schedule and frown softly, recognizing the young man. "You are Dr. Osuna's intern, am I correct?"

Akashi turned to look at Mamoru and could not deny his surprise since he was sure expecting something else. The young man never actually met Chiba Mamoru in person, he never actually had the opportunity to even cross words with him in his short time at the hospital and what he imagined was a totally different image of what he was seeing now, starting by the strong presence he clearly had in the room. "Yes, Satomura Akashi."

"Dr. Furuhata mentioned you assisted him last week, Dr. Osuna is in a meeting as we speak so either you come with me or wait for another doctor to be available, I am going to give you the chance to choose."

Akashi widened his eyes in surprise; this was another thing he had thought differently about him. "N-No, I'll come with you, Chiba-san." he also took the offer as an opportunity to spend more time with Ami. "Alright." Mamoru gave Maki another file, "If Dr. Furuhata comes by, please tell him I am looking for him." Maki nodded and took the papers from the dark haired man, "Of course Dr. Chiba."

"Thank you Maki-san." With that he turned on his heel with the first case on his hand and walked towards one of the consultation offices with Ami and Akashi walking along; he turned to Ami and smiled, "Sorry I wasn't available last week Ami-chan, I got here very late—I had to take the night shift."

Ami smiled and waved her hand, "Oh it's okay, no worries… is everything okay? Anything I can do to help?"

Mamoru smiled at the kind gesture, and shook his head "I'm okay, there's a lot going on my mind right now. You know… there are still things to be done and we have so little time."

Ami giggled "I bet."

Akashi frowned and took notice of their conversation, too intimate for his taste when he heard him call her Ami- _chan_ instead of a more respectful honorific, making him wonder if the two of them had something going on in secret since she got to assist him pretty often and the relationship they had seemed to be more close and friendly a doctor would have with an intern.

As the three walked down the hall, Mamoru opened the door to one room and walked inside and saw an older woman was sitting on a chair, next to her husband lying on the room's gurney. The man was holding his wife's hand and turned to look at the door once Mamoru entered. Immediately, Mamoru gave the couple a polite smile and introduced Ami and Akashi, "Furikawa-san, Ohayo I'm Dr. Chiba Mamoru, I've learned you have come here with severe pain in your abdomen, am I correct?" the man nodded, "Could you explain to me what happened?" he walked towards the bed and grabbed the binder at the man's feet and began reading the status of the patient, "Severe back and abdominal pain," he said softly, "When was the first time you started feeling these symptoms Furikawa-san?"

The pain was so intense the man's wife had to intervene and be the one to speak and give all the explanations. "He's been having pain for quite some time now but last night was the last straw—he couldn't move, he could barely speak because of the pain, I don't know what could be happening to him…" the woman said with deep concern.

Akashi looked at Mamoru and remembered Motoki's words, he was right in one thing, he was not treating patients like if they were inferior, he actually knew the patient's name way before he even entered the room; he greeted them, introduced himself and is actually having a conversation _with_ the patient, instead of just giving a blunt explanation of the problem the patient might have, something that usually happened with Dr. Osuna.

"Anything you probably ate that could have been in bad state Furikawa-san?" Mamoru looked at the man on the bed, who in response just shook his head in denial allowing his wife to continue. "He hasn't eaten much, he can't stand the pain—I tried to give him many natural remedies but none of them seemed to work…"

"Has he had any vomiting?" Mamoru asked in a more serious tone to the man's wife and went to stand next to the man and put his stethoscope to check his vitals.

"Not that I can recall." the woman shook her head and looked at the young doctor check his abdomen as he softly tapped several points with his fingers. Mamoru stayed silent for a moment and took the man's wrist and stayed still for a minute and made an annotation on the binder and handed it to Ami, "Furikawa-san I am going to need to exam you, this is going to be quick, if you feel _any_ pain or discomfort please give me a sign so I can know what might be happening to you. Alright?" he turned to Ami and Akashi "Please take note of his vitals, while I examine Furikawa-san." Mamoru put his hands over his stomach and pressed lightly on different areas, then moved in circular motions from his left side, to his right side "Do you feel any pain on this part of the abdomen?" at the negative signal the man was giving him, the dark-haired doctor continued until the patient flinched in pain and gritted his teeth, "Do you feel pain _here_?" he pressed again and the man nodded.

The young doctor stepped back and took a deep breath, "Furikawa-san, have you been experiencing some bleeding when you evacuate?"

The older man widened his eyes and turned to his wife then turned to look at Mamoru again and nodded.

Mamoru narrowed his blue eyes slightly, "Have you lost a considerable amount of weight in the past few weeks?" "Yes." the woman answered for her husband.

"Yes." the woman answered for her husband, with a more concerned tone.

Mamoru turned to the patient's wife, "Have you noticed extreme fatigue, nausea, migraines, or high fever over the last few days—anything besides the pain that he could have given you as a sign that something was not normal with him Furikawa-san?" the woman lowered her gaze in thought for a moment and then nodded "He has been more tired than usual and hasn't eaten too well in the last couple of weeks, yes, but I thought it was because he came tired from work, being that the reason for his headaches. He never really complained or mentioned any other discomfort or bleeding… until _now_."

"What do you do for a living, Furikawa-san?" Mamoru looked at the man, "Are you under constant stress?"

"He works for a construction company." the wife answered softly. Mamoru crossed his arms "So are you around chemical substances on a daily basis?"

The man closed his eyes and nodded. Mamoru nodded and turned to Ami and Akashi "I am going to need you to help me take some blood, feces and urine samples and take them to the laboratory, also I want to see how low are his rates in hemoglobin and a count for his red and white blood cells."

"I will take care of it, Chiba-san." Ami said while turning to ask one of the nurses to bring her the equipment she needs to take the samples. Akashi nodded and went to take the man's pressure. Before he could do anything else, Mamoru interrupted by asking while he continued to study the case on the binder "Is there something else you would like to know from Furikawa-san, Dr. Satomura?"

Akashi froze, then looked at the old man then back at Mamoru who was waiting for his reply. Mamoru raised his brow and turned to the old man, "Furikawa-san, something I should know about yourself? Do you suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, glaucoma?" The old man shook his head no.

"Are you allergic to any medication in particular?"

"No Doctor," the woman answered softly.

"Have you had any surgeries in the past?"

"No,"

"Any family history of any sort of disease?"

The woman blinked and sighed heavily "Well, his father passed away from cancer a few years ago."

"What type of cancer?" Mamoru started writing on the binder, the woman bit her lower lip "Lung cancer,"

Mamoru continued writing, "Do you smoke Furikawa-san?"

"No, Dr. Chiba, he doesn't."

"Drink?"

"Occasionally."

"What type of diet does he consume?" Mamoru looked at the woman, who shook her head "Well, he does like to have heavy meals for dinner."

Mamoru turned to the man on the bed and arched his brow, "A carnivore Furikawa-san?"

The man widened his eyes and nodded; Akashi blinked with evident awe as he listened to Mamoru. He had to admit that he admired the sharpness with he was handling the consultation. Mamoru nodded and began writing again, "Do you take any medication, vitamins, supplements on a daily basis?"

"Calcium tablets and a multivitamin complex-but that would be all Dr."

"Have you experienced this type of pain before Furikawa-san?"

The man nodded, Mamoru narrowed his eyes again "For how long?"

The man raised two fingers, "Two times?" Mamoru asked, allowing the man to answer with his head. "Alright, thank you for letting me know." Mamoru turned to Akashi, "Proceed."

Akashi tried to stay cool at this point; in all his years at medical school, he always remembered to ask the basics for a consultation. He was known to be good at his job and Dr. Osuna often picked him because he could keep up with his rhythm but now that he had been working with other doctors he could understand what Motoki was talking about when he asked if he had worked for Mamoru before.

The man was sharp, very sharp and clearly knew how to approach the patients, realizing it was a very different one Osuna's has had in the past. He had to admit to himself that he admired how he could remain with a cool and tranquil expression under situations were obviously high stressed, like this one. Was he that good? Were the rumors of the young doctor true? Akashi began to wonder as he remembered he had heard some things about him when he joined the hospital team and worked as an intern and how quickly he escalated and gained his residency with honors but to be honest, he thought those were just plain rumors to add to his dashing persona and looks.

"Furikawa-san, I am going to prescribe you an antibiotic and a strong sedative to reduce the pain in your abdomen; I cannot let you go until I know for certain what is happening to you; Dr. Satomura will put you an IV with the medication, but also we need to run a series of more tests to determine the best cause of action—the pain you are suffering is caused by something else but we cannot be certain until we have all the results, Dr. Mizuno will take your samples to the laboratory with an urgent disclosure so we can treat the problem as soon as possible but aside of what we find in your results, we will need to schedule an endoscopy to see what is happening down there and scratch some theories off the list."

"But, is he going to be alright?" the woman asked with deep worry. Ami stepped in and stood next to Mamoru, "The antibiotic will help the area not to be as swollen as it is, after that it will give us a clear view of what might be the problem." Mamoru smiled at the man on the bed, "You are in good hands Furikawa-san, I will come and check on you every hour. If you need me, either Dr. Mizuno or Dr. Satomura will call for me, they will keep a close eye on you."

The woman stood up and sighed with slight relief, "Thank you so much, Dr. Chiba."

Mamoru turned to Ami and gave her a sign to follow him outside of the room, leaving Akashi taking the samples alone. Ami looked at him with a worried look and sighed softly, "Do you want me to stay and see how his state evolves with the medication? The dose you are prescribing is quite strong." she read his note with the prescription.

Mamoru looked at her "The pain he has is severe, there is considerable swelling in his abdomen, I don't want to jump into conclusions but it could be something else. Once I have those test results I will be able to have a clearer vision of what to do; I will need for you and Satomura-san to stay close and keep an eye on him, I have to be at a meeting in exactly one hour and it might take all day, so I am going to need your help more than anything today. I will come and check on him every hour but still, I need him under constant observation."

"Of course Mamoru-kun, whatever you need." Ami nodded.

"Ok, so… I need to make a few more consultations before the meeting starts, I don't know how much it's going to take me, depends on the case but I will be leaving the status of each patient at the nurse's station, if anything, _anything_ happens—whatever it is, please call me on my cell phone; especially if you see any changes with this patient."

"Got it." Ami nodded. Mamoru patted the bluenette's shoulder in gratitude and smiled, "Thanks Ami-chan, I trust you if you need to take other samples for testing, but first let me know."

"I will Mamoru-kun,"

Mamoru turned on his heel, and stopped; then turned to look over his shoulder, "Oh and… Ami-chan?"

"Yes?"

"Stop making that poor man suffer,"

Ami widened her eyes and blushed, "What?"

Mamoru moved his head and motioned his head to the door leaving clear who he was talking about. Ami blushed crimson red and watched him leave with slight hurry to his next appointment. His words echoed in her mind, sure, she had a crush on Akashi but was the tension that obvious? Did he really have the same crush on her? _Oh no…_ she thought "This is even worse than receiving love letters from secret admirers..."

* * *

At the end of the long hallway, Motoki spotted a glance of his dark haired friend and walked towards him. "Mamoru!" he called, making him stop and turn to look at him "Hey." Mamoru smiled and patted his friend's shoulder, a gesture Motoki imitated every morning "Maki told me you were looking for me, what's up?"

Mamoru sighed and gave Motoki the file with Furikawa's case, "I just saw this patient. I prescribed strong medication to diminish the pain and left Ami and Satomura-san in charge."

"Ok and?" Motoki walked with Mamoru as he made it to his next appointment, "He has a severe abdominal pain but I think there is something else."

Motoki frowned and opened the file and took a quick read, Mamoru continued, "My first thought was that maybe could be his gallbladder…"

"Yes?"

"Until he told me he bled every time he evacuated and has a family history of cancer..."

Both men stopped, Motoki arched his brow, "Cancer?"

Mamoru sighed softly, "I don't want to jump to conclusions here. They are taking several samples to take to the laboratory but… I might need your help if it is… I will schedule an endoscopy to see what's going on in there."

"Of course," Motoki nodded, "So where are you going now?"

"I have another consultation, then I have to go to a meeting… I don't know how long it's going to take." Mamoru continued walking as he checked his phone absently.

"Oh yeah, Urisawa-san asked me to be there too. It's about the kid, nobody is exactly sure of what to do next... they cannot seem to find a cause for his disease. I heard that the board does not want to get too much involved because they want to avoid any charges the family might press in case the results go wrong."

Mamoru pursed his lips, "Well, that doesn't sound too promising if they're already thinking things will go wrong and the family will press charges but if you want my opinion, some of the doctors involved seem like they have been experimenting on the child rather than finding a cure."

"Yes, I feel the same." Motoki frowned, "Why none of them have consulted the case with an internist, for example. That is why now they want more doctors to study the case and they are including you." Motoki sighed heavily, "I hope it doesn't take too long, Reika wants me to go with her to this party… you know that is not really my thing, I mean come on! It's Monday!"

"It's Reika we're talking about—why are you so surprised? She likes to go to cocktail parties all the time." Mamoru chuckled, "Also, why are you complaining about, I thought you liked the attention."

Motoki frowned "Well—I like it when I feel in the mood."

Mamoru chuckled, "I do feel you though, who throws a party on a Monday?"

"Exactly!" Motoki clicked his tongue "All I want to do it to get home, grab a beer and throw myself on the couch… but it's a museum thing and it's a big deal for her so—"

"Yes, you have to comply." Mamoru patted his friend's shoulder, "That's the way it goes. If it makes you feel better, that makes us two."

Motoki widened his green eyes, "What? You have a party to go too?"

"No, just dinner at my in law's." Mamoru looked down at his watch for a second, "But, it usually lasts until very late," he exhaled softly, Motoki whistled "How's the family treating you?"

Mamoru smiled softly, "Very good actually…"

"And the dad?"

Mamoru waved his hand and laughed, "Mmm… well, he's getting there; at least he doesn't think I'm a criminal anymore."

"You're stealing his precious daughter; he will always think you are a criminal." Motoki laughed, "Like me, I'm a delinquent too but don't worry, you're a good guy—he'll eventually see that."

"Gee, thanks." Mamoru chuckled, "One has to do anything to make them happy, right?"

Motoki nodded "Yeah, it happens a _lot_ once you get married—get used to it." He patted his friend's shoulder and chuckled, "Who knew? _You_ from the whole bunch… getting married, and with the girl, you annoyed the most."

Mamoru arched his brow "What?"

"I don't know," Motoki shrugged his shoulders, "It's weird to see you in this position, you were always doing your thing, never dated a girl for more than a couple of weeks and everything changed once you locked eyes with Usagi-chan."

Mamoru chuckled "What can I say? Usagi is not like everyone else."

"Man, she's not." Motoki chuckled, "And I'm glad you two found each other, she's amazing. You should be proud."

"I am." Mamoru smiled and took another binder from the nurse's station and stood in front of another consultation room, Motoki smiled "So are you ready for the big day? It's getting closer…"

Mamoru chuckled "I am, and I don't have a problem with going and have dinner with my in-laws…it's just…" Motoki nodded and patted his friend's shoulder, "I know, I know,"

"It's Monday!" both men sighed at the same time, both annoyed and resigned.


	6. Chapter 6

Divinity: The Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter six

 _A/N: Another Friday, another chapter. Thank you for sticking with me and reading the story. I appreciate your messages and reviews, they brighten up my day-thank you. This is a more normal/chill out chapter, last chapter I asked for your patience because you will find chapters like these very often. I know, I know-we all want the action right away but, we never get to see them in their normal routines plus, I am still working on that._

 _Have a nice weekend everyone. Thank you again._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

* * *

As soon as the sun began to set, Rei decided that it was time to do things that would give her some peace of mind. It was not like her grandfather was a burden to her, but what was indeed a burden was to fake love and respect for the man she once did love and respected. Yuuichiro.

After sweeping, moping, praying and doing some work as Miko, it was finally her time to be Rei, just good old Rei. She walked into her bedroom and slid the door closed and went for the only thing that would make her feel connected to the real world—her phone.

She dialed a set of numbers she knew by heart and waited for a familiar voice to answer, her lips curved and her body relaxed almost instantly, "Hey, it's me."

" _Hey, I thought you were never going to call._ " said the other voice at the other end of the call.

"Sorry I took so long, I was busy with some things here at the shrine and…well, you know—Yuuichiro." the Miko threw her tabi away from her feet and threw herself on her bed while holding her phone close to her ear, "I don't know what to do anymore—I am so tired."

" _It's making you miserable Rei-chan, you should just…_ "

Rei pursed her lips "I know... But I'm afraid it might affect my grandfather."

" _Just tell your grandpa that things didn't work out—it happens in a relationship. Do you know what you should do?_ "

"What?"

" _Go on a date again,_ "

"That's your best advice?" Rei sweat dropped and growled with annoyance. At the other side of town, Minako turned on her little stool at her kitchen bar and blew her freshly manicured hand, "It can help you dust the whole Yuuichiro thing off your shoulders."

" _I am not interested in dating anyone, besides—I am a Miko."_

"...And you were in a serious relationship with a man, come on Rei-chan, things change…times change. Don't you want to go out with someone who really appreciates you?" Minako frowned.

"Well, I thought I was with that person until it happened—you know, _that._ " Rei rolled on her bed and covered her face "I am exhausted—it is very upsetting."

" _No, do you know what's upsetting_?"

"What?"

Minako blew her nails again "This blonde girl appearing everywhere, _that's_ upsetting. She's taking all of my jobs! It's so unfair!"

"Want me to fry her with my hidden powers?" Rei said jokingly, but to Minako that sounded more like an urge than just a plain joke. Silence fell between them for a couple of seconds before Minako decided to go there. "Rei-chan," she made a pause, "About what you said the other day, of missing it…"

Rei moved her hand away from her face and stared at the ceiling "What about it?"

"Do you?" Minako bit her lower lip "Miss it?"

The black haired Miko sat on her bed and looked out her window. She stayed in silence for a minute and took a deep breath "Sometimes…" before the blonde could say anything she continued, "Please don't get me wrong, I love my life as it is… I love that we are all living at peace but, sometimes—when I am alone… these thoughts come to my mind." The Miko stood up and closed her eyes, "It made me feel secure, made me feel strong—like nothing could ever hurt me, maybe it is because I am feeling incredibly vulnerable right now. Maybe I just want him to pay in some way for what he did."

Even when they were on the phone Minako could feel the heaviness of her friend's words. Sadly, and in silence she knew what she meant; now that they were away from that life and kept it as a sacred memory and even when they were very aware of who they were in reality and not just them but all of their friends, she now understood how big it was to be a Senshi of love and justice. She was famous in secret and she enjoyed the game of having a secret identity, sure, it was very exhausting having to sneak out very late at night or very early in the morning to go and fight an enemy but it was always an adventure and just like her Miko friend she had to admit that she missed it a little.

"Am I being selfish?" Rei's voice startled out of her thoughts _"What? No_." she heard Minako's reassuring voice. Rei sighed and ran a hand through her hair, "Sometimes I feel guilty for thinking about it, I should not be thinking about it, not when Usagi risked her life the way she did… she is very happy now, I…" she trailed off.

"Rei-chan?"

" _I cannot do this to her."_ Minako widened her eyes when she heard her friend's voice break into a soft sob, this was more serious than she thought; she really was in a horrible predicament. Without saying another word, Minako went for her keys and left her apartment with her cell phone in her ear.

* * *

At the other side of Tokyo, far into the depths of an industrial kitchen Kino Makoto was doing another order of crepes with her now famous secret creamy sauce. After the incident with the infamous food critic, her crème crepes became famous and her abilities as Cook caught Haruto Asato's full attention.

"Kino-san, another order of your crepes has been made."

Makoto turned to look at the man and nodded "I'm on my way!" she took another saucepan and began making another batch of creamy sauce. Chef Haruto walked closer once he finished checking on the poultry and seafood station and stood next to her "You okay or do you need some help?"

"I…" Makoto blinked surprised when he grabbed a knife and began chopping some fresh herbs to add to the boiling cream "You need more wine, I can see." His rich voice caught Suzuki's attention, making her turn while she was still chopping a big amount of onions for a soup. Her light brown eyes searched for his voice and widened once she saw him standing there, helping the girl she tried to boycott one too many times.

Suzuki cursed under her breath and continued chopping onions while thinking about the drastic change Haruto made once he read the positively and rather refreshing critic Goda Kahori wrote on the Tokyo Metropolitan Newspaper. She remembered clearly his voice while he read _"It was like tasting a little piece of heaven on Earth,"_ and, _"I know I was very direct and came out too bold when I said 'La Blanche Colombe' was like watching a train accident happening in slow motion, but this time, Chef Haruto made me eat my words—literally, with such delightful crab crepes."_

Haruto was a very strict man in the kitchen; Suzuki knew he was not an easy going person and that he wanted things well done and fast. The young chef's mind began playing little games with her, making her turn frantically every time she heard Makoto's sweet melodic voice. With a frown on her face and while she put a large copper casserole over the stove she thought of what or how could she even managed to get the job she had if she didn't have the same resume or education _she_ had. As she stirred the onions with the industrial amounts of butter and cream, she thought of the big difference her preparation and experience as a chef she had over the tall girl, why? she asked to herself as she continued to stir the creamy mixture, _how come a girl like her could surpass her like this?-–_ she thought.

She had been working for almost four years with him and she never ever had a compliment or help from the man she now watched helping and supporting a rookie. As she let the ingredients inside the casserole slowly turn into an onion soup she walked towards the working couple and with a smile, interrupting their little conversation "Chef, the soup is in process… are there any more orders you want me to cook? I can take from here if you want."

Chef Haruto turned to look at a very interested Suzuki and sighed, "The night has been tranquil, I might close early tonight."

Suzuki blinked surprised "Chef?"

He turned to Makoto who was too concentrated cooking the scallops and crepes and then back at the other brown haired girl, "How's Hikawa-san doing with that fish fillet?"

Suzuki turned to look at him and then back at the chef, her spirit not letting the situation ruin her mission "He's almost done."

"Then start with the cordon bleu." He looked at Makoto before walking away to the station were new orders were coming through. Masao, who had just finished his dish walked over to Makoto and offered her a hand, which she gladly took, "Thanks." she mumbled as she continued serving the dishes with incredible detail and precision.

"You sure have tons of new orders," Masao smiled while he poured some creamy sauce over the crepes Makoto was carefully placing and stuffing with crab, "You really changed the pace of this restaurant with your innovation."

Makoto blushed and poured some fresh herbs on top and press the little bell on the counter "It's just a sauce…"

"Why didn't you do something before? You clearly have a gift in the kitchen." The dark haired man told her, "Anyways—thank you for saving my job."

Makoto stopped and looked at him "What?"

"We all knew this place was going to close if things continued the same, you practically saved our asses Kino-san." He smiled, "Thanks."

Makoto blushed a crimson red and served another order of crepes. At the other side of the kitchen, while the flames danced passionately at the grill a very busy chef continued supervising the many orders that came once after the other with gleaming eyes and with a smile looked at the clock on the wall marking ten o' clock, "How are those _quenelles_?" he asked out loud.

"Ready to serve Chef!" Suzuki said from her station as she began to decorate the dish.

Chef Haruto clapped his hands and began undoing the knot on his apron "That's our last dish for the night, the kitchen is closed until tomorrow."

"Awesome." Masao smiled and began cleaning his station. Makoto sighed and began wiping her station, while the kitchen assistants picked all the pots, casseroles, pans and utensils away to be washed and dried. Just like any other cook, she went to put the sauces and perishable products in the large freezer behind her and waved her hand goodbye at some of the assistants leaving the kitchen.

Masao took off and walked over to Makoto who had her hands full with things she still had to put away, "Let me give you a hand," he said softly as he took some of the jars from her hands "Oh, thank you!" Makoto smiled at him and closed the freezer door once he came out, "You almost drop those jars and then what would we do without your miraculous cream sauce?"

Makoto chuckled "Well, you would have to make some more."

"But I don't know the recipe."

"Then you would have to come up with something new, who knows? Maybe you can do something even more sensational."

Masao chuckled in response "Maybe, maybe." Makoto smiled and was turned on her heel; Masao looked at her and blushed slightly "Um… hey, Kino-san…"

"Yes?"

The young Masao bit his lower lip and smiled nervously. Akiyama Masao began working for Chef Haruto at the same time Suzuki did; they actually coincided in many of the classes and diplomats together in France but the difference between them lay on their different visions of success. While Suzuki thought of it like something she deserved to have, Masao, on the other hand, enjoyed the journey of just being able to cook for people. The blaze, scents, and rhythm involved in a restaurant was what really made him feel passionate about his work. He loved his work for the emotional benefits that brought and not much for the money that came attached with it.

His abilities and his patient character were what made him land this job as a chef in one of the best French restaurants in Tokyo, that of course before the tragic incident where the food critic came and described their food as boring now that many restaurants had taken the 'contemporary' route. He had to be honest with himself; he was starting to lose faith until Makoto came into the picture. With her emerald green eyes and her kind personality, she slowly began to make her way into the kitchen starting from being the hostess to one of the chefs who now, reinvented the whole concept of a crepe and that fascinated him. Since the first day she started in the kitchen, Masao knew she didn't have the same studies as he did or the same experience but he saw the same passion for food in her eyes and that was more than enough for him to captivate him.

Since the beginning he befriended her and taught her the basics of French cuisine while she helped him stir sauces, bake pastries or just watch over his pork dishes until she was ready to take over a station on her own.

He had always had a conversation topic for her and they always helped each other in the kitchen, everyone could see they had chemistry and that there could be something more than just friendship, or at least Masao thought that. He never had a problem to go and talk to her, but maybe because he had never asked her out on a date before and now he felt like it was the perfect timing since they got relatively early out of work.

Masao put his trembling hands behind his back and stared at the tall girl put her utensils away "Um… I was wondering…"

Makoto turned and looked at him with a curious stare, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah… I was just wondering if by any chance you…"

"Kino-san."

Both Masao and Makoto turned to look at Chef Haruto standing a few feet away from them, "Good job today."

"Thank you, Chef." Makoto bowed her head in respect.

"Tired?" Haruto arched his brow, Makoto shook her head, "Um, not really… not like I usually am."

"Good," he turned to Masao, then ignored him completely for another minute "What are you doing tonight?" he asked softly as he put some pans out of the way. Makoto widened her green emerald eyes "Going home, maybe."

"Why don't you stay? There are some things I would like to talk with you."

Now it was the time for Masao to cancel whatever plans he had in mind and shrugged his shoulders, "Well, I guess I will see you tomorrow."

"Wait, I wanted to ask you something!" Makoto widened her eyes, silently hoping the young man would stay. Masao smiled and waved his hand, "It's okay, you can ask me tomorrow..." he turned to Haruto and bowed his head, "Good night." he turned to leave before seeing a very surprised Suzuki standing by the door. Her amber eyes could not hide the frustration and jealousy she was feeling for not being asked by Haruto to stay as well.

"Good night Akiyama-san." Haruto looked at Suzuki, who was still standing by the door "Mahami san." Suzuki blinked out of her reverie, "D-Do you want me to stay as well Chef?"

"No, this is something that only concerns Kino-san, good night." he waved his hand to dismiss her.

"Good night…" she mumbled and left the kitchen without even looking at Makoto. She knew that staying a few more minutes with Haruto was going to have its consequences tomorrow morning. It was no secret for anyone that worked there that once the chef made up his mind about something, he would do anything to accomplish it and because of that same reason, she preferred to stay hidden behind the door and eavesdrop on their conversation and see what she could use to her advantage.

Once they were finally alone, Makoto turned to look at Haruto who was coming back from the large fridge with a bottle of white wine and two glasses "Chef?" she asked, confused. Haruto put the glasses on her station and pulled two stools closer, "I've been meaning to talk to you."

"Did I do something wrong Chef?"

"On the contrary, please, have a seat."

Makoto took a seat and watched the chef open the bottle and serve the first glass, then the second "Kino-san, I wanted to show you my appreciation for what you did for the restaurant." He took a sip, "It was too risky for you considering the circumstances and my character—still, you took the chance and did something that is helping me change the course of this place."

Makoto blushed, this was sure something she was not expecting "Thank you, Chef."

Haruto looked at her and did what he barely ever does, he smiled. His eyes showed sincere gratitude but also something else "Makoto,"

Makoto widened her eyes "Yes?"

"I want you to know that whatever you need, you can count on it. If you want to go to classes, courses or a specialty like Suzuki or Masao-san, whatever you need…" he extended his hand and touched hers, "You can ask me—I can give you whatever you want."

Suzuki widened her eyes in shock and horror, while she stood behind the door and listened to their conversation in silence. Makoto didn't know how to feel about all this, this was new and it felt incredibly awkward and out of place. She was grateful to him for offering help to build her culinary experience but she was aware it was something she could not accept, this is not what a normal boss would do. The wine, and now his hand on hers it was not something a normal boss would do, or maybe it was a custom he learned in France, who knows? She thought, but it made her feel uncomfortable. With a trembling hand, she moved her hand away from his, "I have to go," she stood up from her stool, startling Haruto "What? Why?"

"I… remembered I had to be somewhere."

"Boyfriend?"

Makoto blushed and shook her head, "Thank you for your offering and—everything." she stumbled with her stool and went to look for her purse "I will see you tomorrow Chef."

Haruto Asato watched her as she struggled with her apron and stood up and went to help her "Here, let me help you with it." he began working his fingers on the tight knot and chuckled, "You sure are in a hurry," he arched his brow "If you don't have a boyfriend then why do you need to leave so suddenly? We can stay as much as we want, it is my restaurant after all."

"A friend," she said softly while waiting for him to undo the knot on her apron, "Hmm," Haruto mumbled "A friend, _male_ friend?"

"No, long time friend," Makoto said and bit her lower lip; her heart was pounding like a drum in her chest. She was confused by everything that was happening with him and questioned to herself why was he being so nice to her all of a sudden? Sure, she noticed he was being more accessible since the critic left a week ago but this was something else—was he trying to achieve something? She thought with panic.

"I see." the chef mumbled dryly, like magic, the knot loosened giving Makoto the opportunity to flee the kitchen as fast as possible, "I will see you tomorrow Chef,"

"Tomorrow then," Haruto mumbled, again.

Makoto nodded and left the room, ignoring Suzuki who was still hidden at the other side of the hallway. Without saying anything else at the people cleaning the bar, she went straight to the door and out of the restaurant. With trembling hands, she reached for her phone inside of her bag and called the one person she thought could help her decipher what did just happen.

"Minako-chan?"

* * *

Minako hung up her phone and tossed it on Rei's bed. She has been there for what it seemed more than two hours, she got there mentally prepared to deal with her friend's strong and fiery character but instead found a very vulnerable girl in an ocean of tears. After talking and crying her heart out but now feeling a thousand pounds lighter, Rei sat straight on the bed and sniffed, "Who was it?"

"Mako-chan." Minako looked at her from her seat on the floor, they had drunk almost an entire bottle of sake since there was the only thing she had in the shrine, Rei frowned "Everything okay?"

"She seemed upset about something," Minako narrowed her eyes "Maybe something happened at work."

"Yes, probably… maybe that girl Suzuki did something to upset her again."

"Sounds possible." The blonde looked at her friend and smiled softly, "How are you feeling?"

Rei sighed and joined her friend on the floor "Drunk but much better—I'm so sorry for making you come all the way over here to listen to my whining."

Minako chuckled "Don't be silly—you know I would do anything for you." She tucked a strand of dark hair behind her friend's ear, "But about the other thing we talked about—how do you feel?"

"Confused, hurt…" Rei looked down, "I feel guilty Minako-chan, I don't want to do this to _her_ , to _them_."

"You are not doing anything." Minako frowned. Rei shook her head and sighed heavily, in a tired fashion. "I am just longing for something that one day was and is not anymore."

Minako patted her friend's hand softly, "There is nothing wrong with that but I want you to tell me the truth of why are you feeling like this? Since when?"

Rei looked at Minako and stayed silent, her thoughts went right back to that day when she was praying and that black image appeared in the middle of the flames. Since she got up that day everything seemed off, she wasn't feeling like herself and for some reason, she knew her alter ego was trying to tell her something; even Phobos and Deimos were acting strange, the day itself was too weird for her to bare.

Rei thought a lot of times of how could she even mention what happened that day, what she heard, what she saw and how she was attacked by something she could not even explain. It was beyond anything she had faced before as Senshi, it didn't look like an enemy ready to attack, it didn't feel like their previous encounters with evil forces, this was something else—like a beast waiting for its prey to be unprotected.

"Rei?" Minako put her hand on her shoulder "Is something wrong?"

Rei blinked and shook her head, "No, no..." she rubbed her temples, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

Rei looked at Minako and hesitated for a moment "Well…there is…"

Both girls were startled when they heard a knock on Rei's window. The blonde screeched in surprise before seeing Makoto standing outside, "It's me!"

Rei stood up and opened the door to her room, "You scared us the hell out!"

"I'm sorry—I'm sorry!" the tall girl said as she walked inside and took her shoes off, "I didn't know where to go…" she frowned when she saw the half empty bottle on the floor, "Are you drinking sake?"

"It's the only thing I have laying around here," Rei mumbled and reclaimed her seat on the floor, next to Minako. "Want some?" Minako lifted the bottle and waved it in front of her, "There's still plenty to continue our own little private party."

Makoto looked at them in silence for a couple of seconds before nodding, "Yeah, why not?"

"Aren't you guys supposed to be working tomorrow?" Rei asked while pouring another round of sake in porcelain cups.

"I go to the restaurant until 2:00 pm." Makoto sighed and put her bag on the floor next to her then turned to Minako, "You?"

"I don't care anymore," Minako mumbled with annoyance, and took another gulp of sake, making a face as she swallowed the strong, hot liquid.

"Whoa, what's with the attitude?" Makoto widened her eyes surprised, Minako took another strong sip of her drink and sighed, "I hate my job but it's the only one I have and the one that pays my bills."

"Is it going that bad at the studio?"

"I was telling Rei-chan that my boss is a complete jerk." Minako stretched her legs and sighed heavily, "He treats people like scum and takes all the credit for my work with the network partners and executives—he's an asshole."

"Oh…" Makoto blew her bangs and took a sip of her sake. "Yes, I know." Minako pouted her lips, "And with this blonde everywhere, I hardly get any acting auditions."

"I really never understood why did you quit acting for a while in the first place, you were doing good!" Rei asked curiously, "It's what you have always wanted and when you were really making a name for yourself, you quit—why?"

Minako gave her friend an angry glare, "I fell in love with the wrong person—you know that." she sighed, letting the sake take over slowly, "I listened to my mother in taking my life 'more seriously' but when I realized I was not doing what I wanted—it was already too late. So I got this promising offering at the studio but I ended up working for a jerk."

"Fell in love with the wrong person…" Rei mumbled "Ironic."

"What?"

"You really _fell_ for that guy?" Rei frowned with curiosity, "Really?"

"What guy?" Makoto asked trapped in her own confusion. Minako pursed her lips, "He was cute and independent." Minako tried to defend herself.

"Independent?" Rei frowned, "Independent is a person who does everything on its own like Mako-chan or Mamoru kun has done it. I remember that guy always complained about how he never got better roles and how he never had enough money."

"Wait, what guy are we talking about?"

"The actor." Rei said, "The one with blonde hair, brown eyes, very thin—not too tall."

"That guy? _Really?_ " Makoto turned to Minako who waved her hands defensively, "Hey, he was the only one supporting my dream of becoming an actress."

"And what about us?" Rei arched her brow, "We've been supporting you since day one."

"Romantically speaking." Minako frowned.

"Who knew…" Makoto sighed, "Yeah, I remember Haruka never liked him."

Minako blew her bangs "He was nice to me—until he decided to follow another path."

"Which was?"

"Who knows? He left and never heard of him again—but that broke my heart. I thought you knew the whole ordeal!" Minako raised her hands with frustration. Makoto shook her head, "Usagi-chan is the only one that really knows what happened. You kept a lot of things out when you gave me the news that you were no longer with him."

"Oh, right—poor Usa chan, I remember calling her at late hours crying my heart out," she turned to Makoto "Speaking of paths and mysteries…what happened to you? You sounded weird on the phone earlier."

"Right," Rei said, "Did something happen with that Suzuki girl?"

Makoto sighed and looked at both girls "Not exactly."

"Then what?"

"Well, remember the food critic?"

"Yes…"

Makoto sat straight and took a shot of sake, making a weird face in the process and continued, "Well… since she wrote that positive review about the restaurant, things have turned a little bit odd."

Minako frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Well… my boss—the Chef, has been acting a little bit too friendly towards me…" Makoto bit her lower lip "Especially today."

"Ah?" Minako frowned. Rei arched a brow and took a sip of her sake "Like what?"

"Well, the restaurant has been doing fine since that review came in the papers and has given the chef a lot of liberties, one of them is being able to close the restaurant's kitchen whenever he pleases like tonight," Makoto sighed and frowned slightly "But after he decided he was closing early he asked me to stay because he wanted to talk to me. He waited until everyone left the kitchen and went to get a bottle of wine and offered me 'his help' in ' _anything_ ' I needed, and started caressing my hand."

Both Rei and Minako stared at Makoto with a surprised look, "Are we talking about the same man?"

Makoto nodded, Minako rubbed the bridge of her nose "Wait, you said he was really serious and demanding…now he gives you wine and touches your hand?"

"I don't know if I am misunderstanding the whole thing," Makoto raised her hands, "He did thank me for taking risks and said something about me helping him to make improvements to his restaurant; the help he offered me is professional…he said that he would help me if I decided to take some classes, course or even if I wanted a specialty in something."

"Well…" Rei put her sake cup down, "It's obvious that after that good review and that new leaf he wants to improve his restaurant and stay at the top and for that, he needs to have the best team possible. I get it. What I don't get is…the hand gesture, I mean…"

Minako nodded "That man was trying to do something else..."

Makoto widened her eyes in panic "Was he?"

"Why are you so surprised Mako?" Minako looked at her "You are beautiful, tall, very talented…"

"Yeah, why is it so shocking to you? That man is interested in you." Rei said softly. Makoto looked at both and bit her lower lip for a moment, "He has a secret affair with Suzuki."

"What?!" both girls said in shared surprise. Makoto sighed and nodded softly, "Well, at least that is what everyone says at the restaurant. It's obvious she has feelings for him…I cannot come into the picture and accept his help and his attentions that would break Suzuki's, heart."

Minako raised her brows, "Wow, you are actually thinking about her feelings? When she's been so awful to you..."

"What are you going to do then?" Rei asked, ignoring the blonde's drunken commentary "What if he keeps insisting?"

"I thought you had feelings for the other guy who works with you, what happened?" Minako asked this time. Makoto sighed, "We are just friends there is nothing going on between us." Makoto shook her head and took a deep breath "Maybe I am taking this way too far, and it's not that big of a deal… tomorrow will be another day and well I have better things to think about."

"Like?"

"Usagi chan's wedding cake and my own business, I want to have my own pastry shop." Makoto smiled, "I have seen places where I could open my own little café."

"Really?! That's amazing!" Minako widened her eyes and with great joy, clapped her hands. Rei leaned her back on her bed and tilted her head "You're leaving the restaurant?"

"Those are my plans, yes." Makoto nodded, "But not at this moment…I need the money, I would start slow like a project on the side."

"Well if you need any help with anything let me know! If you need some publicity I can ask the reporters at the station to go and do an interview," she smiled, "Usagi-chan could help by adding some advertising in her magazine!"

Makoto widened her green emerald eyes "Speaking of Usagi-chan…" she bit her lip "I need to start buying the ingredients for the cake. If everything goes well, that will help me put me on the spot."

"How many layers?" asked Minako.

"Three."

"What flavor did she ask?"

"Chocolate of course," Makoto chuckled "My God…I really can't believe the moment has come."

Rei sighed softly, a gesture Minako caught right away "Yeah…" she said softly, then smiled "Well, it's about time!" she sniffed a little tear that threatened to fall "Who goes for another round? I think we all need it!"

Both girls laughed and raised their cups "Oh yes, please! Hit that cup, my dear friend!"


	7. Chapter 7

Divinity: The Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter seven

 _A/N: Hello. I want to give a special thank you for sending me a message every now and then to tell me you are liking the story. It means a lot. Though, I must admit that sometimes I wonder if it was a good idea to continue with the trilogy, if you are liking it, please leave a message! I love to read from you._

 _*I do not own Sailor Moon just this plot and some of the characters.*_

* * *

Minako walked into the studio and up to her office. Yes, despite everything, she shared an office with other assistants of other departments and for that, she could not complain much. The sound of her nude stilettos caught one of the receptionists' attention "Aino-san, Ohayo!" Minako smiled widely as she always did and waved her hand to greet the young girl behind the large and modern desk, "Good morning Yumi-san."

The girl tucked a strand of bright red hair behind her ear and looked at the stunning blonde coming her way. Yumi has been an intern at the T.V. station for about three months and since day one she fell in love with Minako's personality and style, constantly telling everyone how much she wanted to be like her when she had her age, a gesture Minako thought was the most adorable thing ever.

"Good morning!" Yumi smiled in return. Minako put her silver chrome travel mug on the desk and went to search for the check-in list to sign her arrival, "Do you happen to know if there are any messages left for my boss while I wasn't here?"

Yumi shook her head "Nobody called or came in while I was here," she widened her eyes and smiled, "I love what you're wearing today Aino-san!" Minako looked at her and smiled in return, she could wear a brown paper bag and she would still get a compliment from the young girl but deep inside she knew she looked good and that her little pale orange dress was one of her lucky ones. Since she saw that dress on a mannequin at a downtown boutique she knew she had to have it and despite the simplicity of her A-line skirt and her round collar, she knew that she could make something special every time she added some accessories.

Her hair was up in her usual style, but instead of her once famous red ribbon, she wore an antique gold barrel to hold the small pieces of hair behind her head. Her makeup was always simple and fresh looking, but today she wanted all of the attention on her vivid coral colored lips.

"Thank you Yumi, you look very good too… looks like you are going to a party."

Yumi smiled and nodded "Yeah, with my girlfriends—later tonight."

Minako smiled at the mention of the girls' friends and nodded "Good choice," she gave back the pen she used to sign and waved her hand, "I'll see you around Yumi-san." and made her way to the elevator, that would eventually take her to the office where her pile of errands and paperwork were waiting for her all over her desk. The moment she walked inside a heavy sigh escaped her lungs and turned on her computer, "Wow Minako-san, you look so fresh and fancy!" her co-worker greeted.

"Why, thank you!" Minako smiled and sat behind her desk "Has he…?" she pointed at the door where her boss was having a discussion with some people from the production team. She frowned when she heard one or two bad words at one of the men seated in front of him and tried to ignore his constant glare towards her; since their offices had glass walls she could practically see everything that happened over there thinking of it a curse. "How long has he been yelling like that?"

"When I got here and he was already yelling like a mad man." Sigama Aiko said from her desk, a girl with very pale skin and big green eyes, Minako like to call her 'golden girl' due to the golden hue of her hair. Despite having a lousy, obnoxious boss she was grateful she did have good co-workers, still, her life was not what she had in mind. Not when she was pursuing an acting career.

Minako watched her boss raise his voice again at the men standing in front of him with a perturbed look on their faces and thanked that for once she was not the one receiving all of his complaints. "Aino-san!" he yelled and peeked aside from one of the men covering his view "AINO-SAN!"

Minako sighed and turned to look at Aiko who had a terrified look on her face. The blonde stood up, brushed any invisible wrinkles off her dress and walked towards her boss' office, "Yes Saruto-san?"

Saruto, a man in his mid-forties with bushy brown hair and hooded dark eyes, turned his face to her. Minako could tell he barely had any sleep maybe due to his constant partying. In her time working there, she had known by many people in the station that he was not a married man and one he wasn't intended to be; he was a man proud of himself and because of that he always had this arrogant, macho man personality that made her cringe every time she had to be close and around him. She tried to come up with a good reason not to like the man, his personality, his raspy voice and his crooked teeth was a combo meant to be a disaster and be left alone. She could not really understand how a man with the power and money he had could have teeth like that; every time he opened his mouth to speak it was inevitable for her to look at those front teeth one on top of the other matching his poor attempt to be fashionable, because, she knew he wore those tight polo shirts just to show off the muscles he thought he had.

Once she stopped mentally criticizing the man in front of her, Minako made her way next to his desk and felt his eyes sweeping her up and down like a scanner, "Aino-san," he said huskily and wet his lips like a hungry beast, "There is a man coming today, Hikoya Kenji. As soon as he gets here, bring him to my office."

"Yes Saruto-san,"

"You left early yesterday, why is that?" he frowned and looked down at his phone. Minako arched her brow and pursed her lips slightly in evident discomfort, "Hatsuno-san said I could go, he said it was fine with you."

Saruto looked up at her and frowned, "I never said such thing."

"You did say there was not much work for me to—"

Saruto turned to the men standing in front of him and waved his hand, "We will continue with this once Hikoya-san gets here." all five men nodded and turned to leave, Saruto then turned his full attention to the blonde standing on his side, "Since when you order yourself around?" his bushy brows knitted together, "Or listen to others for that matter?"

"What?" Minako blinked surprised.

"I know you've been taking decisions without consulting me."

"Decisions? I haven't done—"

Saruto wet his lips again, like a child at a candy store savoring every piece of sweets available to him, "I am the only one who can tell you when to go—and when to stay."

Minako took a deep breath and nodded her head in defeat "I understand…"

"Remember who's the one that pays you…"

"Yes, Saruto-san…"

The man frowned and waved his hand dismissively at her, "Bring me my coffee…HOT, I don't want that lame attempt you've been bringing me lately." he shook his head with annoyance, "What is wrong with all of you today?! Why are you so slow?" he turned to look at her and narrowed his eyes "Why are you still standing there, my coffee, NOW!"

Minako took another breath and turned on her heel, as she left his office she went straight to the restroom and leaned on the sink, trying to suppress the tears that were threatening to mess her perfectly done makeup, "Asshole." she muttered and looked at her reflection in the mirror, wishing she had brought her phone with her so she could call any of the girls to blow off some steam like they always did when something was making their day miserable. She huffed with disgust and annoyance as she realized it was just the beginning of what appeared to be a long day to go before she could see the girls and have a decent drink. The more she thought about it the more she remembered Artemis' advice _"No man should treat you that way, resign."_ but even when the feline had all reason in the world, her boss still had one point: his money paid her bills.

After the coffee incident and many more lustful glances, she finally went back to her desk and began working on her pending tasks. As she restarted her computer, her phone rang two times indicating she had received a text; she went to look for it desperately and noticed it was from Makoto.

" _Still looking for a roomie… what do you say?"_

Minako smiled at her phone and just when she was about to call her, her intercom rang "Aino-san, there is a man called Kenji Hikoya waiting in the reception, he says he has an appointment with Saruto-san."

"Yes, I'll be right there."

Minako sighed softly and stood up again, turned her monitor off and went to greet this Hikoya man her boss wanted so much to see. The way he mentioned how he should be treated and how immediate he should be brought to his office impressed her, he must be important she thought, Saruto never gave any special treatment to anyone, this was a first. As she stepped out of the elevator, she made her way to the lobby and bowed her head respectfully, "Hikoya-san?"

Hikoya Kenji turned to look at her and nodded "Yes?"

Minako widened her eyes and could not help to blush. The man was the complete opposite of what she thought he would look like, slightly taller than her, he had a nice built body, copper colored hair and olive green eyes. His teeth, unlike Sarutos' were near perfect and so his sense of fashion, as she took a quick look to his professional, yet casual attire of blue shirt, gray blazer, and jeans.

"I'm Aino Minako, Saruto Tarou's assistant."

"Tarou's assistant eh?" he looked at her up and down and smiled softly, "Who would have thought?"

"I beg your pardon?" Minako frowned, confused. The man chuckled and shook his head, "Don't mind me, I was said I had an appointment with him today but we never agreed the time."

"It's alright, not a problem." Minako tilted her head and turned on her heel, "Right this way please," she winked her eye at a very surprised Yumi as they made their way to the elevator. She pushed the button that would lead them to their floor and waited in silence as the elevator slowly marked number by number as they moved up. "So…" the man started, "How long have you been Tarou's assistant?"

Minako looked at him then back at the elevator doors "Two years,"

"Ah… that's a long time," he studied her figure and could not help to notice her beautiful face, "And how come you ended up working behind cameras instead of being in front of them?"

Minako blushed "I…" she trailed off and thanked the sound of the elevator indicating they were at their floor "We're here." With a steady and secure pace, she walked towards her boss' office and knocked the door two times, as he always requested. "Saruto san, your appointment is here."

Saruto nodded, stood up and extended his hand to the man walking in "Hikoya san! Good to see you again, come in, come in!" Hikoya shook the man's hand and turned to Minako, who was offering something to drink "Nothing at the moment, thank you." Minako nodded and looked at Saruto, who was waving his hand dismissing her from his office in his usual careless manner. The man seating in front of Saruto followed Minako with his eyes until she finally sat on her desk.

Back in their office, Aiko bit her pen and turned to Minako, "Hey Aino-san… who's that man with Saruto?" she asked with tremendous curiosity. Minako bit her pen and turned to the golden girl, "I really don't know where he comes from but he had an appointment with him… he must be a very wealthy or important person because he is being unusually nice to him," she frowned "Why?"

Aiko blushed "He's gorgeous."

Minako fixed her gaze on the copper haired man's back and blushed lightly, "He's alright."

"Alright?! He's perfect!" Aiko widened her eyes, her reaction causing Minako to let out a soft chuckle "He does dress very well, unlike—you know…" she pointed the tip of her pencil to her boss. Aiko giggled, nodding her head she rolled on her chair closer to Minako and narrowed her eyes, "Are you currently dating someone Aino-san?"

Minako shook her head, "I was, not anymore."

"Oh, I'm sorry…"

Minako turned to the younger girl and smiled, "It's alright; we were just not on the same frequency."

Aiko frowned and pouted her lips, "If that man is just _'alright'_ to you, then what type of man do you like then?"

Minako stopped typing on her computer and froze when this girl asked a question she did not ask herself in a very long time, "What type of man?" she repeated to herself. Aiko nodded and smiled dreamily, "Yes, you know—what do you look for in a man?"

Minako sighed softly and shook her head, "It's complicated,"

"Why?"

The blonde leaned her back on her chair and looked over her desk at her boss to make sure he was still busy with his guest and then back at the girl, "Because what I want it is very hard to find."

Aiko tilted her head "Like what?"

"I want to find someone I can trust." Minako said in a serious tone, "One that can protect me, one that has no personal issues—no self-discovery kind of crap, or any emotional ballast or betrayals. I want to be with someone who understands me." the blonde lowered her gaze; thinking her confession might be too serious even for her but she wasn't lying. Minako had the image of a girl who didn't have to look too much to get any man she wanted and that was a truth, it was not hard for her to catch a man's attention but in reality she was a girl who really believed in love and one who was still in search for it.

Many have thought she had a long list of failed romances but the truth was that she was still looking for the man who could really accept her heart and protect it, the same way Allan did once. Hard to admit, she was still looking for the man that could make her forget Allan, something not even Ace with all his gorgeousness and tenacity could not achieve. As she walked down memory lane in her mind and remembered many encounters with both men, the shadow of another man came to haunt her once more, bringing her back to reality.

Minako took a deep breath and did her usual routine of masking her feelings when someone touched a sensitive spot in her mind and heart and she smiled widely, as she waved her hand and talked in a very high pitch tone "And of course he has to be tall and handsome—that is a _must_!"

Aiko giggled and nodded, "Totally!"

"Aino-san!"

Minako turned and saw her boss moving his hand and calling for her again, Aiko sighed and rolled her way back to her desk, "Maybe his Majesty decided to have another coffee or something," Minako half smiled and scoffed, "Majesty? He's no King to me."

"Huh?" Aiko arched her brow, taking the blonde off guard "Um, It's just a saying…" Minako sighed and for the millionth time that day and walked back to his office, "Yes, Saruto-san?"

"You can keep in touch with me via her—ah, there you are," Saruto said "Aino-san, Hikoya-san here is helping us get a very important interview with some _very_ important people; he will be in touch with you to help him in everything he needs." he looked at her, "And bring me another coffee, the first one you brought me was cold and bland."

Minako pressed her lips together and nodded "Anything else?"

Saruto leaned his back on his chair and waved his hand dismissively. Minako turned on her heel and went to get the awful man another cup of coffee but this time, she would make sure it would make his throat burn as hell.

* * *

o.o.o.o

Meanwhile, at the other side of the city at a pretty hill, Rei was doing some of her daily chores to maintain the temple looking clean and polished. The beautiful Miko wiped the sweat off her forehead and walked back to the temple to feed her long time trusted friends. "Phobos, Deimos…" she called her crows as she poured a mixture of seeds and grains into a large feeder on the ground and waited for them to come down to eat. She crouched in front of them and sighed softly, "I'm so sorry I've been distant lately… but you too saw it too—right? I didn't imagine it." she closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she remembered the dark reflection of the flames, "Why can't I take it out of my mind?" she whispered.

'' _Omne quod est in me"_

 _(Everything belongs to me)_

"What does that mean?" the Miko breathed while rubbing her temples "Who was that?"

"Rei."

"Rei!"

Rei opened her violet eyes and realized she was no longer alone but with a very concerned Yuiichiro kneeling next to her; she widened her eyes and looked up at him "What?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I…" she trailed off and looked at her crows still eating "Phobos…Deimos…" she mumbled and turned to see his hand on her shoulder, and immediately moved away and stood up "What are you doing here?" she asked frowned and stood up as well, "Are you alright? It's like you've seen a ghost."

Rei turned to look at him and shook her head, still startled "No,"

"What were you doing on the ground?" Yuiichiro tilted his head as he tried to ignore her piercing gaze penetrating his soul and sighed when he got no response from the Miko, "Are you alright? Are you ill?"

"Since _when_ do you care?"

"Since always."

Rei lowered her gaze and shook her head, "It doesn't seem that way," she looked at him and frowned "I still cannot believe how hypocrite you can be with all of this."

" _Me_ , hypocrite?"

"Yes."

Yuiichiro scoffed and took a step closer to her, one for once she did not take back "Who's the one pretending to be happy and together?"

"You know I do that for my grandfather's sake." Rei said angrily, "Who's the one crying and cursing under her breath and then go out and give love charms to girls who have come to seek your guidance?" Yuuichiru took another step forward.

"That has nothing to do with this." Rei's frown became deeper. "Of course it does." Yuuichiro took another step closer "When are you going to stop pretending being something you are not?"

Rei's eyes widened big "What?"

"Something we are not because you don't want us to be… what do you want me to do Rei? What else can I do to make you forgive me!?"

"Do you want to know?" Rei arched her brow defiantly.

"Yes."

"Leave this place,"

Yuiichiro shook his head "What?"

"Leave the shrine." Rei arched a brow, "Forget we were even together, forget I even exist."

"You know I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"I was trained by your grandfather, I promised to be here to look after you, I promised him to look after the temple."

"I don't need you here… can't you understand?"

"I won't leave the temple Rei." Yuiichiro said in a more determinant tone, "And I won't stop fighting for you." he looked around and then back at her with a secure gaze. His brown eyes searched for sympathy and a trace of love in hers but got nothing in return to his words, "Your friends will understand and if I have to talk to them to—"

Rei narrowed her eyes, "My friends are not interested in whatever you have to say." she crossed her arms "Even if I decided to forgive you, nothing will ever be the same because you broke the trust we used to have as a couple, you broke a promise…" she shook her head " _If_ I ever forgive you but I guess I inherited my father's bitter character so I don't think that will ever happen." Yuiichiro stared at her back as she slowly walked away from him and sighed heavily. The young man closed his caramel colored eyes and went back to that night he wished never happened.

Both had finished their respective training and she had taken full responsibility for the shrine days after her grandfather fell ill. Since that day things became a little hard for both of them now that Rei had to take control of everything that happened at the temple, the kitchen, the cleaning chores and of course her grandfather.

Yuiichiro admitted that she had too many things on her plate and that she had too many liabilities to attend but at that time he didn't want to accept it. They were just starting to live their life and somehow all of the things they wanted to do had to be paused because of the load of work they always had upon their shoulders so because of that, he turned to the one thing that would make him feel better.

At first, it started with a glass of liquor a day just to neutralize whatever drama and turmoil might be happening that day but as time passed, and as things turned a little more extenuating, he added a few more glasses per day until he didn't mind drinking whatever alcohol was available at the temple. The night when everything went downhill, Rei and Yuiichiro have had a very intense discussion about his new habits and her lack of time, both asked for patience, both asked for space and space was something Yuiichiro took very seriously. Without a care in the world and in the middle of their argument, he left Rei talking and went to have a walk that after a couple of hours of wandering around Azabu ended at a local bar where he met and brought back to the shrine a new friend.

Rei had just left her grandfather sleeping in his room and went straight to hers to change her clothes and take a quick shower to help her sleep at night. After the intense fight, she needed more than tea and meditation to feel better; she needed to know where he was and if he was alright. She wanted to find a solution to their hectic life and work things out, she loved him, she was sure of that—until she opened the door of his room, hoping to find him there to work things out.

Her violet eyes widened at the sight of her lover almost devouring a woman on his bed. She stood there, looking at them panting and moaning with a blank stare and felt her heart stopped beating, her throat dried as she watched the couple give in to whatever emotion was happening right in front of her eyes.

Rei could not even answer to this day what she was thinking when she stayed and looked at them for that long. By the time Yuiichiro realized what he was doing, he stopped and turned to the door where he saw her, staring at him with teary eyes and a broken expression. Her face looked tense, much as she was fighting her urge to cry; it was a mix of everything, anger, hurt and disappointment.

He had disappointed her.

He pushed the girl away and stood up half naked, half conscious and tried to reach for the raven haired girl, who in response shook her head and slit the door closed again. The next morning, Rei removed all of his belongings from her room and burned everything that they both once shared. Things were never the same after that, no matter how many times he asked for forgiveness, no matter how much he pleads and cries.

Yuiichiro sighed while walking back to the temple and stood outside the prayer room where Rei was preparing the fire for this afternoon's praying session "We need to talk about this." he said softly. Rei turned to look at him and shook her head, "I don't want to think about it, I am disgusted." she closed her eyes and frowned "I know we had difficult times but it wasn't my fault, you shouldn't…" she trailed off and turned her back at him "I need to do this—so would you please leave me alone?"

Yuiichiro looked at her and with a silent nod he turned and closed the door. Rei turned over her shoulder and sighed heavily, "The worst thing of it all is that I still care for you… maybe that is why it still hurts the way it does."

The priestess walked back to the igniting fire and brought her hands together and started to chant an initiation prayer, her lips mumbled softly the prayer she knew by heart like she always did and suddenly an eerie, now familiar feeling captured her attention. Her violet eyes opened slowly and stared at the intense blazing, mad fire in front of her.

She could not disguise her malaise, her body felt heavy and her head clouded. The smell of smoke, so thick and heavy clogged down her throat making it hard for her to breathe with ease; she stood up and backed several steps from the hearth as she felt goosebumps running down her spine and stood away from the reflection in the fire.

The same shadow appeared once again, Rei could see more clearly it was one of a man holding a sword. She could feel his presence, one of a strong soldier or a warrior but still, she couldn't describe any of his characteristics as she did not recognize anything from this figure or garments. There was nothing she could actually tell but just the very strong energy coming from it and, it's voice.

" _Mea sunt enim omnia in mundo"_

"Who are you?!" Rei spoke to the fire and frowned defiantly, "What do you want?!"

" _Vindicta"_

" _Vindictas mihi, volo volo ... sanguis mortui"_

Rei felt chills down her spine and prepared to attack whatever was communicating with her. As senshi she had seen too many things and have fought too many enemies, she had the power to manipulate fire and burn everything to a crisp but she was sure she never felt this kind of fear and unease, this was something she had never felt before and Rei could not explain it which made it even scarier.

The priestess was about to throw one of her blessed charms into the fire when she saw the shadow that appeared a few minutes ago, was now gone and the suffocating feeling on her throat, the dizziness and heaviness disappeared leaving her alone and mortified.

With much determination, Rei blessed and carved some prayers on white candles and put them around the hearth; whatever it was appearing before her, she was not going to let it cross to this world. She had to do it now more than ever, for the sake of her friends and mostly, for the sake of her princess.

She walked out of the room and went straight to hers and opened the windows; as she looked at the sun setting behind buildings the priestess took a deep cleansing breath to free her lungs from the toxic smoke. Deep in her mind, she wondered if what happened was a reflection of her feelings and her troubled mind. It made sense at some point, she was still mourning a breakup in a very difficult way, for the sake of her grandfather and for her own sake too. She couldn't deal with Yuiichiro, she couldn't deal with the truth but most importantly, she could not deal with her failed romance.

Deep inside, she knew it was something she bowed to avoid; love was not something she had in her mind since her father abandoned her. Love could come in many other ways and she educated herself to believe so and to live that way; being a wife and a mother was not part of her plan and since her father went away, she dedicated her life to be by her grandfather's side and follow his steps as head priestess to this shrine.

The more Rei saw those visions popping up in the fire, the more she wanted it to be a reflection of her pain and anger towards her own self. As the sun slowly went down and the sky glittered with millions of tiny stars her eyes were fixed on the star she knew was Mars, her planet, and real name; she closed her eyes and let hazy visions of her past slowly catch up with her present, making her wonder if her true nature as soldier was slowly coming through her.

* * *

o.o.o.o.o.o

Surrounded by the crisp sounds of glass, plates and indistinctive chatter, Mamoru looked through his phone as he waited for Usagi to join him for dinner. He had finished his day at the hospital sooner than expected and was just checking in with the nurses on the night shift about the patients he was responsible for. As he scrolled down on the screen, not really minding the loud conversation the couple sitting behind him was having with such intensity when he felt a whisper in his ear,

" _Vindictas mihi, volo volo ... sanguis mortui"_

"What?" Mamoru widened his blue eyes and looked up with surprise, turning both sides to see who might that have been. He could swear somebody whispered the strange words in his ear, words he could not even decipher and wondered if it had been the couple behind him. Sighing softly, he looked at his watch that now marked eight o' clock and looked up to a very hurried Usagi walking towards his table, "Sorry... sorry!"

Mamoru stood up and helped his bride to be with the bags she was carrying with her and pushed her chair once she sat down; leaning over, he gave her a soft kiss on the lips and went to take his seat across from her on the table. "There are some things that never change..." he said softly and took a sip of his glass of ice cold water.

Usagi looked at him with a suppressed smile, knowing exactly what he meant "Just because you are always so terribly in time for everything, doesn't mean I haven't changed." she turned to find a waiter and asked for something to drink. "It's called punctuality Usa," Mamoru muttered as he finished reading his messages and put his phone back in his black slacks' pocket.

"Well—I had last minute tasks to finish by the end of today." Usagi said softly and blew her bangs, "It's not like I didn't want to see you sooner, I also had to pick some things I ordered for the wedding," she smiled softly, "I've come up with a good idea for the centerpieces, you know I don't want nothing too fancy but—what do you think of having white tulips on crystal vases and candles floating in water?"

"Sounds like something that would look nice on a table," Mamoru said softly and smiled, "What happened to your paper lantern idea?"

"Well... I was flipping through the pages of a magazine while I was at lunch and saw the idea and I think it would look more lovely if—" she widened her eyes when she heard the woman behind Mamoru squeal and laugh very loudly. Mamoru rolled his eyes, "I know—but this was the only table available when I got here."

"See? That's what happens when you get to places on time." Usagi said softly as she looked for something in her purse, Mamoru arched his brow, "What? If I had not got here by the time I did, there wouldn't any tables available." Usagi looked up with wide eyes when she heard the woman repeat the same squealing and laughing, surprised she could go even louder, "Is she drunk or something?"

Mamoru shrugged his shoulders, "Most likely," he opened his menu and began reading his options in silence, startling Usagi, "Mamo-chan? Are you okay?"

Mamoru looked at her and frowned, "Yes, why?"

"I don't know..." Usagi tilted her head to the side, "You are acting strange... somehow."

Mamoru shook his head in reassurance and smiled as he reached for her hand across the table, "No, I just had a long day at work—and you know how I feel in crowded places."

"Ah, that." Usagi pursed her lips, "I didn't know this place was going to be this full on a weeknight." she tugged his hand slightly, "I'm sorry Mamo-chan."

"It's okay Usa, don't worry. The important thing is that you are here with me, listening to the couple behind us talk about their friend Marcie, who by the way has gained like a hundred pounds."

Usagi chuckled, "Oh my god—really?"

Mamoru widened his eyes and nodded, "How is she ever going to fit in that tight lace dress now?! Usa... the party is in two weeks!" he said in a high pitch voice, mimicking the dramatic tone of the woman sitting behind him. Usagi gasped and covered her mouth, playing along. "Oh no!"

Mamoru waved his hand dramatically, "I know! His date is going to freak!"

Usagi burst in laughter, she loved their moments together and how despite him being uncomfortable in places like these he made the best out of their outings. They did this very often, they would always be overdramatic about silly things like their visits to the supermarket, and how they would joke around making funny voices or dancing awkwardly to the corny music playing in the background whenever they were in an empty aisle. She adored how Mamoru could be so relaxed and funny when they were alone; she loved how they complimented each other's craziness and added their particular pinch of weirdness to whatever they were doing. They often finished each other sentences, they pranked each other, they could joke about everything and then have deep meaningful conversations that could go on for hours.

This was a side only Usagi got to see and enjoy from Chiba Mamoru and it was like she always said: very damn special.

"Oh my god! Two weeks! What is Marcie going to do now?!" Usagi exclaimed loud enough for the couple turn to look at them with a strange glare. Usagi blinked and froze in her seat, making Mamoru chuckle "They caught you, didn't they?" Usagi nodded and saw Mamoru burst into laughter, "Ah dammit, now we won't know what will happen to the dress... or Marcie for that matter."

Usagi hit the table with her palm while giggling, "Oh shoot! I ruined it!"

Mamoru smiled and nodded, "Boo."

Usagi smiled softly, silently admiring her future husband's handsome face. There was something that made Usagi's heart flutter, even more, when she saw him wearing a more serious or formal clothing for work; usually a crisp fitted shirt, slacks, and the occasional sleek tie. He has never been too much a fan of bright colors like she is, and usually, goes for neutral to dark tones which only enhanced the mysterious aura to his persona. His hair still kept that same medium length hairstyle but with a more updated look with his side parted bangs a little longer with an undercut. Still, the way his silky midnight hair fell casually over his deep blue eyes made Usagi want to run her hands through his mane and comb it back. How the man got to be more beautiful and enigmatic with time was still a mystery to her. She looked around and caught more than a few women staring at him almost gaping and smiled widely when she looked back at him, staring back at her with loving eyes. She was used to the attention he constantly got and maybe that was a reason why he preferred to be in less crowded places. She had come to realize over the years that he never took himself too seriously and did not like it when others brought his good looks into a conversation because he felt disparaged, it made him feel like a toy. It was a constant problem he had since he was a boy, he was always the pretty kid rather than the smart kid and that got him on his nerves because he tried to make his way in life and tried to achieve things by being smart and not pretty. Mamoru could not see what everyone else claimed they did in him and even when he learned how to ignore it most of the time, it still bothered him. Usagi understood him since it happened to her too on a regular basis, not to his extent, but she had to admit that it was overwhelming and uncomfortable.

Her fingers reached for his as she stretched her arm across the table, "How was your day?" she asked in a more, loving and calm tone. Mamoru intertwined his fingers with hers and smiled tiredly, "It was alright—there is this patient I am worried about and I was in a meeting almost all afternoon with the board and other doctors."

"Why? Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Mamoru sighed softly and leaned forward, "There is a child that has been hospitalized for more than a week now due to a disease, doctors have not been able yet to find. The family is becoming desperate and the doctor responsible has asked others to help him study the case and look for possible causes by running a series of tests—which is where I come in."

Usagi blinked with admiration, there was no doubt that Mamoru was very smart but just how he has managed to accomplish so many things at his young age still amazed her. He got a grant to study at one of the best medicine faculties abroad and finished his studies with honors, he studied a specialization, and again, finished with honors and now had an amazing job at the hospital; all his hard work has finally paid off and she couldn't be happier for him. "And you are worried because it looks bad?" she asked with deep concern, every time children were involved in critical situations she always felt hopeless.

"Well, it is serious but I am looking into his family's health background and see if we can find a link to what's happening to him—now." Mamoru said softly and frowned as he looked around, "Are the menus just for our amusement or how does this place work?"

Usagi widened her eyes, realizing that in fact, no waiter has come to take their order "Um..." she turned to look for a waiter "You were right when you said it was crowded."

Mamoru raised his hand to catch a waiter's attention, "Well yes but—we've been here for a while now and nobody else has ever returned to ask even if we are doing okay,"

Usagi giggled, "Aren't you hangry today?"

"What?" Mamoru frowned confused. "You know—hangry." Usagi looked at him with a smirk on her face, "When you are both hungry and angry."

"I'm not angry—just annoyed." Mamoru mumbled, "This is what I don't understand about places like these..."

Usagi tried to contain her laughter, she found him adorable when he was all grumpy "Why is that Mamo-chan?" Mamoru groaned and leaned back, "Well they should be popular because they have good food or service."

"Actually," Usagi pointed out, "This place is popular because of the food." she said softly, still trying to fuel his grumpiness "Really?" Mamoru arched his brow, "Is this food invisible or something?"

Not able to keep holding her laughter any longer, she broke in a fit of sweet giggles startling her boyfriend, "What?"

"You are just too cute when you're grumpy," Usagi said between laughs, "Are you laughing at me?" Mamoru widened his eyes and threw the cloth napkin at her, in a playful gesture, "Don't make fun of me!"

"I'm not!" Usagi chuckled, "It's just that, your nose scrunches all cute—like a bunny."

Mamoru widened his eyes, "I am a bunny to you now?" the woman behind him began squealing and laughing loud again, Mamoru sigh with annoyance, "See what you're doing with those comments of yours?"

Usagi chuckled, "Want to leave?"

Mamoru widened his eyes as if he was offered the deal of his life, "Yes, please."

"Where?" Usagi chuckled, Mamoru stood up "Someplace where Marcie and her date can't find us." He extended his hand out to her and helped her get up while taking all the bags she brought with her, "How many stores did you leave out of business?"

Usagi smiled, "Like three—no, I'm joking. I found a few things I'm sure mama will love, she has this friend's birthday party coming and I'm sure she doesn't know what to wear."

Mamoru smiled and walked behind her as they made tier way to the exit, meanwhile feeling visually devoured by a couple of women at the bar. Once they were out, he let out a sigh of relief and loosened his deep gray tie; Usagi turned to him and smiled, "Better?"

"Much better, thank you."

The began walking down the sidewalk while holding hands, "So where are we going?"

"Somewhere we can get real food." Mamoru mumbled, Usagi chuckled "Yes, Your Royal Grumpiness."

Mamoru chuckled, "Hey!"

"Well, you are!" Usagi giggled as they walked pass through Azabu shopping area, "Ohh look! A new perfume shop!"

Mamoru frowned, "That's nice."

Usagi turned and gave him puppy eyes, "Can we go inside?"

"Um... you can go inside, I'll wait for you here."

"What are you going to do here all by yourself...?" Usagi frowned, Mamoru bit his lip "Oh, I don't know—eat, most likely."

Usagi chuckled, "Come on! We'll go eat something in a minute, let's just go take a quick look inside..."

"Usa, do you really need _another_ perfume?" Mamoru crossed his arms, Usagi poked his arm "A girl always needs perfume."

"Yes, but _this_ girl..." He poked her arm back, "Has _way_ too many."

Usagi pouted her lips, "Fine, I won't buy for myself... but you know, it wouldn't be a bad idea if you bought one for yourself."

"What?" Mamoru widened his eyes, Usagi put her hands on her waist, "You have to vary it, you can't smell the same all the time Mamo-chan,"

"What's wrong with the way I smell?"

"Nothing but—"

"But?"

Usagi smiled, "I just edited this new advertising for a new men's cologne I know it would be perfect for you..."

"There it is... I knew there was a reason behind it all," Mamoru arched his brow, "Wait, you get convinced by your own designs?"

"That's how good I am." Usagi winked an eye at her boyfriend, "Come on! It'll be fun..."

Mamoru sighed and shook his head, he looked at her as she sprinted to the store like if there was no tomorrow, making him smile and think how it didn't matter how much time went by, she was still that curious, playful and beautiful girl that threw a crumbled test at his face. "Oh you crazy Bunny... how I love you," he said softly, as he followed her inside the store.


	8. Chapter 8

Divinity: The Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter eight

 _A/N: Okay, this is where the story gets a little confusing because its linked to "Divinity: A Question of Honor" if you have read it, you will know what I mean, if you haven't no worries, you will get it right away. I hope you like it, thank you for your reviews, I hope I can read more and keep the good vibes flowing. Have a lovely weekend._

* * *

The stars from the entire universe drifted across the heavens like diamonds glittering against a black velvet sky. From traveling stars to those who were born and died, they all came from and returned to the same place. It was a magical place known for its millions of beautiful lights contrasting in the dark. Everybody knew it was a place to be respected, everybody knew it was a resting place and a place that has witnessed the fall of many divine creatures but it was also, famous for what was kept inside the deepest part of the alpha galaxy.

Below the wonders of peaceful fields and fountains with clear water, sound and light didn't reach to every soul resting there. Those who lived in pain and misery, it was like an echo never heard and a scream for help never attended. The underworld was not a place with scents, sensations or a place where emotions were invited. It was no secret that Hades' realm was like a dark Pandora box, once someone entered, their soul was no longer theirs and it would be judged by the faiths and sent to where the Lord of the Dead decides it belongs. The underworld was beautifully haunting, alluring a dream as it slowly traps you in its mythical environment until you realize you have gone in too deep and there is no way out, but it is the myth locked in its depths what has caused commotion for what it felt a lifetime.

For centuries, the tale of a family who was famous for their ancient descending had permuted every talk and life of every living deity in the universe since there were only few that were born from Titans. It was known and respected for being strong and enigmatic, politically involved, influential and powerful. But what differenced their legacy from others, was the sacred treasure they were chosen and obliged to protect; a stone with pure and sacred energy that could either bring life or destruction if fallen into wrong hands.

But with time, the same legacy and duties that once made them shine and distinguish themselves from other dynasties soon turned into their own curse, pulling them into an abyss of ambition, destruction, and fear. As time went by, ambition and malice slowly bloomed in one of that family that eventually washed the universe with war and tragedy, t was then, when those known as the Higher Gods of Olympus summoned the God of War to call for his army of warriors known as Polemarchos to create a seal to isolate the dark and evil spirited descendant in its own misery and anger in the depths of Tartarus.

As years passed by, the story of the once strong family descendent from Helios was soon washed to a mere tale that future generations would ignore, leaving the traces of war and tragedy of those days behind or at least that is that it was thought.

O—O—O—O—O—O

A blonde and beated man walked inside a field of infinite gardens crowded with lost souls wandering without direction and far away from where the highest ranked and honorable deities who lost their lives in battle rested in peace. He stood in the middle of two worlds, Lethe's deep river of the forgotten and Mnemosyne's fountain of the remembered.

Beyond exhausted and troubled, he fell to the cold, stone ground. A woman with long dark hair and stars tangled between her silky locks walked over to him and placed her hand over his head, "Stranger soul, I can see you have lost your way in Hades' realm, for that soul is still attached to that body of yours..."

The blonde tried to look up but his gaze was clouded, all he could see was what appeared to be a beautiful woman wearing a deep blue gown that flowed like a nebula in bloom with every move she made. Her hand was surprisingly warm and soothed his aching face; the kind goddess of the remembered, Mnemosyne, who was known for being compassionate of those with a burden, kneeled before him and looked into his eyes "You are not supposed to be here—who has allowed you to be on these grounds?"

"I—I... don't..." the man breathed, still confused. Mnemosyne stood up and grabbed a golden chalice and poured some water from the fountain and helped the man drink the cool and soothing water.

As soon as he swallowed the first sip of blessed water, the blonde man's eyes widened with remorse and fright making of every blink a torturous and haunting flashback from his past. "No..." he mumbled, tired and defeated. His hands trembled and his legs felt like they could no longer hold the weight of his own body anymore when a sudden strong jolt soon energized him once again, pulling him back to his senses as he looked up at the goddess with determinant eyes, "Quod posse sigillum altero omittente rumpatur testamentum de genere regali super tetigit per lumen solis."

Mnemosyne's amethyst eyes widened, summoned for her spare of stars and pointed at the man before her, "You tainted soul! I condemn your betrayal! I will sentence your soul!"

The blonde looked at the goddess with a crooked smile and extended his hand, "Verba inferiores non movebor." _(Words of those inferior beings baffles me...)_ He looked at her choked with the strong energy emanating from his hands until she fell unconscious on the ground, "O, Mnemosyne esse ... quod semper debilis est cor tuum in interitum abire tui."

 _(Oh, Mnemosyne... that weak heart of yours has always been your perdition.)_

He looked down at her and kicked her unconscious body with his boot to make his way into the deeper halls of the underworld. His mind slowly clouded again, drifting from one memory to another as he slowly walked to what appeared to be the entrance to a place he unwillingly had searched for what felt like an eternity. A broken soldier, trapped in his own memories with his once formal uniform blooded and torn still tried to find a way to escape his own madness that seemed to sprint from reality to insanity in a matter of seconds.

He moved slowly and with caution, not sure of what was really motivating him to go deeper inside but aware that those grounds he was trespassing were against any law and if someone saw him, he would be another trapped soul in hell. How he managed to cross realms, gates and death valleys without being noticed by any guardian from the underworld was still a mystery to him, but it felt like a purpose, like if his body didn't respond to his commands but to something else, something bigger than himself. Confused and yet fascinated by his immunity a familiar voice slowly resonated loud and clear, making him stop in front of an enormous stone gate.

His hand ached to touch the intricate and detailed engraving as his eyes carefully admired its design in silence. It looked like it was telling him a story and a warning at the same time. Surprised for his own renewed energy, he felt his body was being controlled again by that same an invisible force and urged him to press his dirty hands against the doors that without much effort, slowly opened for him. His green eyes widened as he looked around, gasping at the horrible sight sprawled before him. His body froze as he realized he had indeed had crossed to another world, another darker and evil world.

Compared to the silent hallways and beautiful gardens he had managed to cross for so long, all he could see now were corpses and half-alive bodies scattered all over a long, dark valley that seemed to be infinite. A long, cold, chill ran down his spine as he remembered hearing many tales and stories about a place built of pure dementia, strong enough to break any spirit and that has ever returned any soul that has crossed its cursed gates. Hazed in confusion, he noticed how all the bodies on the ground were brought there like him, unwillingly and obliged to give in to whatever was living in its depths.

His body began to feel the struggle and the heaviness of the dimension he was now in, his body felt weak and unresponsive; whatever this place was it was starting to claim his body and the remains of his sanity and energy as its own. Slowly and now with a lost stare, the man tried to take a gasp of air and fell on his knees to the ground made of carcasses and bone and covered his face with his weak, dirty hands. The feeling of losing control over his body was too overwhelming to bear as he started to feel like his blood was burning his veins like acid and his mind was just about to collapse to be left to be consumed by anxiety and despair.

The malice in Tartarus was too powerful for him to bear, to an extent that he could not take it anymore and slowly began to succumb to the heavy and poisonous environment when the same voice in his head slowly echoed in his mind, again. Frightened, the man looked at his hands and began screaming like a mad man losing the last string of sanity left in him and began to scratch and peel the skin off his hands with his sharp and dirty nails.

The blonde looked down at his now bloodied hands and then up at the nothingness "Why am I here?!" he asked to the voice in his head with pain and looked around to find nothing that could ever give him a straight answer. He was sure he heard that same voice calling for him, he was sure someone was there with him, he could feel its presence and he didn't want to accept that he was going insane. With wide eyes, he noticed many symbols carved on stone walls and almost as if they were calling to him; his blood-stained fingers touched the embossments when again, that same voice that haunted his mind finally came out from his lips.

"Quod posse sigillum altero omittente rumpatur testamentum de genere regali super tetigit per lumen solis."

" _The seal can be broken by one of royal blood, touched by the light of the sun."_

The man covered his mouth in shock when he realized his lips moved against his will, "The seal…" he muttered and felt his throat going dry "How did I… get here?" he looked up and saw a big symbol at the center of a stone wall "A circle with a cross…" his eyes narrowed, "What does it mean?" his hands followed the simple lines of the pattern carved and widened his eyes as it all came back to him like a burning flash in his head.

 _Flashback_

* * *

 _His eyes watched the vicious rampage developing in front of him, people fighting against each other and taking each other's lives like beasts. It was a pleasure to him, he couldn't deny the pleasant feeling of seeing such majestic place coming to its end because that only meant one thing: his enemy was dead and everything he owned was falling to pieces. With his sword in one hand, he walked towards the crumbling palace and shook his head faking shame, "What a pity, it looked like a nice place to live."_

 _A very loud sound caught his attention when he was about to go inside the now ruins of a palace, it was an explosion—shards of glass, wood, and burnt fabrics flew from a large balcony several feet above from him. His eyes could even see what appeared to be a person falling from the balcony to its imminent death. The loud cry from a man a few feet away from him made him turn, his lips curved in a devilish smile when he recognized him._

" _The seal can be broken…"_

 _As he walked closer, his once emerald green eyes turned pitch black, "Sigillum queat..." he muttered._ _The Terran king lifted his tear-stained face and observed the destroyed side of his palace and watched how the home he built with the love of his life slowly burned down to ashes and crumbled down to just rubble. For the second time, his heart mourned for the loss of his family; he didn't have to imagine where his mother could be, he was certain she was gone as well._

 _Eros tried to stand up, his defeated spirit still had some will to fight for the memory of his wife, his mother, his friends and his son. He leaned down and grabbed his sword from the ground and prepared to attack again when he felt an eerie energy behind him that made him turn his head to look and widened his eyes in shock at the_ _soldier with silver armor looking back at him with a deadly glare and creepy, distorted smile. The man in silver tilted his head and pointed his sword at him, "At last—something worthy in this world to bring back with me,"_

" _What? I demand you to reveal your identity to me!" the king asked, his blue eyes tried to find reason in the man's pitch-black ones but soon noted he had no color or irises, everything was void and infinite like a black hole "Who are you?!" he hissed at the man threatening him with his blade._

 _The blonde slowly tilted his head to the other side and let out a chuckle, "Stultus Chronos, ut diceret, ... In die vos cognoscetis ..."_

 _(As stupid Chronos would say, in time you will know…)_

 _He extended his hand and wrapped his fingers around Eros' neck making him choke "I..." he gasped for air with a petrified expression, "I cannot breathe…" he gasped as he tried to break free from the blonde's strong grasp._ " _Aren't you a feisty one? No wonder why she laid eyes on you…" the soldier's hand tightened around the king's neck and saw him squirm and fight for his life until the color of his face drained and his strength had left his body and lost all consciousness._

 _With the same disturbing smile, he moved his hand away and let him fall to the ground "_ _You will be the one."_ _his deep demonic-like voice echoed softly in the wind as it took the king's body with him. He fled Earth and roamed in silence for hours, dragging the unconscious body with him until they reached for a dark hole far deep in the heart of the Alpha Galaxy. The blonde stood there without saying another word, just looking into the depths that were clearly the entrance to the underworld with vacant eyes,_ " _The seal can be broken by one of royal blood, touched by the light of the sun." he mumbled and without a single thought or care, he threw the king's unconscious body into the massive dark hole and waited for it to be sucked into the darkness._

" _The seal can be broken…" the blonde muttered again, "…It can be broken…"_

 _End of Flashback_

* * *

The blonde's green eyes widened when he came back to his senses and felt his blood freeze in his body when he realized what he had done. With a shock expression he looked around and licked his chapped lips "Those words…" he mumbled and shook his head in disbelief, "That man…"

He stood up slowly and made his way back to the sea of corpses and weak bodies scattered around the cold and majestic tomb-like place; panicked and scared, his eyes looked desperately as flashes of his actions slowly began returning to his mind like pictures taken, one after the other. He remembered being at the top of that hill, he remembered himself standing close to the pit that would lead him to the underworld gates and also remembered tossing the almost lifeless body to the nothingness without any remorse or regret and made his way back to the palace without a care for his actions, to later meet with his right-handed soldier with a satisfying feeling in his chest as he poured himself a glass of liquor and listened to the news about his enemy falling in battle.

* * *

— _Flashback—_

 _"And? Where is he?"_

" _Down there,"_

 _"My orders were not followed properly then, I asked you to bring me his head or better yet, bring him here alive so I could kill him myself."_

 _"He was already dead when we got there Athamas," Kilmakos said defending himself, "His body was all charred by this thing that burned everything in its way. It was nearly impossible to move the cadaver."_

— _End of Flashback—_

* * *

"I captured the Terran King…" the blonde muttered with wide eyes, "I threw that man here and then returned to the Lunar Palace… it all happened that night."

Athamas remembered the voices that haunted his head ever since he joined the army back in Andromeda, there was something in his spirit that soon turned him into a soldier and a man with power and ambition. It all finally made sense, his constant blackouts and the many side missions he later learned he had when he saw himself with bloodied hands or waking up in his study when he was sure he went to his chambers to sleep the night before.

Even now, after two thousand years living with the vivid image of the moon princess taking her own life and the alliance he once protected falling to its own disgrace, there was still something controlling his body and follow him like a shadow. Athamas realized now, that the many blackouts he had during that time were somehow controlled by whatever was behind those carved stone gates and that his presence in that place had a meaning without him being aware of anything.

Whoever was trying to tell him something, it urged him to find out about the truth. With renewed energy, he moved countless of suffering bodies out of his way as he searched for the face he now remembered well; a feeling of triumph took over his body as his eyes spotted his target. Athamas walked faster, pushing the other pleading corpses aside and widened his eyes when he indeed found the man he condemned to this place centuries ago. The man's body was weak and fragile, his face pale and thin, Athamas was surprised to see him alive and breathing after all this time of being trapped in a land suspended between life and death.

Tartarus was a black hole where time or light never reached a limit, it was made to hold the most vicious and tortured souls in the universe, it went beyond darkness, making it an evil place where no divine being would go in and no soul could ever find its way out.

Athamas pulled the Terran king's body closer to him and held tight his blood-stained face, immediately noticing how this place had taken its toll on his body. He had a long beard and didn't look like the man he once met all those years ago; time did keep going for him despite his mortality but one could see the fright and the insanity clouding the remains of reason in his mind. His lips and skin were chapped and bloodied and the once broad king's body was now reduced to skin and bones. But what caught Athamas' attention, even more, were his blue eyes filled with so much pain, sorrow, regret and also fear—too much fear.

"You've been here for two thousand years… I cannot imagine how that must be like." Athamas mumbled as he grabbed him from his now ragged clothes, the same that reminded him he was once a king from a place far away from him, buried in the solitude of his mind. Athamas dragged the king back to the stone gates where another symbol was carved on the floor, "The seal can be broken by one of royal blood, touched by the light of the sun." he repeated the fates words again and kneeled next to the man, "I did not remember _I_ brought you here… but in case you were asking why, your blood is the reason." he said dryly as he unshed his sword.

The weak man tried to lift his head as if he was reacting to the blonde's voice and looked at him with a confused stare as he tried to focus his sight on the man next to him who for a moment thought was there to save him. "My son…" he mumbled very softly before feeling his wrists go wet with his own blood that now was slowly pooling from him to the symbol on the floor and for the first time in so many years, he felt tears rolling down his cheeks.

Athamas stood and watched the crimson liquid run slowly into every carved line in the stone and waited until the ground began shaking and all the corpses and spirits trapped inside howl in anguish and pain. The ground beneath his feet felt like if it was going to crack open but stopped just seconds later, "What?!" he frowned, feeling certain this sudden silence was definitely not the answer he was looking for. He looked up at the carvings on the wall still intact and traced his fingers again through them, "The seal can be broken by one of royal blood, touched by the light of the sun." he muttered dryly, trying to make sense and put the pieces together as many flashes of the events that happened during the Silver Millenium slowly began to nurture his hatred towards the gods and the mortals and cursed under his breath for failing once again.

"My son... why?"

Athamas looked down at his feet and turned to the delirious man on the floor and narrowed his eyes, "Son..." he whispered, his eyes widened with realization, "The one of royal blood..." he shook his head and growled with anger, "It cannot be!" His green eyes slowly turned pitch black again, feeling a blow in the pit of his stomach as he grabbed the delirious man by his hair, "I AM NOT YOUR DAMN SON! HE IS DEAD AND HIS SOUL BELONGS TO ME!"

A sharp pain in his head made him lose control over the man in his hands and fell to the ground with many flashes of the young prince fighting and protecting the white princess, "NOO NOOO NOOOOO!" he growled in anger "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" his once confused gaze turned one with deep hatred and in one motion he stood up and kicked the man on the ground, "I will find his damn soul and I will make sure to bring him here to keep you company in this dark hole. I _will_ finish what I started." Athamas' voice sounded corrupted, his eyes were no longer emerald green but black and his pale skin turned paler that it was before. With a creepy smirk, he turned on his heel very secure of himself, too different from how he stepped in there for the first time.

On the bloodied floor, the once Terran king opened his clouded eyes and turned to the heavy gates in front of him "You will never have his soul..." he muttered with all the strength he had left and let his tears pool from his eyes again as he learned his son was probably wandering in a similar dark place as he was now, "My son..." he breathed before he lost his brief moment of sanity.

* * *

O.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.O

The sound of heavy footsteps crashing against the ground echoed in the solitude of this place. With a heavy heart, his once determined gray eyes looked around with melancholy and searched for the young face he last saw before everything was declared a total loss and that hardly was ever going to regain its previous glory.

As he walked by the debris under his armored feet and the strong smell of sulfur reminded him the time he held a weapon in his hands to fight the evil force attacking the lives of his dear ones. "This must be the place..." he muttered and stopped close to what looked like a cavern. A ball of energy sparked from his hand and used it as a torch as he kept walking until he was facing a dead end he immediately realized it was a façade to keep intruders away and pushed the heavy stone aside.

His eyes softened when he saw her there, sitting on a poorly made bed curled in a fetus position. It was like if she knew somebody was coming for her as she slowly turned her head and widened her eyes in both, surprise and fright. "I finally found you…" Ares said and sighed with relief. The girl, still surprised by his presence, could not say or mutter a single word but thankfully her eyes could speak for herself. Her hands started to shake, her lips to tremble and now, heavy tears pooled down from her hazel eyes.

Ares walked towards her and kneeled in front of her, his stoic face relaxed giving her a soft, sympathetic smile "How long I have searched for you. I am glad and relieved to know that you are alright after all this time—Terran girl."

* * *

— _Flashback_ —

" _Polemarchos God of War and Ruler of Mars, Ares, has arrived." said one of the men guarding the doors to the audience room. At the moment, Zeus and the other high gods were discussing many issues from Olympus and its surrounding reigns. At the mention of his brother, Zeus immediately looked at the doors and saw the man in golden armor walk towards them, "Ares." he said in his usual authoritative tone. The man in gold stopped in front of him without saluting anybody else and frowned, "As we were suspecting, there is activity in his realm," he looked at Hades, who was sitting next to his brother at the long table._

" _The Underworld is not a place where somebody can go in and out as one pleases..." Hades stood up from his seat and walked around the long, marble table to meet Ares face to face. The dark-haired man narrowed his gray eyes and nodded, "But it is only logical to have constant activity from there, it is, after all, the place where everyone ends up going for all eternity to pay for their sins."_

" _What have you found, Ares?" Zeus asked, ignoring his brother's dry tone towards the god of war. Ares turned to the lightning god and shook his head, "It is a fact that strange happenings have been happening in this realm. Without an explanation, many gods have witnessed disturbances around their kingdoms and many have risen against their own kingdoms. There is a wave of malice clouding deity's minds and causing tragedies."_

" _Should we worry?" The attention was soon fixed on Poseidon, god of the sea. "Should we worry about this?"_

" _What do you mean?" Hades asked, confused. Poseidon looked at him "Your realm is where every soul finds its eternal rest, redemption or punishment. Where good meets evil."_

" _I have been taking extreme measures to guard every gate against every realm inside the underworld." Hades pointed out, "Especially Tartarus."_

" _It feels the same way as all those many years ago, something or someone is causing these disturbances." Poseidon lowered his head and sighed heavily, "If only Chronos was here…"_

" _Chronos is not going to return!" Hades raised his voice with annoyance, "He disappeared like a coward and never came back, he kept us with riddles and questions with no answers!"_

" _And you still granted his wish…" Hades widened his eyes and turn to a furious Ares, "You listened to him and did what he asked you to do."_

" _I did not know he was not going to return!" Hades raised his voice, "You better than anyone knows how Chronos plays with your mind."_

" _You knew something was about to happen," Ares turned to look at all three men present with a judgmental gaze, "All of you knew something was going to happen and did not do anything to prevent it."_

" _It is true that Chronos asked us to do some things as a favor." Zeus said, "He came to me days before the attack on the Moon. Chronos was a wise man, he was a great advisor to all of us in Olympus but he lived ahead of our time, he is a Titan and he had the answers to everything. That was his burden. He acted like he normally did, that is why I never imagined he had something planned and disappeared the way he did."_

" _My attention will not be taken from this matter. I am starting to believe that we are fighting the same enemy we fought a thousand years ago." Ares said with determination, "The poison that engulfed this realm still lingers and it is infecting our lives…"_

" _We are very much aware of what Serenity did when she fought that worthless being," Hades said, "She confessed it to me when she was entering the realm of the dead. She used her Silver Crystal to give them a new life—one of our main issues is still out there, alive."_

" _If you listened to Chronos and let that tragedy happen, you should have listened to what he said about that matter as well." Ares hissed, "You still need to give me some explanations. I haven't forgotten."_

 _Hades narrowed his gray eyes and walked towards Ares, "Explaining, to you? I do not have to give any explanations that you haven't heard already. She died Ares, like the lowly human she reduced herself to be and her soul should be wandering in the underworld, her disappearance and insolence shall never be forgiven, I will find her and condemn her to stay forever in Lethe's' river longing for her once pitiful mortal life." Hades let out a chuckle, "It is amazing how after all these years you still think of her, even when knowing she married an inferior being. She is a sin Ares and her offspring is a damn curse." without much patience left, Ares punched Hades in the face "You son of a..."_

" _Ares!" Zeus raised his voice, stopping him, "This is not the time to be discussing this matter! We have bigger issues in our hands right now—we do not have time to talk about the past and those who have gone before us."_

 _"It is easy for you to say, brother." Hades hissed, "That past is still tormenting us until this day... the moment that damn hybrid finds his way back to this realm I will make sure to rip his soul off his body and finally put an end to that damned dynasty. Titans are a damn curse and that is why they were all hunted down like animals." he felt his blood run from his swollen lip and wiped it with his thumb carelessly._

" _Ah, so you bleed." Ares looked at Hades with a deadly stare, "I do not know how do you manage to sleep at night." he growled and turned to leave "She was always kind to you, Serenity maintained an alliance all by herself to keep you all safe and still you all betrayed her."_

" _What do you want Ares?!" Hades snapped with anger._

" _I want to see her Hades. I need answers." Ares looked him in the eyes, "I need to talk to Serenity."_

" _You cannot enter the underworld as if it was your little playground. There are rules that have been set for millions of years. You are not to disturb the resting souls of those who have fallen. She has broken the laws of Olympus by aiding those traitors." The lord of the dead walked close to Ares and narrowed his eyes, "Enough mess has already been made. Enough blood has already been shed. Stop meddling into the past. That is not your jurisdiction."_

" _Justice is."_

" _No, no, dear Ares. Not even justice—War that is. Remember where you stand and realize who you are. You are the God of War, not a Messiah." Hades waved his hand dismissively, "Your jurisdiction is to fight whoever threatens this realm, to kill and that is all. War does not bring justice, it brings satisfaction and power. Your job is to train and lead those chosen as Polemarchos, and those who have the duty of a guardian but... justice?" he shook his head and chuckled with sarcasm, "No my dear brother, you were not created for that purpose. You are just a shield."_

 _Ares felt his blood boil in his veins, he wanted to crush him like an ant under his boot, listen his bones crack as he turned his foot but he had to control himself. From all the things Hades had said, one did stick and made sense, he was right, one of his duties was to train those chosen to be guardians, and to create polemarchos and if that could help him see a better future, get some answers and fulfill the promise he swore to himself and his dear ones, so be it. He tried to calm down and began to walk away. "I will keep investigating but I am positive it is coming from your realm," he turned to look over his shoulder at Hades,"Your security system might be failing and madness could escape right from under your nose. Do not be too self-absorbed, Oh Mighty God of the Underworld."_

" _Ares!" Zeus yelled, but this time Ares did not want to listen, he did not want to take the measures or follow the decisions made by the high gods again, not with what happened all those years ago with the Moon Kingdom. As he left the room and heard the echoing sound of those heavy doors closing behind him he knew something bigger, more dangerous was going to happen if he not acted in time. Since that fateful night, when he stood in the middle of madness and destruction, he realized it was something caused by a bigger force than just the malicious cloud Metallia was. She longed and had the power to destroy everything on her way that night, yes. She drove a whole planet into madness and went to fight against one of the strongest kingdoms in this realm and even managed to kill everything and everybody around them. His mind was settled. Metallia fought for a reason, she, had a reason and that reason was …_ " _No…" Ares widened his eyes and gasped._

 _Since then, he began his journey to recollect the pieces of that time, to start making his own conclusions and theories without involving the other gods. He continued as the high god he was and kept sending his reports to Olympus but secretly, he was weaving the past to this present and to do that, he had to find the last person he saw that night._

" _You are the only one who can help him now…"_

" _The future of earth and this galaxy depends on that weapon…"_

— _End of flashback—_

* * *

"How did you find me?" Megumi asked in a soft but worried voice.

"I always kept a close eye on you. I could not get closer or otherwise your safety would be compromised but I constantly sent somebody to inform me of your location. After all this time…" he lowered his head "I am sorry. I should not have waited this long."

The girl lowered her face and closed her eyes, "Protect it and find the rightful owner…" she whispered. It came back like it just happened yesterday. The vivid image of this man in front of her telling her to escape from whatever was left in the place she thought could be her new home. The smell of death and decay was still caught up in her nostrils, still present, reminding her of what she had lost, who she had lost and her now uncertain future. "You asked me to run away... until it called for me." she looked down, remembering the feeling of warm blood staining her hands as she desperately tried to wake him up. She opened her eyes when his image came to mind and tears started to fall again. "It has not called for me..."

Ares let out a deep sigh, he wanted to give an explanation that could be still floating in the air. The life of gods was too complicated and full of secrets but he didn't understand why things happened the way it did and the only person who could explain and give him the truth he wanted had gone missing. But the facts were there and so his anger, frustration, and fear. He looked up and shook his head, then directed his gaze at her and without any other explanation, he cupped her face in his hands and looked at her "It is time."

The girl widened her eyes exactly knowing what he meant. But her heart was still confused, what was she going to do now? He was there, after all that time... time she already lost count of she knew he was close by every time she ran away from "The shadows…" she muttered, "They will come after me again... they are close, lurking in the dark and feeding themselves from my endless fear."

The shadows, those disturbing creatures able to morph into distorted human bodies that possessed and sucked the life out of every living creature they came across their path. Ares knew what she was talking about, he had seen them as well and has experienced the chill in his spine every time they were around lurking in the dark. "You must not yield. The time has come, you need to go before it is too late."

"But I do not know where to go." Megumi looked down, her fingers curled tight around her torn long skirt, her brown eyes burned again with fresh tears, "I do not even know where I am right now." Ares looked at her in the eyes, "Do you remember that night?"

"It is impossible to forget." the girl muttered softly, "I still do not understand why it happened, why things had to go the way it did... they..." she trailed off and closed her eyes trying to mute everything again, "Everybody…" she made a pause again and bit her lip, "They all died."

"That night, was the beginning of something." Ares said softly, "Strange things have been threatening us and we need help."

"But, the gods… I am trapped in a world away from my reality. A world with strange powers."

"I cannot explain it right now, but the gods… not all of them are good beings, not all of them look out for each other like you witnessed at the White Palace and one of those gods is menacing the entire universe and we need to stop it before it is too late. I know it is selfish of me to appear now and ask you for help. I know it has been a long time but I need you to run away from here before it is too late."

"What?" Megumi asked, frightened.

"I feel somebody coming, you have to..." his command was interrupted by a loud explosion. The young girl widened her eyes when she saw a number of dark beings coming close to them, "The shadows!" she called out in horror. Ares stood and blasted them a beam of energy destroying many in its way, then turned over his shoulder "RUN AWAY! NOW!"

Megumi spotted a person standing behind the many shadows coming their way, she could tell it was a man but she could not see his face with clarity. Her body trembled, soon realizing who that might be, "No..." she turned to where her poorly made bed was and ran towards it, catching the man's attention. Ares knew what she was after and covered for her "HURRY!" he blasted another beam of strong energy at the shadows crawling after her. With shaky hands, she started digging her bed in a hurry, amazed that the God of War protected her with his amazing power. She remember the night he met him and how he helped them until everything came to its tragic end. Her hands kept digging into the ground until they caught the treasure she's been keeping safe all these years "Thank heavens." she exhaled with relief.

"I believe that is mine."

She widened her eyes and looked up at a man with long blonde hair, staring at her with a dark gaze, "So this is where you have been hiding all this time—pitiful mortal."

Megumi held her package close and turned quickly to run away to only find the man standing in front of her, blocking her path again, "Hand it over to me." he demanded, while extending his hand out to her.

"No." she responded the same demanding way and shook her head, "This is not yours to have." her hazel eyes widened when she recognized the man and took a step back "It is you..." she trailed off and pulled her package close to her chest, "You were dead..."

"Who told you I died?" Athamas laughed and frowned, "I will not ask again mortal! Hand me that weapon!"

The girl shook her head in denial and ran in the opposite direction, catching Ares' attention "MEGUMI!" he blasted another ball of energy to the shadows going her way "IT IS TIME! GO!"

"If it hasn't responded to you after all this time, it is because that mission of yours is pointless." Athamas growled, Megumi turned on her heel and ran away. Annoyed by the girl's determination Athamas raised his hand and turned to the shadows crawling next to him, "Kill her and bring me the sword." the shadows raised from the ground and went fast after her much to Ares's and the girl's surprise. Megumi started crying and closed her eyes "Please, Oh Mighty Guardian... listen to my humble prayer and lead me to your presence. _Please_... save me." her tears started to pool from her eyes as she felt the shadows slowly taking control of her body, "Please, help me! Help me, my Prince!"

The package in her hands began to feel warm and soon it began to shine with a strong golden light burning the malicious dark matter trapping her and blocking her way. Ares stopped amazed at the sight and so Athamas, who in anger ordered more shadows to go after her. Megumi opened her eyes and felt engulfed in a warm golden energy and soon disappeared from both men's eyes.

Ares turned to the man behind him and frowned, soon recognizing his face, "You..." He said with shock and then noticed there was something different about the man. He was not the same soldier he met all those years ago. He looked stronger than he remembered, more menacing and aggressive. Seeing him is was just like seeing a ghost, a man possessed by revenge and his past, with powers he did not know he even had.

This was not him, that Athamas—Ares thought. That soldier that once served in the front of the Andromedian and the Silver Millenium's army. Ares fears and worries only intensified more at the sight of the man before him, who was the spirit of a defeated man now corrupted by a bigger force.


	9. Chapter 9

Divinity: The Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Nine:

 _A/N: I know, I know... today's Sunday and I was meant to post on Friday but I had some issues with my computer, endless updates, and a load of work to do on the side so I had to postpone the whole process of publishing it, but here it is, another chapter._

 _A big, big, thank you to kera69love, Sakuar, AstrateMoon, and SerenityMorrison for your lovely feedback and comments. Keep the good vibes coming! Here's to a good week._

* * *

After the past hectic weekend, the girls returned to their usual working routine, Makoto included and so far, her day had been busy but pleasant. After the rather uncomfortable incidents that happened at the restaurant with Haruto, she better decided to leave the situation in the past and continue doing her work as always but there was something off, Masao was not talking to her like he normally did and that worried her. In fact, he was being unusually cold towards her and it made her lose concentration on her own work, for two reasons the first one, because he was her mentor and friend and the second one, she liked him—she really liked him.

Another thing to put on her plate is how she noticed a sudden change in her boss' attitude towards her too. Haruto seemed to be in a better mood and more open to suggestions and ideas, especially if those ideas and suggestions came from her but what even startled her the most was that he received her with the news that she might also be considered for a raise and promotion at the restaurant as sous chef despite Suzuki's suggestions.

Makoto tried to keep a positive vibe until her shift was mostly over and decided that after the silent treatment coming from Masao, she had to at least come clean with the situation and move on from it since she had other plans in mind. After all, she was the soldier of courage and she had to honor the memory of her past self. Another busy day came and went and after most of the staff had gone, she stayed on purpose to have a chance to talk to him. She knew he always took his time to clean his space and put everything away. With sweaty hands, a habit she really disliked about herself whenever she was truly nervous, she walked towards the young man who was taking his apron off and finished packing his things. She stood next to his station in silence a couple of minutes and then, took her shot "Hi… Akiyama-san…"

The young man turned and looked at her with a serious expression "Oh, hi Kino-san."

"Busy day…right?"

Masao continued packing his things in silence, leaving Makoto in the limbo of confusion. The brunette frowned and tried to look for his face but when her attempts failed miserably she walked around him and stood in front of him "Are you okay?"

Masao stopped but kept his face down, still trying to avoid any visual contact with her "Yes, why do you ask?"

"Well… You were awfully quiet today, you didn't even greet me this morning."

He looked up, his brown eyes stared directly into her deep green ones "I had a lot to do today, I didn't have the time for greetings."

Makoto frowned "Why are you acting this way?"

"How?"

"So defensive and... rude. What did I do to you?"

"I thought you were different Kino-san." Masao looked away and continued packing his things "That's all."

"I don't understand."

"Trying to achieve personal goals by acting dishonestly."

The brunette narrowed her eyes and shook her head "What are you talking about?"

Masao sighed and grabbed his backpack "Listen, it's okay if you want to become a good chef and it is perfectly fine to set goals but at least keep your dignity when doing so... if you want to be a good Chef, you have to work hard to be one—you don't just go and sleep with the head chef to get the attention and credit you want." he shook his head and pursed his lips "I really thought you were different." Without saying another word, he turned on his heel and left the kitchen, leaving a very confused Makoto behind. Her eyes widened when she saw Suzuki was waiting for him at the door and put one of his helmets before the two left in his motorcycle.

Makoto fisted her hands and closed her eyes for a moment. "Suzuki..." she muttered with disappointment and utter disgust. She knew she was not an easy person to deal with but she never knew how vengeful she could be and this time, she did it for the worst of reasons.

"Kino-san." Haruto's deep voice startled her and looked up at the older chef staring back at her "Everything okay?"

The brunette sniffed softly and nodded before turning to her station and start packing her things "Yes Chef, I'm alright."

Haruto walked towards one of the huge fridges and grabbed a bottle of wine, after popping the cork he took two glasses, pulled a stool and sat next to her, repeating the same scene from last week. "Come on, tell me." Makoto turned to look at him and felt the air thicken around them, she sensed something was odd, "Chef, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Why me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you want to give me that promotion?"

Haruto took a sip of his wine and sighed softly, while playing with the delicate half full glass "Because I think you are perfect for that position." he looked at her, "I believe you are exactly what this kitchen needs to succeed."

Makoto looked at her untouched glass and pushed it aside "That does not necessarily answer my question. Why me?"

"Why not?"

"I do not have the studies or the experience the other sous chefs have."

"Like who?"

"Akiyama-san or Mahami-san."

"What about them?"

"They have studies and experience, they have gone to Paris and know everything about French food… why not giving them the opportunity?"

"You are not grateful?"

"I am Chef… but…"

Haruto leaned closer to her and rested his hand over hers and looked into her eyes "Kino-san, I have been in this business for too long to know how this works. To get a good opportunity to succeed you have to work your pieces…it's like a chess game—you need to have a strategy." he patted her hand, "You worked yours the moment you decided to change one of my recipes."

"But…"

"You took the initiative and looked far beyond other people's needs… and I liked that." he looked at her sternly, "I like that." Makoto widened her eyes and tried to move her hand away but his grasp was too strong for her to move without forcing her way out "Chef?"

"I won't deny I like that inner fire in you. You are different from other women I have met… there is something special about you."

Makoto pulled her hand away from his and grabbed her bag "Are you suggesting something?"

"I know there is some sort of attraction between us." Haruto moved closer but Makoto turned her face away, "You are mistaken." she looked at him and turned to leave; "I thought you wanted this." Haruto said with annoyance, almost anger. Makoto stopped in her tracks "I want to be a good chef but by my own merits… not like this... "she began walking again.

"Kino Makoto, I believe you forget the power and influence my name carries. If you walk out of this restaurant, you won't be able to work at another place for as long as I want to. It's your choice, you can leave—but be aware that if you do, you will never step inside a professional kitchen again." Makoto stopped and looked over her shoulder but did not say a word. Makoto felt frustrated, how her life could change so drastically in just a matter of weeks? She thought she was on her way to succeed and to make her dreams come; she could see herself opening her own gourmet café and achieve the goals she had set since she decided to pursue her career in the food area and now, after so many efforts and sacrifices her whole future was jeopardized by the man sitting a few feet from her, while drinking his wine so carelessly.

"Think about it Kino san, a stain with my name in your resumé can shadow further opportunities and not just in the culinary world—I am that famous."

Makoto took a deep breath and tried to think about her options which basically summed up in keeping her mouth shut and continuing her work as a sous chef, take the now cursed promotion and keep ignoring the fact that this man she once idolized was now harassing and threatening her future, her dream.

"I will see you tomorrow, Chef." her voice sounded tired, defeated and broken. He had her faith and spirit in his hands and that boosted the man's ego. With a smile and another sip of wine, he nodded and cleared his throat "Very well Kino-san, I will see you tomorrow… try to be here early."

Makoto stayed silent and walked out the door without looking back at the man, she was sure was enjoying his new wave of power. Once she was outside and sure nobody would see her, she broke down in tears and walked without a specific destination. She walked in silence, ignoring the tears pooling from her eyes and her red nose as she looked around at the many couples walking hand in hand with a big smile on their face. Her mind flashed back to all the times she felt her heart broken by the few men she has dated in the past and how despite their lack of interest she couldn't stop believing in love. She really wanted to believe there was somebody out there, waiting for her.

Makoto decided it was better if she just went home so she turned around the corner when noticed a little café place that had just recently opened and decided to walk inside; as soon as she opened the glass door she was immediately welcomed by the delicious fresh ground coffee scent and fresh baked goods lightly lifting her wounded spirit, she walked towards the counter to look at the menu behind the counter and order something to go. "Hi, welcome… can I get you anything?" a chirpy young girl asked the Amazon brunette.

Dazed and fascinated by the picturesque surroundings, Makoto gave the girl a smile and nodded, "A tall iced coffee and a blueberry muffin to go." she watched the girl turning and start preparing her order, giving Makoto some time to spare while her order was ready. She turned and looked at a small wooden shelf with local and foreign magazines for sale and she smiled when she spotted the one where Usagi worked as a designer and picked up a copy and another one she had never seen before. Curious about the content, she flipped through the pages and widened her eyes when she saw something that instantly made her feel vulnerable and nostalgic.

"Miss?" the young girl's voice brought Makoto back from her thoughts and shook her head, "Y-Yes?" she asked, stunned. The girl smiled at her and tilted her head "It's gonna be 106 yen."

"Oh, right…" Makoto looked for her purse and grabbed the money, "I am taking these too." she gave the girl the money, thanked her for the coffee and continued her way, this time to another specific location.

* * *

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Right in the comfort and peace of her small apartment, Minako was lying on her couch while reading a magazine; while Artemis was sitting beside the window, looking at the night sky "It's quiet." he mumbled absently.

Minako tilted her head back and looked at the cat with a puzzled frown, "What?"

"Outside—it's quiet," Artemis muttered; his green eyes were fixated on the white moon hanging like a pearl in the night sky. Minako pursed her lips and continued reading her magazine "Well… that is probably because Luna isn't here."

The white cat turned to the blonde and looked at her "What is that supposed to mean?"

Minako giggled playfully as she flipped another page, "Oh, you know what I mean."

"You always think the worst things about me—" Artemis said, trying to change the pitch of the conversation "I never tell you anything about your boyfriends and let me tell you, there is quite much to say."

Minako widened her eyes and put her magazine down in a frantic mode, "Hey! It's not my fault that the few people I have dated turned out to be frogs instead of princes… or, pop stars…"

The white cat turned and frowned, frogs, princes and pop stars? Minako…" he said with an exasperated tone, "What on earth are you reading?"

"What?"

Artemis looked at the magazine the blonde had in her hands and shook his head, "You are reading about that girl again—oh how much you like to torment yourself."

Minako rolled her eyes and threw her head back with annoyance, "Artemis, I can't help it, she's everywhere!" she frowned and looked at the cover "I should be the one in this cover, Usagi-chan should do something!" with a loud sigh she put the magazine away and stared at the ceiling "What did I ever do wrong?"

"Minako?"

"I followed my dream, or at least I thought I did—and look at me. I am not living it. I _should_ be living it... what the hell went wrong? My mother must be so pleased to know she was right..." the blonde closed her eyes and sighed, "Or maybe this is it, maybe this is what I was destined to have, no less… no more."

Artemis sighed and shook his head, "You did not _do_ anything wrong. Just because things have not worked well these couple of months it doesn't mean you won't live your dream."

"I'm alone Artemis."

The white cat widened his eyes, it was strange to hear her speak the way she was doing it. For all the time he has been with her as her guardian and mentor, she has always been a carefree but very mind set soldier when it came fighting the enemy. He could not deny the many times he has felt impotence for not being able to help her more than he wished, to give her a hug when her heart was broken. They created a special bond, since their days in the Silver Millennium, and to see the soldier of love being discouraged by love itself, was sad.

Minako opened her blue eyes and a wave of sadness began to overflow her, "I have no one to support me, to be with me…" she turned to look away, "He took that piece of my heart with him… he cursed me. He cursed me the very moment we looked into each other's eyes..."

Artemis frowned confused, "Who did Minako?"

Minako sighed and rolled on the couch and turned to look at her mentor and companion. She gave Artemis a sad smile "I've been thinking about—" a knock on the door interrupted her. As usual, that thick cloud of brutal honesty dissolved just seconds later, leaving a normal and curious Minako staring at her door. "Who would that be?" she heard the male cat ask, slightly worried.

The blonde moved from her couch and walked towards her door "Who is it?"

"Hi. It's me."

Minako's eyes widened and opened the door, revealing a very disturbed, very tired Makoto standing in the hall, "Mako-chan…" she said softly, her voice catching Artemis' attention immediately. Makoto looked at her blonde friend and shrugged her shoulders carelessly, "I didn't want to go home after work so I basically wandered around Juuban like a zombie without a purpose."

"Mako chan, what happened?" she stepped aside and grabbed her by her wrist and pulled her in, "Come on in."

Makoto walked inside the small apartment and took her rose printed scarf and bag off, "Can I get you anything? Water, tea, orange juice… coffee?" Minako asked from her kitchen and turned to look at her friend, who was showing her her iced coffee and the paper bag with her blueberry muffin inside, "I bought these on my way here."

Minako walked back to her small living room and began to clear the mess she had scattered around and made some space for her friend to sit "I'm sorry about the mess… I was doing my nightly ritual of catching up with the magazines." she frowned confused and sat next to her friend "You don't look so good… what's the matter?"

Makoto looked down at condensed cup of her iced beverage in her hand and sighed heavily, "My boss crossed the line with me tonight—he tried to make a move on me."

Minako and Artemis' eyes widened in shock "He did what?!" the blonde raised her voice "That bastard… the Chef?!"

"Yes, the chef." Makoto sighed and put her cup on the coffee table and looked at her friends, "I also spoke to Masao, the guy… you know…"

"Yes, yes."

"He thinks I got my promotion…" Makoto trailed off and shrugged her shoulders when saw Minako widen her eyes, "Oh yeah, Haruto offered me a promotion as a sous chef… and well, Masao thinks I got it because I am sleeping with Haruto… so he's mad at me."

Minako shook her head in disbelief, "You would never ever do that, why on earth would he think that?" she growled with frustration, "Ugh, what is wrong with him!? What the hell is wrong with men?!"

"I think Suzuki had something to do with it. I know she told him something…"

"Did you speak to her?"

"No, I spoke with Masao and he was like ' _I really thought you were different._ '" Makoto tried to imitate the young man's voice and waved her hand dismissively right after, "And they left together, in his motorcycle... ugh, I hate this..."

Minako sighed and turned to Artemis, hoping he might have some comfort words for her friend. The cat moved closer and looked at Makoto, "That only means he is a weak man Makoto, he does not deserve you—men can be frogs," the blonde smiled at him, knowing what he meant with that comment. After all the nagging, he always put close attention to every little word she said, Minako thought.

"Nobody deserves me then…" Makoto sighed "And here I am, still believing…"

"You are going to leave that job now that this man literally harassed you, right?"

Makoto sighed and shook her head, startling both: cat and girl. "What do you mean – _no_? He is molesting you!" Minako frowned angered at her friend's unusual submissive behavior.

"He basically told me that if I leave, he would make sure I wouldn't be hired anywhere else… he is a man with many influences, he's famous, he can do whatever he wants." she looked at her friends "And I have a dream—I really want to open my own place… until I have a better plan, I will have to stay there and deal with all this mess."

Minako pursed her lips and sighed, "And here I thought I had an awful day." she leaned closer and put her hand on top of hers "Mako chan, I am so so sorry."

"He won't break me…" Makoto shook her head with determination, "Not even that jealous girl or Masao-san…" she sighed, "It hurts because I really liked him… but I can't cry over him, he preferred to believe _her_ rather than me, that's not fair!"

"He will realize what he has done but by the time he does it will be late for him to come back, mark my words." Minako said softly with tremendous pride in her voice, "If Rei-chan was here, she would be telling you to never cry over boys despite her being crying over one at this very moment."

Makoto chuckled and nodded, "She would have given me a whole lecture."

"Well yes, you know—that's Rei chan."

"Makoto sighed, "Oh, who would have thought… me, the sailor senshi of courage, crying over these things…" her green eyes widened, "Oh, speaking of…" she turned to grab her bag and took the magazines out of it "Look what I found."

Minako grabbed the magazine and arched her brow, "Where did you find this?"

"At the café, just when I was buying my coffee... I was flipping through the pages of Usagi chan's magazine when I spotted this one."

"I've never seen this one before… but looks good."

"Look for page 52."

Minako did as she was requested and widened her eyes "What the…"

Makoto nodded "Right? I thought the same."

Artemis tilted his head and frowned, "What is it?"

Minako sat straight on the couch, "It's an article about us… _'"_ she cleared her throat, _"What happened to the Sailor Senshi? Where are they now?_ " her eyes met with her friend's and continued reading, " _It has been eight years since we last saw any of them in action, with their strong will, unusual clothes and amazing power. Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus and even the always dashing and mysterious Tuxedo Kamen have gone under the radar without leaving a trace of where they might be or where they have gone. After eight years, we all ask ourselves if they are still here, living a normal life. Could the young lady that packed my grocery today be one of those Legendary Soldiers or even Sailor V? I guess we will never know but we certainly wonder and secretly wished to see them back in action.'_ " Minako closed the magazine and turned to her Amazon friend with a face of excitement and wonder, "Mako… they remember us! They miss us!" she turned to Artemis with a big smile on her face, "Artemis! We are famous! we are 'The Legendary Soldiers'… aren't you proud and happy?"

Artemis turned his head and looked away "They did not mention Luna or me. I find it unfair."

Minako leaned over and pet Artemis behind his ear and returned to give another glance at the article, "This is so weird and amazing at the same time..." her smile widened and jumped in her seat with excitement, "I can't wait to show this to everyone!" she turned to the white cat "Right, Artemis?" Artemis lowered his head and sighed slightly disappointed and closed his eyes, "I still think I deserved a little credit."

Minako turned and smiled at her cat companion, "Come on, it's just an article." she looked at the open magazine "I would kick that blonde's ass as Sailor Venus." she muttered, "Then I would be in every magazine in existence—the all great and beautiful Sailor Venus kicking ass—with style... Oh yes!"

"Still giving you a hard time, that blonde?" Makoto took a sip of her cold coffee, "You are giving her way more attention _and_ importance than she deserves."

"I am not mad at her..." Minako trailed off and shook her head "No wait, yes, I _am_ mad at her because she has to use her voluptuous curves to get everything that catches my eye and that pisses me off. She is not talented at all... just, very voluptuous." she sighed heavily, "I never thought things could go this way you know?"

Makoto looked at her friend with sad eyes. She felt like she was on the same boat as her, she thought she was doing well and then something unexpected happens and changes everything. It was hard to see Minako talk like this since she was always the one with the great attitude and most positive thoughts. She always knew what to do next and never seemed like she had second doubts about her decisions made but now, it was like she had stomped on a dead end and didn't know where to go from there.

"Things have to get better." The Amazon said softly while resting her hand on the blonde's shoulder. Minako raised a brow and looked at her with a questioning look "Says the girl who has to deal with sexual harassment at her job?"

"Come on! If we think things will go bad, things will go bad!" Makoto blinked and pouted her lips.

"What?" Minako asked, confused.

"That's it, I'm out of advice... I am not good with this, this is Rei chan's jurisdiction, not mine." Makoto slumped on the couch and took a sip of her now diluted beverage again; Minako looked at her friend and started laughing, surprising the brunette "What?"

"It's true, we suck at giving advice to each other." Minako continued laughing, "And yet... we still try."

Makoto smiled and started laughing "Yeah, this isn't our thing—and don't even bring Usagi-chan into the mix, she's even worse!" The comment ignited more laughter on both girls, both agreeing in silence to the statement. Minutes after they finally calmed down, Makoto reached for her muffin on the coffee table and turned to the blonde "Muffin? It's blueberry."

Minako turned her head and looked at her friend's hand and nodded "Yeah, sure."

* * *

o.o.o.o.o.o

On the other side of town, Michiru and Setsuna entered the dining room with some plates and small trays with food. The sound of the t.v. was heard in the background as they slowly set the table and prepared to have dinner. Setsuna put another plate with green veggies and rice and turned her head "Hotaru, dinner is served!"

"She probably is wearing her headphones. She won't hear a thing." Michiru joked and smiled while putting a plate on Haruka's place "She is growing so fast, I can't believe it…"

"It feels weird, isn't it?"

"Very much—I feel old!"

"Hey, have you talked to the girls?"

"Setsuna shook her head "Well… I saw Ami san yesterday but it was quick, she was running late for her shift at the hospital, why?"

"Just to see if they needed any help with the wedding arrangements," Michiru said softly as she put another dish on the dining table. "Minako has been taking her maid of honor job very seriously, she is on everything." she chuckled, "She has been handling everything pretty well, like a total professional." she turned and clapped her hands excitedly and turning to the hallway again "Hotaru! Dinner!"

"It's her Princess' wedding—of course she will do everything as perfect as possible." Setsuna chuckled and put another plate down, "I will go get her before the food gets cold."

Michiru nodded, silently thanking the senshi of time for her help, then turned to Haruka and frowned, "Haruka, do I have to insist you too? Dinner will get cold!"

Haruka kept watching t.v. without responding to Michiru, a gesture she found very odd. The aquamarine girl walked over to her and wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck to see if that would get her to notice her, "Hey… I was talking to you!" she blinked when realized the blonde was too entranced watching the news, "What are you watching?"

Haruka pointed her finger at the screen and frowned, "They are going to interview them."

"Who?"

Haruka turned and looked at Michiru "Remember when we read in the paper about a couple who had discovered a treasure?"

"Yes."

"Apparently they have a major announcement and they will be interviewed in a couple of minutes."

"Hmm… and?"

Haruka pressed her lips tight, "I don't know why I am too interested… It's like a calling."

"Well…you better come sit at the table before dinner gets cold, you can watch the show from there."

"Aren't you a little cranky today?"

Michiru chuckled "I've put so much effort in the kitchen, considering I am no master of cooking—I was expecting a little more enthusiasm from you."

"Alright, alright… I'm coming."

Setsuna came back with Hotaru following behind in silence; Michiru turned and smiled at the young girl "Were you wearing your headphones again? I was calling you for dinner."

Hotaru nodded and blushed softly, "I'm sorry."

"Here." Michiru gave her some napkins and sat on her spot and began serving food on her plate. Haruka followed and turned to watch the t.v. when she heard the reporter returned talking about the archeologists with the most awaited discovery of the year.

" _Thank you for staying with us in our one-hour special, for those who just tuned us, my name is Yokimura Kazumi and I am here with two of the most famous archaeologists of the moment, Casanova Akira and Ahlstrand Mikael in our studio. Welcome, it's a pleasure to have you here…"_

 _Mikael smiled and nodded his head "Thank you for having us."_

" _It's been over two years since you were here telling us about this special new treasure hunt you were going to embark. You are very famous for finding one of the most iconic and mysterious pieces all around the world."_

 _Akira smiled and chuckled "You could say that."_

" _Is it probably because you do not work directly for any association?"_

 _Akira looked at the host and smiled "Well, I think it is mostly because I feel there is so much history still being untold. There are so many wonders in this planet that we haven't really had the opportunity to appreciate because they are still hidden. I take my profession as a job to find those clues in our lives and connect the dots."_

 _The reporter nodded and brushed her auburn hair away from her face "Two years ago you discovered some treasures in the middle of the Indian Ocean that turned out to be gold and jewelry from a pirate's collection; this time, were you after the same treasure and why teaming up in this specific project?"_

 _Mikael smiled, "The Pirate's Treasure Hunt was an ambitious project that took us more than a year to study and to complete."_

" _But it was successful." said the reporter_

" _Yes."_

" _What were you looking for in this new project and why so soon?"_

 _Akira took a deep breath and crossed her legs. Her chocolate colored pencil skirt matched perfectly her tight bun at the top of her head; with a polished look she gave the reporter a polite smile "Well, after we found the Pirate's Treasure we received an invitation and sponsorship to look for a rare crown valued in millions of dollars so we embarked on the adventure and well… here we are now."_

" _Whose crown was it?"_

" _The leader of an ancient tribe. It is believed that these same pirates stole it and hid it somewhere near the Nippon Area; we had to change locations constantly because there is no existing map so we basically followed our intuition and previous notes from the hunt investigation."_

" _So, are you saying you found it?"_

" _We can say we found more than just a crown." Akira said softly and turned to look at Mikael who continued "We are still not sure what we witnessed, but… it is sure a lot different from what we expected to find. This discovery made us change the whole course of the expedition."_

 _The reporter widened her eyes in shock "Is there more information you can share with us concerning this expedition?"_

" _Weare still putting the pieces together and are currently in the process of investigation, until the research peaks with enough proof we will share it with the world." Akira started "We went close to_ _Iwaizumi_ _,_ _to be precise more to the north side. We were not really expecting to find what it turned out to be a hidden cave with more than 77,762 ft below the surface. This is a cave even deeper than Iwaizumi Cave making it one of the deepest in the world if not the deepest."_

" _How is it to go that deep inside our planet?"_

"Challenging—exciting. _" Akira joked and shrugged her shoulders "It is a whole new world down there… we found many wonders we are not aware have been living beneath our feet. There is stone covered in ice and luminescent bio specimen."_

The footage showed some of the crew walking around the cave in their gear and equipment while walking behind Akira and Mikael. The video showed them explaining the many specimens they found down there and the ice they were talking about. Akira soon started talking while explaining what they were doing on each segment until something shocking, left Haruka perplexed.

"Haruka?" Michiru asked puzzled, while turned to the t.v. "What is that?"

Setsuna stood up and walked over the couch and watched carefully the footage showing Akira and Mikael walking inside the ruins of a what appeared to be a palace. Her throat went dry when in her hands Akira held a piece of stone with a symbol engraved in it _"This is one of the many samples we could gather from that place."_ The reporter looked at the monitor and watched the symbol and blinked in surprise _"Was this the tribes' secret civilization then?"_

 _Akira took a deep breath while the footage still continued, "We are still studying this case, our team is at the laboratory doing research and we are still working on good theories of what this could mean, but, I could easily say and with confidence that this is no ordinary citizen. We are talking about a structure buried deep underground; this is not something a civilization can do. No human being would be able to survive in such penumbra and temperatures. The stones from that building are too ancient to even say that have been carved by any of the civilizations we have known up to date. This goes far back in time."_

 _Kazumi Yokimura saw the end of the footage and turned to the young archeologist, "Then what could this mean?"_

" _There have been many legends about divine beings. There is a reason why Mythology exists… and this could be proof of that."_

" _Gods?"_

 _Akira nodded "I've studied about this and it has been a passion of mine, to find the reason for our existence. Mythology is a very complex matter, and to include divinity into this might lead us to a never ending battle but, the many samples we took has opened that option for us. The symbols engraved are believed to be from royalty. It might show this place could be a sacred temple or even a palace."_

Haruka widened her eyes and turned to Setsuna "Could it be?"

"Venio ad accipiendum quod est meum"

Setsuna, Haruka, and Michiru turned to look at a very calm Hotaru sitting in her place at the table, playing with her food with a lost stare. "Hotaru chan?" Michiru called.

Hotaru continued mumbling the same words over and over, like a mantra "Venio ad accipiendum quod est meum"

"Venio ad accipiendum quod est meum"

"Venio ad accipiendum quod est meum"

"Venio ad accipiendum quod est meum"

Michiru went for her hand mirror and before she could look at it, Hotaru turned to look at them "It's coming."

"Who is coming?" Setsuna asked with deep concern while staring at the girl at the table. Hotaru turned to Setsuna with a frightening look, "Something out of our control."


	10. Chapter 10

Divinity: The Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Ten

 _A/N: I want to shout out a super special thank you to Guardians314, maryyorke, "Guest", SerenityMorrison and kera69love for such lovely reviews. Thank you, thank you very much. I hope you like this chapter and so we can keep the good vibes flowing! Tomorrow is my birthday so it would be awesome to have some awesome reviews from you! :) Have a lovely weekend!_

 _I have a quick question: Are Fridays okay for me to publish new chapters? Or would you prefer I did it during the weekend or mid week? I have been wondering, let me know if you would like me to change the days for posting. Thanks!_

* * *

O.o.o.o.O

"Out of our control, Hotaru, what do you mean?" Michiru asked softly as she sat on a chair next to the dark haired girl. Setsuna watched the girl trying to verbalize the images playing in her head; deep in her heart she imagined what she was talking about and for a moment wished it didn't happen because it only meant be forced to take their post as Senshi again and leave their normal lives behind.

 _Flashback_

 _With slow and steady steps, she walked down a long, vacant hall and reached for two golden, large doors where she knew her loving and patient father waited on his throne. With trembling hands, she pulled the handles and walked in. Her deep burgundy eyes looked around the empty room looking for him, in her pursuit of truth and salvation to prevent a tragedy that was clearly happening and she could see from her post at the Gates of Time and Space; she had seen Ares leaving with a mortified look on his usual serious, handsome face. She looked around but just as the God of War, she was finding no success in finding her father and deeply hope the rumors of him being gone were not true. "Father…" she whispered, as she walked closer to the man's throne and let her mind had an internal battle against her heart its sense of defeat and loss._

" _My dearest Pluto."_

 _Pluto's eyes widened and turned to find her father walking inside the large throne room, stopping several feet away from her she noticed there was something in his face that was trying to keep something secret to her "I have been looking for you—everyone has, where have you been?"_

 _Chronos looked at his daughter with a calm, but very serious face "I have been closing doors and opening new ones so destiny can follow its fated course."_

 _The lone Senshi of Time and Revolution walked closer the wise Lord of Time and looked at him in the eye, "God Ares was here just moments ago, he has been looking for you—he was in need of your advice, Father," she frowned, her eyes showed deep concern to the matter, "What is happening? Why this silence towards him?"_

 _Chronos looked at his daughter and raised his hand, a red round orb appeared floating in his palm "This is what we call a Talisman," he looked at the garnet orb gleaming warm red in his hand and then looked back at her, keeping his serious face at keen "_ _We Titans differ from Gods, my child—we are given other jurisdictions and granted more complex powers that every descendant of our dynasty must always protect with its life and carry on until our duty meets its end and must be given to its next chosen protector. Gods have never really understood the concept of this and sadly has brought many problems to our current time."_

 _Pluto frowned and shook her head, "Titans?"_

 _Chronos nodded, "Before Olympus was created as an Alliance, the divine realm was advised and protected by Titans—the same you learned have perished in war or being imprisoned in Tartarus. Only a few families have remained standing and with that their duty to protect their sacred legacy—you are part of those legacies, my child."_

 _Pluto's eyes widened in marvel and shock, Chronos looked at the deep red stone in his hand and continued, "This is the real key to every time corridor in this universe—our sacred treasure. Through this, you can walk through the past, present or future… but as any sacred artifact, we carry the task under certain rules."_

 _Pluto looked at the orb in her staff and shook her head confused, "Rules? Such as...?"_

 _"We must never stop the course of time."_

" _But, you gave me this staff—you said this was the key." Pluto frowned at her father and shook her head, "How is that the key?"_

" _I needed to make sure you were ready to take my place at the Gates of Time as the Senshi of Revolution. When I gave you that staff I was considering my own future and taking in what was going to happen soon enough." he looked at his daughter again and smiled sadly, "This is one of the hardest duties to fulfill my child, Gods are still reluctant and some are ambitious, they have a difficult time understanding those descending from Titans. My duty has changed its course and I must entrust our sacred treasure to you. From now on, you will serve as its keeper—Pluto, take good care of our Talisman."_

" _Father… I do not understand," Pluto walked closer to her father until his face was just only inches away from hers, "Considering your future and taking in what is going to happen? What do you mean?"_

" _It means that I too have duties and I too have my time limited to accomplish them. I can be here forever my dear child but I decided not to. I am needed somewhere else—I need to aid my fellow kind."_

" _Papa…"_

 _Chronos looked at her and handed her the orb that automatically was fused with the long rod pridefully held in her right hand, "There are taboos created in order to keep the time line clear and safe. It is important to always remember them," he arched his brow and pointed the orb in Pluto's rod, "Do not merge into timelines, do not change the past or meddle into the future, and last but most important… do not ever, stop time."_

 _Pluto's garnet eyes began to shine with tears, her chest began feeling the desperation of not being able to save her loving father, "Papa do not leave me, please… I beg of you, I need you." her voice held the desperation every daughter would have for her father in a moment where she didn't even know what was going to happen. She never fully understood his ways of speaking since most of them were riddles and she never knew how he managed to handle all the secrets he kept and still be the man he was. But whatever that was, she was still a daughter looking up to her father._

 _Chronos looked at her and cupped her cheek with his hand and gave her a soft, comforting smile "My dear Pluto, you are my pride—my life is reflected in the gleam of your eyes," his eyes darkened "We all are destined to face difficult times… some of us have to face them now and others will face them later. You will face many opponents, you will fight many battles and you will succeed if you keep your mind set in your mission, do not let the enemy take away your faith—I promise you, you won't be alone."_

" _Papa…" Pluto whispered._

 _Chronos caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, "You will fight alongside great soldiers but—" he made a pause and smiled at her, "You will be witness of the awakening of a very strong warrior, one that has a duty similar to yours—there are still few of our kind my child and with that, you will witness and be part of a new era."_

" _Awakening?"_

" _Do not let the course of destiny be tainted by other's wishes… sometimes, to win a battle you need to fall first to transcend space and time and rise again, stronger than before." Chronos frowned, "There will be darkness, and it is going to be one you are not going to be able to fight alone; the warrior who can needs to fall now in order to prepare itself to fight it in the future—it is still not the time and it is still not fully ready. This war is not meant to end at this present time… be prepared my dear Pluto, and be of great help to that warrior. It is then when you will be granted the permission to break the taboos."_

" _Papa… what if I do not find this warrior? How will I know that I am doing things right?"_

" _You will know." Chronos nodded, "Follow your instinct."_

" _Do not leave me…"_

" _Never."_

" _Then why are you saying goodbye?"_

" _I made a promise a long time ago and I need to fulfill it, dear child. I need to fight this war in my own way and it is not here—this battle is not yours to fight but ours, and I am doing my part." Chronos cupped her face in his hands and looked at her in the eye, gray met Burgundy, "I will never leave you Pluto; there will always be a part of me in you."_

" _Always…"_

" _Always…"_

 _In a flash of light, her father was gone and with deep pain in her heart, she let herself go and went down on her knees in tears "Do not leave me… papa…" she looked up with tears straining from her eyes, "Please Papa, come back…"_

Setsuna pressed her lips together and tried to hold the tears in her eyes. After a second to regain her composure she turned to Michiru and frowned, "Your mirror…" she whispered when she saw it was shining with a strange kind of energy. Michiru looked at her, then at her mirror which now showed the reflection of a dark figure for a brief couple of seconds, "What in the world?" she stood up and looked at both, Setsuna and Haruka with consternation.

Hotaru looked up to see the three women standing in front of her and shook her head, "Something is going to happen and it is approaching—something very strong, somebody very angry."

Michiru tightened her grip on the mirror and frowned, "But... how? Who?" We must be sure first… this could be something else." she turned to Haruka "Should we?"

Haruka shook her head "No, I can't do that to her…" she closed her eyes and sighed, "We can't."

"Setsuna?" Michiru asked.

Setsuna watched her friend in silence and took a deep breath "Time will tell us what to do—in the meantime, we should wait and keep this for us."

"At least the girls should know." Michiru frowned and turned to Haruka, "Not until we are sure what this is… or who this is." Haruka said bluntly and turned to look at the t.v. and saw the reporter still talking about the young archeologists and narrowed her blue eyes, "That discovery..." she breathed "Could that be related to what just happened?"

Setsuna looked at the t.v. while muttering her father's last words " _There will be darkness, one you are not going to be able to fight alone; the warrior who can needs to fall now in order to fight it in the future._ The warrior has fallen and is somewhere here, waiting to be awakened." she widened her eyes "Fight it in the future..."

Michiru turned to look at her with concern "What did you say Setsuna?" Setsuna turned, "Those were my father's last words. I didn't understand at the moment... now, it makes some sense."

"So then it's a fact that something is about to happen." Haruka said bluntly and crossed her arms, "Who is this person you are talking about?"

"Could it be Usagi-chan?" Michiru asked, "My mirror isn't answering. It could be Usagi-chan, it makes sense—she battled Galaxia in the end and brought peace to this time."

Setsuna pressed her lips together and thought about her father's words once again, _a warrior—_ she thought, maybe that warrior was who Hotaru said it was coming but, why is it angry?. Maybe, her father's prediction was right and she was going to meet somebody that would lead them to something greater, but at what cost?

* * *

o.o.o.o.o.o

 _The sky was pitch black, like if it was covered by the most luscious velvet ever made from where the moon hung like a silver marble gleaming proudly alongside the thousands of stars across the visible milky way. A cool mist slowly fell over the petals of all the roses of many colors dancing with the soft cool wind; the sight was beautiful, a creek slowly made its way through a tranquil lake far away from the rose field._

 _Mamoru looked at the night sky and at the precious prairie in front of him and could not help to feel drawn to this place. There were an undeniable beauty and peace to it but also, deep down he felt the melancholy flowing along with the breezy air and the calming flowing water from the creek. It was strange to him, he had the feeling that he had been there before. He was sure he had seen that rose fields and that same creek, in the distance, close to the lake he spotted a big tree with pink flowers—a cherry tree. He looked up and cupped his hands to catch the small flowers floating towards him and frowned, "Cherry blossoms?" he breathed and widened his eyes when he saw a silhouette sitting on a rock, under the tree._

 _Mamoru couldn't help but wonder, who was that and why was this person in this place where he thought he was alone. He slowly felt drawn to walk towards the tree and feeling of heaviness started to invade his heart. It was something he could not explain, as he came closer and noticed the mysterious person was as a woman._

 _The dark silhouette made it impossible to see her face but he could tell she crying. Her long loose hair danced with the soft air as she wiped her tears with the back of her hand. There was something that was unsettling for Mamoru, he couldn't tell who this woman was and yet felt drawn to help her. He stopped and frowned, "Usako?" he asked softly. The woman noticed his presence and stopped sobbing but didn't turn her head to look at him, "Find him…" she whispered "Please find him… please bring him back…"_

 _Mamoru's frown deepened and tried to walk closer but soon realized his body was not responding to his command "Who?" he dared to ask and looked at the woman "Who are you?"_

" _You need to wake up…"_

" _What?" Mamoru growled in frustration by not being able to move, "Find who? What do you mean?"_

" _Come back…"_

 _Mamoru looked behind and saw the beautiful field slowly began to fade away into nothingness "Who are you?" he asked again, with defiance in his deep voice. The woman stood up and turned but her face was covered by her long hair flowing fiercely with the wind, "You need to come back, Endymion."_

 _Mamoru widened his eyes "How do you?" he tried to get closer to her but his body was still unresponsive, "How do you know that name?!"_

 _The woman shook her head, "You have to wake up… wake up Endymion… and once you do, do not let go." she turned and extended her arms to each side. Mamoru saw the once peaceful prairie behind the woman turned into flames "Answer me!"_

" _Do not let go Endymion…" she whispered, the ghost of a smile caressed her lips "Find him…." she turned again and disappeared into the vivid flames "NO!" Mamoru yelled as he tried to move to stop her. His feet wouldn't move and he was starting to feel the blazing fire moving closer to him._

" _Wake up..."_

" _What?" Mamoru looked up when he heard her demanding voice, soon the fire caught up with him "What do you want from me?!"_

 _"Wake up..."_

" _Wake up!"_

A pair of deep blue eyes snapped open at the sound of the female voice. Mamoru took a deep breath and turned his head to look at a very peaceful Usagi sound asleep under the plushy covers next to him. After a long day, she decided it was better to stay with him for the night instead of dealing with her brother's noisy friends at the party he was throwing at their house. He rubbed his face with his hands and turned to look for his phone and checked the time "4:00 a.m." he muttered still groggy from his sleep, he sat on the bed for a minute and walked towards the window once he felt more in touch with reality. He pushed the heavy curtains aside to look outside and took a deep breath, the sky was still dark giving the Tokio Tower the chance to gleam with its hundreds of tiny lights in the dawn. Mamoru frowned in thought when remembered the strange dream and the mysterious woman asking him to wake up. "Who was she?" he mumbled while running a hand through his disheveled hair.

"Mamo-chan?"

Mamoru blinked surprised and turned his head to see a sleepy Usagi trying to sit on the bed, "Usa…" he whispered. Usagi rubbed her eyes and tilted her head, still feeling heavy from her sleep "What's wrong?"

Mamoru smiled, she was just too adorable to ignore "Nothing, I just…" he took a deep breath and exhaled "I woke up for no reason."

"Oh…" Usagi scratched her nose "What time is it?"

"It's still early, go back to sleep..."

"Oh, and you?"

Mamoru walked back to the bed and kissed her on the forehead, "I'll go out for a walk or something."

"No…" Usagi lay down on the bed again and grabbed Mamoru's hand "Stay…" she pouted her lips, "Come back to bed, it's still dark outside…"

"Usa…"

"You can go back to your annoyingly morning self when the sun comes out, in the meantime, you're a night bunny like me." Usagi pulled him back to bed and covered him with the fluffy comforter "Also, we don't go out for morning walks." she whispered as she turned and wrapped her leg around his to secure his stay "The bed was starting to feel too cold for me, for some reason you have the perfect warmth to keep it at a perfect temperature."

Mamoru blinked "So you are telling me you just woke up because you felt the bed turn cold?"

Usagi rolled her eyes and yawned, "Maaaaaaaaaybe."

Mamoru chuckled and pulled her closer to him "Huh,"

Usagi giggled, "See how the bed feels comfier now? Teamwork."

"You're unbelievable, go back to sleep or I'll leave you with your cold bed."

"No... no, not a cold bed, no." Usagi mumbled and quickly drifted back to sleep. Her soft snoring made Mamoru smile, he moved his arm so she could snuggle until she rested her head comfortably on the space between his head and shoulder. He looked down at her and then took another deep breath; there was something about that dream that made him feel uneasy and more protective over Usagi. The mysterious woman never showed her face but the way she was talking to him, he felt there was something in her voice that made him feel obliged to listen to her request. It was something he could not decipher but also could not ignore.

 _"Come back,"_ she said

 _"Wake up,_ " she begged,

 _"Bring him back."_ she pleaded.

Mamoru frowned _Bring_ _who_ _back? —_ he thought and narrowed his eyes while he stared at the ceiling. He wondered if he ever met someone with those characteristics but then, another question occupied his mind: how did she know that name. It's been years since that name came to the surface again since nobody called him that. Since he never called himself that, not anymore.

O—o—o—o—O

"I'm so excited!" Usagi exclaimed in delight from the bedroom as she walked into the living room later that morning, her hair was slightly damp from her shower and sat on the couch while looking at her phone, "Mamo chan?" she called out, looking around for her fiancé.

"In the kitchen."

Usagi smiled at his quick answer. After all the time they have been together, she learned to decipher his ninja like movements. "Are you making breakfast?" she asked cheerfully while typing something on her smartphone.

"Uh... no, just coffee." he came out of the kitchen and crossed his arms while leaning on the wall facing the couch, "Why are you so excited?"

Usagi turned with a big smile on her face "Because... my wedding dress has finally arrived! Yay!" she giggled and threw her arms up in the air, "I have to pick it up and then take it home."

Mamoru smiled, he knew how long it took for her to find the perfect dress. She visited countless of stores and when she finally fell deeply in love with _the_ one, they didn't have it anymore. After so much stress and struggle and with Minako's wonderful help, they managed to convince the store to order it again, a thing he didn't know why it couldn't be done in the first place. The sound of the coffee machine interrupted their conversation, making Mamoru smile again "Coffee, yay!" he mimicked Usagi's cheerful expression and walked back to the kitchen.

"Wait, you didn't make anything for breakfast?" Usagi frowned and looked absently out the window. "No... just coffee." she heard his warm voice say softly from the other side of the apartment.

"For real?!" Usagi exclaimed with annoyance and wonder, "Why?!"

Mamoru came out with his cup of freshly brewed coffee and joined her on the couch "Because you said my only purpose in life was to keep the bed warm."

Usagi laughed, "What? I did?"

"Yup." Mamoru took a sip of his coffee and savored the intensity of his beverage, "Your true intentions come to show when you are half asleep, Tsukino Usagi."

Usagi blushed "I'm sorry, but you know it's not true." she leaned and kissed him on his cheek. Mamoru raised his arm up in the air, "Teamwork!" he said sarcastically, before taking another sip of his coffee. The blonde laughed again, knowing those would be her exact words and stood up "I'm sorry. You know I tend to babble weird things when I'm asleep, besides, what were you doing awake at that hour?"

Mamoru frowned, "I... don't know." his mind still pictured his dream very vividly. It had been a long time since he last had a dream like that and it was very strange that this random woman called him by that name and asked him for things he could not quite understand. The thought that it could mean anything worried him and not for him, but for her. Usagi arched a brow, "Are you okay?

"Yeah, why?" Mamoru looked at her, Usagi pouted her lips, "You're not acting like yourself."

"Why do you say that?"

"I don't know," Usagi looked at the white mug in his hand "It must be that disgusting thing you drink every morning."

Mamoru widened his eyes and looked at his mug "It's just coffee."

"Well, it tastes bad."

"Hmm," he leaned back on the couch and exhaled deeply, "Just because it doesn't have loads of cream and sugar means it's bad." Usagi leaned her head back with annoyance and growled softly, "Why are you depriving me of eating something ridiculously delicious?!" This was enough to make Mamoru burst into laughter, "Why do you want me to cook? You can do it yourself!" Usagi looked at him with a dead stare, "You know my cooking skills are not in the best of shapes. You do it better than I can."

"And what are you going to do once we get married?" Mamoru arched his brow and took another sip of his coffee. Usagi waved her hand, "Pff, easy—you will cook and I will clean."

"No kidding." Mamoru muttered and sweat dropped, "I have a better idea."

"No—no! I am not going to go to that kitchen and pretend to do something we both know it's not going to work out!"

"Wait!" Mamoru frowned, "Do you want to listen to my idea or not?"

Usagi narrowed her eyes at him, "Only if it's good."

"Oh, it's good... at least is better than yours," Mamoru arched his brow, Usagi sighed and slouched on the couch, "Let's hear your marvelous idea then, what?"

Mamoru put his cup on the coffee table and turned to look at her, "Why don't we go eat breakfast out and then I'll drive you to pick up the dress. Okay?" Usagi's eyes lit up like two birthday candles and then pressed her index finger on his nose "Oh my! You have the best ideas ever!"

Mamoru smiled and widened his eyes playfully "I know." Usagi bit her lower lip and put her phone down, "Do you know what we should do and haven't done yet?"

"What's that?"

"The gift registry."

Mamoru frowned and pursed his lips with slight annoyance, "Do we really need to do that?"

"Uh—yes?" Usagi turned to look at him, "Who doesn't like presents? Oh, wait—yeah, you."

Mamoru choked with his coffee and turned to look at her wide eyed, "What? I like presents..."

"Oh yeah? What do you want for your birthday this year?"

Mamoru widened his eyes, Usagi arched her perfectly shaped brow "Ah, see? You're like the most boring person ever..."

"And yet—you are marrying me." Mamoru mumbled and took another small sip of his coffee, "I don't know what I want—why don't you just surprise me?"

"Becauseeeeeee it's soooooo freaking haaaaaaaaaaard!" Usagi threw herself on the couch, "Aaaaaaaaaaah, I can't even plan a surprise party for you!"

Mamoru flashed her a dashing grin, "I get surprised!"

"A-ha, when?" Usagi frowned, Mamoru laughed, "The masquerade party you threw at the Crown for example—the masks were a nice touch by the way," Usagi narrowed her eyes, "You found out about it! You took the truth out of Motoki!"

"Now wait a minute," Mamoru turned and pointed his finger at her, "He did that himself!"

"Okay—the cake." Usagi waved her hand, Mamoru frowned "What cake?"

"The chocolate cake I baked for you last year, with all the sparklers and candy and stuff."

"Usa... you baked it _here_." Mamoru narrowed his eyes, "How on Earth I was not going to figure out you were baking a cake for my birthday?"

"I didn't know you were going to be home so early!" Mamoru sighed softly, "Wait, how are we talking about this?"

"The wedding registry." Usagi said lazily, "We need to do that."

"Ah that, Usa, I think we have everything we need—why do you want to make a list?" Mamoru lay his head on her lap, Usagi smiled "Because it's fun! And, well—we could ask for other things we don't have..."

"Such as?"

"Like a snow cone maker!"

Mamoru tilted his head back to look at her quizzingly and shook his head, "What?"

"A snow cone maker," Usagi looked at him with seriousness. Mamoru arched his brow, "Usa... in all this time we have been together I have not seen you eat a single snow cone."

"Okay, a waffle maker. You have seen me eat waffles and I like waffles..."

Mamoru closed his eyes and sighed, "You want all these kitchen gadgets so later I could use them to cook for you—I see what you're doing,"

"We can ask for a new coffee machine..." Usagi looked away with a mischievous smile on her face, knowing this would definitely catch his attention. Mamoru opened his blue eyes "I'm listening..."

Usagi bit her lip with triumph "We can also ask for a coffee grinder... where you put your coffee beans to..." she rolled her eyes at her lame negotiations skills but continued, "...Grind and then, put them in the little thing where you put the coffee on your brand-new coffee machine and voilá!"

"Interesting,"

"Right?"

"Hmm..." Mamoru bit his lip, "Fine,"

Usagi smiled and combed his hair back, "We can go after picking the dress and breakfast..."

"Hmm..." Mamoru hummed softly, slowly drifting himself to sleep; he loved when Usagi combed his hair with her fingers. Usagi widened her eyes, "Mamo-chan?"

"Hmm..."

"Wake up!"

Mamoru's eyes opened wide and looked around the room a little disoriented from his sudden nap, "W-What?"

Usagi giggled, "You fell asleep."

"Oh..." he cleared his throat and he stood up from the couch and walked to the kitchen sink to leave his empty mug and walked back to his bedroom, "Let me get a pair of shoes so we can get going."

As he entered his bedroom, he went straight to his closet and grabbed his black converse, since it was a Saturday he didn't need to go to the hospital until later in the afternoon to give a few rounds which that gave him enough time to come back to take another shower and get ready for work.

The eerie feeling he felt from the dream still couldn't leave him alone, it was like a very loud echo that kept calling his name. He pressed his lips together deep in thought and raised his head, spotting a crystal case resting on top of his drawer and stood up. His hand touched the rim of the delicate box and looked at the stones resting inside, "If it were something wrong, you would have already warned me, right?" his voice was heavy with hope.

Every time he looked at that case, he couldn't help feel frustrated for not being able to remember his time with them, despite having back his memories from childhood as Chiba Mamoru, he didn't get all of his memories from his life as Endymion. Unlike Usagi and the rest of the girls, he only remembered the basic things, his name, who he was and that the Shitennou were once his guardians and his passionate romance with the Moon Princess; aside from that, everything was blank. He could not remember his family, if he was also an orphan back then, if he had siblings or if he even was a good Prince to his people and Kingdom. He did know his guardians were like his family and despite not remembering much he missed them and knew they went through very tough times to help him survive and help him fight against Metallia with Usagi by his side and for that, he was grateful.

Mamoru smiled softly at the stones inside the case and turned to grab his keys. With one last glance, he left the room and closed the door behind him.

o.o.o.o.o.o

Later that afternoon, Setsuna was walking her way out to buy some lunch, she had been doing some work in the laboratory and after many of her coworkers insisted, she took a break. The olive skin beauty entered a small café around the corner of the building where she worked that was right across the hospital where Ami and Mamoru worked. When asked, she often explained the complexity of her job which consisted mostly of doing research for new medicines and treatments to be available on the market.

She walked inside and ordered her usual vegetable soup, salad, and iced jasmine tea, then took a seat close by a window that led to a good view of the park across the small place. While giving a quick look at one of the magazines, her garnet colored eyes soon caught something that called for her attention. She frowned and as she thanked the young girl for her quick delivered lunch, she grabbed the newspaper and started to read one of the headlines _"Famous archaeologists to give a lecture about newfound treasure at the National History Museum of Tokyo."_

Setsuna narrowed her eyes at the thought of what these people were trying to accomplish. Since the interview she watched last night with Michiru and Haruka, she had the feeling that there was something strange about the whole thing. The way the girl was talking about the discovery and how she even mentioned that it might be involved with something more ancient got her thinking. Could it be related to them? Could it be something they should be taking care of?

The more she thought about it, the more she wished there could be more to it. Hotaru even felt something, there was something happening and deep down inside she feared it had something to do with the premonition her father once told her it would happen— _in the future_ , she thought.

Setsuna put the paper aside after she ripped the piece where it showed more information about the lecture and continued eating in silence while watching the people walk by the park and crossing the street when something caught hers and everyone's attention. An intense light, similar to one of a comet flew across the sky and looked like if it had landed or crashed into this planet. Surprised by the event all the people who were inside the café and walking on the streets stopped to watch the strange yet, beautiful light in the sky.

Setsuna stood up and left her meal unfinished as she walked quickly towards the park across the street to investigate what did just happen. As she tried to replay in her mind the quick scene, Setsuna began asking her questions to make sure what she saw was real, and if it really something crashed into this planet. Her doubts soon were cleared when she saw a big crowd both, panicked and surprised.

"What happened?!" she asked a couple standing next to her, "Didn't you see the sky a few moments ago?!" a young man asked surprised, his trembling hand mimicked the way the light looked like it 'scratched' the sky and apparently landed here, "Something crashed."

"Crashed?" Setsuna frowned and made her way through the crowd to get a better view of what everybody was watching and widened her eyes "What?"

"We felt the ground shaking, it was surreal." Setsuna heard another girl was speaking to someone over the phone and turned, "It was a very strong light."

Much to her surprise, a few meters away from the crowd, the concrete statues and the ground was cracked and smashed by whatever filtered from outer space, apparently. There was no sign of what caused this, there was no meteor, not a strange pebble or even a person; soon after a squad of policemen, firefighters and medical staff from the hospital showed up, mobilizing the mass of people that were still gathered at the scene waiting to find an explanation of the event.

Setsuna tried to have another look at where the mysterious light crashed when a police man ushered to walk away, it was then when something caught her eye. The ground didn't look as something heavy came and fell, it looked like something sharp was dragged across the concrete and sliced it like warm butter. It was a strong, very deep line that dragged for several feet ahead until it slowly faded, "A scratch…" she muttered and turned to walk away.

As she turned around the corner and waited for the street light to change to red and allowed her to cross the street away from the park, something caught her eye and turned. Narrowing her garnet colored eyes she noticed something in one of the bushes at the park. She tried to move and walk against the current of people going against her way but before she could take another step she was stopped by a policeman "Maam, you have to clear the area."

Setsuna turned her face with slight annoyance at the policeman, "I am not even near the accident."

"Still, you need to evacuate. We need this area clear so we can start investigating what happened here." The policeman ushered her to leave the place, against her will she had to comply. Setsuna looked closely at the bushes, then felt forced to leave. Her hand reached for her phone inside her purse and dialed a number she knew by heart and waited for an answer as she walked back to her work place "Hey, it's me… where are you? There is something I must talk to you about."

The sounds and commotion surprised Megumi who had suddenly fallen from the sky. She pushed some bushes out of her way to see what was happening and saw the piercing on the concrete. She licked her dry lips and looked down at the wrapped object in her hands and noticed it was still glowing and that it still felt warm from the reaction it had just seconds ago. Her body didn't respond the same as it did on her previous hideout and she was starting to feel heavy, like if she was being pushed against the ground, a minute after everything went black for her and fell unconscious on the floor.

A couple of hours later, a pair of big brown eyes snapped open in fright, looking around her breathing fastened when she realized she had fallen asleep at a place she did not even know where it was. She touched her face with her dirty hands and rubbed one eye while taking a good look at her surroundings; her skin was cold and had slight marks of the metal tunnel where she slept at the park's playground.

She looked down at her hands and then, her eyes widened again and turned to find for the precious object she carried with her and let a soft sigh. Megumi slowly made her way out of the small tunnel and raised her head and looked up at the night sky she saw the many hundreds of stars gleaming in the distance; it had been so many years since she saw a sky so clear and peaceful that she could not help to feel nostalgic. Her eyes began to tear unwillingly like a response to her longing and prayers and let the moisture rolling down her dirty cheek startle her as she reached for her face again and touched her cold cheek.

She tried to stand up and continue her journey but her body did not respond like she was used to. There was something that was keeping her on the ground, she felt heavy, tired, very tired. Her muscles were swollen, every move she made was a big effort due to the drastic change of environment.

Surprised, she looked at the ground and saw something she thought she might not ever see again. "Herba…" (Grass) she breathed, recognizing the texture and scent. She leaned forward and touched the small fine blades of grass beneath her "Per omnes caelos," (I fell from the sky,) her fingers played with the greenery and widened her big brown eyes when noticed the tall buildings surrounding her landing place. With an air of wonder, Megumi looked marveled at the many lights coming from the light poles and windows. Against her own body's wishes, she forced herself to take a few steps, slowly one by one until she could move with more ease.

There was something deep inside in her mind that she found familiar, maybe the grass beneath her tired feet or the cool breeze that crashed her skin. The girl moistened her chapped lips and closed her eyes for a moment taking in the familiarity of her surroundings. It came to her mind all these many images of her playing in the grass as a child or running through the fields to get errands, the image of a forest and beautiful gardens with marble fountains and the sweet scent of roses. She opened them and gasped for another gasp of oxygen, "Numquid me ad alia?" (where am I?) she whispered, surprised.

A loud sound caught her attention, something she could not recognize and turned her head to see there were lights coming her way and what it seemed to be "Poplus…" she breathed. (People...)

Scared of the reaction and to whom those living beings might be, she turned and grabbed her precious treasure before turning on her heel and run away. Used to be a target, to run and hide all the time she didn't take a moment to analyze where she could actually head off to so she just went to where her gut told her to run. Many couples sitting on a bench were surprised to see a girl running at this time of the night carrying a large object and gave notice to the keepers at the park to let them know there was a girl that looked like she had robbed someone because of her strange behavior and strange garments.

Megumi ran through the grass and trees of the park, feeling like if she was back to those days where she could feel the moisture beneath her feet. "Hey, you!" she heard a man calling to her; she turned to look at him slowly walking down her way and panicked. The policeman stopped a few good feet from her and frowned, "You are just a girl." he narrowed his eyes in thought "What are you doing here this late at night? Where is your family?"

Megumi shook her head and held her treasure as close to her chest as possible. Looking down, she tried to avoid any visual contact with the man and shook her head in response, "I asked you a question." the police man asked, "Who are you? What are you doing here at this time of the night?"

She looked at him and bit her lower lip "Mortuus…" (Dead...) she whispered. The police man frowned again and noticed she was carrying something in her arms, "What do you have there?"

The girl took a step back and shook her head "No." The man flashed her with his light and tried to take a look at the object she was carrying once he stood closer to her, "What is that you have there? Did you steal it?"

"No!" she said, panicked. Her voice held horror and anger at the same time. The girl pushed the man's hand away from her and ran away as fast as she could, she could feel being followed, nothing new in her life. Her eyes slowly burned with tears that slowly rolled down her muddy cheeks. She soon saw an exit and turned around the corner leaving the police man behind. When she turned around she was taken aback to see a completely different landscape before her, far from anything she could expect. Her feet no longer felt the softness of the grass, instead, it was dry and gritty. She squinted her eyes at the many lights from the streets, the reflectors from the signs and crowded streets. Her life had become one of pure solitude and suddenly, she was now in a world full of people. People that looked like her but at the same time, were anything like her. She looked around and noticed their clothes and manners, the way they walked and talked, it was all foreign, so alien to what she used to know.

 _Where am I—_ she asked, _what is this?_

It was no surprise to receive all the strange glances due to her appearance and what she was holding in her arms. The poor girl felt disoriented, tired and mortified. How was she going to be able to find a safe place to hide in a world like this, so full of noise, strange objects, and people? She felt her heart heavy and almost defeated, she was beginning to feel like she was living a never-ending battle with her past. The sounds and light coming from the many advertising commercials, videos, music, cars and people talking crashed her senses left her feeling horrified at what she was going to do and the only thing that could come up in her mind was to keep on walking.

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

At the station, Minako blew her bangs as she waited for her boss to finish the meeting he had in the conference room so she could go home. _Home_ she thought. Her home was the place where she felt safe and away from all the crappy vibe her boss sent her way, every day. She visualized getting there; taking her heels off and going straight to the fridge to grab some of her delicious chocolate chip ice cream and read her usual stack of newly released magazines. Yes, that was what she wanted right now.

"Still here Minako-san?" Aiko asked surprised, "I thought you went home."

"Yeah, I thought that too…" Minako sighed tiredly, "My spirit is back home enjoying that fabulous cup of ice cream while reading the new magazines while my actual body is still stuck here, sending all these documents to their respective destinations." she growled in desperation and looked at her wrist watch "How much longer is he going to stay in there?"

Aiko blinked and tilted her head "Who are you waiting?" Minako pursed her lips while pointing Saruto's office with her pen, "He's been in a meeting for more than two hours in the conference room," the blonde was surprised to see her co-worker chuckled lightly, "What?" she asked, it didn't matter how much she tried to regain her composure and act as friendly as always, it had been almost three hours past her check out time and she was too tired and annoyed to be still here waiting for the jerk she had for boss. Aiko sighed softly and went to grab her bag, "Saruto left hours ago."

The news broke like hell in her little, ancient mind. Minako widened her eyes and stood up "What did you just say?" Aiko looked at her and nodded "I know, I know."

"When?"

"He didn't stay here for too long after those people from Broadway came in."

"I can't believe it, why didn't he tell me anything! I have been waiting for him here like a slave!"

"Hun, really? Saruto-san?"

Minako sighed heavily and leaned her head back, "I can't believe it. I had so many things to do…"

"Like—"

"Like eating ice cream and reading magazines—yes." Minako interrupted the girl with annoyance and rubbed her temples, "Calm down Minako… calm down… he always does this…" with a soft growl she turned her monitor off and grabbed her vintage cream-colored bag "I'm out of here."

"Hey, is there something I can do for you?" Aiko looked at her with a worried expression, "A drink, maybe?"

"That doesn't sound that bad." Minako half smiled with gratitude at the girl's attentions. Aiko smiled, "Come on, my treat."

Both girls walked out of the building and went straight to the nearest bar around. Minako was beyond tired and she wanted nothing more than to toss her unbelievably high heels across her apartment's living room but considering the amount of stress she has had over the week, a good drink was a better solution to calm her anger and nerves. On days like these, she was very glad to have supportive coworkers that really understood how it was to be around an ass like her boss.

As they entered the small but still very crowded bar, the hostess immediately gave them a seat at the bar "I am so sorry, but this is the only place I have to offer you at the moment." the young hip girl with red hair said in an apologetic tone. Minako smiled and waved her hand "It's perfect, I can get my drink faster."

Both hostess and Aiko cracked a chuckle, Aiko turned to the bartender who soon went to take their order "Hello ladies, what can I get you?" Aiko put her bag aside and pursed her lips "I'll have a mojito."

The bartender nodded and turned to Minako, his lips curved into a smile and leaned closer to the blonde, "And, what can I get _you_?" Minako took a deep breath and looked at the drink menu that was written in neon ink on a blackboard "I don't know… what do you recommend?"

The bartender looked at her in the eyes, his smile widened "Bad day?" Minako waved her hand "You have no idea."

"How about a martini? A filthy one." Minako leaned her head back and chuckled, "That sounds nasty."

The bartender never stopped smiling "I make good martinis." Minako leaned her head on her hand, "Alright then, surprise me."

"Martini then?"

"A filthy one."

The guy moved away from her and winked his eye at the blonde, "Coming right up."

Aiko watched the whole scene wide eyes and gaping, catching Minako's attention. The blonde turned to look at her and frowned "What?"

"Oh my god."

"What?" Minako chuckled.

"What was that?" Aiko said still with wide eyes, "What was _what_?" Minako frowned, confused.

"You flirt!"

"What!?" Minako widened her eyes, "What are you talking about?"

"You two were totally flirting with each other!"

Minako arched her brow "Of course not."

"Well, he was totally flirting with you."

Minako smiled and shook her head "You are overreacting." she turned to the bartender who had their drinks ready; first he gave the Mojito to Aiko and then leaned closer to the bar and gave Minako the Martini with two extra olives "Enjoy." he said in a sultry, playful tone making Minako smile as she held her glass and took a sip. She shut her eyes for a moment and shook her head "Wow, this is strong."

The bartender smiled and shrugged his shoulders "Too filthy for you?"

"I can handle it." Minako took another sip, this time more familiar with the strong flavor. Aiko smiled and kept silent while staring at the blonde and the hot bartender exchange a few more words that seemed to be on fire. The young man looked like he was in his mid-twenties, maybe twenty-five, shoulder length chestnut hair, hazel colored eyes for what she could see, thin lips but looked like they knew how to make a girls heart skip a beat and a well-toned body. _After all, he is a bartender—_ Aiko thought.

"What's your name?" he asked softly, Minako took another sip of her martini and put it down "Aino Minako."

"Minako eh? Nice name." the young man leaned on the bar in a casual manner and smiled at the blonde "So, what makes you two ladies come here today this late at night?"

"We just got out of work." Aiko stepped into the conversation. The young man widened his eyes and nodded "Ah, I see." he turned to Minako, "What do you say if we go somewhere else after you finish your drink, I'm out in an hour."

Aiko widened her eyes and glanced at her friend. Minako smiled and looked at her drink, after a second she shook her head and looked at him "I have a boyfriend waiting for me at home—sorry."

Aiko frowned; this was something she was not expecting at all. Minako has a boyfriend? Of all the time they have been working together, she never mentioned that she started dating or that she had a new boyfriend. The bartender looked at Minako and immediately shut down his flirting vibe, giving the blonde her space and waved his hand, "I see. I had to ask, you are too pretty to be ignored." he smiled, "Let me know if you want another drink."

Minako smiled and nodded "Thanks." then returned to her drink and a very surprised and confused Aiko who now leaned closer, "I didn't know you had a boyfriend."

Minako shrugged her shoulders and smiled "I don't."

"What?" Aiko asked, shocked "Are you dating then?"

Minako shook her head and ate one of the olives in her drink "No."

"Then what did just happen?" Aiko shook her head confused, "Why did you say no? He was super cute!"

The blonde sighed softly and shook her head "I am not interested."

"Wow."

"What?"

"I don't know… I thought you were the kind of girl who always had a boyfriend, a crush or a date on her agenda."

Minako laughed, "Me? No, of course not."

"But you're so pretty, I would totally take advantage of the situation."

Minako took another sip and squinted her eyes "I think I am done trying to date guys like that."

"Like what?"

"Well, those who only think for themselves without really caring for a girl's heart and feelings."

Aiko noticed the conversation was having a more serious turn and couldn't help asking more about her, now that she had the chance and they were not tied to the stress and hectic hours of work at the station, "Did you ever have that kind of love you can hardly forget?"

Minako took another sip and nodded "Of course, I did." her confession splurged out like nothing from her mouth; Minako started to acknowledge the power of a very dirty martini. This conversation was something she kept really for herself, not even the girls, not even Rei or Usagi knew anything Aiko was about to know, "I think," she hesitated before taking another sip of her martini, "I think we all have a love like that in our lives, the one we cannot ever forget. The one that defines our life and sets the bar for future lovers in case it doesn't work out." she smiled sadly, "The one person that makes us tear a little every time we think about it."

Aiko noticed the drastic change in Minako. She was used to seeing her cheerful and active. Aiko considered that it was one of the best qualities Minako had, she always looked for the brighter side to an ugly and dark situation and to see her like this, pensive and somewhat sad made her feel guilty for even daring to ask something so deep and personal like that to the girl of the million-dollar smile. "I'm sorry," Aiko said softly.

Minako turned and blinked "Why?"

"Well, I don't want to make you feel sad or anything."

"It's okay." Minako waved her hand "It happened a long time ago."

"Can I ask what happened? Why it didn't work out?"

Minako looked at her friend and coworker and sighed, "Well…" she hesitated, again. The wound was already open but, did she really want to dig in deeper into it? She wasn't sure, but as Rei constantly said to her _'If you don't talk about it, it will never heal.'_ So, she took a chance and went for it. "He was stubborn." she started, "And complicated—although we shared the same interests in the end it just didn't work out for us." Minako shrugged her shoulders dismissively. Aiko widened her eyes "Wow… and here I thought I had it worse."

"Why?"

"Well…" Aiko took a sip of her mojito "He cheated on me."

Minako pursed her lips "Well, that is as bad as my situation."

"Yeah well… the thing is that, even when we started being too close and connected, something got lost in the way. I loved him very much and maybe I still do but… things weren't the same."

Minako nodded "I know exactly what you mean." with a smile, she turned to look at her friend "But I refuse to give up on love, you know?"

"Even after something so ugly like that breakup of yours?"

"Yup." Minako put her glass aside and smiled, "I know the perfect couple to prove me that love can be the strongest feeling that ever has existed and how it doesn't matter how long it takes, it will find you. Transcendental love."

"Aww, really?"

Minako nodded "Yeah," she smiled softly, "Somehow, looking at them gives me hope that it will happen to me one day too. Maybe not their story but… something like that."

"That is so sweet." Aiko said softly, "I wish I can find something like that as well."

Minako smiled "I have the feeling that it will be soon." she winked her eye at her and looked down at her watch, "Oh my, look at the hour—I better go home." she looked at her friend and smiled softly, "Tomorrow is going to be another long day." looking through her purse to reach her wallet, she gave Aiko a bill she immediately rejected "No, it was my treat. I invited you."

Minako smiled and put her wallet back inside her purse "Thank you so much, I really needed it."

Aiko winked her eye at her "I will see you Monday."

Minako waved her hand and made her way to the exit and walked back home. She looked at her watch again and noticed it was still not that late to go and buy what she has been craving all day. She crossed the street after waiting for the green light to come and walked into the nearest convenient store, after buying some groceries and her not so guilty pleasures of magazines and ice cream, she walked her way home where Artemis was probably there waiting for her with Luna.

Peeking through her bags to count the magazines she bought as she waited for a light to turn green for her, she noticed there was someone sitting near an ally. Her blue eyes narrowed when she noticed it was _"A girl."_ Who was probably lost and hungry she thought, there was something that caught her attention about her, she was sure she didn't know her but she felt the need to help. Moving past the gathered crowd to get to her and offer her some help she found her gone and leaving her with a feeling of worry. "Poor girl, she must be starving," she said to herself and turned just in time to run while the green light was still twinkling.

* * *

O—o—o—o—o—O

The lights of a car turned off and the sound of four doors closing echoed in the middle of the now silent and solitary park. Four women stood in front of the fountain and stayed silent for a few minutes before one of them stood under one light pole "It was here."

Haruka narrowed her eyes and sighed while she stared at the deep marks on the ground "You are right, it looks like a landing… and a bad one to be honest."

"I couldn't see much from the café but once I got here I saw something strange…"

"You said you saw someone." Michiru frowned and turned to Setsuna who was standing next to Hotaru. "Yes, what it looked to be a girl. I tried to look for her but there were too many people crowded here plus, the policeman that urged me to leave."

Haruka went down to one knee and touched the marks on the concrete and pressed her lips together in thought, she turned to Michiru who was standing a few feet away from her, with her arms crossed and a stern face "What are you thinking?"

Michiru parted her lips and looked for her the mirror in her purse; with a hand she softly caressed the glossy glass and took a deep breath, "If it was something important, there should be people still studying this place—so it is probably nothing or at least I wish it could be nothing."

"But?" Haruka stood up and walked towards her. Michiru looked up and then at Haruka "But this mirror is trying to tell me otherwise." Setsuna closed her eyes for a moment "It might happen after all."

Haruka and Michiru and a silent Hotaru turned to look at her "We can't be sure about that." The blonde said dryly, really hoping this was just a piece of rock from outer space and shook her head, "What if we are trying to find the explanation to something that has nothing to explain."

"But," Michiru trailed off and frowned "The archeologists."

"What?"

"The interview we watched the other day, the secret civilization they claimed have found."

"I'm confused, why could that be related to this?" Haruka shook her head and looked down at the marks on the ground as if trying to find a valid explanation to all that has been sporadically happening "First those treasure hunters, now this… what's next?"

"What about Hotaru's premonition?" Michiru asked with worry and turned to Hotaru who was looking at the crack in the concrete, "It could be related—but what I felt was stronger than this." she looked up, "It's the anger what worries me,"

Haruka sighed heavily while rubbing the back of her neck, "I know we said to keep it to ourselves but we should wait a little longer." Haruka said softly and turned to Setsuna and Hotaru, "We can't take this as a matter that should be concerning us—that happened years ago, everybody has moved on."

Setsuna sighed, "I think that option will be always open for us…" she looked at the blonde "Just because we live a different life now doesn't mean we are no longer who we were. That is still us, we were brought here for a reason."

"A reason only you seem to know," Haruka said in a dry tone. After the battle with Galaxia ended and they returned from the cauldron was Usagi fought with her, everything seemed to finally go back to normal except for Setsuna. Deep inside, she always waited for the premonition she learned from her father and her time at the Gates of Time and Space.

As the only owner of the keys of the Time Space Corridor and the only one who could travel through time, she was always aware that something would eventually catch up with them. She felt guilty for knowing something she was not allowed to tell anyone, not even her closest comrades and for years after they battled their enemies she thought things probably would change and that destiny decided to take another course as a result of everyone's actions, specially Usagi's but these serial of events, brought back the possibility of something coming their way, something that would change their lives forever. Setsuna pressed her lips together and shook her head, "You know my position."

"We should talk to the girls." Michiru said, "Who better than them to understand how we are feeling right now?" while looking at her mirror she frowned "Rei could even help us by reading the fire."

"I cannot do this to Usagi-chan," Haruka said dryly.

"If strange things like these keep happening, we will have to eventually talk to them." Michiru suggested and Haruka exhaled, "I think it would be better to talk to the one person who is closer to her."

"Mamoru." Setsuna said softly making Haruka nod "Nothing has been really been threatening to us, nothing has really happened but in case something really does happen and that it might put Usagi-chan in danger, he is the first person we should go straight to, then the girls."

"I will keep an eye on this matter." Michiru looked down at her mirror "The other night when that interview was on the television something vaguely appeared in the mirror right before Hotaru said something."

"There will be a lecture at the National Museum about this; the two archeologists are going to show in more detail what they found and even will show evidence of what they took from there."

"We should go and see what it is about," Haruka said.

Michiru and Setsuna nodded, "Until we know what they really found down there, we will know what to do and who to speak to." The tall blonde turned to look at the marks and narrowed her eyes "You said you saw a girl…"

Setsuna nodded "When I was leaving back to the hospital, I saw a girl hiding in those bushes over there but my first reaction was to think that maybe she was a homeless girl because of the expression on her face but now that I think more about the situation, she could be related." Haruka narrowed her deep gaze and frowned in deep thought "We'll wait."

* * *

O—o—o—o—o—O

Minako entered the T.V. station building when heard her cell phone ringing. While she managed to get a hold of it to see who it was calling her, her lips curved into a smile when she saw the name printed on the screen "So, how was it?" she said in a playful tone. She cracked a laugh when heard the great amount of excitement at the other end of her call "You have to tell me all about it! Did you get it?"

Usagi giggled and turned on her chair to check some of the emails from the publishing department "I did! It's at my house... safe and sound."

Minako laughed again "Finally." it was so good to hear from her after a long week that to her it felt like months. Usagi was to Minako the sister she never had, the one she could talk about anything and still make a good conversation out of it that could go on for days. As she entered her office, she waved at Aiko and took a seat after making sure her horrible boss wasn't there to yell at her for being on the phone, "You could have called me you know? I would have loved to go with you."

"I know, I know—I'm sorry." Usagi bit the soft rubber point of her pencil "I stayed Friday night at Mamo-chan's apartment and he drove me to the shop on Saturday morning." Minako smiled "You _do_ realize it's not just Mamoru's apartment anymore, right?" she could hear Usagi's laugh at the other end "I mean, the moment you are engaged his things become your things."

Usagi chuckled "I know, I know." Minako smiled and turned on her seat to turn on her computer monitor, "Have you spoken to the girls?"

 _"No, you're the first one I call this week."_

"Good girl." Minako chuckled and heard the other blonde same response at the other end _"Have you? How are they? Any novelties while I was absent?"_

"Hmm, well… Mako-chan's been having quite the adventure at her job, Ami-chan is always busy at the hospital and Rei-chan… well, you know the deal with Rei-chan."

 _"He's still there huh?"_

"Of course," Minako rolled her eyes with annoyance, "He's not given any sign that he is going to leave anytime soon." Minako's voice lowered. Usagi sighed and shook her head, "It is so unlike her, to let him stay there. In another time she had put all of his belonging out on the streets without thinking it twice."

 _"We both know why she is doing all of this."_

"Well, that is true."

"So," Minako arched her brow "When can we meet for lunch? I mean, as your maid of honor I have some privileges." Usagi giggled _"Whenever you are free, you have the most hectic schedule it is really hard to keep up with you."_

Minako smiled "Never for you my dear, I'll talk to the girls and I'll call you back, okay? I believe there are still things to discuss."

 _"Perfect."_

Minako widened her eyes when she spotted her boss and turned to hide her phone "Usa-chan, I gotta go… he's coming over here. I'll talk to you later today okay?"

"Okay, okay!" Usagi said quickly and ended the call. She sighed and turned to look at the hour, she found it really strange that Mika or Yumi wasn't on their desks since it was past their check-in. After a few more minutes of going through her messages, her phone rang "Art Department" she simply answered; her blue eyes widened when recognizing the voice at the other end "Y-Yes?" she hesitated "Yes, I am on my way." she hung up, stood up and took one quick glance at her deep green pencil skirt and pearl colored shirt before walking out of the office. Minutes later, she knocked on the door "Come in."

"Ah, Tsukino-san… there you are, come in."

Usagi nodded and closed the door behind her. She finally realized it wasn't her that she got there early since Yumi and Mika were seating across Maya's desk. Maya, a woman in her mid 40's, shoulder length dark red hair, tied in an elegant French twist. Brown eyes, thin lips and always with impeccable yet, trendy makeup and clothes.

Her life was not much of a secret for those who worked for her. Izuki Irazumi had married more than once and divorced more than twice. After her first attempt of marriage and divorce she went on a trip to America that would eventually influence her that much to ditch her given name and to adopt this new personality that went under the name of 'Maya' and started her new company that now put her on the spot as one of the best fashion magazines in Tokyo and now, Usagi stood there in silence and waited for the woman behind that fancy desk continue, "I thought you were going to take today as well, since you called in sick this past Friday."

"I tried my best to feel better, I wanted to come since there are so many things to be taken care of," Usagi said softly. Maya nodded "I see," she stared at the blonde, her eyes moving up and down taking a good sight of her outfit and arched her brow in a silent approval, "I heard you are getting married."

"Yes," Usagi said softly, thinking that it might have been Yuki who informed her that since she began asking a little too much about her ring. Usagi looked at Maya sit behind her glass desk in front of her, she knew the woman didn't care much about what she did with her life but still, here she was "Congratulations." her voice was sounded somewhat bitter as she looked down at the many cover options for the next issue Usagi worked on and designed.

"Mika was just telling me of your work was done, I know you spent a quite considerable amount of time doing these covers but I am not pleased with the result—" she threw carelessly the cover samples with disinterest over her desk and sighed, "The final drafts should be done by now as the magazine needs to be on newsstands by the end of the week." she frowned and looked at Usagi, "It's perfectly clear that these were done in a rush and it is not what I specifically asked for." Her brown gaze pierced the blonde and arched a brow "Look Tsukino-san, I hired you because from all the silly little girls that got their way through the internship you were the most promising one, but this…" she grabbed one of the previews and showed it to her "This does not reflect what my magazine is all about. It's childish and a waste of my time and money because I could be elsewhere doing my job instead of coming here to supervise the work you are supposed to know how to do by now." she pointed at Yuki and shook her head, "That is why I gave Yuki the task to supervise you, but she comes with… _these_ … and I am not pleased."

Usagi didn't know exactly how to feel, she tried her best not to break in front of the woman. She didn't care much if all the things she was telling her were in private but she was minimizing her and her work in front of her coworkers and that was humiliating enough. She pressed her lips, keeping her thoughts very locked away from her mouth as she continued listening to Maya's complaints.

"What can you say about this mess? Because this is what it is… a complete mess!" Usagi looked at Maya and took a deep breath "I did what I was told to do."

"I did not tell you to do this rubbish," she grabbed another preview and showed it to the blonde, "This is supposed to be the girl of the moment, the _it_ girl," Usagi recognized the face as the girl that took Minako's spot at the audition. "You turned this girl a nobody with this bad design you did."

"I will work on it, right away—I know I can fix it."

Maya leaned on her desk and looked at her in silence, then at Yuki and Mika "Leave me alone with her."

Both girls nodded and turned on their heel; Mika turned and gave the blonde an encouraging smile before leaving the office. "Look." Maya walked around her desk and stood in front of the blonde, "I know you are all excited about your wedding and that you have many things in mind like what are you going to serve to your guests or how are you going to make your dress fit you well in that tight and petite body of yours but this is a place where you come to work, not to daydream. I am the one who is paying for those centerpieces, I am the one who in the end, pays your bills and the least you could do is to do your job well because this is what will really last in the end." she frowned and waved her hand, "All this marriage nonsense will crumble in about two years when you finally realize that it is not what you wanted to do with your life in the first place."

Usagi widened her eyes in shock; the woman was mocking her decisions, insulting her work, her plans, and future husband. She felt her blood boiling inside and her eyes burning with tears that threatened to roll down her flushed cheeks but she also had dignity and pride, and despite her being kind hearted she was not going to give her the benefit of seeing her crumble. "I will give you the design you want by the end of the day."

Maya arched her brow and half smiled, "Very well." she turned on her heel and went to sit behind her desk "If by the end of the day I do not get the cover I want for this month's issue consider looking for another job at another place or being a full-time housewife because you won't be coming back. Maybe washing the dishes is a more appropriate task for you." The woman sighed and rubbed her temples, "I feel bad Tsukino-san because I invested too much time in you… I had faith in you and now you are wasting it all for a man."

Usagi looked at Maya with a hurt look, "What do you mean?"

"When you came here you were just a girl with pigtails. I gave you a sense of style, an image that would be suitable for this magazine and that you clearly learned to perfection, but your work… it still shows me you haven't grown into the woman I was hoping you to become."

"I…" Usagi trailed off, Mayas' words hurt her deeply; this was something nobody ever said to her before and she fought the lump in her throat and the tears in her eyes with all of her might but still, she had to speak for herself "I do not think my appearance affects my talents. I have been doing my job properly and in time and have been very professional about it."

Maya looked at the blonde and put her glasses on without saying anything in response to Usagi's words, "If I do not get the cover for this month's issue by the end of the day, do not bother to come back tomorrow." Usagi nodded and turned on her heel, just before her hand reached for the handle she heard Maya address to her again "Oh, and Tsukino-san?"

Usagi turned over her shoulder "Yes?"

Maya looked up and took her glasses off for a minute, "All men swear loyalty at the altar but it is a long road from what they say to what it really is—I hope yours can last more than 2 hours." Usagi looked at her for a second and closed the door behind her "Usagi?" the blonde was startled to see Mika waiting for her outside Maya's office with a worried look "Hey," Usagi said softly "What are you doing here?"

"I was worried. I spoke in your defense and explained Yuki never gave you real direction to what she wanted."

Usagi smiled softly "I know, don't worry." she shrugged her shoulders, "I'll just have to come up with a cover by the end of the day and this will be a thing of the past."

"What!?" Mika widened her eyes "What did she tell you?"

Usagi sighed heavily and shook her head and began walking back to their office "Nothing really, she just asked me to do my job." she lied, of all things she really wanted at that precise moment, making a big deal with what happened with Maya and her comments was not part of her plans. They all knew she had a difficult personality and that she was hardly impressed by anything that wasn't from a high status or high fashion. Of course, it hurt her feelings what Maya told her but she had to listen more to Mamoru's advice of not taking the woman seriously when it came to her absurd comments. What did she know anyways? The man she was going to marry had stayed strong for two thousand years. With a wide stare, she turned to Mika and stopped in her tracks, making the other girl turned with a puzzled look "What's wrong?"

Usagi frowned "Why didn't you tell me she got engaged?"

Mika widened her eyes in surprise "What?"

"I heard it in the restroom. She got engaged or moved in with her boyfriend or something like that," Usagi shook her head "Why didn't you say something before!? Is this why she is being so bitchy?"

Mika chuckled softly "I was going to tell you but then we had all this work and pressure that I completely forgot."

"So, I guess this is why she is being all competitive..." Usagi mumbled as she continued walking towards their office, Mika sighed, "If Yuki is telling everybody she is engaged is because _you_ are engaged, not because she truly is. That is how desperate for attention she is." they both entered the office; Usagi immediately went to take her seat and began working on the cover. Yuki looked at the blonde and pursed her lips "I tried to talk to Maya but you know how she is Usagi-san."

Usagi turned and faked a smile. She no longer felt any kind of sympathy or sincerity coming from her and that was something hard to achieve for Usagi "I will have the cover by today. I hope nobody changes anything." her subtle hint hit Yuki's ego "Well, you let me know when it's done so I can give it a quick glance before you send it to her."

"I will send it directly to her, without your supervision. That is something I negotiated with her."

Yuki widened her eyes; she was surprised to get that kind of response from her since she was always so polite and sweet. This time she caught her off guard and did not really know how to divert the conversation. Mika realized she was cornered in her own lies and could not deny the small satisfaction it gave her, with a soft smile she turned to Usagi and tilted her head "By the way Usagi, with all due respect... you could have done better."

Usagi looked at Yuki and smiled widely "Thank you—I so needed your advice."

"You should not say things like that Yuki," Mika said and noticed Usagi's swiped the code in her phone, showing the picture of her and Mamoru. "Usagi, is that your boyfriend?" Usagi turned to Mika and smiled softly "Yes."

"Oh wow." she stood up and grabbed the phone to look at the picture more closely making Usagi chuckled, "What?"

"What do you mean what?! He's gorgeous!" Mika widened her eyes, "You lucky girl!"

The expression could not hold Yuki back for much longer and stand next to Mika, who was still looking at the picture on the phone "Oh my god." she turned to Usagi "Is he a model?"

"No." Usagi answered dryly and turned to her monitor, "Has he ever modeled?" She heard Yuki ask again, "No." Usagi answered. Yuki tapped her chin with her pencil in thought, Mika looked at her and shook her head; she knew where this was going. "I think he should consider that as a career." Mika sighed and closed her eyes while shaking her head. Usagi frowned and turned to look at the red-haired girl with annoyance, "What?" He should really take advantage of his looks, it would totally make him very popular and famous." Yuki smiled widely, thinking about this as a major career opportunity "I could schedule a photo shoot and then send the pictures to Maya, I am sure she would love to have him on the magazine."

"Thank you, Yuki, for your concern and—help or whatever, but I don't think he will be interested. He already has a career." Usagi frowned and shook her head. Yuki pursed her lips and turned to Mika who was shaking her head in disapproval "What?"

"I was just suggesting something since Maya is not too happy with Usagi's work… I thought that will give her some advantage."

Usagi stopped typing and stayed silent for a couple of minutes. I was impossible for her to assimilate the drastic change of vibe from last week to this day and even began considering just not giving anything to her boss and get the hell out of that place but that would be giving just one girl the importance she doesn't really need or deserved. With a heavy feeling on her chest, she stood up and walked out of the office towards the closest restroom available and closed the door behind her.

Why didn't Yuki like her? –she didn't know. It went beyond her comprehension and it hurt her since she had tried to be friendly for the longest time to be treated this way. She knew she had Mika's support but still, it was draining her energy being efficient while being patient and cool about it.

The blonde walked over the large mirror and looked at her reflection; her blue eyes showed confusion and hurt. She was a girl that had managed to survive all kinds of experiences, she had fought evil countless of times as a soldier and a princess and now, she was trying to live her life –the normal life, she always wanted and it would be perfect if there weren't too many mean-spirited people trying to block her way. She felt her eyes burning with tears but she also had enough pride to not give up to comments like the ones she got from Maya and Yuki. Her anger went beyond that, it was just the inexplicable fact of why Yuki always tried to block her way to success.

As she slowly regained her calm, she opened the faucet and put her hands under the cold, running water for a moment and sigh heavily, thinking about if she should tell Mamoru what happened or not, "I hope you are having a better day than I am Mamo-chan." she smiled sadly "Because I don't think things can get any more complicated than this…"

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters-thank you._


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: Another Friday, another chapter. A big thank you to SilverAngel1010, Flareup4Ratchet, Guest, kera69love, Serenity Morrison and Become's one with the story for your awesome reviews and birthday wishes. I hope you like this chapter and as always, let's keep the good vibes flowing. Have a nice weekend._

 _Note: Oh, I wanted to clarify that when in phone calls and the dialogue is in italics, it means it's the other person talking over the phone._

Divinity: The Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Sixteen

* * *

O.o.o.o.o.o.O

Taking advantage of the calmness of her day and that her grandfather finally decided to take a nap after spending most of his morning outside meditating and watching the visitors go and see the shrine maiden to buy amulets and lucky charms, Rei thought it would be the right moment to go and meditate in front of the fire since she hadn't had the chance at dawn, like she usually did every day. With the elegance only she could master, she walked to the room where she knew the fire was waiting for her, anxious to reveal its majestic power.

With a soft smile, she entered and closed the door behind her and bowed in respect once in front of the big fire. It had been weeks since she last saw and experienced those strange happenings she could still not explain up to this day. After what happened weeks ago and her meeting with the girls, she didn't have another encounter or reading of that kind; it was like nothing had happened and even when she tried to dig deep into the matter to gather more information there was no trace of it, not a single one. There was no clue that could give her a good reason to tell the girls while she convinced herself it was her personal turmoil what caused so much chaos these past few days.

Rei closed her eyes and brought her hands together and began whispering her usual prayers to the fire, prior the readings. "Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sa, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen," she opened her amethyst eyes slowly and looked at the fire slowly bend and twirl in response to her words, "What are you trying to say to me?" she whispered and continued with her chants "Sacred fire, tell me what it is… allow me to know the truth,"

Much to her surprise, the flames in front of her roared and showed her the image of a young woman, one she did not recognize and who appeared to be around their age if not younger. Her face was blurry and could not really see anything that could relate her to someone she might know. "Could it be a lost girl? Someone might be looking for her, maybe?" Rei whispered and widened her eyes when noticed something else was on the fire next to the girl, now, it was the reflection of a man, a man, with some sort of power she has never seen before, "What?" she narrowed her eyes and tried to move closer to get a better look but just like it happened with the girl, his face was also blurry, there were no features clear making it close to impossible to find a resemblance to anyone she might know or seen in the past. "Is it possible?" she whispered and looked down at her hands, "Is it possible that these visions are connected?"

"My child." she heard a strong whisper and jumped with surprise at the voice coming from the blazing fire. With a strong flick and change of pace, it abruptly returned back to normal and she no longer could see the silhouettes she was sure she saw just minutes ago. Rei felt a tug in her chest and walked out of the room thinking it wasn't new that she had visions of missing people or delinquents who were needed to be found, but despite being something she commonly found in the fire, her heart was trying to tell her that it might be something else, something more like "A calling." she whispered to herself. Soon after, she heard the telephone ringing inside the shrine, surprising her before taking the call. "Hello?"

" _For a moment I thought you were not there."_

Rei smiled, recognizing Minako's voice "I almost wasn't."

Minako closed the restroom's door and took a deep breath, worrying the priestess on the other end _"Are you there?"_ she heard her say and smiled "Yes, I'm here."

" _Everything okay?"_

"Yes… I'm fine. I just needed to talk to someone who could bring my spirit back." Minako sighed heavily and leaned on the wall while looking up at the bright cold light on the ceiling. The Priestess on the other end of the call smiled more warmly, _"Tell me about it."_

"Usagi-chan called me."

" _Everything okay?"_ A slight, almost invisible frown crossed the beautiful Miko's face at the mention of her friend and smiled "Yes, she told me she had been very busy at work lately but wanted to know if we could all meet."

" _Anytime."_ Rei said softly over the phone, _"She doesn't even have to ask that silly question… but I know what she means. Of course, you are always welcome at this humble Shrine, you know that."_

Minako chuckled, "Thank you Miko-san, so, should we schedule something for tonight?"

" _Sure, I have a new bottle of sake in case you are interested in making it a tradition."_

Minako widened her blue eyes and blushed, she remembered their last meeting and how it ended in tears, curses, and jokes about the most stupid things also, how it reminded her that sake was not always on her side with the horrible hangover she had the next day. "Wait, sake? You've been having a lot just hanging around lately."

" _Of course I don't buy it! but since it is here why not take advantage of it?"_

"Alright then, I'll call Mako-chan and Ami-chan and see how their schedules are… I promised Usagi-chan I was going to call her later today and let her know."

" _Perfect,"_

"See you later Miko-san."

Rei chuckled at Minako's sweet and silly joke "See you tonight Aino-san," she hung up and stayed silent for a couple of minutes. Her mind still felt like a haze after the strange reading she had and pressed her lips together, "I can feel something coming close. I can feel it."

* * *

O.o.o.o.o.o.O

Minako arrived at the shrine right after Makoto and Ami who, fortunately, had her day off from the hospital. With a wide smile, she showed them a bottle of wine she brought to celebrate. "Oh, fancy!" Makoto said playfully and cracked a chuckle, "I bought it on my way here." Minako looked at the bottle and waved it proudly, "I thought the label was too cute to be ignored, so I just bought it-it's rosé."

"Nice way to choose your wine Mina-chan," Ami said in between laughs. Rei stood up and went to greet Minako while grabbing the wine bottle, "Well, it is a nice label."

"I know, I just happen to have an eye for these things…" Minako said with a smile on her face, "Call it a talent—I don't know."

"No wonder why you are the most fashionable girl I know!"

All four girls turned to Usagi, who was standing at the door with a big smile on her face, "Usagi-chan!" they all said in unison and went quickly to give her a hug. Usagi greeted each girl with a wide smile; the moment she stepped foot at the shrine, she felt at ease and welcomed, and made her forget the bittersweet moment she had with her boss earlier that day. "I feel like it's been ages since we last saw!" Makoto cheered and went to sit on the floor around the small table in Rei's room, just like in the old days when they spent their afternoons studying for entrance exams or just chilling, listening to the radio while reading a manga.

"Me too!" Usagi lifted the bag she was carrying with her, "I'm sorry I'm late, I had to do some urgent stuff at work but," she waved the large paper bags in her hands, "I got you some goodies from the magazine!"

"Oh yay!" Minako waved her hand and took a seat next to Rei and Makoto and watched Usagi take out a long fancy box with silk scarves in different colors. "I picked out the best things, of course." Usagi gave Makoto a deep forest one with pale pink and gold embroidery, Minako a pale golden one with a heart broach attached, Ami a baby blue one with a watercolor print effect and Rei a fiery red one with silver thread embroidered all around its ends.

"These are so pretty… and so meant to be ours," Makoto extended the wide scarf and looked at it with awe, "And they're so soft." Ami caressed hers with delicacy while wrapping it around her neck, "Thank you so much Usa-chan."

Usagi smiled and got more stuff out of the bags "Wait, there's more…"

"You do realize you got these things from work, right?" Minako asked, puzzled.

"Yes," the silver blonde chuckled, "There was a photo shoot and the sponsor donated a lot of stuff to the magazine but my boss being the woman she is, she doesn't want much of it, so all the staff could choose from a big pile of stuff." Usagi smiled and gave each girl a bottle of perfume in different scents and a little box with a pair of silver earrings "I just couldn't let go this amazing opportunity, I mean, it almost never happens."

"You shouldn't have bothered!" Makoto said.

"Not at all." Usagi waved her hand and leaned back to rest her back on Rei's bed. "So, how's work? Getting free stuff sounds like it's going well." Minako asked softly but soon was surprised to see Usagi sighed heavily, "Well, it has its ups and downs but I believe it's part of the charm." she grabbed one of the porcelain cups Rei brought to her room and poured herself some of the wine Minako brought and took a small sip, "I love my job, really, the people working there are nice, of course with a few exceptions here and there,"

Ami smiled softly "You fit perfectly in that place, they should value your effort."

Usagi blushed, knowing what the bluenette meant. She patted her friend's hand and smiled, "I'm just so glad to be here with you guys."

"Awww and so—are—we!" Minako patted the blonde's hand with each word "But, what about Mamoru, where is he?"

"Still working." Usagi looked at the blonde and put the empty paper bags aside, "He told me he would be working until late today, there is something going on at the hospital, board—patients... he has been in late meetings concerning a case. Things like that," Ami arched a brow; she did not remember Mamoru saying anything about staying until late at the hospital. Before her shift changed once again, she knew his regular schedule and since he became a resident doctor, his shift didn't change as much as hers still did. She knew he still attended emergency calls but it was very rare to see him on his free days or in after hours, the same happened with Motoki. She knew about the case but she found it strange Mamoru would misguide Usagi and tell her something that to her was obviously not true since knowing for a fact that he had left the hospital earlier that day. Now that she thought about it, she did remember him having a mysterious call during the day when she was helping him with a consultation, but never really thought it could be something that he would be doing behind Usagi's back. It was not like him but now it made her wonder. Her silence caught the Miko's attention and turned to her, "You okay Ami-chan?" Rei asked softly, Ami blinked and nodded with a soft, kind smile "Y-Yes."

Rei began pouring more wine on her traditional porcelain cups "I'm sorry you guys, I don't have appropriate glasses for the wine, this is all I have."

"These are perfect, don't worry." Makoto said softly and turned to look at her with a puzzled face, "Hey, Rei-chan how are you? You know... about that. Is _he_ here?" Rei sighed and nodded while she poured wine into another cup to give to Minako and Ami, "Yes, he is with my grandfather."

"So, I have a question: How long is he going to stay here?" Minako asked, "Or is he staying permanently?"

Rei sighed again, she was tired of the whole drama with Yuiichiro and the girls were the only ones who knew the truth about how she really felt about the whole situation with him. "I don't know anymore, I asked him to leave but he is, of course, reluctant to the idea. It's wearing me out, even if I wanted to settle things with him and live a peaceful life, I don't see him as the man I could share my life with—at least, not anymore."

"You don't love him anymore, it's only natural," Minako said and took a sip of her wine. "It's more than just not loving him anymore, it's the trust we had for each other, it shattered into millions of pieces and I am too prideful to let things go," Rei added and took a sip of her wine, her delicate fingers slowly tracing the rim of her porcelain cup in thought.

"And what are you going to do then? Are you going to continue living in this hell for the rest of your life?" Makoto asked softly, Rei pursed her lips and shook her head. "I don't know Mako-chan."

"You are not thinking of living like this for as long your grandfather lives, right?"

All four girls turned to Ami, who took a sip of her wine with the same delicacy that always characterized her. Like always, Ami was a woman of few words but when she decided to speak up about something, it was always straight to the core, she was that assertive. Her blue eyes fixed on her friend's Amethyst ones and took a deep breath, "Maybe now that your grandfather is more at peace, he can understand why the relationship is not working anymore."

"Ami-chan is right." Usagi said softly and turned to Rei, "You don't necessarily need to tell him the whole truth, just talk to him and tell him that things are not working the way you hoped they would. Relationships are not easy, and sometimes they end. I am sure he understands this concept."

"Even if I did, he is his Master." Rei said and ran her hand through her dark hair, "He is somehow bound to this Shrine since he works with me—he is devoted to his duties."

"If he is so devoted to his duties in this Shrine, the least he could do now is to find another place to stay." Makoto said dryly, "I feel bad because we all had faith in him. None of us ever imagined he could do something like that and now it's all uncomfortable to see him around, knowing what he did to you. Makes me want to crack his bones, one by one." she turned to Minako and arched her brow, "Speaking of finding another place to stay…" Minako widened her eyes startled at Makoto's sudden change of pace in the conversation, "Have you thought something about the apartment?"

Minako nodded "Yes, I just spoke to the landlord, he will give me an extra month to decide and pack because he is going out of town."

"Well, my offer is still open, you are more than welcome."

"Thanks, Mako-chan." Minako smiled and took a sip of her wine, "Oh, and by the way… what happened to this guy you liked?"

All eyes were now on Makoto "Masao-san?" she blushed, but as fast as it came it went and was replaced with a frown, "Nothing, he…" she trailed off and looked away for a minute, "He barely crosses a word with me, unless it is work related and if it is really necessary." Usagi frowned and turned to the girls, then to Makoto "Okay, I believe I am not following this story, what happened Mako-chan?" Makoto sighed, "There is this guy at work I like, remember I mentioned him before?" Usagi nodded and put her cup with wine down, "Yes, the Sous Chef,"

Makoto nodded, "Well, somehow, he thinks I am sleeping with my boss."

"What?!" Usagi's crystal blue eyes widened, "For real?"

The brunette nodded and shrugged her shoulders, "For real, and I know Suzuki-san has something to do with all this drama."

"Yes, but your boss is a stalker." Minako crossed her arms, surprising Usagi again "What?!"

Rei turned to Usagi and nodded, "He tried to get involved with her… you know…" Usagi flushed fiery red and turned to Makoto "WHAT!?"

"Of course, I made it clear I am not that kind of girl, I wanted to quit but I can't because he said that he would trash my reputation and I would never be able to open my own business," Makoto said dryly. "What a son of a—" Usagi muttered with anger, "—Anyways, what are you going to do Mako-chan?" Ami waved her hand with a sweet smile, interrupting Usagi's flourished choice of words. Makoto shrugged her shoulders dismissively, "Hang in there, what else is there for me to do? I really want to open my own place." she said softly and drank all of her wine in one gulp "He won't bring me down. I can handle this."

"And I thought I had the meanest boss and co-worker ever." Usagi finished her wine, everyone could tell she was getting tipsy by the blush on her cheeks and her loose tongue; this time, all girls widened their eyes at her, "What, you?"

"My intentions were to get here earlier, I swear." she raised her hand and continued, "But my co-worker, the one who assists the editor in chief kept me changing the designs for the cover of the magazine I was supposed to deliver before I left on Friday and today at work, my boss immediately called me to her office and said all kinds of things to me to the extent of saying that my marriage will eventually fail."

"WHAT!?" all girls said out loud, "What a bitch," Minako muttered bitterly, finishing what Usagi meant to say in the first place. "Minako!" Ami exclaimed, surprised. Minako shrugged her shoulders and took a sip of her wine in response to her friend's exclamation, "Well she is a bitch! Are you going to deny that?"

Ami sighed and shook her head, "Well, no but—"

"But what?" Minako arched her brow, Ami pursed her lips "You could have used another choice of words."

Usagi sighed tiredly, "Well, she is..." she bit her lip, knowing that Ami felt uncomfortable when they cursed, "A little mean, it is no surprise. Everyone knows she is not the nicest person in the world and that she is obsessed with everything that is on trend, like this blonde girl." Minako narrowed her eyes "The one that is taking every casting job off my hands?"

"The one and only."

Minako narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips "Ugh, she is so fake. What a bitch."

"Minako-chan!" Ami exclaimed again, making the blonde sigh and wave her hand "Alright, alright! I'm sorry!"

Rei frowned, "Why did our lives have this sudden change?" her eyes showed a very concerned, sad look. Almost like if she was disappointed at what everything turned out to be with their lives after their battles. Ami looked at her and tilted her head with curiosity, "What do you mean?"

The priestess took her glass and looked at the soft pink liquid and took a moment to continue. She knew this was a delicate topic and that she had to treat the matter as cautious as possible. "Since when we are okay to deal with these kinds of people?" she turned to Makoto, "Your boss is a sexual assaulter," then to Minako, "Yours a misogynist, my ex-boyfriend is an a-hole," she turned to Usagi "Yours is a diva, and…" turned to Ami but stopped and sighed, "No, you're fine."

Ami blinked "Huh?"

Makoto shrugged her shoulders "But I guess it's all part of the charm like Usagi-chan just said."

"What charm?" Rei asked, slightly annoyed "Where is the charm in being harassed or insulted? We are Sailor Sen…" she widened her eyes and bit her lip. With a guilty look, she avoided eye contact with the girls and took a long sip of wine "Sorry." she muttered softly. Silence fell in the room and none of the girls knew how to handle what just happened, somehow talking about their days as Senshi had become some sort of taboo, like if someone ever mentioned something, their lives as normal civilians would be jinxed. Makoto being the toughest of the crew understood the priestess' point of view and nodded but before she said anything she was interrupted, "You're right." All eyes were on Usagi, who took a sip of her wine "You're right Rei-chan. It's true."

"Usagi…" Rei looked at her with surprise. "It is obvious that there is something bothering you, and it bothers me too." The blonde said softly, "You are right, we are Sailor Senshi and we shouldn't take any bad attitudes from nobody… we know better than this and we have handled worse things in the past."

"But?" Rei arched her brow, knowing that it was not the end of her opinion. Usagi took a moment to continue and pursed her lips, "But it is part of our normal lives. We must learn from every experience, improve and move on."

"What if we are not meant to be normal?" Rei asked, defiant "What if…"

"Rei-chan…" Ami moved closer and rested her hand on top of hers, "Do you miss it?"

Rei sighed and shook her head. She felt a tug in her heart and wished to say everything that has been crossing her mind lately and what has been happening in the past few days when she did her meditations in front of the fire. She wanted to tell them that something has been ringing in the back of her mind and that suddenly has become feeling more like a common girl and less than the one who once held some kind of magical, strong power and fought for the sake of the galaxy but again, a sense of guilt invaded her and urged her to stop ruining what Usagi had built with so much effort: A normal life, with its ups and downs but a normal life in the end.

She looked at her friend and smiled sadly "I don't know how to explain it. It is not like I enjoy fighting enemies or be the witness of deaths and tragedies but—it was just the fact of feeling stronger, you know? I am too heartbroken to see things clearly, but there was this nice feeling to know I was doing something good, that no matter if I had a rough day I was helping the people on this planet be safe and happy."

"I think I understand your point." Makoto said softly, "You think it is unfair that we, being Sailor Senshi have to deal with these stupid situations that somehow manage to pull down our spirits."

Rei sighed softly "Yes… that is probably it."

Minako looked at her friend in silence and took a sip of her wine while thinking there was more than meets the eye with Rei. She could feel the confusion, the anger and even longing in her voice but also knew why she decided to put the matter aside. She took a deep breath and turned to a smiling Usagi who was more than happy to be with them, a tug in her chest made her realize what the Miko was doing deep down her constant questioning. _You are protecting her—_ she thought.

With that heavy moment behind, the girls continued their chit chat like if nothing had happened and talked about most everything. They finally had the time to catch up and put up to date with everything that has been happening in their lives when they are not together, like in the old days; they gossiped, laughed and cried all at the same time.

"Hey Ami-chan, you are the only one who hasn't told us what is really happening in your life." Minako arched a brow and smiled while pouring more wine into her cup, Ami blushed and shook her head, "What do you mean? I just told you what happened at that dinner thrown by this young nurse the other day."

"Was the guy there?"

"What guy?"

All girls looked at Ami with great interest, "You know, _that_ guy. The one Mamoru-kun and Motoki-kun were talking about the other day." Minako said softly and wiggled her brows, "Oh yes my friend, _they talk and we know_."

Ami's cheeks burned and turned crimson red "W-What about him?"

"Have you gone on a date with him?" Minako smiled.

"No."

"Why not?" all four girls asked, curious. Ami pressed her lips together and shook her head nervously, "It's not like that, he's just a co-worker—a friend."

"Oh come on, it's so obvious that you are interested in him," Makoto said with a chuckle. Usagi nodded, "Mamo-chan has said he likes you too." Ami bit her lip and looked down, "It would complicate things…"

"Why?" Minako frowned, "You two like each other—I don't see the problem."

Ami chuckled and shook her head, "Of course you don't, you are the Goddess of Love, but it's not that simple… we work together…"

"And?"

"What if it doesn't work out?" the bluenette finally exposed her feelings, "What if it does?" Rei asked softly, surprising everyone. Usagi blinked and tilted her head, "Have you spoken to him?"

"No…" Ami sighed, Makoto smiled and nudged her blue haired friend "You are so shy it makes all this too adorable to be true."

"Well… why don't you do the same with the young Sous Chef from the restaurant?" Makoto blew her bangs, "Because he's in denial. He preferred to trust a girl who just lives to be envious of everyone else."

Ami pressed her lips for a moment and let out a soft sigh, "I don't want to feel stupid in case he says no. Besides, I really want to focus more on my career… I barely have time for myself, much less to have a relationship with someone."

"But do you feel like something could happen between you two?" Minako asked in a more serious, sisterly tone; she was no longer being playful but this time she was being more understanding. Deep inside she felt a little jealous of the situation her friends were living and she secretly wanted to have a person with who she could share everything or at least someone she could visualize as such. She analyzed each and every one's situation and even Rei had it better than her, even when she no longer felt anything for the man she lived with, he still wanted to win her heart back, he was fighting for her.

She had nobody to fight for or that wanted to fight for her in her life and it was breaking her heart. Was it too difficult to find someone who could really understand her? Who could be with her without asking anything in return? —she thought. Ami looked at her blonde friend and smiled, but before she could say anything Minako cleared her throat and put her glass of wine on the small table in front of her, "Well… this blondie is going home."

All four girls looked at her with wide eyes, Minako slowly stood up and fixed her skirt "Why are you looking me like that?"

"Why are you leaving?" Makoto asked softly and looked at her watch, "It's only 7:30. Do you have to be somewhere else?" Minako shook her head and turned to look for her purse trying to avoid all visual contact with her friends, "No, not at all, I just…" she trailed off and bent to give Usagi a hug, "Thank you for the gifts, I loved them." Usagi felt a hint of melancholy in her voice and looked at her with worry, "Minako-chan… what's wrong?"

Minako smiled and shook her head "Nothing's wrong you silly! I'm tired, that's all." she leaned down and gave her friend a tight hug, "I had a very long day—I promise I will call you, say hi to Mamoru-kun for me." Usagi looked at her with concern and had no other option but nod. Despite she wanted to help her, she couldn't force her to stay if she wasn't feeling like it. With a soft smile, Minako turned to Makoto "I'll call you." then to Ami, "Be good—give the poor man a chance." and then at Rei, "Be strong and thank you for everything." she turned on her heel and walked out of the room closing the door behind her and making her way towards the entrance where her she left her heels when she arrived. Rei kept staring at the door in silence before Makoto interrupted her thoughts, "What was that? She normally is the last one to leave…"

"Could it be that she felt bad because of something?" Ami said softly and turned to the girls, "Maybe our talk about guys was making her feel uncomfortable."

"I don't think so… Minako is not like that." Makoto said and scratched the back of her neck. Usagi turned to Rei and gave her a knowing look, one she took as a sign to go after her and see if she was still around the shrine to have a word with her. With a quick step, she indeed found the blonde struggling with one of her heel's ankle strap "Stupid shoe…" Minako mumbled, unaware that her raven-haired friend was coming her way "Minako."

The blonde looked up and saw Rei standing in the hall with a serious look on her face "Rei-chan, what are you doing here?"

"What happened?" Rei frowned, "What do you mean?" Minako shook her head, confused. Rei crossed her arms and sighed softly, "Why are you leaving so soon?" The blonde bent down again and continued dealing with the strap on her shoe, trying her best to avoid any eye contact with her Miko friend, "I told you, I'm tired… I had a long day. Ugh, I should have thought better when I fell in love with these stupid shoes!" she growled with frustration.

"That doesn't sound like you at all." Rei frowned when noticed the blonde's excuse to not look at her, she knew her too well to decipher there was more than what she promised. "Minako whatever it is, you can tell me." Rei took a step closer to her friend, "Was it something we said, something we—" Rei widened her eyes in surprise when saw Minako looked at her on the verge of tears and a sad smile on her face. "Mina—"

"It has nothing to do with you." Minako tried her best not to break, "Really—I'm fine. I will be fine."

Rei walked towards and tilted her head "Then what is it?"

Minako wiped her tears with the back of her hand and sniffed softly, she hesitated at first but then took a deep breath and looked at her friend, "I am really happy for Usa-chan, I really am. I am very happy that she finally is going to have her 'happily ever after' it's just that..." she turned to look away and bit her trembling lip, "Looking at her so happy, reminds me how lonely I am and it hurts, you know? From time to time, it hurts."

Rei contained her shock when looking at her friend in tears. Minako was a very special woman; she was the one who took control of situations like a good leader, made everyone feel better whenever they felt down, the one to see the bright side to everything. Her usual bubbly and energized personality didn't match with the one she was witnessing right now. Without saying another word, she walked towards her and wrapped her arms around her friend, breaking her protective shell, "I don't want to look like I envy Usa-chan or that I don't want her to be happy… I mean, after everything they have been put through, it's about time they can share a life together in peace. I feel terrible just to say these things." Minako said between heavy sobs.

"I know Minako, I understand. It's something you just wished to understand. Why these kinds of things can ever happen to you when all you have been doing is good for others and you just want to love somebody who can love you the same way without any conditions or sacrifices—I know."

Minako widened her eyes and looked at her friend, Rei nodded, "I know how you feel, believe me when I say my mind is a turmoil too."

"Is there something else? Did he..." the blonde trailed off and turned both sides to make sure nobody was listening to their conversation, "Did he do something to you?" she whispered, her face was one of pure concern and slight anger. Rei took a moment to answer and looked down, she shook her head and pressed her lips tightly. Minako frowned "Rei-chan, what is it?"

"Nothing." Rei bit her lower lip and looked at her friend with a sympathetic look. "Please, don't be a stranger…"

Minako smiled in response. It didn't matter how much she wanted to hide from the world, her desire couldn't last much longer because she cared too much for her friends, they were soul sisters and that was a bond too difficult to break. She knew how her friends, especially Rei, had been these last few months. Deceived, heartbroken and also scared for the health of the only remaining relative that actually cared for her since her father never ever showed his face again. "No worries, I'll be okay. I promise."

With a quick hug and a comforting smile, the blonde parted ways and walked her way back home where her usual dose of ice cream and her load of unread magazines were waiting for her at her apartment.

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

The sound of keys crashing against the hard wooden door and the natural click of the lock being pushed aside was the only thing that received Mamoru when he finally went back to his apartment after a long day at work. He saw the place was in complete darkness and frowned when turned on the spotlights in the foyer, "Usako?" he asked softly, a part of him hoping she would be there since it was a custom of her to arrive and fall asleep on the couch or his bed. He walked into the living room and saw everything was off and neatly arranged, meaning that she hadn't been home all day. His protective instinct immediately reacted, making him look for his cell phone in his pocket and after typing his password he noticed he had a missed call followed by a text message from her. With a sigh of relief, he read through the words,

" _I tried to call you but got no answer, I imagined you were with a patient._

 _I'm meeting the girls after work at Hikawa Shrine, I'll be there soon._

 _Love, Usako."_

His lips curved into a smile and turned the lights on while walking into the kitchen to grab a drink and fix something quick to eat because he knew that once Usagi met with her friends, time wasn't really an obstacle and that they could go on for hours. After a while, he walked back to the dining table with a tall glass of cold stout and very reluctantly took a seat on the table, yawning heavily and wishing to be able to go to bed early. He opened his laptop and took some papers from inside his laptop carry on and began studying the case of the young patient that was still inconclusive and had everyone at the medical board at the edge of their seats with anxiety. His dark blue eyes looked closely at the notes written on the many pages of the report given to him this afternoon by another fellow doctor and turned to type some notes on his computer.

The sound of his quick typing was his only company as he continued doing his research when he suddenly felt a tug in his chest, very similar to those he constantly felt whenever something happened to Usagi and needed his urgent attention. His fingers stopped typing as he remembered the brief mishap he had earlier that day when the same vision of a woman looking for him came while attending a patient at the hospital. His mind quickly was fixed on the image of the woman calling for him and tried to find a reasonable explanation to it—if there ever was one. Frustrated, he rubbed his face with both hands and took a deep breath, "Why is this happening?" he muttered, "Why is this person looking for me?" he narrowed his deep blue eyes, "Who is this woman?" with a heavy sigh, he turned to the document where he was working on his laptop and stayed silent, the soft light coming from the screen and the constant blinking of his cursor kept him from going too much into thought. There was no reason to why he was having these kinds of images at this time, the more he thought about it the more absurd he found the whole thing.

After their last battle, he continued sensing and reading the status of Earth and even stayed constantly alerted by reading the papers and surfing the internet whenever he didn't have a chance to watch t.v. but this new and heavy feeling was slowly nesting in his chest and this time, it was something different, something stronger. He felt curious to use his hidden power to read the status of his planet but the answer kept him hesitant. A part of him wanted to know while the other was reluctant to face a truth he was not really sure it actually existed. He did not want open his eyes and realize it wasn't over—that their days of fighting were still not over.

Mamoru sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair, thinking if it was it too much stress from work? or if it was just an excuse to think of something else rather than the many issues happening at the hospital at the moment? Despite having a very prolific career as a doctor and with many recommendations from his previous teachers and superiors, he thought that this entire situation with the medical board was wearing him down a little. Nowadays, he spent more of his time attending meetings with the directors, creating justifications for his previous work, and competing for a permanent residence at the hospital for the sake of his sanity. He wanted to achieve the goals he set himself since he was a child, he always wanted to become someone who could be of help, he wanted to become a doctor to help those in need and never leave another child as alone as he was when his parents died but he had to admit, that sometimes working shifts of more than ten hours wasn't exactly a walk in the country. He dealt with a lot of stress on a daily basis and not always that stress came from the patients but from the same staff at the hospital. Many people wanted the same thing he wanted: stability, and it was a race to whom achieved it first. It was no surprise that Mamoru had the advantage, being known for his high intellectual, knowledge, and abilities, it was only natural for the board to consider him for cases like the ones he had now in his hands, but also gave him more responsibility to prove that he had what it took to get a permanent position and be a future member of the selective medical board.

Mamoru turned to grab his drink and after taking a long, refreshing sip, he let out a heavy sigh and prepared to continue with his work, trying his best to ignore the tingling sensation in the back of his mind. He pursed his lips and stopped for a minute, the tips of his fingers barely touching the keyboard as he studied the words in his mind before start typing again and put the mysterious matter aside.

" _Endymion."_

Mamoru stopped and widened his blue eyes, he turned both sides to make sure he was indeed alone and ran a hand through his dark hair again, he was sure he heard that voice again. Now frustrated, he leaned his head on his hand and took a deep breath, "What the hell is going on?" he said softly to himself.

He wanted answers, he needed answers, why this person knew that name, and why was she calling for him specifically? he peered into the small hallway that would lead to his bedroom and saw a little girl in a blue dress. Mamoru narrowed his eyes, trying to recognize the girl and without realizing it, he was having another vision. He frowned and stood up to follow her, but soon everything around him slowly disappeared and was left alone in this cold and empty space he no longer recognized. Mamoru turned to look around and indeed, he was no longer at home, but instead was standing in the same field he visited in his dreams several nights ago and again, that same overwhelming feeling of loss was taking over him. He turned and widened his eyes when she saw her there, the woman, crying again behind a cherry tree. "Who are you?" he asked softly, not sure why it was breaking his heart to hear her cry, "Why are you calling for me?"

" _You have to wake up,"_

Mamoru exhaled heavily, "Wake up, from what?!"

" _You have to remember… You have to come back,"_ the woman shook her head with grief while looking into the nothingness that was beyond her standing place _._

"What do you want from me?! What do you want me to remember?!" Mamoru raised his voice with anger, "I don't understand!"

The woman of his dream slowly turned to look at him, but before her face was fully visible she was covered in raging flames. "No!" he tried to move and go after her but his body did not respond again. "No!" he called out again, trying to prevent her from falling into the pit of flames.

Mamoru gasped for air and unconsciously moved his arm and stumbled the tall glass from the table, making it crash against the wooden floor. His blue eyes widened and soon realized he was back at his apartment and back to reality. With heavy breathing, he turned around and saw nothing out of the ordinary but just the glass pieces and the beer splattered all over the floor. "Dammit…" he said between gasps and turned to his laptop monitor and the cursor blinking on his word processor, like if nothing had happened.

He cursed under his breath again and shook his head before heading back to the kitchen to grab something to clean the mess he just made. He bent and started to dry the foamy liquid with a thick cloth while thinking of a million ways on how to handle this situation and immediately thought about his girlfriend, "Usa…" he muttered with heavy sorrow.

Mamoru began picking up the glass pieces carefully and put them on the cloth that later threw with anger in the sink. His wet hands banged the countertop loudly as he cursed once again what was happening to him, "This cannot be happening—not now." he closed his eyes for a moment and bit his lower lip, "Whatever is calling to me, I cannot involve her." he growled slowly, "I can't..."

He leaned on the kitchen countertop and shook his head. He was angry with himself, cursing the situation and cursing himself for having such ability. He rejected the simple idea of exposing Usagi to anything that would worry her or make her fight again, because whenever they fought, Usagi tried to find the good in everyone and put that as a priority and that was why she suffered the most, because she felt disappointed every time she realized real evil exists and that it targets innocent lives.

After the anger along came the guilt. Mamoru opened his eyes and hung his head low with a heavy feeling in his chest. His priority was her, his life was her, and he would give everything in his power, his life if necessary, for her. Just the thought of having something that would disturb the life he was sharing with Usagi made him feel restless and useless. Mamoru was well aware of his limitations as a soldier. He was limited in many ways, despite knowing carried the Crystal of Earth. Unlike Usagi, he had no team of guardians, he did not have the same power she did, he had little to no relevant background other than the fact of him being a Prince in another life, besides that, there was nothing else. It didn't matter how many times he gave his strength and power to Usagi in battles, the feeling of being powerless was still overwhelming and he hated himself for that because in the end, she had to sacrifice herself for his sake and the sake of others. Mamoru was too immersed in his internal battle that he didn't hear the door being opened, showing a very tired but happy Usagi walking down the small foyer. Her big pale blue eyes looked at him with surprise and greeted him with a smile "Mamo-chan!"

Mamoru snapped out of his thoughts and turned to look at her, his heart melts every time she smiled at him that way; it was like it was specially crafted for him. She had the power to weaken whatever armor he pulled out for the day, with just that one smile. With a warm, still worried smile he greeted her softly, trying to recover from his existential problems. "Hey Usa,"

"What are you…" Usagi blinked and walked to the dining room where she saw he was working on his laptop, but the floor was a mess with all the splattered beer "What happened?"

"Oh… that." Mamoru pursed his lips and turned to squeeze and drain the cloth he was using to clean the mess, "I broke a glass." he was surprised to see her standing right next to him, there were times like these when she was the best of ninjas and appeared out of nothing right next to him without making any noise, "Usako?"

"Are you okay?" she asked softly while looking at him with a puzzled expression on her delicate face. Mamoru froze, was his worry too evident? —He thought. He pressed his lips and turned to squeeze the excess of water on the cloth again and shrugged his shoulders "Sure, why?" his eyes widened when he felt her hand resting on his forearm, "Mamo-chan!" she said with surprise, stopping him from what he was doing and looked at her, "What?" he asked softly, trying to remain calm.

Usagi pointed his hand and took a deep breath, "Your hand,"

"What?"

Usagi held his hand up and looked at his wound, "It's bleeding. You must have cut with a shard of glass," she looked at him, "Let me help you, I'll go get the—"

"I'm fine," Mamoru said softly, interrupting her and turned to grab another clean cloth to finish cleaning his mess, he wasn't even sure what he was doing. Usagi shook her head, slowly feeling the anxiety of seeing his blood pooling from his hand and it made her feel weak and nervous, very nervous. "But you're bleeding..."

Mamoru looked at his hand and closed his eyes for a second while cursing himself in silence for being that careless, "I'm fine. It's just a small cut, I'll handle it." Usagi shook her head and went to get the first aid kit she bought months ago in case she hurt herself from a fall or a cut with a knife whenever she decided to cook. Never in a thousand years, she would have imagined, that of all people he would need it first as a consequence of being clumsy. "Wait for me in the living room."

Mamoru tried to hold his chuckles when turning to grab a paper napkin to clean the blood from his wound, "Usako, I'm fine."

"Living room!"

The dark-haired man shook his head and went to sit on the couch while giving light pressure to the wound on his hand, he could not deny that it hurt but he mentally thanked the pain, because it was keeping him from going loose into another strange dream. Usagi didn't last long to come back and joined him on the couch, she bit her lower lip when she saw the napkin drenched with his blood and hesitated for a minute. Mamoru noticed and chuckled softly, "Usa, I can do it myself,"

Usagi frowned and shook her head, "No, no. I can do this." she took a deep breath and moved the napkin away from his hand, exposing the deep cut on his palm; her blue eyes widened when she realized it was a wound bigger than she imagined. Her hands trembled as she grabbed the alcohol and the cotton pads from the kit "Usako…" Mamoru moved his hand away "It's nothing, I can take care of it."

Usagi never had too much tolerance when looking at blood but in this case, she looked at the situation like it was a matter of life or death and tried to hold her gut and not to faint as soon as she got a good view of the wound. "No! Let me help you!" she opened the small bottle containing the alcohol and soaked one sterilized gauze with alcohol and started to clean his wound with it. Mamoru squinted his eyes for a second when he felt the uncomfortable burn on his hand and looked at her when he heard her powdery voice, "What were you doing before I got here?"

Mamoru pressed his lips together and looked at his hand in silence, opting to ignore her question. Usagi continued cleaning the wound and turned to grab an antiseptic and started to clean it with another sterilized gauze with light pressure. Mamoru smiled when he saw she was sticking her tongue out in concentration as she carefully took care of him, once done she looked for a large band aid and took the wax wrapping off and placed it softly right on top of the cut and smiled at her medical accomplishment, feeling like the best doctor in the world "There, all done."

Mamoru caressed her cheek with the back of his hand and gave her a soft smile in gratitude. Usagi giggled, still proud of her achievement and began taking the band aids and the alcohol out of the way and into the small white box. While doing it, Mamoru looked at her and made the decision of not saying anything about the previous events. He liked to see her in peace and he was going to do everything in his power to keep her life that way, since he swore his life to always protect her. As her Prince and as the man that loved her beyond his reason, he was going to take care of the situation himself and deal with it on his own.

"Mamo-chan?" Mamoru snapped out of his train of thought and blinked with surprise at her, "Yes?"

"You didn't answer me; how did I do?" Usagi tilted her head, still waiting for a positive feedback on her act of bravery. Mamoru looked at her expectant eyes and smiled "You did perfect," he moved his hand slowly and looked at the girly kawaii bandage she had put on his wound and frowned, "Kittens and flowers?"

"I never thought you would be the first one to use this kit. I actually bought it for myself so I could be stylish and cute while healing any wound." Usagi shrugged her shoulders "But, here you are, with a cut on your hand so I had to use what we had."

Mamoru made a face of approval and chuckled, "Kittens and flowers it is."

"What were you doing?" Usagi frowned, still surprised by his clumsiness. A part of him wanted to come clean and tell her about the woman he has been seeing in his dreams, asking for his help. It was truly strange for someone who needs help to look for him specifically. Normally, they would come asking for help from her, the girl with the pure heart; the girl that fights for love and justice and not the Prince that holds another kind of abilities.

"I…" he trailed off and looked at the coffee table in the living room, "I was working and I moved my arm carelessly without realizing I pushed the glass until I heard it shattering against the floor."

Usagi frowned softly, she knew Mamoru and it was not like him being that distracted. Something must have really been taking his full attention. She knew him too well and felt something was bothering him, something was too important to worry him at that level. Mamoru had been stressing out too much with everything that has been happening at the hospital lately and despite he was not the kind of person that complained about his job or whatever happened to him on a daily basis, she could tell there was something more that really dragged his attention away from his usual light and sharp personality when around her. "Is there something I can do to help?"

Mamoru widened his blue eyes, "What do you mean?"

"Well, is there something I can do to help you with whatever is distracting you?"

"Usa..." Usagi moved closer to him on the couch and looked at him straight in the eye for a moment and smiled softly, her hands reached for his face and rested on each side, "Whatever is happening at the hospital is making you clumsy. You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" her voice despite being soft, it held a hint of worry. Mamoru lowered his gaze for a moment and nodded, "I know Usa. I'm tired, that's probably it." he looked at her and tried to lighten the mood with a smile "But now that you mention it…" he arched a brow in a boyish manner "I may be turning clumsy as well."

Usagi blinked "What do you mean?"

Mamoru smiled and kissed her hand, "That we may need more design options for our band aids,"

Usagi giggled, understanding his joke and slapped him in the arm in a playful manner. Mamoru leaned closer to her and sniffed her softly, "Usa,"

"Mm?" the blonde was looking down at her first aid kit and putting the rest of the bandages inside the small box, Mamoru arched his brow "Are you tipsy?"

"What?" the blonde widened her eyes and shook her head, "No... why do you say that?"

"Honey, you reek, your cheeks are all red," Mamoru said softly, "And there is no other explanation as to why you could handle seeing all the blood." Usagi blushed and bit her lower lip, her crystal eyes met his deep blue ones, "I just had one teeny tiny glass of wine."

Mamoru chuckled and shook his head, "Usako, I don't mind you drinking, but I would have preferred if you called for me to pick you up at the Shrine."

"It's okay Mamo-chan." Usagi said softly and hiccuped softly and all so adorable, Mamoru pursed his lips, "I think you need something to take off the smell before I take you home, your dad won't like it if you go back smelling like a drunken sailor."

Usagi looked at him wide eyed and started to laugh, small hiccups in between her sweet chuckles, "Papa won't mind."

"I mind." Mamoru said softly and stood up, startling the blonde "Wait, where are you going?"

"You won't like the answer, my love,"

Usagi blinked, "Why?"

"Because I am going to make you some coffee."

"Eeek no!"

"Usa, I cannot take you back home smelling like this, I won't hear the end of it and I really want to marry you."

"Papa won't notice." Usagi slouched on the couch and giggled, "I don't smell that much. It's the beer you splashed all over the place," she gave him a mischievous smile as she lay on the couch, "Or maybe, I should just stay here for tonight."

Mamoru crossed his arms, "You are evil, Tsukino Usagi."

Usagi widened her eyes and brought a hand to her chest, pretending to be hurt, "You offend me, Chiba Mamoru." she rolled herself off the couch and walked over to him, slowly putting her arms around his neck and looked into his eye dreamily, "But you cannot deny the fact that you are liking the idea." Mamoru blushed and smiled, "I would be lying if I said I wanted you to go home." Usagi let out a playful giggle "I know, drunk or not drunk, you want me here."

"You still reek."

"And yet, you still love me,"

"I do, yes."

Usagi smiled and traced the line of his jaw, "You are you so handsome..."

Mamoru chuckled, "Okay, you need to go and take a shower."

Usagi tilted her head and looked into his eyes, "You are so beautiful..."

"Usa..." Mamoru blushed, "Come on, I believe you have clean clothes in one of my drawers, go get them and take a shower."

"You are so perfect..." Usagi stepped on her tip toes, "You know that, right?"

"I am far from being perfect," Mamoru said softly, "It's the wine, kicking in."

"No," Usagi smiled and kissed him softly on the lips, "It's love."

Mamoru leaned his forehead on hers and closed his eyes, now, more than ever he had to find an answer to this calling. She was the love of his life, her laughter was all he wanted to hear, it was like music to his ears. Mamoru might be smiling but deep down worry was still overwhelming his heart, he had to do something and he had to do it fast in order to keep her the way she was now, safe and happy.

* * *

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	12. Chapter 12

Divinity: The Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Seventeen

 _A/N: I am surprised by how fast this is going. It's chapter twelve already Oh God! I hope you like this one. I know some might feel going a little slow but, I guess I am not a fan of those who put everything out there in just one bunch._

 _A special thank you to Become's one with the story, kera69love, TropicalRemix, Guest and SerenityMorrison for your reviews and support. Let's keep the good vibes going, have an awesome weekend!_

* * *

A couple of days of deep thought and deciding, Rei finally armed herself with the necessary courage to take the phone and call Minako for a girl on girl talk. Since that night at the shrine, she hadn't had a chance to speak to her blonde friend and the way she left had been torturing her all these days. She turned and looked outside at the people walking with such hurry and wondered, was she part of that vibe where everyone tends to forget the simple things in life? Was this a normal life?

 _What was normal anyways?_ —she asked to herself with sarcasm. A girl who has the power to control and read the fire, who has two crows as companions and who actually fought many times to keep this planet safe? Yes, call that a normal life. With a soft sigh, she took out her phone and looked at the hour, the blonde was 10 minutes late as usual and began to wonder if her slight tardiness was because her boss was keeping her at the office without telling her exactly what to do next like he usually did.

A soft knock on her window startled her, making her turn and smile when she saw the blonde waving her hand at her and walking with slight hurry into the chic restaurant where they agreed to meet for dinner. Minako went straight to her friend already apologizing for her tardiness and wrapped an arm around her apologetically, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she pulled back and gave her a small but smile before taking a seat on the opposite side of the table, "Your boss?" Rei simply asked. Minako pursed her lips and rolled her beautiful blue eyes "My boss."

The lightness in her voice made Rei feel comfortable "I'm sorry you have to deal with a man like him."

"I'm used to it." Minako waved her hand dismissively, "If the job pays my bills I just have to suck it up. I think of it as a platform for me to find something better in the near future." she smiled. Before Rei could say anything, a young girl came to their table and gave the girls a menu, "Hello, welcome. How are you doing today?"

Minako turned to the girl and smiled "Wonderful."

Rei looked at her friend and felt a tug in her chest while analyzing her, wondering if she really was wonderful as she said. Her face and demeanor said one thing, she was good old Minako but she knew deep down she was still hurt by what happened the other day at the shrine and with the rest of the girls. Her red cheeks and swollen eyes couldn't be easily forgotten, this was Minako—the girl who always had a smile on her face, no matter the situation so, to her, it was really mortifying to see her sad. The waitress' voice prevented Rei from going too deep into thought and made her turn to pay her more attention.

"My name is Nikki and I'm going to be your server for today… can I offer you something to start? An appetizer? Something to drink?"

Minako smiled and looked at her menu, "Everything looks good. I'll have the green apple and cranberry salad with vinaigrette dressing on the side and an iced tea."

"Perfect," the young waitress turned to Rei who ordered a creamy noodle soup with veggies and sparkling water with lime. With a smile she dismissed herself and took the menus from the girls, leaving them alone again, "I'm so happy you called," Minako put her purse aside and looked at her friend "I must admit, it was a little unexpected—I actually was planning on calling all of you to see if we could hang out and see more details for the wedding."

Rei tilted her head and waited until the waitress put their drinks and left them alone again, "I took the day off, Yuiichiro took care of the shrine for today so I went to do some shopping and I saw this place, it's nice, right?"

"Super chic." Minako smirked, "We should totally come more often."

Rei looked at her chilled drink and looked at her "How are you?"

Minako smiled softly and nodded. She knew why she called her and could not help but feel humbled by Rei's humble and sisterly gesture. Both girls were always blunt to each other and despite being incredibly close to Usagi, Minako knew Rei was more open with her than to anybody else. "I'm alright," she simply said. Minako and Rei were truly close friends; it was different from how she got along with the other girls despite being all super close to one another. Minako knew that with Rei things were straight to the point and without too much icing on the cake and she liked that. Since she can remember, their friendship has been based on true and raw honesty and maybe her character was perfect to accept Rei's brutal choice of words, but despite being so strong, she worried and right now, she was worried about her. She looked at her with a smile and tilted her head as if she knew what the Miko was thinking about, "Really, I am okay."

"You left me worried the other night."

"I know, I'm sorry." Minako took a sip of her drink and put it down slowly, "I don't know what happened, I supposed I had a moment of weakness. I got too emotional, the wine—the wedding,"

"Come on." Rei gave her friend a skeptical look. Minako sighed and leaned back on her chair, extended her hands and tapped her fingers on the impeccable wooden table "I really don't know what happened. I used to be confident; I used to be a believer of love."

Rei put her drink down and frowned "You don't believe in love anymore?"

"Yes—" Minako breathed and shook her head "—And no at the same time," she looked at her friend "I guess it is because I had a terrible break-up."

"Minako," Rei sighed, "The man was an idiot—come on."

"Yes—a complete idiot." the blonde pursed her lips and lowered her gaze "But, he was an idiot I loved very much and the way he left really hurt me." The words hit a very special spot in Rei's heart. Pressing her lips in a tight line, she nodded "I know how you feel—trust me."

"I mean, I wasn't expecting a ring or anything just…" Minako trailed off and smiled at the waitress that finally brought their meal "Thank you."

"Anything else I can—"

"Where fine—thank you." Rei turned and gave the young girl a forced smile. She normally wasn't this rude to people except when she was talking about something important and didn't want any more interruptions. The young waitress bit her lip and rolled her eyes before she turned to leave them alone. Minako picked her fork and shook her head "God, you're brutal,"

"We were in the middle of something important." Rei sighed, "And she rolled her eyes at me—which means she just cut her tip in half." Minako took a bite of her chicken breast and looked at her friend while chewing "You amaze me."

Rei shrugged her shoulders and tasted her soup "I know," she smiled softly and jumped back into their previous conversation, "You were treated like a criminal. Everything was your fault; he left you with this immense guilt."

"Exactly." the blonde followed, nodding in acceptance of her friend's words. Rei took another sip of her water and looked at her, "Then, if you know… why do you care?"

"Maybe because I still care for him."

"What?"

Minako put her fork down and rested her elbows on the table. Her hands came together with her fingers intertwined "I saw him the other day."

"When?"

"The day we got together, I saw him on my way to the office—he looks good."

"And?"

"He got a part on a play." Minako shrugged her shoulders and looked away, "Nothing big or extraordinaire but it probably fills his need of attention—at least for the moment. Still, he's in a better place than I am."

Rei arched her brow, "Please Minako, you cannot compare to him on any level."

Minako sighed and grabbed her fork again, "I don't know—I am not doing what I was supposed to do." she looked at her friend with disappointment "I am stuck working for a horrible man and I did it because I had to take charge of that relationship and make it work. I thought it would be a job that would let me grow in the media or as an actress but well, it obviously didn't."

Rei put her spoon down and looked at her blonde friend with sad eyes, "I never ever thought you had feelings for him—still. You never talk about it; when the break up happened you just mentioned it, shed a few tears and that was it." Rei said softly and frowned, not really understanding why they were this way. Why did they have to be so apprehensive with their past when it was about something like love when it was something that was clearly making them stand still in time. Minako sighed and leaned back in her chair, "What, you wanted me moping all the time? —I highly doubt it. With your brutality I would be devastated by now—no, I had to act with intelligence and to me, that was the best way to go."

"To deny the situation? Come on Minako, you know that's not right. That night at the shrine after you left, Usagi felt guilty for even mentioning Mamoru-kun or something wedding related."

Minako looked at her friend with wide eyes "Why could she feel that? Come on, Mamoru-kun is one of us, he's my friend too and I couldn't be happier for them."

"Well, she doesn't see it that way and it didn't take long before she decided to call it a night too. She was really sad _and_ drunk." Mars leaned forward and patted her friend's hand, "We were all left worried, it's not like you.

"Exactly," Minako interrupted, a hint of annoyance ignited inside her, "It is not like me to be sad. I am always good old Minako, the one who despite dating a bunch of assholes, she is still smiling and believing in love, looking always for a silver lining on _everything_." she sighed heavily, "Rei-chan, I am a human being—I suffer too, I know what sadness feels like and I cry you know? That night I had a moment of weakness... that's all."

Her cathartic process and the way she was making herself heard surprised Rei because again, it wasn't like her. When realizing what she had said and done, Minako shook her head and exhaled "Things will get better. I will find something soon and everything will be right on track." Rei half smiled and looked down at her half empty bowl of soup "Yeah…"

Minako leaned forward, "What's the matter?"

Rei took a deep breath, "I need to tell you something," she gave Minako a very serious gaze, "I put a lot of thought into this but it is so hard for me to even speak about it—but I think it is necessary, it is consuming me."

"What is it?" Minako frowned and pushed her plate aside, Rei bit her lower lip for a split second and fidgeted in her seat, "I don't even know if I should tell you, with that has been happening to you, you scare me."

Minako laughed, this was the silliest thing she has ever heard coming from Rei "I am already here and I already splattered my feelings to you. Come on, tell me—trust me, I can handle it."

"Are you sure?"

Minako narrowed her eyes at the obvious question, there was a deeper meaning in that question. Was she sure? —Not quite, but her friend's voice showed concern and her eyes were reflecting hints of desperation. She knew there were words ready to be said and that she had to brace herself for whatever was coming her way "I can handle it." she reassured the Priestess.

Rei looked at her and pursed her lips, _here it goes—_ she thought. "It is something I have been seeing lately,"

"In the fire?" Minako immediately was into the conversation. This was no ordinary topic when it came about something related to the other part of their lives it could never be taken too lightly. Her frown deepened and leaned a little closer, making sure nobody was coming their way, "What is it?"

"A couple of weeks ago I saw a reflection in the fire and I was attacked by a strange, evil force." Rei said softly, she continued despite Minako's pale face, "It was something _or_ someone I could not recognize, but this person, this... _being_ , was saying something I couldn't understand. It was talking to me in another dialect, but it was so dense—I cannot even describe the feeling."

"H-How did it attack you?"

"There was a very strong smell of sulfur and decay, black smoke began to fill the prayer room. Phobos and Deimos were outside trying to help me—I barely managed to cease the fire and escape to breathe fresh air."

Minako shook her head in disbelief, "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?! Rei-chan, this is serious!"

"I know it's serious, but I didn't want to worry you—I don't want to be the one to break the peace we've been having. I don't want to hurt you or Usagi."

"Is this why you have been asking us if we miss being a Sailor Senshi?" Minako whispered, after looking both sides to make sure nobody was listening. Rei pressed her lips for a moment "No," she sighed softly, "I asked that question because it is something that has been ringing in the back of my mind. Because it is something we cannot deny and just ignore from our lives," she looked at the blonde "I would be lying if I wondered if this is our time to come back and with this..." she made a pause and shook her head, "I don't know anymore."

"Has something else happened after this incident?"

"Not until the other day I saw you," Rei took a breath, "I saw a girl in the fire—a young girl and a man that seem to have powers of some kind." Minako narrowed her blue eyes, "A girl and a man. Could they be connected to this other thing that happened to you, the attack?"

"I thought so too but then I a voice coming from the fire saying _'my child'_."

"My child?"

Rei nodded "And no, my father isn't dead, I just heard from him a couple of weeks ago." she shrugged one shoulder dismissively. Minako gritted her teeth and shook her head, not expecting anything like this to happen out of nowhere. "What could it possibly mean? Who are those people?" she looked at Rei and frowned, "I will have to talk to Artemis about this," she pointed her finger at her quizzically and a little hopeful, "Do you think it might have something to do with a lost girl or something?"

"I thought about that possibility but why I was attacked? It spoke in this tongue I could not understand, no kidnapper speaks like that—it felt different, ancient." Rei sighed heavily, she hated being the bearer of bad news or at least of what could become bad news. "I thought about calling everyone and explain this but Usagi—I can't do this to her. The wedding is so close..."

Minako shook her head, "We won't tell Usagi-chan or any of the girls about this—at least not yet."

Rei pursed her lips, "Mamoru-kun has similar powers to mine; he might have felt something too. Do you think he might know something?"

"Well we have two options, either he has sensed something and is doing the same thing we are doing right now or, he hasn't felt anything at all." Minako bit her lower lip "Maybe we should talk to him, asking if he knows or if he has felt something though, it will be a little tricky to get the truth out of him."

"I thought about Michiru-san as well…" Rei suggested; Minako nodded "I think the same goes for her if she has seen something in her mirror either she is keeping it a secret or hasn't witnessed anything out of the ordinary. I think for now all we can do it wait."

Rei looked at her friend and nodded, "I'm sorry."

"Hey," Minako stretched her arm and reached for her friend's hand "It's better to be one step ahead than to be in the loop. You don't have to be sorry about anything." she gave her friend a reassuring smile "Actually, speaking of this… peculiar topic, I was reading a magazine the other day and saw this article about us—apparently, we are still on the radar."

Rei widened her eyes and chuckled, "Really? What did it say?" Minako pursed her lips and turned to pick another lettuce leaf "Well," she took a bite and swallowed "It wasn't that big of an article but it was about where we must be at this particular time. It kind of ends with a question dropped in the air of what kind of life we might be leading right now, you know if we are normal or not." she rolled her eyes.

"Normal…" Rei muttered.

"Exactly." Minako let out a soft chuckle "Artemis was there with me when I read it, he was pissed."

Rei arched a brow, "Why?"

"Because the article didn't mention him or gave him credit for his contribution," the comment lightened the mood of the conversation and made the two girls laugh "Poor Artemis." Rei said between light chuckles, Minako nodded "I know, poor thing. He deals with my weird mood every day; him and Luna. God bless them."

"Tell them to go visit me at the shrine." Rei suggested while pushing her plate aside and looked around for the girl that took their orders, "I think I scared the waitress… she never came back for our plates."

Minako leaned in her chair and chuckled, "Well, Rei-chan, you are vicious."

Rei laughed and leaned her elbows on the table, "Ugh… what am I going to do?"

"You are not going to do anything alone, we are a team." Minako said softly, "How many times have you had this vision?"

"Two times… but each one has been different."

Minako pursed her lips "Let's wait, maybe it has nothing to do with… _that_." the mention of that scenario that once was predicted made Rei widen her eyes with wonder, "Do you think that maybe—"

"Be related to what Setsuna said once? —I don't know." Minako pursed her lips and exhaled. Minutes later the young waitress decided to return to pick up the girl's plates and to leave the check; Minako turned to grab her purse but was stopped by Rei, "What are you doing?"

Minako blinked "Um, paying for my salad and drink?"

"No, no, no." Rei waved her hand, "It's my treat." she smiled. Minako shook her head "Oh come on, it's not fair!"

"Hey," Rei raised her hand "I was the one who called you to give you the news. It's the least I can do, if it makes you feel better, next time we come, you pay for my meal, deal?" Minako smiled and stood up, "Alright, alright-deal."

Rei followed her blonde friend in silence and until they reached for the door. The raven-haired girl turned and tuck a strand of her dark hair behind her ear and gave Minako a soft smile, "Don't be a stranger, please?"

Minako shook her head and wrapped her arm around her troubled friend "I promise I won't." she stepped back and tilted her head, "Whatever it is, please let me know okay?"

Rei nodded and turned to walk away, "Oh and hey," she heard Minako called her, making her look over her shoulder "You need to start thinking where do you want to go for your birthday!" Minako said out loud "And don't tell me you don't want to celebrate!"

Rei chuckled and waved her hand, "Okay, okay."

Minako waved her hand and with a smile, she walked back to home. Her smile slowly faded as she began thinking about what Rei just told her and considered the possibility of having to return to their previous life as Senshi. As she waited to cross to the other side of the street, she began thinking about it for a moment. The light turned green and she began crossing the street when she saw someone familiar in the distance. She saw the same girl from the other day running from the same alley towards a small park across the block followed by a group of men. Minako frowned and felt the urge to go and help her, she ran after them in the hopes of doing some good this time.

The girl ran desperately, looking for the nearest bush big enough for her to hide from the three men that were coming after her. With a horrified look on her face, she tripped over a rock and fell to the ground brusquely, making it impossible to move before they were around her "Hey little girl… why so scared?" one of them said. She looked up and shook her head, silently pleading them to leave her alone. Her eyes began to gleam with tears while trying to free from the man's grasp "Where are you going? We just want to have some fun. No harm in that."

"Hey!" Minako yelled, catching the men's attention "Leave that girl alone!"

One of them turned to look at the blonde and licked his lower lip like a hungry wolf, "Well hello there, you ain't bad yourself either,"

"Too bad _you_ are." Minako hissed and walked closer to them, with no fear shadowing her beautiful face "Leave her alone or I'll call the police." Megumi tried to look up at her defender but she was already too weak to focus her sight on her, but there was something that made her feel at ease, like if she had heard that sweet voice before. The man holding her arm frowned, "Mind your own fucking business, bitch!"

"Excuse me?" Minako arched her brow and frowned, "Bitch? —Do you kiss your mother with that mouth? You cynical bastards—I am not going to repeat it again, leave her alone!"

"You are getting on my nerves; if you don't go away I'll take care of you as well."

Minako smirked, "Like if you could."

The man walked towards her, cracking his knuckles and ready to attack her. Minako reacted quickly and spotted a hose irrigating some plants and bent quickly to grab it, in a quick and surprising move she twirled the hose and with an extraordinaire force she whipped it at them and threw them against the ground. The one remaining, who was holding the girl watched surprised and let go of his victim, "How did you—"

Minako looked at him sternly and prepared to attack him the same way when she heard one of the guards coming their way. The free man looked both sides with desperation and fled, leaving his other two comrades almost unconscious on the ground. Minako walked towards the girl and kneeled in front of her "Hey—are you alright?" she combed her bangs to the side to take a better look at her face. The girl slowly opened her eyes and widened them in shock, "Per omnes caelos" she whispered. Minako widened her eyes when she noticed her whole body began shaking, startling her.

"Are you okay? What is happening?"

"Hoc non potest esse…" Megumi's eyes began to tear as she looked at her with disbelief, "Venus." she whispered and seconds after fainted in Minako's arms. The blonde tried to help her regain her consciousness but the echo of her chosen words still ringed deep in her mind, there was no mistake, she called her Venus.

The blonde looked up and saw the guard coming closer to them taking it as her cue to leave, looking down at the girl she decided to put the thought aside for the moment and help her, the best she could do right now was to take her to her apartment and see more into it tomorrow with Artemis' help. She managed to place one arm around her neck and slowly helped her stand up; very much surprised with that newfound strength, Minako slowly walked home.

* * *

o.o.o.o

Artemis was reading the newspaper silently while Luna took a nap when the sound of keys and a soft cursing let him know who was behind the door. After a few failed attempts to open it, the feline started to think that maybe she went out with the girls and had a few drinks because it normally didn't take her that long to open the door and come inside. The door finally opened, revealing a very tired Minako carrying a girl as best as she could. She threw her heels away not minding where they landed and stomped inside the living room. Artemis frowned and jumped down from his usual resting spot by the window frame and walked closer to Minako, his green eyes widened as soon as he saw the girl on the couch, dirty and unconscious "Minako…" he said in a warning tone. Minako sighed and looked at her feline friend while shaking her head, "I didn't do anything! She fainted!"

Artemis moved closer to the girl and studied her appearance. Her clothes were outdated, dirty and torn "Who is this girl?" he asked, puzzled. Minako hushed the white cat, "I found her at the park on my way here," she whispered.

Stealthily, he walked around her and noticed she had been carrying something heavy and big on her back "Where did she come from?" he muttered with curiosity. Minako sighed and sat on the coffee table in front of the couch where the girl was resting, "I saw her like a week ago in the alley near the mini market, I tried to help her but when I arrived there she was already gone—this time, I saw her running away from some jerks that were trying to hurt her."

Artemis stayed silent while watching the girl. There was something about her that made him feel like she has seen her before "But the main reason of why I brought her here is because of something else that caught my attention," he was distracted by Minako's voice, "When I helped her, she spoke in a very strange way—like in another language." she turned to cat and pursed her lips "—She called me Venus."

"What?" Artemis' green eyes widened with shock, Minako nodded "Right before she passed out."

Artemis frowned and looked at her, it was hard to take a good look at her face with all the tangled hair covering most of it but he sensed a different vibe coming from her. "Where's Luna?" Minako asked softly, trying not to wake the girl. "Sleeping," Artemis sighed, "What are you going to do? Are you going to let her stay here?"

"I need to know why she called me that Artemis," Minako said softly "You should have seen her face, she was shocked, horrified," she turned to her advisor and friend with a worried expression on her face, "Like if she had seen a ghost." the blonde tilted her head, "Do you think she might be some kind of an enemy?"

"Minako, we don't know _anything_ about this girl." Artemis muttered, "But you are right—this whole situation is very strange," he sat next to her and took a moment to continue, "Maybe you misunderstood what she said."

Suddenly her meeting with Rei and everything that she said made sense to this situation. "A girl…" she whispered with wonder and surprise. _Could it be related to what Rei-chan said?_ —she thought. Minako took a deep breath, crossed her legs Buddha style on the table and rested her elbows on her knees "I saw Rei-chan."

"When?"

"Today, before this—" she waved her hands in front of the girl "—Happened."

"How is she?"

"She's… okay." Artemis frowned, "You took five more seconds to answer my question."

"She's worried." Minako looked at him with a serious gaze, the white cat frowned, "Why?"

Minako sighed and leaned back on the table this time, her arms resting behind her as a support "I wasn't going to say a word about this but, I would be failing you if I don't tell you, plus, it is very hard to keep secrets from you."

Artemis sweat dropped "Right,"

"She saw something in the fire, the sacred fire." she pursed her lips, her playful glare was completely gone by now and was replaced by a serious face, "Something strange."

"What do you mean by strange?" Artemis looked at her and waited for Minako to continue, "The first time she was attacked by what appeared to be a man. The second time—she saw a girl and a man that called her his daughter."

"Wait, the first time?" Artemis frowned, "Since when this has been happening? How long have you known this?"

"She just told me about it today, an hour ago, to be precise. This is also all new to me." Minako blew her bangs, "She has been having these visions for a couple of weeks now and it had been these two incidents. She didn't want to say a thing because she didn't want to worry us, especially Usagi-chan—you should have seen her face Artemis, she felt guilty about all this."

Artemis took the new information in and stayed silent while watching the girl "We need to tell the girls."

Minako turned with a deadly glare "Why did I just tell you?" she shook her head in denial and decided it was better for her mind to pace around the room, "We are not going to tell anyone, _especially_ Usagi-chan."

Artemis frowned "What is the matter with you?!"

"How can you even suggest it? This is why I didn't want to tell you in the first place. I knew you were going to come up with something like this." Minako shook her head again, "Artemis, have you forgotten everything we went through?"

"No, but have you forgotten how we used to be prepared in case anything happen?"

"You are being unreasonable, go call Luna."

"Minako." Artemis sighed, "This is not a game."

"I know it's not a game but…" Minako sat on the coffee table again and covered her face with both hands "We feel it's unfair for Usa-chan to go through all that all over again while preparing for her wedding."

"She is stronger than you think."

"I know, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have feelings, this is _her_ wedding." Minako looked at him; her features softened "She's more than just our friend Artemis," Artemis sighed and hung his head low for a moment "At least we should tell Rei about this, after all, she informed you about the visions."

Minako looked at the girl and nodded, "I will call her while you go get some alcohol."

Both girl and cat walked away, leaving Megumi alone in the living room. Her eyes snapped open and quickly looked around the small but cozy place. In a flash of anxiety, reality sunk in and sat immediately while looking around at her surroundings again. She turned and saw her precious possession next to her and held on to it tight for a moment and before they came back she exited the room and found her way out of the apartment.

Minako returned with her first aid kit, followed by Artemis who was carrying a small plastic bag with cotton balls when they realized the girl was gone. The blonde cursed under her breath and went to look around but found nothing else but the front door open, "She escaped!"

"She must have been awake all this time." Artemis frowned, "She listened to everything!"

Minako widened her eyes and turned to Artemis, "Do you think—?"

"Call Rei, I'll go after her!" Artemis ran out of the apartment in search for the girl, while Minako ran up her purse to get her phone, with trembling fingers she dialed the number she knew by heart and waited for an answer. "Rei-chan!." she said in a hurry.

"Minako-chan," Rei widened her eyes when she heard the slight strain in her friend's voice, "Are you okay?"

"About that girl…" Minako trailed off and turned to the door, "—I think I found her."

* * *

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: Hi. I have been trying to upload this chapter four times already and it always ends up crashing_ —I don't know what it is. Thank you so much for your reviews and support, I know these couple of chapters have been going slow but I think the story builds up as we move along.

I wish you all a fantastic weekend and remember, let's keep the good vibes flowing!

Divinity: The Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Thirteen

* * *

The chase didn't last long; Megumi was completely lost and didn't even know where the park where she had hidden previously was anymore. She felt trapped in a dimension she didn't even know it existed. Her heart was torn, divided—confused. Minutes after of being wandering around, she found a small alley and sat with her knees close to her face and couldn't fight her desperation anymore and broke into tears.

Megumi was blinded by the flashing lights from the streets and the loud and strange noises that came with it. For so many years, she traveled to places she never imagined she would visit, all with high hopes to find an answer and follow her new purpose. Her life was put on hold the moment she made the decision to continue with a mission that she knew would change everything forever and ever since that moment she was given the task, she owed it to that future she still hoped to be achieved. She missed her home, she missed seeing those rose gardens; the sound of the fountain dripping water in a soothing rhythm. She missed her friends and family and she missed _him_.

Megumi's brown eyes opened wide when her nose caught a familiar scent. She turned her head, desperately looking for its owner and soon felt her heart skip a beat when she saw the silhouette of that person she thought, would never get to see again. She tried to stand up to follow it, but her legs didn't respond giving Minako the opportunity to find her. "Here you are." The girl widened her eyes and looked up, surprised to see the blonde standing in front of her "I thought I lost you." Minako kneeled in front of her and gave her a kind smile while extending her hand out to her, "Don't be afraid, I am not going to hurt you."

Megumi finally took a moment to assimilate the situation and realize she was not hallucinating. Her heart was telling one thing but her reason was in another different place still questioning her mere existence. "Impossibile." she whispered, still in shock.

Minako tilted her head and looked down at Artemis, who had the same confused look on his face, "I am going to take you to a safe place tomorrow—I promise. But for now, let's go back home." she pressed her lips tight and took a deep breath, "I need to know if you understand what I am saying to you."

"Maybe she's not from here," Artemis muttered loud enough for her to hear. Minako sighed and shook her head, her patience was coming low but at this point she was now aware that if she did not handle this situation with care, things could get out of control later, "I don't know what to do," she turned to the cat "I don't understand her language—Ami-chan would know or at least she would be able to know which language this is."

Artemis sweat dropped and sighed, "Well, you did not want to alert the girls."

Minako turned to the white cat, "I can't leave her here Artemis..."

The girl looked at the blonde with wonder and felt familiar with the situation. Considering her options, this was the best, hoping this to be the answer she had been asking all this time; her hand reached out for Minako's, startling her. Minako's eyes widened with hope and offered her other hand to help her stand up and walked back to the apartment in silence.

Luna waited at the entrance of the apartment with a worried look on her face, "Where were you?" she asked Artemis the minute he walked inside only to be answered with silence, worrying her even more. "Why are you…" Luna trailed off and widened her big burgundy eyes when she saw Minako walking in with a girl behind her. Artemis sat next to Luna and leaned closer to her ear "I will explain it to you later."

"Come on inside." Minako welcoming voice echoed as she went to turn more lights inside the living room and began putting some of the couch pillows and the pile of magazines out of the way. She turned to the girl and tilted her head, "Are you hungry?" she frowned and kicked herself mentally for her dumb, obvious question. "Of course you are…" she muttered and went to the kitchen to fix her something quick. Luna looked at the girl and the clothed object she hugged close to her chest and narrowed her burgundy eyes as she tried to figure out where she had seen that face before. There was something about her she could not explain but made her feel a great sense of familiarity.

Minako walked back to the living room with a sandwich and a glass of orange juice to offer the girl, "Sorry I couldn't make you anything more nutritious…you see, I'm single and—" she stopped in her tracks, surprised to see the girl profoundly asleep on the couch. "She fell asleep very quickly." Artemis explained, feeling relieved to be able to speak freely again, "Maybe she did not feel threatened anymore." Minako nodded and leaned on the wall before putting the plate and the glass down on her dining table, "I will be taking her to the shrine tomorrow, I think she will be better there. Rei-chan would be able to read her aura and see if she is related."

"Can somebody care explain what is happening?" Luna looked at both and shook her head "Who is this girl?" Artemis took a deep breath and began explaining, already knowing it was going to be a long night. "I just found out that there have been strange events happening lately,"

Luna frowned "What kind of events?"

"Rei has been having visions—strange ones, and one of them was about a girl," Minako waved her hand and motioned both cats to follow her to her bedroom to continue the conversation. Once she closed the door behind her, she sighed heavily "I just learned about this today, Rei-chan called me to tell me this."

"A girl," Luna muttered "What kind of girl?"

Minako shrugged her shoulders "I don't know,"

"What makes you think this girl is the one Rei-chan has mentioned?"

"Because she called me Venus."

"Venus?" Luna widened her eyes "But—" she shook her head and turned to Artemis, "This is all new for me too Luna, Minako was just giving me all this information when the girl suddenly escaped,"

"Well, have you tried to ask her directly?" Luna frowned and turned to Minako, "I have but I can't understand her," she pursed her lips, "Not that she says much, she just mumbles some words and that's pretty much it."

"We need to tell the girls."

"Minako doesn't want them to know."

Luna turned to look at Minako wide-eyed, "They need to know."

"I don't want to put Usagi-chan through another battle, she is getting married soon!"

"This is not—" Luna sighed with exasperation, "Do you really think you can keep this information from her? She will eventually know, she's a Sailor Senshi too, she deserves to know."

"You were supposed to be more comprehensive than Artemis…" Minako narrowed her eyes, "She is about to get married. I cannot ruin this moment for her,"

"Minako…" Artemis warned her, Minako shook her head and went to sit on her bed, "Rei-chan and I concluded that if it is something really important, Mamoru-kun would have sensed something too."

"Well, have you spoken to him?" Luna arched her brow hoping to hear a more positive answer but her wishes soon turned into dust when she saw Minako bit her lower lip "—No," Luna sighed and shook her head again, "Then how are you going to know? Are you expecting him to reach out and tell you? Because it is most likely not going to happen. He is very reserved about these things unless you talk to him you will never know and before you say something, the same applies with Michiru-san."

Minako let out an exhausted puff of air, both in frustration and annoyment. She hated when the Mauians were right, and they were almost every time which bothered her more. "Mamoru will never want to put Usagi on the line for something he can handle on his own." Artemis said softly "If he has sensed anything, he is probably keeping it to himself in order to protect her."

"See? It's the same thing we are trying to do."

"But the situation with him is different. He is her fiancé." Artemis alleged his point against Minako's but the blonde was still reluctant, "We're her friends."

Luna stepped into the discussion with a more tranquil approach, "Alright, if you don't want to talk to him, talk to Michiru-san, Haruka-san or Setsuna-san."

Minako pursed her lips, really considering if going straight to the Outers would help at all considering their methods to fight and elaborate a strategy. Luna noticed Minako's sudden change and sat next to her on the bed, "You are the leader, you have to make a decision."

Minako's fingers curled tight around her comforter at the mention of the word "Leader—" she muttered with a sad smile on her lips, "Luna, it has been a while since I did something as a leader." she turned to look at the Mauian advisor, "Now things are different, I cannot just make a decision and change everyone's lives." With a heavy sigh, she turned to both cats, "The best thing I can do right now is to take her to the shrine so Rei-chan can see her and I still need to figure that out because tomorrow I have an important meeting at work and I have to be there before everyone else." she stood up and walked out the door, making sure not to make any sounds that could wake the girl sleeping on her couch. She looked so calm, like if she hadn't slept well in a very long time, her hair was long and tangled, her clothes worn out and dirty—no shoes.

Her eyes were soon fixed on the object she hugged close to her chest, it was obviously large in size but could not see anything due to the many clothes wrapped around it "What is that?"

"I saw it too." Luna whispered, "She does not let go of it—whatever that is."

Minako fell silent and analyzed the situation; the more she looked at her, the more she was certain this was not an ordinary homeless girl. She had a secret and she felt the intrigue to find out what it was. Soon, her train of thought drifted off to a more turbulent situation: What if her suspicions are right? What was she going to do? How was she going to break the news to the girls, to Usagi? Maybe it was time for the best performance of her life—she thought with concern.

* * *

O—o—o—O

The next morning she woke up very early and got ready for the day, as soon as she had everything she needed set to go she walked to the living room and was surprised to find the girl sitting on the couch, eating the sandwich Minako made her the night before. Minako sat in front of her on the coffee table and gave her a warms smile "Morning." she bit her lip, imagining that the sandwich was probably stale by now "You don't have to eat that... let me make you a new, fresh one."

The girl stayed silent and continued chewing the half eaten slice in her hands. Minako sighed, already feeling the stress of how the day was most likely going to be "Listen, I would like you to come with me to this place," she smiled reassuringly, "It's very nice, you'll like it." she leaned to her side, looking for the girl's eyes to make sure she was listening to her, "I have a friend who lives there and I would like you to meet her."

The Mauian cats sat by the window in silence, Luna still feeling the same about the strange girl. Megumi swallowed the last bite of the sandwich and nodded her head without saying anything else. She tried to stand up but her body was already taking accountancy of her traveling and constant change of dimensions making her feel weak and dizzy. With a hazy stare, she looked around the small apartment and realized how long it had been since she slept without feeling any pain or mortification becoming too overwhelming for her to bear.

"Hey, it's okay, you're safe here." Minako helped her stand and then turned to grab the clothed object which made Megumi bolt from the couch with urgency, pushing Minako out of the way before holding to dear like to it, "Non tibi habere eam,"

Minako turned to both cats and then at the girl, "I'm sorry. I won't try to hold it again—I was just trying to help you stand up," she sighed softly "Shall we go?"

The girl looked at her and slowly attempted to stand up again and nodded in response. Minako half smiled and motioned the girl to follow her to the door, feeling hesitant and unsure of her decisions. If she did, she began to wonder— What was going to happen next? The once leader of the Senshi felt trapped between her former and actual self, ignoring any flag that could lead to her to a solution. Deep inside, Minako knew that once she opened the door, things would never be the same as she knows it, and this was not something that it was only going to involve her, but everyone.

She turned the knob on her door but the continuous sound of her cell phone urged her to look for her phone inside her large nude colored purse and swiping the screen with her finger quickly, "Yes?" her eyes closed immediately showing annoyance,"I told him I would be a little late today, why is—" she sighed heavily when Aiko began to tell her her boss was yelling and making a tantrum despite her having explained and justify her tardiness the day before. "I know," she continued and listened to her co-worker's worried voice at the other end of the line, _"He is asking for you. He said that this meeting is important and that should be here. Minako-san, he says he is going to fire you if you don't come and you know how that might end..."_

Minako felt defeated by her boss, once again and bit her lip with frustration. "Alright, alright—I will be there soon." without giving poor Aiko a chance to continue talking. Minako hung up and to Artemis "The plan has changed," the white cat widened its eyes with slight panic, knowing that he was bounded to remain quiet, "I have to be on the damn meeting, like, _right now_. Otherwise, he will fire me." by the look in her mentor's eyes, she already knew what Artemis would say if the girl was not around, "I know you hate the man and trust me, I do too—but, he has the power to trash my name and if I want to make it in the business, I need to suck it up for a little while longer."

Artemis never approved her decision to stay in the network with Saruto, his intentions were never clear and as much as he promised a raise and a chance for her to shine in the network it still hasn't come. The last few months have been hell for the blonde, and not even her bubbly personality has been able to make her keep afloat in the situation. Her career was getting farther away from her main goals because of this man and she was officially stuck on the 'he pays the bills' wagon. As his friend and guide, he tried his best to make her realize her mistake but she wanted to move on with her life, her previous relationship had dragged to a dark place where she has been barely breathing ever since. Despite her positive attitude, her talent and her good heart it was not enough. Since she graduated from high school she tried to make a living doing what she loved, and she did score many projects until she met her previous boyfriend that soon led her to meet her boss who, with false promises of turning her a star, kept her trapped inside the walls of a cold, grey office, putting all her talent to waste.

Minako put her phone back on her purse, knowing it was a matter of minutes before it would be ringing again and turned to the girl "I will not be able to take you to my friends' house right now, but, can you please stay here until I get back?" The girl looked back at her in silence and pressed her lips together "I promise I will come back very soon!" Minako said in her usual quirky way "Please?"

The girl turned on her heel and went to sit on the couch without saying a word, leaving Minako alone with Luna and Artemis "Minako..." Artemis said in a warning tone "What are you doing?"

"Please Artemis! I have to go!" Minako brought her hands together, pleading compassion from the white feline "I cannot let him fire me. I need this job!"

Artemis shook his head in annoyance, ignoring her pled "We will look after her, Minako." Artemis turned surprised to see a very serious Luna "Go to your meeting."

Minako sighed in relief and pet Luna behind her ear "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!"

"But please be back as soon as you can. We need to take measures on this matter at once." Artemis warned. Being a cat didn't stop Minako from feeling intimidated by his authority; she knew that during the Silver Millenium, he was a good advisor to the queen when it came in political decisions and the legendary forces that protected their kingdom. Artemis was very wise, very kind, and also very patient with her but she also knew she should never abuse of his good will or otherwise he would scold her until the end of time. After all, he was the one who showed her her previous life and continued training her as a Sailor Senshi.

"Please call me if anything happens." she waved her golden bracelet on her wrist, the same one she used as Senshi. None of the girls stopped using it, in case something like this happened. Deep down, they wished peace would linger as much as it has, until now. Her phone began ringing again, Artemis waved his paw motioning her to leave. With a nod, Minako turned to grab her keys and closed the door.

Artemis turned to Luna and sighed "After all this time, she is still the same."

Luna sat and turned to look at the girl sitting in silence on the couch "Something about her..." she trailed off "There is something about her that makes me feel something,"

"What?" Artemis asked.

Luna turned to him "Like if I knew her from somewhere before."

O—o—o—O

* * *

O—o—o—O

Swarmed in work, Ami went from one end of the hospital to the other to assist the doctors that asked for her presence in many consultations alongside many of her colleagues looking for a residence. She looked down at her watch and sat in her usual spot in the cafeteria to take a break. She grabbed her phone from one of her pockets and started to check her messages and smiled when she found one from her father.

"Good news?"

Ami looked up and smiled at Mamoru who had two styrofoam cups in his hands "Coffee?"

Ami nodded and grabbed the cup from him "Ahh yes, thank you. How did you know?"

Mamoru smiled "You looked like you needed one." he pointed at the empty chair in front of her "Is this free or are you expecting somebody?"

Ami shook her head "Yeah sure, like I am always expecting somebody—" she laughed and shook her head, "Not at all, join me." pointing her cup of coffee she took a deep breath "And yes, I really needed one," she turned to grab a packet of sugar and cream "I never learned how to drink it black."

Mamoru chuckled, "It's a matter of taste—coffee is very forgiving, you can put anything to it to make it your own kind,"

"You say it because of the way Usagi-chan drinks hers, right?"

"That's a totally different level of coffee." Mamoru arched his brow and took a small sip of his hot beverage, making Ami chuckle "Good point. So, how's your day been going? I kind of hoped I got to assist you or Motoki-kun today."

Mamoru gave her an apologetic glance, "Yeah, sorry about that—you were but, we've been studying a case that has been taking our time almost completely."

"Still nothing, huh?"

Mamoru sighed softly and shook his head, "Let's say that just when we find a good lead, something else happens—It's a virus, that is for sure, but either it is mutating or becoming stronger by the minute and that is not allowing us to counterattack, it's complicated. The antibiotics are not doing what they are supposed to be doing and it is driving everyone insane, including me."

Ami pursed her lips, "I'm sorry Mamoru-kun," she reached out and patted his arm in sympathy when her eyes suddenly caught the image of a certain person, letting Mamoru know who she was looking at and quirked a brow, "So, why haven't you talked to him, by the way?"

Ami widened her eyes and turned to her friend "W-What?" she looked down at her coffee but her blushed cheeks gave her away, "I-I don't know what you are talking about."

Mamoru turned to look over his shoulder and saw Akashi buying some lunch and then back at Ami "Come one, really?" Ami sighed, " _Really?_ What can I possibly say to him?" Mamoru took a sip of his coffee again, "You could start by letting him know that we are not dating. Ami-chan, I know you want people to know you for your merits and not by the relationship between you and your mother or any of us but this is crazy—everyone knows how smart you are. You don't need to prove anything to anyone."

"Hey! In my defense... you don't tell anybody you are engaged!"

"That's a totally different thing Ami-chan, I don't need the whole hospital to know my relationship status." Mamoru tapped her forehead playfully, "And besides, we are not talking about me—we are talking about a guy who likes you and if you don't do anything about it—" he widened her eyes when he saw Ami dunk her head lower with frantic, "What are you doing?"

Ami lowered her gaze and started to panic, "He's coming, he's coming, he's coming..."

"Ah," Mamoru sighed and stood up, "I will personally talk to your supervisor myself Mizuno-san." his words caught Ami by surprise, "W-What?"

"You have to do it—it is not request, you _need_ to _talk_ to the patients to _know more_ about them, otherwise..." he shrugged his shoulders, hoping Ami would follow the lead. The bluenette widened her eyes and nodded, "Yes, Chiba-san, I understand—will do."

"Please, because it will save us _a lot of problems_ in the future." he turned to leave and saw Akashi standing close to them, "Satomura-san." he acknowledged his presence and walked away. Akashi looked both at Ami and Mamoru with a confused face and pointed his thumb in his direction, "What's with him?"

"Oh," Ami chuckled nervously, "I didn't follow a suggestion he gave me for the millionth time—a patient complained and gave me a warning as a result, you know how this is." she bit her lip and took a sip of her coffee, "Huh," Akashi took the seat Mamoru was taking previously without asking Ami if it was free and looked at her, "Are you two dating or something?"

Ami looked up at him surprised, she sure was not expecting to be this blunt and of course, she didn't imagine he could be so intense. A lot of things Ami believed, she has seen monsters from another dimension, has met her future self, has traveled through time, has been a soldier for justice but to believe she was a girl who could get someone's attention was not on her list. She never dealt well with the dating part of her life and she preferred not to do much. Sure, she hoped she could meet somebody in the future but never thought that someone could appear during her pursuit of success—it was a tricky situation. "What?" she finally managed to say.

"You don't need to lie to me, Mizuno-san, I see you two hanging around all the time, you talk to him like if you two were close. I am not here to judge but, he has every nurse and female personnel in this hospital sighing all the time—he is good to the eye and he's talented, I get it. I just want to know where you stand with him, if—"

"—If?" Ami quirked a brow.

"Just answer me."

Ami looked at him and shook her head no. "We are just friends."

"Just friends?"

"Yes."

"Ah," Akashi simply said and lowered his gaze, completely ignoring his lunch in front of him "I see."

"Listen, Satomura-san,"

"No, no—I get it." Akashi half smiled, "You two are just friends—cool." he stood up and nodded, "I have to get going, I have a consultation to assist."

Ami blinked, "Wait, what about your lunch?"

"Ah... yeah, I am running late. I forgot I had this thing—sorry." he stood up and walked out of the cafeteria leaving a very confused Ami behind. With a heavy sigh, she leaned her head back and wished for the day to be over. She considered her options, either she could tell him the truth, or she could just ignore what happened and move on with her life but, did she want that? It was probably the first time she liked somebody and that he at the same time liked her back, also he seemed genuinely interested in her but now, she did no longer know.

Ami looked down at her watch and while realizing she was late for her next assignment she cursed Motoki and Mamoru under her breath for being right and stormed out of the cafeteria, hoping again, this day would end soon.

O—o—o—o—O

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

Meanwhile, back at the T.V. station, trapped in her meeting Minako sat in silence, annoyed by Saruto's voice and bad choice of clothing and wondered how he still believed he was cool looking. From time to time, she wondered why her presence was so required in the first place since she hasn't been asked anything in the last two hours. Her mind was not in whatever Saruto was talking about or how good looking his new project partner, Kenji Hikoya was but with the situation surrounding the mysterious girl. Just knowing that she was alone with Luna and Artemis made her feel impatient as she thought about the many possibilities for her to be there or to know about her past.

 _Maybe she is foreign and I am taking this to a whole new level_ —she thought. she bit her pencil and looked down at her notes. _But, if she is foreign, then why did she call me Venus? —_ the same question caught up to her, again. Sighing, she looked back at the man spitting while he talked, feeling disgusted by his lack of etiquette.

Minako felt torn between her reality and her beliefs. She tried to be reasonable for once and think that maybe, she understood wrong and that she was not called Venus, or maybe she looked like a girl she knew as Venus. Venus was a common name, during the Silver Millennium, _What the hell, Minako?_ —she thought and frowned. _It could be real—_ she said to herself. _Nothing has happened that could lead us to believe this girl is related to something paranormal._

She looked at her boss again and sighed for the hundredth time, wondering if it was really a bad thing to happen. If there was something going on, it was her duty as soldier to be in front of the line and defend the planet and her Princess. Her path was settled the moment she was chosen as Senshi many years ago and in this present time, she could have chosen to ignore Artemis when he showed up, looking for her but instead, she felt the calling and decided to take action. Why was such a big deal now? —she wondered with urgency but then her heart sunk in her chest, _Usagi—_ she answered her own question with a heavy heart.

"Aino-san!"

Minako snapped out of her thoughts and blinked in surprise at Haruto "Yes?"

"Do you have it?"

"Do... I?" she mumbled, confused.

"Have you been listening?"

"Y-Yes."

"Well, do you have it?"

Her hands began to shake, _'Oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my..._ "Dammit, Aino-san!" Saruto slammed the crystal desk and frowned with anger at her, "She gave me the information a few days earlier Saruto-san, don't you remember Aino-san?" Minako turned to Hikoya Kenji and shook her head, not knowing a single thing they were talking about. With a dashing smile, she leaned towards her "Remember? You came up to me and gave me Casanova Akira's contact information from the Museum..."

"Ah—their con...yes, yes—I did." she followed the charade. Of course, she didn't because she hasn't even been mentally present and up to date with what they were talking about, at this point it could have been about a new actress stealing her roles. "We need to get an interview with them," Saruto said with insistence, "They are the talk of the moment, it will sky rocket our ratings."

Minako frowned and wrote in her pad to contact their manager or whoever she needed to talk to schedule a meeting for an interview as mumbled her name as she glided her pen on the paper. Saruto turned and pointed the large screen at the end of the conference table, "We must regain our popularity, once we score the exclusive we will schedule it for prime time news. That will give the competence a nice blow in the nuts."

Minako sweat dropped at the comment made by her always impertinent boss, "Classy..." she muttered with disgust. "They had been quite silent for the past few weeks," Kenji mentioned "Not one single of my contacts has been able to score an interview, not even by phone."

Minako leaned back on her chair and watched the whole ordeal between Saruto and Hikoya until finally, the meeting ended. _Finally—_ she thought and stood to leave the room. Hikoya stood next to her and whispered loud enough for her to hear, "Can I see you for a moment in private?" Minako stopped in her tracks with surprise and nodded while waiting for everyone to leave the room in silence. Much to her disgust, Saruto was reluctant to do so.

"Do you think we will be able to get that interview?" he asked with concern. Hikoya Kenji looked at him and patted him in the shoulder casually, "I am confident. But we must be insistent, they have something every station in the world want right now."

"That would skyrocket our rating numbers—It's a good deal." Haruto insisted, Hikoya looked at his watch and nodded, this time with a little less interest in him "Haruto-san, excuse me, I need to make a call..."

Haruto widened his eyes and nodded "Oh yes, sure—go ahead." he turned to sit on a chair when Hikoya interrupted, "In private."

"Oh right, right—sure." Saruto half smiled and gave Minako a cold look on his way out, confirming her suspicions. He was still upset for her tardiness but in her defense, everything put the man in a bad mood lately so, his anger was a problem she could deal with it later. Now, she was intrigued by this other man in front of her. This other handsome, charming man—she thought.

Hikoya walked and closed the door "You were late today." he said, breaking the silence. Minako bit her lower lip and took a deep breath "I know, I am sorry—" she answered with a soft voice, "I had to attend a family emergency."

"Everything okay?" Hikoya asked, showing concern. The blonde nodded "Yes. I did give Saruto-san notice yesterday afternoon but I suppose... he forgot." she exhaled, a little nervous "Thank you for helping me out with the information Haruto-san was asking me. It was poorly professional of me to be that distracted during the meeting."

Hikoya sat in one of the chairs in front of her and pointed at her with his pen, "I remember you now."

"What?" Minako frowned, confused.

"You are the snappy girl from the audition."

Minako looked at him with a strange face, trying to connect all of her auditions to his face until a spark of realization made her wide her eyes a little, as she tried her best to disguise her surprise. In silence, she waited for him to explain this random meeting and the moment she could get out of there. Hikoya looked at her and half smiled "Well, it doesn't matter but if you must know, I thought your tantrum was rather impressive."

Minako frowned slightly, the man kept his eyes on her "One of the reasons I joined the team at this station is because I am going to be producing several shows in the near, coming future. I might be needing your assistance."

Minako's eyes widened "I—" she trailed off "Don't know what to say."

"Say you will take it." Hikoya leaned back in his chair, "It's my way to give you another opportunity after what happened at the audition."

"About that—"

"Leave it." Hikoya looked at her and crossed his hands on the table, "You made your point very clear and I appreciate the honesty, it's not something you find very often in the media."

Minako looked down at her watch and widened her eyes when she saw it blinking a yellow light, indicating someone was trying to communicate with her, "This is all too surprising," her voice trembled.

"Think about it. Saruto doesn't have to know." Hikoya crossed his arms, "Not yet."

The blonde looked at him with mixed feelings, this could be the break she has been waiting for so long but even with that amazing proposal, it didn't feel quite right. Hikoya smiled softly, and waved his hand "Should we discuss this with a cup of coffee?"

O—o—o—o—O

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

"She doesn't answer—she is probably still in that meeting," Luna said as she walked back to the living room and sat next to Artemis who was still staring at the girl curled into a ball on the couch in silence. The white sighed, "This is so strange." He muttered. Luna, never leaving her burgundy gaze from the girl, nodded. "We have no news on anything that could give us a reason of why this girl is here."

"She hasn't said a word since Minako left, either." Artemis muttered, Luna turned, "And she cannot know we speak, so we are tied." Both cats looked at the girl in silence, both serious, both worried. "I wonder what she is thinking, what she is feeling," Luna whispered.

The girl silently and slowly started to fall deep asleep again. The silence in the room was soothing to her ears and the warm blanket she used to cover herself felt protective. Her breathing slowly paced, lips lightly parted started to mumble, like if she was talking to someone in her sleep.

 _She found herself walking alone through a long fancy hallway that oddly felt very familiar. She looked around and found the resemblance in the intricate and delicate design on the tall walls and dome ceilings, she had been there before, of that she was sure. The fresh scent of flowery perfume that lingered in the air, the soft sound of the chimes dancing in the air in the distance, everything felt too real. As he continued walking, she later found herself at the top of a long staircase and saw a garden court in the distance._

 _The sound of water trickling caught her attention and slowly walked down the stairs and towards the smithy doors that led to the small, private garden. Her eyes watered when she saw the pebbled floors and greenery around, many bushes and small flowers—roses. The place was so peaceful, so beautiful and again, she felt a tug of nostalgia pounding in her chest, later she realized it was the scent what made her feel nostalgic, the sweet scent of roses. She looked around and saw hundreds of rose bushes that led her all the way to the stone fountain, Megumi took a deep, cleansing breath and reached her hand to touch the cool water playfully trickling from the top of the fountain, wetting her long sleeves and cooling her skin._

 _Her eyes widened when she then realized something, "Sleeves?" she muttered and looked at her new clean clothes in her reflection in the water. Her hair was short and perfectly curled and tucked back in a messy bun, there was no trace of dirt on her face; the more she looked at herself the more she admired how it was like time never escaped her hands the way it did, and that she was still a maiden, serving her..."Kingdom," she breathed, while slowly looking over her shoulder with wide eyes, realizing now, where she was._

 _She saw a figure standing close to the doors where she first walked in. A woman, she could tell, but her long hair was covering her face. But Megumi could tell she was aware of her presence in the garden, "Qui venturus est" she said._

 _(He is coming.)_

 _Megumi shook her head, still in disbelief, "Quid tibi vis? (what do you mean?)" her eyes widened when she saw the maiden fall to her knees and was having a difficult time breathing, "Vultus pro praesidio, est custos,"_

 _(Search for the Guardian, find the Guardian)"_

 _Megumi ran over to her to help her but soon after her body stopped responding to her command, making her freeze just a few meters away from the sick maiden. "Quid tibi vis!? Nescio quid faciam."_

 _(What do you mean?! I do not know what to do)"_

 _"He is coming..."_

 _Megumi felt a strong chill down her spine and noticed a sudden change in the woman's voice and gasped when she saw the once regal lady become woman wearing black. Her long dark hair covered most of her pale face and soon after a pool of tar began to melt around the woman in black. "I am coming for you—he is looking..."_

 _Megumi gasped in horror when she finally looked at the woman's face looking back at her with void, deep black eyes and smirked the most unnatural way, "Te invēnī,"_

 _(I found you.)_

Megumi screamed and woke up with horror shadowing her face, she looked around and turned to grab the clothed object and ran straight to the door. Luna and Artemis ran after her, trying to stop her but it was futile when the girl finally unlocked the door and ran away as fast as she could out of the apartment.

"Artemis!" Luna yelled in panic when the white cat ran after her. "Call Minako! I will go after her—again." Luna turned and ran back to Minako's bedroom where she kept her communicator and sent the signal while waited for the blonde to answer, "Luna, what is it?"

"Minako this is an emergency!" Luna said with desperation in her voice, "You need to come back!"

"What happened?!"

"The girl... she escaped—again."

* * *

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	14. Chapter 14

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Fourteen

 _A/N A special thank you to SerenityMorrison and kera69love for your review! Let's keep the good vibes flowing! Thank you for your support. Happy weekend._

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

* * *

 _In the depths of a calm garden, sitting on a stone bench by a marble fountain a woman looked up the night sky. Her long silver hair flowed in the breeze like an aura around her whole frame, caressing her smooth, perfect alabaster skin. Dressed in the finest silks, one hand played randomly in the water while the other rested on her lap._

 _She was sobbing, and in obvious pain, her bare shoulders shook with every breath she took completely unaware she was being watched; she lowered her head and sighed heavily. A man stood close to the gates, watching her in silence with lust in his eyes as he admired all the magnificence she represented, the perfection he had in front of his eyes and how this perfect image of a woman was not crying for him, but for another man._

 _With a frown, he looked up at the vision in front of his Goddess and hated the image. With deep regret in his chest, he lowered his head and took a moment to process what he had just realized as he tried to cope with knowing he had lost her while but there was another part of him that felt nothing else but hatred and an intense necessity to inflict her pain for betraying him. He was obsessed with her but also felt betrayed because he was there first, he saw her first, he had her first. He felt insulted by the sudden turn of events because she chose another man over him when he was the first to lay eyes on her, when he was already so close to making her his, as his wife._

 _He couldn't accept being defeated and so, he had to conquer what belonged to him. It was then and there when he knew what he had to do to completely eliminate every obstacle in his way, in order to get to her. She was a treasure, and to get it, he had to tear down many obstacles in his way without caring about anything else._

 _The woman in the distance suddenly felt she was being observed and slowly turned to look over her shoulder. Her crystal blue eyes no longer showed sadness but anger; she was angry and he knew he was the reason behind that anger, he was the responsible for her sudden change in attitude. That beautiful face, those big, innocent eyes hungry to discover new things and places, those rosy lips aching for a kiss. She was a vision, an un-achievable and beautiful creature and the sole reason to his madness._

 _Both locked eyes for a moment without exchanging any words. Both knew what the other was thinking by just looking into their eyes making of this, the last moment of peace between the two. He half smiled and turned on his heel leaving the Goddess alone and entered his study where his right hand was already waiting for him, "Ah look, what we have here..." he muttered with sarcasm at the man._

 _The soldier looked at him and pursed his lips, waiting for his authorization for him to come into the office. "There are things I need to inform you, things you might find interesting."_

 _Athamas frowned as he took a seat on his majestic chair, "Is it done?" He looked down at the papers on his desk before proceeding to sign. The man by the door and right hand lowered his head and nodded "Yes."_

 _Where he felt remorse, now there was satisfaction. Something inside him made him feel powerful, feeding his spirit like fuel thrown into the fire. The image of the crying Goddess somehow made him feel invincible—in control. Guilt and remorse still screamed in the back of his mind, her face so full of deception still hurt him but it also gave him indulgence enough to continue with his ambitious plans._

O—o—o—o—O _  
_

The man himself now sat there again, at the top of the stairs of a phantom Kingdom. The one he once ruled from the inside. Surprised he found this place completely restored and thinking how the Gods must have had mercy of its memory. He didn't know had happened or why they decided to pay tribute to the memory of a Goddess that was no longer alive but the wonder was still, creeping in his mind. Was it the same place? Was there anybody living inside? Was she really there? —he thought.

In front of him, a shadow appeared, its yellow eyes gleamed as its face finally appeared before the man "I have found the girl." Athamas looked up at the entity and frowned, "Where is she?"

The shadow, who now looked more like a living corpse turned with unnatural mobility and pointed up at the blue planet. "There."

Athamas' narrowed his dark green eyes and with a deep sigh, he stood up and walked towards the dark figure, "Capture her and bring me the sword." he muttered dryly. The shadow bowed his head in respect and disintegrated into thin air, leaving the blonde General alone with his thoughts again. Athamas growled and looked up; hating the blue planet has been a custom for him and now he had the chance to take full control of it, no matter the cost, no matter the consequences. Since the fall of the Silver Millennium, he bowed to find the girl before Ares or any other God could and finally continue with his plan and finished his task given.

With determination, he wrapped his fingers on the hilt of his sword and walked to the entrance of the White Moon Palace and towards his new destination.

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

* * *

Back on Earth, Megumi ran out of Minako's apartment building and onto the streets without knowing any destination, and without looking back, once again. Desolated, she felt that the more she begged for an answer, she wasn't getting anywhere; she couldn't flee, she couldn't disappear like she normally would to in another planet in search for her answer. She was trapped in this cruel dimension, and now she could not find her way out no matter how much she tried, no matter how much she cried, no matter how much she pleaded. There was nobody to listen, nobody that could actually understand.

She finally found a more secluded area without much people around and without the deafening noise from the objects she could not even put a name to describe them. Megumi felt useless and her presence in whatever dimension she was did not have a single meaning to her. There was nothing she remembered, nothing she found familiar. Not the scent, not the light, not the energy. She was alien to this new generation. Tired and frustrated, she stumbled and fell on the ground and began to cry and curled her trembling fingers around the object by her side. Anger took over her, and with teary eyes, she cursed under her breath. "Cur fecisti mihi?!"

(Why did you bring me here?!)

She hung her head, defeated. Her spirit was tired, she no longer knew where to run, where to hide. She noticed there was a couple sitting on a bench several feet away from her and could hear the giggles coming from the girl while the young man with her whispered something in her ear. Megumi turned and looked at them laugh and being playful to each other, making feel nostalgic.

The girl sitting on the bench suddenly began to cough, worrying the young man "Are you okay?" he looked at her with concern, "Aiko-san! What's wrong?!" the girl in question nodded when suddenly started to choke out of the nothing. The young man stood up and tried to pat her back "Aiko-san! Aiko-san! What's the matter!?"

The girl, known now as Aiko, fell on her knees with her head low and stayed in silence for a minute. The man kneeled next to her, trying to comfort her "Ai—" she suddenly grabbed him by the neck and started choking him as she chanted some words in an ancient tongue. "Aiko..." The young man whispered before losing consciousness. "Hanc cum domino nostro corpore turn devotus miles" the girl hissed until he surrendered to her grasp and power and with an unnatural motion both spotted Megumi who was still on the ground, just a few feet away, "Ibi _es_." (There _you_ are.)

Megumi gasped with horror and stood up, taking the object with her she turned to run away. The two possessed bodies dragged themselves towards her. The poor girl felt trapped and in panic, she tried to scream for help but it was like if the park suddenly had gone mute and vacant. She turned to find an exit when more possessed bodies stood in front of her, blocking her way; soon enough, she was surrounded. Megumi looked at them shaking with fright while her trembling arms hugged the package close to her chest, hoping to it to react.

The man possessed looked at her with gleaming eyes, "Do you think you would be able to escape from us for too long? Sooner or later, we were going to find you." Megumi frowned, "Diu quaesieritis me non refert, si comprehendere me. Et implere universa quae ego locutus sum missus."

The spirit possessing the young man chuckled and crooked his head to the side, "That will not protect you from being killed like you were supposed to, years ago."

Megumi widened her eyes, realizing who the man talking back to her actually was. After all this time she now recognized that face. It was the face of hatred, of revenge. "Murderer," she muttered with anger. "It does not matter how long you search for me or if you capture me. I exist to fulfill a promise and I will complete my mission."

"Mission?" the man snarled with a creepy smile, "You have no mission, you were just asked to do something nobody else would. You are just a God's pawn. Where is your protector now eh?! Where is your all mighty savior!?" he laughed "Oh, I know. He is _dead_."

Megumi could no longer fight the tears and held the package close to her heart. The young man grabbed the object in her hands and pulled away "Hand it over to me!" he turned to the other morphed bodies and pointed his finger at Megumi, "Kill her. Her body is no use for us."

One of the shadows dragged across the ground and grabbed her legs, while the other crowded around her, making her fall to the ground, feeling devoured by pure malice. Megumi tried to fight them with the little strength she had, but their grasp was too tight and too murderous for her to handle. The air around her began to thicken as the smell of sulfur dragged her to the memory of her endless journey. Her eyes began to fight against the heavy energy taking over her "Please... help me... somebody..." she whispered as she slowly began feel pulled down to the ground.

"Please..."

 _"Death Scream."_

A flash of intense light engulfed Megumi, disintegrating the shadows that were choking her. She looked down and saw the people once possessed on the ground, unconscious. She looked up, her eyes then met a pair of garnet colored ones and shook her head with startlement, "I knew I saw somebody at that park the other day." Sailor Pluto said softly as she swung her garnet rod and held it behind her, taking a resting stance, "I sensed you were close." her voice sounded relieved and turned to wave her hand at Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn. "Don't run away," Sailor Neptune said softly and kneeled in front of her to help her stand from the ground. Megumi's eyes gleamed with tears but before she could manifest her gratitude, Sailor Saturn walked towards her and looked her in the eyes, "I remember your face." The young Senshi greeted her and gave Megumi a warm smile, "It's too bad we had to see each other again, under these circumstances."

Megumi widened her eyes in shock when she looked into her violet eyes and the large staff she was proudly holding with her right hand. "Tu es..." (It's you...) she whispered with disbelief.

* * *

 _The White Queen's face turned pale when she realized who was walking from the Palace's gates towards the main court. She turned confused when everybody gasped with horror when they recognized her attire. The White Queen's throat went dry when she realized it was not her daughter the one coming their way but one younger girl with hair darker than the night and mystic violet-colored eyes. Her alabaster skin contrasted with the morbid colors of her uniform. By everyone else's expressions, she could not help to feel hopeless, abandoned and betrayed._

 _"Queen of the White Moon Kingdom, I wished to meet you under other circumstances... but it seems I am always an uninvited guest." She looked at the Monarch with a sad smile on her youthful face._

 _Queen Serenity shook her head with horror, frantic to save what was left of her once, peaceful Kingdom, "We can fight this war, there is no reason to destroy everything! Why bring death when we can always protect life?!" Megumi watched the Lunar Queen slowly crumble in pain and frustration before the young Senshi, her tears rolled down her flushed skin, her lavender eyes were red and puffy from crying—she could tell._ _Uncertainty was slowly killing her as this girl, later on, brought down her Silence Glaive and sent everything to oblivion._

* * *

"Vos autem non," (You were there) Megumi finally broke the silence, she was shocked to see the same girl in this day and time, after so many years of wandering through the universe.

Saturn nodded, "Sadly, I was witness to that murderous night. One that still brings sorrow to my heart and it makes my soul feel heavy with pain, you must remember her, the Queen, begging me to find a way to save them all." Saturn's gaze was filled with sorrow at the mention of their past and how things ended. Megumi didn't realize she had started crying, it was as she was back in time, living the horrific events all over again talking to the girl in the black uniform. She looked at the other soldiers behind Saturn but before she could ask, Neptune clarified things for her, "We were all aware of the situation, we all lived that night and we all carry that pain in our hearts." she reached for the girl's face and wiped one of her tears to show her compassion and comfort, "We have been looking for you."

Uranus frowned, "Can you understand us?"

Megumi stayed silent and lowered her gaze. "We cannot explain our reasons." Sailor Uranus continued with a dry tone in her voice. Saturn looked at Megumi with sad eyes and turned to the other girls, "We want to help you," Sailor Pluto said in her usual, soft tone. "We are here to take you with us and protect you from whoever is after you." Megumi shook her head and looked up at the Senshi of Revolution. This was the second time she was helped and rescued, she felt guilty for leaving the blonde girl behind and somehow, she wanted to let her know she was thankful and now safe, but after these incidents, only people with power could come forward and fight and actually keep her safe without putting more innocents in danger. If the guardian she met so many years ago was here, maybe—just maybe, could they had been sent there too? Is somebody responsible for their presence in this world?

"What is your name, girl?" Sailor Uranus interrupted her thoughts, her tone had changed to a more friendly, approachable one. The girl looked at her and bit her lower lip, still hesitant to answer. Sailor Neptune came close and put her hand on her shoulder, "Please come with us, let us help you."

Megumi looked up with hopeful eyes and nodded and without looking back she turned on her heel and followed the three Senshi. Sailor Neptune looked down at her mirror and sighed softly, "It has begun."

O—o—o—O

An hour later of exhaustive search Minako sat on a bench in a park close to her apartment. After Luna called her to let her know the girl had run away she excused from work as soon as she could and went straight to look for her, hoping to find her at the same place she found her the day before sadly and with no success, she went onto look at her surroundings, including alleys, shopping districts, parks, playgrounds until she finally stopped at the one closest to home.

With a heavy sigh, she leaned down and rested her arms on her lap. She felt frustrated for not being able to do much for her and the worst part was that she knew she could do at least make her feel safe, she could defend her. Her own misfortune with her career and some details from her personal life had been pulling her back from her main focus and for that, she felt guilty, _very_ guilty because it was obvious that somehow, in a way this girl was related to them, the truth was in her eyes and she didn't listen. Her phone vibrated and immediately looked for it in her pocket and noticed it was a message from her mother,

 _Whether you like it or not, you still have a mother at home. There is a package from your father, stop with your auditions and come pick it up. It's been here for three weeks—Your mother._

"Of course, what else you would be calling for?" Minako muttered annoyed, "Ugh," she put it back into her blouse pocket and blew her bangs, exasperated, "I don't have time for that right now."

"Minako!" The blonde turned, hopeful "Luna! Did you find her?" The black cat shook her head, "No, we searched everywhere and there is no sign of her."

"Not even a clue she could have left behind? The thing she used to carry around, anything?"

"No—nothing."

Minako sighed and leaned her head back, "I'm sorry." she whispered sadly, Artemis sat in front of her and gave her an understanding look, "It is not your fault Minako, you did not lose her—she escaped."

"It all happened so quickly, it was very strange." Luna commented, "She was sleeping and all of the sudden began screaming, crying and when we least expected it, she ran away." Minako frowned and shook her head, "And now what do I do? I need to find her. I don't know if there is something or someone after her."

"We will keep looking for her," Artemis patted her leg with his paw in comfort, the blonde squinted her eyes with anger, "If I hadn't had that stupid meeting... stupid Saruto—stupid." Minako cursed under her breath. "I need to keep looking for her, I need to find her... I can't—"

"Let's take another round and see if we can find her and go back home, it's getting dark," Artemis said softly, trying his best to make Minako feel less guilty about the situation. "Tomorrow we will have a clearer vision of what happened and will have a talk with the girls—if they are available."

Minako looked at the white cat with wide eyes, "Even Usagi." Artemis answered before she even asked. He knew her too well, and she was looking at him with hopeful eyes silently pleading him not to call her, but despite her wishes, the truth was that after all, she was a Senshi too _and_ their Princess. "There is not much point in hiding this information from her." the white cat continued.

"Yes but what if we don't have anything to prove? We need solid proof. Until then, I suggest is when we take action. I may be her friend but you and Luna must understand that I am her guardian too, and as guardian, I am going to protect her until we need to take different, more drastic measures."

Artemis widened her eyes, the Senshi inside her has sparked after so many years and it was surprising to see her back on track. Of all the girls, she was the one more eager to leave that part of her on a second ground. It was impossible for all of them to leave it behind completely, but she didn't want to feel like she split into two persons with two different lives. It was a conflict that lasted at least a year, if not more, the cat remembered. He understood why and respected her decision up to one point; she had been A Senshi and has been chasing evil creatures way before Usagi and the rest of the girls did. She fell in love, got her heart broken and then the turmoil under the name of Alan came along before and nothing had happened until this last one that suddenly vanished into thin air out of her life, causing her to cry her heart out and question her integrity almost every night. In this Earth, she had been an agent for justice for a longer time. She traveled, trained and had to mature much faster than the rest of the girls. She met disgrace, malice, and evil since too young and now, once her life was somewhat _normal_ , she had to go back and do it all over again.

The fate of Aphrodite's daughter, was beyond the duty of just reunite those souls in love. But to fight for peace, in the name of love. Once she regained her memories, and Venus finally awoke, she took her Princess' place in order to keep her safe and to grant her the normal life she always wanted. She sacrificed herself in order for her Princess to fall in love, while she fought in her place. Because that is who Venus truly is, a woman who rather sacrifice herself than to leave the ones she cares and love suffer before her eyes.

Artemis finally understood. She, the soldier of love killed a woman in order to defend her Princess. She went against her will many times and even became an unwanted guest due to her strong determination and harsh tactics to separate her Princess from her lover; she lived all that turmoil, just to keep her safe. Because she was her friend.

"Very well." Artemis simply said. No more questions asked. Luna, knowing his strict personality and almost unbreakable authority was surprised he was taking it this way and not discussed the blonde's decision. The white cat turned to her and nodded, "Venus is right." he nodded at Luna, letting her know he didn't agree with Minako, but with Venus, he did.

Minako stood up and walked back to her apartment in silence, that until her phone vibrated again. Rolling her eyes she sighed, guessing it was her mother again. She took her phone from her pocket and saw it was a message from Usagi that simply said:

 _Miss u._

The message was short, simple but with a lot of meaning to Minako. Her lips curved into a soft smile, this was the reason she had to be strong. This was why she vowed to do anything she could to give her the future she always wanted a millennium ago. It didn't matter if she had a crappy boss or if she didn't have a boyfriend, she was her friend, her ally, her sister from another mother as they constantly used to say and to her, it was all that mattered. Her fingers tapped the small keyboard on her phone, sending the same short, simple but with a lot of sentiment message to her friend.

 _Miss u 2._

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

* * *

Casanova Akira entered the room where Ahlstrand Mikael and the rest of the excavation team was studying some samples they took from the discovery. She put on her white coat and went to stand next to Mikael "Anything new?" Mikael took his round glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly, "With these, everything is new." he sighed, "There are things we cannot even decipher, it's crazy."

Akira took a sample and pulled the magnifying glass closer to her and observed the stones and gems they brought back from the cave, "There is so much detail in everything," Mikael looked at her, "You sure found a whole case here. The media is dying for a scoop."

"We already gave them a scoop." Akira smiled with excitement, "We need as much evidence as we can."

"Evidence, of what?"

"That all of this goes way before our own time. This is really ancient."

"Yes," Mikael nodded, "But these are nothing like we have found on previous occasions. We don't have anything to compare it with. We don't know just how _ancient_ this is." Akira grabbed a round medallion and traced the embossed clean lines, "I still believe this comes from divine creatures—I still believe this is what my father based all his life work."

"And this why his work was always criticized and people thought he was crazy. Akira, that is a crazy statement to give—people will think you are crazy too, they are already commenting it. It's all over the news."

Akira frowned, "And you? Do you think my father was crazy?"

Mikael sighed, "No. I did think his work was a little out there but I never considered him a delusional person." Akira pushed her magnifier aside and looked at her partner, "Then let them talk. We won't say more until we have enough proof." she looked at it and put her laptop on the table, "Look at what I've found." she began showing Mikael a long slideshow of comparing images from hieroglyphs taken from different sources involved in mythology and smiled, "I don't see where you are going." Mikael said dryly, "Ok," Akira pressed her mouse button to the next picture, "And what do you say about this?"

An image with the same symbol appeared on the screen, surprising Mikael "What the..." he looked down at the medallion and then back at the picture on the screen, "It's a symbol, for Earth. The one to be said the Titan of Earth had engraved in her armor. The same one that it is said to be the symbol to the Royal Family of Earth. There is a whole story about it." Mikael sat on his stool and brought his hand to his chin in a thinking position, "This is..." he blew his bangs with amazement.

"I know, but here is the evidence." her eyes sparkled sparked with excitement, "There is more to our existence. All the stories my parents had told me as a child, might be true. My father's name could be cleared from all speculation and criticism."

"You want to go public with this?"

"We already had an interview and this has already been brought up to the table. This is a good start to clean my father's name." Akira bit her lower lip, a sign that she already has made up her mind about something. Mikael rubbed his face and shrugged one shoulder, "This is huge... and complicated,"

"And wonderful." Akira smiled.

"Akira, have you thought of the possibility that this could be from a tribe inspired in mythology?" Akira frowned, "You don't believe what I am telling you, even when I have proof." Mikael sighed and put his glasses again and looked at the computer screen one more time, "I want to believe all this but, it all sounds too—"

"Stupid?

"Magical."

"I do want to go public with this—when the time is right, I want to go public with this."

Mikael sighed again, Akira looked at him with pleading eyes, "Look, if this wasn't a huge deal all these people around us wouldn't be here helping us decipher what we found down there. People need to know that there is more than meets the eye."

Mikael turned and grabbed his agenda, "There is this T.V. Station that wants to score an exclusive with us. I have the contact with one of the producers, are you interested?" Akira looked at the name and pressed her lips tight together for a second in thought, "Do you know when would that be happening?"

"As soon as we have everything prepared." He looked at her, "Akira, you must be aware of the consequences of doing this, this will put you under the microscope and not only you but the whole team. Either this can build a whole new career for you or destroy it completely." Akira contemplated the situation and stayed silent "Think about it." Mikael put his glasses aside and looked at her, "This will change our lives forever, it is changing our lives already." He stood up and patted her shoulder before he left the room.

Akira turned to her computer again and saw the picture she had of her with her parents as a screensaver and sighed softly, "What should I do Papa? Nobody believed you all those years ago, and now... all those stories are apparently true..." she leaned her head on her hands, covering her face. "Tell me Papa, what should I do?"

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

* * *

Minako closed the door to her apartment behind her and went to take something to drink when the doorbell rang with a loud buzz, catching her off guard. "It's kind of late... who that might be?" she whispered. Minako bit her lower lip, hoping it wasn't anyone else that could distract her from the situation at hand and went to open the door, her blue eyes widened in surprise when she saw Rei standing in the hallway, "W-What are you doing here?"

Rei walked in without asking for her friends' permission and took her shoes off, "You never made it to the shrine and Yuiichiro was driving me insane." she put her purse on the small table at the small reception and turned to look at her "Is she here?" Minako sighed heavily and shook her head, "She escaped."

"What?"

"This afternoon, she escaped."

"Why? What happened?" Rei sat on the couch and looked around, "Where are Luna and Artemis?"

"Out. I think they went to the control room and see if they can find something on this girl."

"Is it that serious?" Rei frowned, taking the glass of water Minako served her as a courtesy. "I think so, it was very strange. Tomorrow we will look for her again, we couldn't find her anywhere." The priestess narrowed her eyes as Minako kept talking, "She said something I couldn't understand… but," she looked at Rei "I feel there is more behind all this."

"I couldn't go to the shrine because my boss went all bipolar on me, I had to go, otherwise I wouldn't have a job right now and sadly, that crappy job pays my bills."

"So, how did she escape?" Rei frowned, completely understanding the situation with Minako's pedantic boss. The blonde sat next to her on the couch, "I asked Luna and Artemis to keep an eye on her, and they did, but they say she had a nightmare or something like it, freaked out, and ran off the apartment." Minako waved her hand, "I couldn't even see what she was carrying with her."

Rei sighed "So, what happens next? Are you going to tell the girls?"

"Most likely—once I find her." Minako leaned back on the couch and pursed her lips. "But with the wedding and all, I cannot tell either Usagi-chan or Mamoru-kun."

Rei pursed her lips and looked away, considering the situation, "I think it would be easier to talk to Mamoru." She looked at the blonde, "But I understand what you mean." she widened her eyes and leaned on the couch as well, puffing air out of her mouth "There is something in the air... I am not in peace." She turned her head to look at her blonde friend, "So, the plan is to wait for her to appear again?" Minako nodded, "That, or until something else comes up. If she freaked out and ran away it may be because she is being followed. The question is: by whom?"

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

* * *

At the other side of the city, Ami was waiting for the spreadsheet she was always given at the nurse's station to check out for the day. As she looked down at her complicated schedule, she hoped for Mamoru or Motoki to arrive anytime soon so one of them could sign the paper and be free for the night. That day, in particular, had been one with many challenges, first of all, she didn't assist either Motoki or Mamoru and it bummed her. It was not that she disliked working with other doctors in the hospital but they constantly encouraged her to be more in touch with the patients giving her enough confidence to participate in the cases and to come up with a better diagnostic. That is what she liked the most of working with Mamoru, he constantly put her to the test and always proved her how close she was to achieve her goals at the hospital as a resident. She knew she had a long way before she could be where he was now, being one of the youngest doctors to work hand in hand with a medical staff led by the head of each medical department from neurosurgeons, cardiologists, oncologists to orthopedists as an internist. Since he has to be in every case, he is often called to analyze and give his opinion to offer a solution and lead the case to a proper specialist after taking all the necessary tests that will eventually describe the disease; it was a great opportunity for her to watch and learn from all that experience.

"A penny for your thoughts?" a familiar voice caught her attention and turned "Ah, Satomura-san."

"How was your day?" the young man pointed the piece of paper Ami was holding in her hands, "Ah… busy but not so bad." Ami smiled softly and put it in one of the bins over the desk, "I will write my new schedule on the board tomorrow." she told one of the nurses, "Sure, Mizuno-san."

Ami smiled and took the binder with one of the cases she assisted the day before while walking towards the elevator. Akashi looked at her and tried to break the uncomfortable silence that had fallen between them since the strange conversation they had at the cafeteria, "Um, Mizuno-san…" he said softly and then noticed the binder she was reading, "I see you are reading one of his cases." his voice suddenly shifted from his usual friendly tone to a more reserved one, and tried his best not to show too much indifference. Considering what happened earlier that day Ami made a pause and looked at him, really not knowing what else to say, "Huh?"

Akashi pointed the papers in her hand, "That is one of his cases."

Ami blinked and looked at the name he was referring to "Oh, yes… I assisted him yesterday with this case and I wanted to see if there was any progress with the patient, in case he asks." she smiled at him softly and looked down at the many notes Mamoru made about the patient's tests results. Akashi leaned his back on the elevator wall, while it slowly took them to the floor Ami had requested, "Do you know him well?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, more than one usually knows somebody in this place."

Ami frowned and shook her head "Well, I did tell you he is my friend."

"I don't know… it is almost as if you are waiting for him to call you to assist him in any of his cases." Akashi crossed his arms. Ami pursed her lips, "Well, I do but because he trusts me." Ami closed the bin with the information and turned to look at him while pushing up her glasses with her index finger, "He is not waiting for me to fail so he can put me aside and keep doing his job alone like many would do."

Akashi looked at the bluenette and turned his head the other side, facing the elevator opposite wall. His face reflected on the metal lining showed a wave of emotions he didn't know he even had. Frowning, he thought about his chances and right when the doors of the elevator were about to open, Akashi turned "Do you want to go out?"

Ami widened her eyes and turned, her blue eyes expressed what her lips could not verbalize. "You know…" Akashi rubbed the back of his neck "Like, for dinner, maybe a movie? —I don't know."

Ami blinked surprised. Not that she never dated someone before but she wasn't asked a lot. Mizuno Ami always was _the_ genius girl everywhere she went, and that was an automatic pass to not having too many people to talk to. It was like she was never got the chance to prove she is more than just a high score on her resumé and studies and even when she had her own friends, who were as strange as her, it was even more complicated when people find out that she of all people, is daughter to one of the best doctors in the hospital. Ami could not deny her attraction for Satomura Akashi, since the very first beginning, there was something that put them in their way but never, in a million years she believed that he would feel the same for her. "You—" Ami muttered and frowned, "—Want to go out with me?"

"Is it a bad thing?" Akashi arched his brow quizzically. Ami shook her head and looked down; her cheeks could be easily compared to a pair of red ripe apples "N-No."

Akashi frowned and thought about the dark-haired doctor, "Are you dating someone right now?" he wanted to know. He wanted to be sure if there was something between them, more than just being friends. Ami looked at him and shook her head "N-No." The young doctor half smiled with satisfaction and nodded. He turned to wait for the elevators doors to open again and shook his head, immediately regretting his poor attempt to ask her out, "I'm sorry I—"

"Yes."

Akashi turned to look at her, still blushing "Yes, I will go out with you." Ami looked up and smiled at him. Akashi widened his eyes "R-Really?"

Ami was about to say something when the doors opened again, this time, the bluenette stepped out of the elevator, leaving him behind, "Well I have to go now, I will see you tomorrow." she smiled again and waved her hand at him. Akashi reacted seconds after and stopped the doors from closing and leaned forward to look for her "I'll call you." Ami turned to look over her shoulder and nodded, then continued walking without saying a word. As she came closer to the nurse's station on the first floor, a very familiar voice greeted her "Ah... that is interesting."

Ami widened her eyes and blushed, turning to her side she saw Motoki singing some papers and a prescription for a patient who was ready to leave the hospital, "You finally spoke to him—good for you." Ami sweat dropped, "Mamoru-kun made me."

"Good. So, you guys are a thing now?" Motoki smiled widely, Ami blinked startled "W-What?"

Motoki smiled at the nurse and turned his full attention at the young bluenette, "Come on, you guys are totally on the same page." he closed the distance between them and arched a brow, "Has he asked you out?"

Ami's blush intensified and tried to look away, giving Motoki the cue to confirm his suspicions. "Ah, young love." he chuckled, and continued working on the prescription, "I am eager to see what happens next."

"About what?"

Ami's crimson blush intensified when she spotted Mamoru standing next to Motoki, reviewing a patient's chart, his lips curved into a playful smile when noticed Ami's apple colored cheeks, "Did I miss something?"

"Osuna guy made a move—and she said yes," Motoki chuckled, " _Finally._ "

"He is _just_ a friend; you guys are the biggest gossipers I know." Ami said softly and shrugged her shoulders, looking down, "It's nothing serious, we are probably just going to get something to eat and that's it."

Mamoru turned and looked at her, his expression changed from a playful one to a more serious. He noticed something hidden in the way she was speaking, almost like if she was restricting herself from being happy. He narrowed his eyes and frowned while pushing back his glasses, "Mizuno-san, I need you to come with me."

Ami blinked surprised by the formality in Mamoru's voice and nodded. Motoki turned and arched a brow, "I have the results from the studies made on this patient. Mamoru frowned, "Furukawa?" he grabbed the folder and opened it, his azure eyes surfed through the information quickly, "You were right…" he heard Motoki say, "I don't know how you do it, but… you were right, _again_." Mamoru sighed heavily and shook his head "All the signs were there."

"Yes, but one usually knows after you run the tests and get the results… you don't get a suspicion that accurate in just one consultation." Motoki raised both brows in amazement, "You sure are something else," he let out a chuckle, "It's like if you could read people's…" he trailed off and widened his eyes "Well—actually,"

Mamoru shook his head "I get it, Motoki." he looked at him, and then at Ami "We have to talk to them. Can you call them for me, please?" Ami nodded and turned for the phone at the nurse's station but Motoki interrupted "That won't be necessary, they're here." he patted his friend's shoulder in support "I know how much you hate these situations," Mamoru nodded and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "It's not just this, it's another case I've been working on that has been taking more time than expected." his voice sounded heavy with concern. Motoki nodded and crossed his arms, "Ah, Hikasawa's case, so I heard… what's wrong with the patient?"

Mamoru spaced out for a minute before continuing, "It's a tumor, but it has ramifications complicating the whole situation. Surgery at this point is a matter of life or death, 50/50 chance of survival. Hisakawa is leaving it as a last resort and wants to try new alternative treatments to see if the tumor can shrink its size and then remove it by operating." Mamoru shook his head and sighed "And that is where I come in, he wants me to run all the studies necessary and carry out those tests and treatment and if there are any results, I will be advising them during the surgery with the neurosurgeon's team." Ami stood next to Mamoru, "They're at one of the consultation offices."

Mamoru nodded and turned to Motoki "Do you have consultations? I need you to come with me and help me explain the situation, you are the specialist with whom I will transfer them to continue the treatment."

"I do have consultations but I can ask Inoue-san to take care while I am attending this matter. I'll catch up with you in a minute," Motoki said and left a couple of binders to the nurses, while Ami followed Mamoru to the office on the third floor. Mamoru pushed the elevator button in silence and waited for the doors to open, once they were inside Ami finally felt more relaxed and noticed the band aid on her friends' hand, "What happened? Are you okay?"

Mamoru turned to look at her and frowned, slightly confused, "Huh?"

"Your hand." Ami pointed the band aid, she immediately imagined Usagi had something to do with it since it had kittens and colorful bows all over. "Oh," Mamoru looked at it and smiled softly, "Nothing serious, I broke a glass by accident last night while I was working and cut my hand when I started cleaning the mess. I was distracted."

Ami arched a brow playfully, " _You_ broke a glass because _you_ were distracted, really? That doesn't sound like something it would happen to you."

Mamoru chuckled, "Well… I think it is the Usa effect, I might be a little too influenced by her."

Ami broke into laughter at the truth of his words. Mamoru's smile soon faded when remembered the true reason of his accident and considered to mention something to Ami, but he stopped when caught her smiling while looking at her phone. Reality hit him, they were all leading normal lives now. It was like if their past had happened in an alternate universe, away from this hectic yet, interesting lifestyle. Mamoru felt guilty and distressed because this was not just to try to protect Usagi, which was his first priority, it was about looking after the girls, who were his friends as well and sisters to his bride to be. He fought an internal battle to keep whatever was happening to him as private as possible. All these forebodings, he had to deal with them alone until he found the reason behind them, why was he being summoned and yet, nothing has happened? —He thought. "It's true then," Mamoru smiled softly while staring at the numbers on the elevator change slowly, "So, he finally made a move."

Ami blushed softly and put her phone back in her pocket, "He only asked me out. It's nothing serious." she chuckled softly, "Motoki is taking this out of proportion."

"Motoki will always take things out of proportion. It's his thing," Mamoru chuckled, " _But_ ," he looked down at her "He is right, he likes you and you should give him at least one chance." Ami pouted her lips and exhaled heavily, "No buts." she heard Mamoru say, interrupting what she was about to respond. She widened her eyes surprised "How…"

"I will only tell you this, Dr. Mizuno," Mamoru looked at her and arched his brow, "Don't follow my footsteps."

Ami widened her eyes with surprise, "W-What?"

"I find a great deal of myself in you Ami-chan. I was always at the top of my class, great scores and always got labeled as the genius boy whenever I was, but in the end, I was alone. I know you want to be taken seriously and want to be successful with your career but you haven't realized that you already have accomplished that, you need to live your life as well. You need to have a life outside these white walls and endless hallways. So, as your friend, _and_ your supervisor in this hospital I suggest you go out with him and have a proper date."

Ami looked at him perplexed, surprised by his words. She never in a million years imagined Mamoru as a lonely man. Sure, she did know about his life at the orphanage and knew he had a tragic childhood, but since she met him, she always thought his loneliness was more of a lifestyle to him than anything else. She even admired that of him, despite always being alone, he acted cool and was cool to others and even was admired by others because of the mysterious vibe around him. He never showed a single sign of solitude and sadness and even had the time and energy to play sarcastic games and jokes with Usagi when they were younger. Ami lowered her head and looked at her feet, with a small smile on her face. She loved his words and was grateful to have a friend like him on her side. "You are more than just my friend or supervisor... you are my Prince."

Mamoru widened his eyes and looked at her, surprised. After all this time, she still saw him as a Royal, just like they secretly saw Usagi. Despite having ancient, Royal blood, he never actually felt like they owed him anything, he never had a Royal attitude towards them because they all fought for the same cause, they were all soldiers. His eyes watered a little by her words, he was moved by her noble character but his stoic persona didn't want to show it completely. "And, just to be clear, the cafeteria doesn't count as a proper place to have a date." Mamoru interrupted her thoughts, "Frozen meals and salads won't do the trick—"

Ami widened her eyes and broke into laughter right when the elevator doors opened, unaware that there was a very surprised Akashi pressing the button to go up. His brown eyes went from Ami to the tall man next to her and frowned. His body immediately froze in his place and stiffened at the sight of her laughing her heart out with this man.

Mamoru stepped out of the elevator and looked at him "Satomura-san, good evening." without a response in return, Mamoru walked towards the office in silence where his patients were already waiting for him. Ami stopped laughing abruptly and looked at him walk away, then at Akashi. Mamoru's words echoed in her head and decided to follow his advice. With a smile, she took out her phone and looked at him "Oh, Satomura-san, I—"

Akashi turned to look at her with a stern face, not really doing a good job at hiding his jealousy, "I thought you were leaving." Ami opened her mouth and pointed at the direction Mamoru went "Oh, that—yes, but, I was asked to go to a final consultation... well, not exactly a consultation but you know, the case we reviewed with Chiba-san."

Akashi pressed his lips together "Yeah..." he searched for his phone in his pocket with a serious, annoyed face that caught the bluenette off guard, "Are you okay?" Ami frowned. Akashi pushed the button on the elevator and turned to her, "It's okay to just say no, Mizuno-san."

Ami's frowned deepened, "What is going on?" The young doctor sighed heavily and shook his head, "You have a thing for him."

Ami shook her head confused "For who?" then her eyes widened in surprise once she realized what he was trying to say "Mamoru? I-I mean… Chiba-san?"

Akashi noted the drastic change of words she made and narrowed his eyes "You even call him by his name with no honorifics and you tell me there is nothing going on?"

"It's not what you think," Ami said softly and sighed, tired. "I'm sorry if I am giving you mixed signals, but you should be sorry for thinking wrong things about me," she frowned "Fine; if you want to cancel—" she turned and pressed the elevator button again for him. This time, the doors opened in a perfect timing for her to leave, "It's okay," she turned on her heel without saying anything else to him, leaving him speechless by her sudden reaction and watched her follow Mamoru's direction before closing the doors in front of his face.

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

* * *

Michiru sat on the couch and put a white porcelain cup with hot tea on the coffee table, in front of Megumi. Her calm and sophisticated personality gave her confidence enough to reach for the cup and take a sip. Thinking about the blonde that saved her previously, and who didn't get the chance to thank for her help.

"It's herbal tea, it will calm your nerves."

Megumi put the cup on her lap while holding it with both hands; she took a moment to look around and noticed the big difference between this place and the small apartment where she stayed with her blonde savior. The room was spacious, the furniture was modern and it smelled like a field of flowers with all the little candles lit by the fireplace. She looked down on her feet, feeling the soft, plushy fabric of the carpet and sighed softly "Quam pulchra..." (How pretty...) she whispered.

Michiru tilted her head "Did you say something?"

The girl looked up at Michiru and shook her head, then again lowered her head, leaving Michiru hanging with her question. "You can talk to us, we are here to help." she said softly, "We want to know who you are so we can help you better." Haruka frowned and sat on the coffee table, her hazel eyes looked at the girl with a stern face, "If you don't speak, we can't do much and I personally don't have the patience to be waiting for an answer."

"Haruka!" Michiru snapped. Haruka sighed and ran a hand through her hair, "Why is there so much mystery around her? It's clear she can speak," she turned to the girl again, "Can you even speak our language? Do you even understand us?"

"What is your name?"

"The girl will not speak if you keep raising your voice like this." The blonde looked up at Setsuna, who was standing behind the sofa. "She will speak to us eventually. When the time is ready, she will tell us what we need to know."

Michiru nodded and looked at Hotaru that sat silently in the corner, Buddha style. Her violet eyes stared at the girl, barely even blinking. Hundreds of questions flooded her mind, starting how she managed to survive her own attack. How the Gods didn't realize she was alive, how come nobody searched for her? She did not know much about the girl, only that she happened to be there at that precise time when she was sent to shut down the entire White Kingdom. "Why didn't you tell me Father?" she asked softly, catching Megumi's attention. Haruka frowned and turned over her shoulder "What?" Hotaru never moved her eyes from the girl "I was never told about her. That night—none of us knew what was happening,"

"What are you talking about Hotaru?" Haruka turned on the table, now facing the Senshi of Silence "You were never told about what?"

"Her," Hotaru said in her usual calm voice, "She was there the moment the Moon Kingdom was being attacked."

"What?" Haruka widened her eyes and turned to face the girl on the sofa. Michiru turned to Hotaru, "Do you remember?"

Finally parting her gaze from the girl, she looked at Michiru and nodded, "I happen to remember every time I am summoned and reborn—which are not too many." Hotaru closed her eyes, "I was only given the task but I never knew reasons beyond the situation I was taken care of," she looked up at Haruka, "But Setsuna is right, she will tell us when she is ready, in the meantime it's better if she stays here while we find some more answers on our own."

Megumi looked down and closed her eyes as well, tightening the grip on the object close to her, Haruka noticed. "What is that you hold so close to you?" Megumi shook her head and tightened her grip on the weapon. No matter how safe she was, or if she was with heavenly soldiers, she found it hard to trust anyone at this point. Her mission was clear, she had to find the next owner of this treasure of hers, and if she wasn't summoned to go and travel off again, she had to wait.

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

* * *

With a steady step, he entered the dark halls of the Underworld until he reached for its Palace. A guard stopped him with a heavy, sharp weapon pointed at him with no introduction or hesitation, "You cannot cross to this realm." Athamas looked at the giant guard and chuckled with sarcasm, "How come?"

"Nobody is allowed unless the God of the Underworld himself grants you his permission."

Athamas' eyes darkened, losing all spark of color and raised his brow quizzically, "I have known the ways of the Underworld for a long time, and so, the God to this realm. I do not need a permission to cross when I have been here before. So, step aside."

"Even if you want to enter this realm, you will get lost in one of the many stages. This place is a maze."

"What are you? His dog? Move aside." Athamas waved his hand but the sharp edge of the guard's weapon was barely millimeters away from the Andromedian's throat, "Those who try to cross these Gates, must be eliminated." Little chance the guard had when what appeared to be a tar-like substance began covering the man in front of him. Realizing later, that it was not tar, but troubled and angry souls from this mere realm. "What?" The guard asked perplexed, before being devoured by the corpses leaving only rotten flesh and bone on the ground, next to his weapon. Athamas looked down with a mocking expression on his face, "Like I told you," he raised his hand, taking control of the soul he just claimed from the guard, "I have been here before."

Inside the palace, Ares paced back and forth in the throne room while Hades looked at him from his dark throne of bones and onyx, "What are you doing here Ares? After your assault, I should take your damn soul and throw it into the river—what do you want?"

"I have been told of your position with the situation I have been reporting lately at Olympus to Zeus," Ares looked at him with a stern face. He was never too close to the God of the Underworld, they never agreed on anything, they never shared any opinion or had anything in common and when he decided to support Serenity, he was the first to rise against him. "If it weren't this serious, I wouldn't be here—believe me." Hades looked at his brother with a stoic face, never showing a single spark of interest "Serious?" He chuckled with sarcasm, "Interesting."

"Zeus has agreed."

"Zeus will agree to anything as long as he washes his hands off any matter. That is how he is and I could not care less about your little crusade of justice or whatever it is that you are doing," his grey eyes darkened, showing his magnificent power, "You have gone against the laws of Olympus for centuries now, there is no reason for me to support you for tribal things."

"Several Kingdoms have been corrupted by corpses from this realm Hades, can't you see?!"

"Impossible." Hades raised his hand, "This realm is hermetic, nothing can come in and nothing can come out and Tartarus goes even deeper," he frowned "If there was any unusual activity I would know right away—Asteria guards the Gates."

"Really?" A male voice interrupted both Gods. Ares turned over his shoulder, while Hades surprised, stood from his throne. Athamas looked at both men with a smirk on his face, "Is that surprise I see in your face God of the Underworld?"

"How did—" Hades was interrupted by Athamas "—Found my way to enter and actually find your throne? Well..." he walked inside the room and looked out the large stained-glass windows, his dark eyes looking outside. "I know this realm too well. I have been here, studying every move, every soul that comes in, everyone that has to cross the rivers and fountains of your little divine helpers." he turned to look at him, "No seal can keep what is inside the depths of this realm."

Hades widened his gray eyes "Who are you!?" he summoned his long scythe from thin air and prepared himself to attack. Ares took a step forward, "You demon..." He drew out his sword and pointed it at Athamas, but just as he appeared, he disappeared before their eyes. Hades frowned with anger and growled furiously, "Where did he go?!"

"He was a vision—he was not real," Ares muttered and turned to Hades, "Do you believe me now, Brother?"

Hades looked at Ares then summoned his power to open a shortcut to the Gate that would lead to them to the deepest part of the Underworld—Tartarus. A long bone and stone staircase appeared, inviting them to go down. "After you," Hades muttered and waited for his brother to take the lead and go down the stairs with him following behind in silence. The deeper they went, the strongest the smell of decay and sulfur filled their nostrils and lungs; Ares looked at the walls and noticed they were made of pure carcasses from dead people, there were even bodies still trapped in between the corpses moaning and screaming in pain for help, "Purgatorio" Hades muttered, "Those who have not managed to escape their own self-inflicted hell."

Ares turned over his shoulder with a distressed face, showing his fear and disgust for the realm his older brother was given to rule. The Lord of the Death continued gown down, showing no interest or mercy of those souls clearly pleading for his attention. "This is where all those with an unfinished business end up. Those who take their lives... those who did not reach for redemption. Their souls cannot support Lethe's river and they are slowly left here, where they spend the rest of their lives reliving their past." Ares felt a knot in the pit of his stomach, knowing exactly they were at the place where Gaia was sentenced to spend the rest of eternity, once her mortal body ceased to exist. With frightened eyes, he dared to look up, wondering if he could see her there, trapped between rotten flesh and bone, crying for mercy as well. He wondered with pain in his heart if she was still complete, or was just another corpse who had lost its sanity.

"She never got here," Hades muttered as if he could hear Ares' thoughts. The Lord of War stopped midway and turned to face Hades, "What?" Hades stopped too and sighed, "Gaia, she is not here."

Ares shook his head in disbelief, "What do you mean she is _not_ here? You said—you sentenced her! Where is she then!?"

"I do not know."

Ares' grip on his sword almost dropping it "What?"

"She was sentenced the moment she became a mortal but when she died, her soul never walked these halls. She never got here, somebody must have gone for her—it is the only logical thing for me to think. Her treason only amplifies with each year that passes and escaped her sentence, I will find her and I will bring her down here, where she belongs."

Ares turned and looked down, into the deep dark pit the stairs led to "Then... the seal," he turned, terrified, "The seal on Tartarus," he turned and followed Hades down the stairs, passing from Purgatorio to Hell, then to Tartarus. Two enormous stone Gates stopped them from continuing his path, letting them know they have reached to the last of the stages of Hell. Hades turned to the God of War and sighed, "This, is the deepest part of the Underworld. Darker than Hell itself. This is where evil and demonic spirits are kept. Once you enter, Ares, do not listen to anything that will be told to you—do not believe anything you see, just continue your path forward. His prison is at the very end of Tartarus."

Ares felt hesitant if his presentiment was true, if that seal was indeed broken then it would mean the end of everything. Olympus would be the first place to be annihilated under his watch, Hades turned and raised his hands, summoning a dark spirit to appear, "Master..." A female voice echoed in the distance, soon manifesting in front of both Gods. Hades turned, "Asteria—"

Asteria, a Goddess in black uniform bowed her head in respect, "Have you called for me, Milord?" Her void looking eyes soon shifted from Hades to Ares, "Lord of War—I did not see you. This is a surprise."

Ares narrowed his gray eyes, he knew Asteria and he knew the caliber she had in power. A Titan who made a bargain with Hades himself to have control of the Fates inside Hell, Commander of The Army of Shadows and Hades' right hand. Different in power to Saturn, but equally threatening and dangerous. "I am going in—open the Gate."

Asteria bowed her head and turned, raising her hand up she frowned and summoned for her dark power, "I call upon you, Demon Guard—Cerberus, I command you to stand before me and lend me your powers." Almost immediately, a loud growl echoed between the giant walls and a giant demon dog with three heads appeared "Master." He growled and looked at Hades, "The Gates of Tartarus must be Guarded, take my place—Cerberus." he said in a low tone.

"Yes, Master." the demon said with its dark and low voice. Hades carved a symbol with his scythe and seconds after, the gates slowly opened. When Ares walked inside, he was surprised to see how somber it was, very somber and dark. A cold chill went down his spine as he continued to walk deeper into the halls of Hell. Suddenly the voices began, little echoes and whispers caught his ear "Do not listen." Hades warned, "They have finally noticed we are here."

 _"Lord of the Dark Kingdom is here..."_

 _"The Reaper has joined us..."_

 _"The Reaper, it's the Reaper!"_

 _"Oh, Grim Reaper... has brought a soul for our amusement..."_

 _"Ares..."_

 _"Ares..."_

 _"Ares..."_

Ares stopped once he recognized the voice calling his name "Is it?"

 _"Ares... find him..."_

Ares widened his eyes "Gaia?" he turned over his shoulder but saw nothing. Hades stopped and frowned, "Ares! It is an illusion—they know how to trick your mind, do not listen. Demons are playing with your mind."

Ares shook his head and continued his way but soon was distracted by a woman's figure in front of him, catching him off guard. Widening his eyes, he turned both ways calling Hades "Where... where have you gone?!"

The woman started walking towards him, her face was untraceable. Suddenly, the halls weren't dark anymore but there was this hazy atmosphere that still confused him. Ares closed his eyes, trying to concentrate and ignore whatever they were trying to do to him. Then, a familiar scent caught his senses, making him snap his eyes open, "Whatever tricks you are trying to play on me, it will not work."

 _"The seal..."_ the female voice echoed _"Ares..."_

Ares lowered his head "Gaia..." he breathed, his heart was slowly taking over his reason as he never thought he would ever hear that voice, calling his name again. _"Look for him... help me..."_

"What do you want me to do?!"

 _"Help me find him..."_

"Find _who_?!"

Soon the haze and smoke started to fade away leaving Ares confused "Gaia... Gaia!" Desperate, he turned but was back in Hell, walking behind Hades. His little frenesí only meant one thing now, the more confused and troubled his spirit felt, the more he knew were close to their destination. Hades stopped and carved another symbol on another Gate, making the ground rumble with intensity as they opened. He turned to Ares and narrowed his eyes, "This, is Tartarus." He turned and pointed the dark hallway in front of them with his scythe like the Grim Reaper he was, "At the end of this hallway, we will have reached the deepest part of Hell—are you certain you want to cross?"

Ares nodded and walked inside, immediately noticing the hundreds of thousands of tormented spirits laid on the ground. Laments and screams echoed the hallway as he walked, Ares could hear his boots splashing dropplets the blood that drained from the scattered bodies; with horrified eyes, he stopped and looked at the dark stone gates in front of him. The horror itself didn't come from the gates itself but from the cracks on them. "No..." he muttered with horror.

Hades' eyes widened when stood next to Ares "This cannot be happening,"

Ares shook his head, his heart stopped beating for a moment. He felt like his spirit was leaving his body when he heard the lament of a man, holding to dear life to the stone walls "The light... from the sun..." he said with torment. The god of war turned and saw a man in a what looked like the remains of a military uniform, and his eyes soon widened with horror, "That man..." he walked over to the man and crouched in front of him, startling Hades in the process, "What are you doing?! You must leave the corpse there!"

Despite his torn clothing, his thin physique and bad shape he could recognize his face and also noticed the carvings in his hands. Ares looked at Hades with a horrified expression "Do you know who this man is?!" Hades asked still confused.

Ares turned to face the man on the ground and nodded with a heavy heart, "Yes—this is the Terran King." His gray eyes narrowed with sorrow, "Gaia's mortal lover."

* * *

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters_


	15. Chapter 15

Divinity: The Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter fifteen

 _A/N: To whoever is reading this story, I thank you. SerenityMorrison, thank you, kera69love, thank you. Thank you because I really put a lot of heart into this story-I know it's silly but, I do and if you are enjoying it, just let me know, so I can continue with it. Let's keep the good vibes flowing! :)_

* * *

"What is this man doing here?" Hades asked, confused "Nobody can cross to this realm without me knowing. This is evil heresy..." Ares turned to Hades with a frown, "We have to take him with us."

"In the state he is, that body will not support the strain of other passages of hell. Once a soul enters Tartarus it cannot go out—his soul is condemned." Ares looked down at Eros half awake, half insane and shook his head, frustrated and desperate. It was as if he was holding to a string that would lead him to Gaia, "You are the God of this realm!" he raised his voice, "There must be a way!"

Hades turned to the gates and narrowed his dark gray eyes, so similar to Ares' yet so different. While Ares still held specks of humility, his older brother Hades did not. Like brothers, he would respond to his calling faster than to anyone else, give him more time in an audience and manifest before him but that was very much it. Hades did not share the same sentiment with Ares when it came saving either Terrans or their divine Royal family; he felt disgusted by Helios' corrupt descendants and kept a very strong opinion as to what to do once he annihilated them all. "The gates have been forced—at this point, it is difficult to tell how much of what is inside has escaped. It is not only _him_ in there, all evil energy is trapped inside those gates—demons are imprisoned there." He looked at the delirious man with disgust, and shrugged his shoulder dismissively, "That mortal man is bound to be here. _He_ wants him here—there is nothing I can or want to do." Hades' words stunned his younger brother, "Brother..." Ares looked at him with shock, "I must go back, I must warn Zeus and the other High Gods about this," he tried to stand up but he felt a strong pull on his cape making him look at the Terran King's bloody hand, "My son..." He muttered with evident pain, to Ares it was incredible that after so many years trapped in the darkest part of hell, the mortal could still have specks of sanity. Ares widened his eyes when he listened again to the man's plea, "W-What?"

Eros tilted his head up and made eye contact with Ares as brought one hand to his face, "My son... I tried... to protect... your... mother..."

"He is raving about the past, this man is trapped in the limbo Tartarus creates in their minds—he is past salvation." Hades looked at the King mercilessly, "There is nothing to be done to save that soul,"

"My son..." Eros lamented again, his expression was one of a suffering man. His blue eyes were dry and lost, there was any life left in them. His life now depended on the pain and dark energy of this place, as it slowly consumed what was left of him; Ares lowered his head, imagining the pain he must be going through, "Son..." he muttered with guilt for everything he has done. Something echoed inside his mind, like a new mission or better said the continuation of the mission he thought had lost when Gaia died and the Serenity's Kingdom vanished by Metallia's hand and looked up with determination, knowing what he needed to do next and found ironic how he could see a light of hope in such penumbra like Tartarus. "If you can listen to my voice, I ask of you Mortal King is to not give up. Do not succumb to his malicious voice."

Hades turned to look over his shoulder at his younger brother still holding the Terran King in his arms and narrowed his eyes, "Ares! —We must step away from this place. The Gates cannot stay open for too long,"

Ares closed his eyes and tried to swallow the guilt that was creeping in his chest as he slowly let go of Eros and stood up, "Please, forgive me—" he whispered, mostly to himself since he knew the brief lucid moment in the King's mind had disappeared. The God of War turned to walk away, thinking about how many stories he has heard over the course of his life about the Underworld but how different it all was in true person. He silently wondered how cursed someone's faith had to be to end up in a realm like this. As they exited the many stages of hell, Hades closed each gate the same way he opened them in the first place as they climbed up the long staircase he opened as a shortcut until they entered the throne room and closed the portal again with his intimidating scythe.

"I will go to Olympus—I must warn the gods and prepare the army." Ares turned on his heel without wanting to waste another minute. The situation was much more complicated than he thought and to prevent more damage he had to act fast. "Who is this shadow man Ares?" Hades' voice stopped him and made him turn to look at his older brother. Ares sighed, closing his eyes he cursed under his breath and shook his head. Never thought that he, of all the ones who were there that night, would survive the catastrophe. "That man was the Moon's Army Commander."

"What?!" Hades growled furiously, "The Andromedian?"

Ares nodded,"I thought everybody died when your daughter appeared. You sent her there to kill everybody." He sighed, "Somehow he managed to survive but, he is corrupted. I have had a previous encounter with him and he is not his normal self—there is something else lurking inside of him."

Hades stayed silent for a minute and turned to walk back to his throne, "I was following orders, Ares,"

"You do not follow orders, Hades," Ares narrowed his eyes and shook his head, "I personally came here to ask for your help and you denied it! Who ordered you to send your daughter? Who would have the nerve to order something so atrocious?! Answer me!" Hades raised his brow and looked at Ares as he sat on his onyx throne, "Chronos."

Ares' pale gray eyes widened with horror, "What did you just say?!"

Hades didn't show any signs of remorse and also didn't look like he was lying. His face was stern and cold, highly unaffected by that particular affair from the past. Ares, on the other hand, was enraged by feeling more and more deceived by the one he thought was the last to hold any mercy and sanity in the divine world. "You are lying..."

"I do not have any necessity to lie to you," Hades crossed a leg, still showing little to no sympathy for the matter at hand, "Chronos himself came to me and made the request."

* * *

O—o—O

 _The long doors of the throne room opened wide showing a very serious Chronos walking inside. The man himself did not show much emotion, and his voice was always deep and calm but the urgency was evident with every step he took closer to the God of the Underworld._

 _Hades looked at him with slight surprise since it was not common for the Titan of Time to lower himself to visit him at the place where some of his kind still lay trapped in limbo and his Elysian fields. "Chronos..." he welcomed him from his majestic throne, "This is one unusual visit." Chronos stopped in front of the man in black armor and gave him a serious look, "Hades." Chronos acknowledged the God's presence but that was as far as he would go._

 _"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" Hades tapped his fingers, always calculating and seizing a new opportunity to bring more souls into his realm. Chronos narrowed his deep burgundy eyes, "You must have heard about the war that is moving towards us," his dry voice and lack of riddles made Hades raise a brow with interest, "Oh? Now it is a war?" he chuckled and waved his fingers dismissively, "I have heard too many things these days Chronos, I no longer know which ones are true or not—this could be another void alert coming from my dear little brother, Ares is always so melodramatic."_

 _"A shadow is covering the Sun," Chronos did not react to Hades' taunting game, "It has been mentioned before in our meetings in Olympus, Ares is watching over this situation—his reports are specific and clear."_

 _"A shadow..." Hades muttered and arched a brow, "Anything related to the Sun brings complications, that family is cursed—I am disgusted by such dynasty."_

 _"The shadow cannot be stopped by any of us—Earth has been compromised and is heading towards its demise," Hades smiled and run his tongue softly across his lips, almost savoring what Chronos' words meant, "Is that so?"_

 _"Darkness has reached for Earth, and it is heading to the Moon, Serenity cannot fight it alone." Chronos tilted his head down, Hades chuckled, "Then fight with her."_

 _"This is not how this works, not this time."_

 _Hades leaned forward, finally showing some interest, "Are you saying the Alliance is compromised by this curse? Serenity still gives asylum to those cursed by the Sun! What did you expect?!"_

 _"I am not here to ask you to go save them." Chronos fingers curled around his long key rod, finally attracting Hades' full attention, "I do not understand, then why are you here?"_

 _Chronos took a step closer to Hades' throne and stomped his metal rod against the marble floor, "I am here to ask you to send your daughter to end the invasion." Hades' eyes widened, "I do not think I am following your request—you are asking me to summon Saturn—you know what that means, right?" Chronos nodded, "Your daughter must swing down her scythe."_

 _Hades leaned to one side of his throne chair as he tried to process what he was being asked to do, "You are asking me to kill Serenity, her daughter, and the entire population on the Moon?"_

 _"Hades, the shadow covering the Sun is very strong, if released, it could spread around all realms. I cannot longer step into this fight, it no longer belongs to me—I have another mission to accomplish. In order to continue this war and actually have an opportunity to win is by bringing the soldier of death to the Moon and annihilate everything—the talismans are already reacting I just need you to call for Saturn and send her to fulfill this mission."_

 _"Ares will never forgive you for this," Hades looked at Chronos with amusement, "He will come, he is desperately looking for help because he wants to save her soul... but she is already condemned."_

 _"Let me be the one to decide on that," Chronos responded with determination, surprising Hades. The God of the Underworld turned and snapped his fingers to call for his daughter, Saturn, to manifest in front of him. It didn't take long before the Senshi in black and purple appeared like the reaper itself, surrounded by a heavy energy as she held her Silence Glaive. She turned and bowed her head to her father, showing her deep admiration and respect, "You called for me, Father." Hades rested his head on one hand and looked at Chronos for a minute, "Yes, my dear Saturn—" he stood up from his black throne and walked towards her, "My sweet child, I must entrust you a mission,"_

 _Saturn looked up at her father and nodded, Hades put both hands on each side of Saturn's face and half smiled at her, the only person he would give a genuine gesture of appreciation in addition to Persephone. "Sweet child of mine, I need you to swing down your Silence Glaive again. Go to the Moon—" he looked at Chronos for a brief moment to confirm the Lord of Time's request, and turned his attention back at his beautiful daughter again "And send everything, to oblivion."_

 _Saturn widened her eyes, "But, Father—"_

 _"Evil has spread and the Moon is its target—Earth has already been invaded." Hades muttered, his hand never leaving his daughter's warm cheek, Saturn turned to Chronos with a terrified expression on her innocent looking face, "You are asking me to kill the Lunar Queen,"_

 _"No, my dear," Hades narrowed his dark gray eyes, "I am asking you to kill the curse that has stepped foot on the Moon. Drag the evil to hell, whoever involved will face the consequences—despite risking innocents lives, evil must be dragged to Tartarus, with you as a guide." Saturn closed her eyes and bowed her head, "Yes, Father. I will follow your command." she turned and looked at Chronos confused by his decision, "Lord Chronos... why?" her voice came out in a soft whisper, still hoping for a more merciful reason behind such atrocious request. Chronos gave the young Senshi and apologetic look, "Because, I need him—as selfish as that sounds, dear Saturn. There is someone I need for future purposes," Young Saturn frowned and shook her head, "I do not understand."_

 _"In time, you will," Chronos answered "Once you are there, do not mention my name—this information must not leave these walls. Everything will be told in time." Saturn bowed her head and exited the room, leaving both men behind. Hades raised his hands and went back to his throne "It is done then, although, at the cost of my name," Chronos looked at him "I thank you Hades, for your cooperation."_

 _"Of all the divine beings in this realm, I was not expecting you to demand such request, that is enough for me to cooperate. Anything else you might need?" Hades looked at the Time Titan and crossed his fingers, Chronos nodded, "Yes. Do not speak of this encounter to anyone, not Zeus, not Poseidon, not Apollo—not Ares."_

 _"Ares will come, he looks after Serenity like a sister," Hades rolled his eyes with annoyance, "And he is still infatuated with Gaia, such wasted dedication." Chronos smiled sadly and shook his head, "Ares has another mission to fulfill."_

 _Hades sighed, defeated. He knew that when it came to bringing Gaia into any conversation with either Ares or Chronos it was a lost cause, "My lips are sealed but I do want to be clear on something, his soul is mine Chronos. It doesn't matter if you save him this time, he will not live forever—I still think you are making a mistake, I still believe he is a threat to us all and that he must be dragged to hell."_

 _Chronos stopped at the doors and looked over his shoulder a soft smile broke his usually serious face, "As much as you repeat those words, you cannot have it—it does not belong to you, in time, you will see." Chronos bowed his head in respect and disappeared in a flash of garnet light, leaving a very confused and upset Lord of the Dead._

* * *

O—o—O

Ares looked at Hades with a face of shock and disbelief, "Everything was planned by him, Ares." Hades said dryly, "He used my name as an excuse for what happened, I agreed because, in the end, it was something that was beneficial for my Kingdom."

Ares shook his head, "Chronos... he knew this was going to happen." He looked at his brother, "It was his way to save him... _You_ saved him." he muttered with surprise. Hades looked at the God of War and narrowed his eyes "Chronos is a strong Titan, and probably the only one I would owe my respect at that precise moment I could not go against his wishes no matter how against I was about it but I still stand by my beliefs, Ares. _He_ is the result of a crime; his existence is a sin and I still believe he is a threat to us all—his soul belongs to me. Do not misunderstand things, I did not save him—"

"The real threat is beneath our feet, brother." Ares said in a serious tone and came to think about the girl, "She must have gone there... I have to bring him back."

"That family is a curse, Ares," Hades narrowed his eyes, "This unceasing desire to maintain that damned legacy—that is what will bring you to your own disgrace, can't you see?!" Ares turned to leave, "Maybe yes, sadly—Helios left a heavy and powerful burden on their shoulders but there is a reason why his legacy is still alive."

"Ares!" Hades watched Ares left the room with determination, Hades shook his head and took a deep breath, for the first time in his existence, he showed genuine worry, "Hell will end up invading us all."

Behind the heavy doors, one of the shadows serving Athamas listened and soon traveled to his hideout in a secluded area of the Omega Galaxy. The blonde man looked out one of the windows at the penumbra outside and narrowed his eyes when he noticed he was no longer alone, "What is it?" he muttered in a monotone voice, almost uninterested. The dark creeper moved closer making Athamas frown, "Well?"

"They went to the Underworld."

"Who is _they_?"

"The God of War and God of the Underworld,"

Athamas' attention was fully captured by the creature next to him, "You managed to go inside the Palace of the Underworld as I asked you to then," he smiled "Good."

"They mentioned something about the girl, the God of War seems to know where she is." The shadow creature hissed. Athamas eyes narrowed in deep thought, "They are looking for something else," he looked at the dark shadow "Did you get any more information?"

"They mentioned the curse of the family protected by the Sun, and how Lord Chronos was the one who ordered the fall of the White Moon Kingdom."

Athamas stayed silent and turned to look out the window again. Images of the war that broke that night on the moon were still fresh in his memory. The whole chain of events that happened, his engagement with the Moon Princess, his imprisonment, his fight with the Terran Prince before everything went straight to hell.

The Andromedian remembered the moment he came out of his hideout and walked through the remains of the Lunar Palace. Everything was destroyed, there were only debris, blood and a sense of solitude left. What he once worked to build, all his efforts, everything went down to hell with the destruction of this Kingdom. The time to take control of one of the strongest Kingdoms in Olympus and the Universe had completely vanished and now all that remained was just the memory of it.

He wandered all the places he once remembered as grand and spacious gardens. The fountains were no more, the water that once pooled from them was now mixed with the blood of all the fallen people on the ground. Corpses everywhere, divine and mortal for once, were the same. He looked up to the stairs close to the praying tower where their bodies lay covered in blood. His eyes stared blankly at the Princess's lifeless body next to the Terran Prince, who was also dead. She had committed suicide, he could tell, his sword was impaled in her chest and her hand was still wrapped around the hilt of the weapon. Athamas anger only grew when even dead, the Terran managed to take the woman that was meant to be his in the first place. All his efforts to win her heart were now gone in a blink of an eye; the woman that had captured his thoughts and desires was now dead, along with everything he was so close to ruling, as King.

* * *

O—o—O

 _He hid behind a pillar and saw Ares in the distance talking to a young woman, "His sword…" he heard him say as he helped the girl stand up from the ground, "You need to take the Prince's sword with you and deliver it to its rightful owner." Megumi widened her brown eyes and shook her head, "I do not understand."_

 _"That sword has been part of a legacy for many generations and because of that legacy, it must be kept away from evil hands… you need to take it with you—take it, guard it, protect it, and return it to its rightful owner when the time is right." Ares closed his eyes for a minute to mourn their passing and turned to the young Terran maid. Megumi widened her eyes, "But… how? I am no divine being, how am I going to find this rightful owner you speak of?" she turned to look around and saw the Prince's lifeless body, "I—"_

 _"I cannot take it with me because if the gods find out it, will bring more problems, it would only bring Chaos to the surface and we must not let that happen by any means," Ares took a moment to continue, "That sword cannot fall into the wrong hands. You were his friend, I must entrust that sword to you until you find its owner."_

 _"But… how am I going to find that person?"_

 _"You will be guided by it, until then, you need to take it with you and guard it with your life… do not let anyone find you; I must warn you this mission is life threatening, they will be following you,_ _ **he**_ _will follow you—you have to be strong and you must have faith," Ares said and pointed in the direction Endymion lay dead, "There is not much time left before they know you and I are here and their bodies disintegrate by Saturn's energy." he closed his eyes for a moment, desperate to have more answers to give to the young girl, "Please… the future of Earth and this Galaxy depends on that weapon."_

 _Megumi widened her eyes and nodded accepting her new life for the sake of her Prince and planet. She turned and walked until she was close to the praying tower. Megumi stopped and took a moment to see the couple on the ground and looked at them and mourned her loss with teary eyes. To her surprise, both royals looked like they were both asleep, there was no trace of pain or distress. It was Serenity's blood on her white gown and the stains around the Prince's body what brought her back to reality and again, she was reminded by the recent tragic events and felt the weight of her loss._

 _The young girl kneeled next to her prince and caressed his face softly with the tip of her fingers, she could not believe he was dead. She could not believe the Prince that had worked so much for the sake of his Kingdom and people was gone; it was a pain she could not describe and probably the shock of seeing him lifeless was greater because she never thought she would be witness of such thing, "There is no one stronger or greater than you, my Prince." she closed her eyes and allowed her tears roll down her cheeks slowly, "I will protect your sword and find its rightful owner… I promise my Prince, I will never forget you, thank you… for saving my life." she opened her eyes slowly and held the sword from its handle and pulled it slowly from the Princess' lifeless body. To her surprise, the blade came out easily as it cut through the air making that melodic echo while it moved slowly in the young maiden's hand. Megumi put it on her lap and ripped a piece of fabric from her gown and wrapped the bloodied sword in it immediately and brought it closer to her chest protectively._

 _She took a few more minutes to say goodbye to both Prince and Princess and accepted her fate. Minutes after, she stood up and turned to look over her shoulder at Ares who was still there with her, "I will protect it until I find its owner… I accept my fate, God Ares."_

 _Ares nodded, "We will meet again, someday—in the future. Until then, I have to fight against darkness and prevent it from spreading across the universe… I must fight until it's all over."_

 _Megumi nodded and gave him a kind smile and turned to walk away; with nothing else to say, Ares watched her until her fragile image was soon lost in the immensity of the night. From behind the pillar, Athamas appeared with a wound on his head that stained his face with dry blood. His hair was disheveled and dirty and so his once impeccable uniform. He looked around with a face of surprise and shook his head trying to understand what he just overheard, he was now intrigued by Ares' words: "Rightful owner…" he muttered, still trying to put the pieces together in his mind._

 _Even when he was at a considerable distance away from the young maid and the God of War, the silence made it easy for him to hear his explanations perfectly and could not help to feed his ambitious heart with the mystery behind that holy sword."That sword…" he narrowed his eyes as he remembered seeing it gleam with a golden light, his green eyes changed again, turning completely black; his lips curved into a malicious smile. The man chuckled and took a step forward, not taking his eyes off the blue planet shining brightly in the distance._ " _That sword is the key to ultimate power… and it will be mine—again."_

* * *

O—o—O

"The blue planet." Athamas muttered and turned to the dark shadow next to him, "If I want things done the way I want to, I have to do them myself." his dark eyes narrowed, filled with ambition and rancor, "I want you to go to the blue planet, and take over its energy. Gather as much as needed—I do not care if they die,"

"Yes, Master." the shadow bowed its head and disintegrated into thin air before the Andromedian. Athamas smirked, and curled his hands curled into fists, "Whatever you are protecting, whoever you are looking for... will die by my hand—this time, I will succeed."

O—o—o—o—O

Michiru stood in the hallway in silence watching the young girl curled up in a ball on the couch. She wondered how much she must have suffered to be in the state she is now, how many things she had seen and fought to keep herself alive, "Anything new?" Her thoughts were soon interrupted; Michiru turned to Haruka, who was walking down the hall towards her. The bluenette shook her head and sighed softly "No, she is asleep."

"Um, this will take some time."

"We have to be patient with her, heavens know what she has experienced that has led her to be in that state. It's heartbreaking." Michiru sighed sadly, "I should take her to one of the guest bedrooms so she can have a proper rest."

Haruka looked at the girl and closed her eyes for a minute, sighing, she had to agree with Michiru this time, despite her usual aggressive and overprotective personality. She was right, this girl looked like she had suffered enough and the best they could do was to make her feel more at ease so she could break her shell and speak to them about what brought her there, "Let her spend the night there, she will open up to us once she realizes we are here to help her."

Michiru nodded, "I really want to help her, Hotaru is sure she is not an enemy—she would have warned us if she was." Haruka nodded, "No, she is not an enemy, but the true enemy is certainly involved with her—Hotaru may not have said more than she probably knows, but I have faith that we will find out when the timing is right," Haruka said softly, "Don't worry, we will help her and we will not leave her side,"

Michiru turned to Haruka and nodded with a soft smile, resting her head on her chest she wrapped her arms around her in a loving embrace, "Thank you," Haruka widened her eyes and looked down, surprised "Why are you thanking me for?"

"I know you. You want answers as soon as questions come in, you are desperate—just like the wind itself. But with this, you are being patient and for that, I thank you." Haruka shrugged her shoulders as an immediate response, "You know me too well, but you are right, we need to give her the security she needs." she smiled softly, "We should go get some sleep as well, tomorrow will be another day."

Michiru closed her eyes and nodded, "Yes, hopefully, a better one." she moved away from the blonde and went to put a soft blanket over the girl, "Everything is going to be okay." she whispered in a motherly tone and turned to switch off the small lamp on the side table before walking away. Megumi opened her eyes as soon as she heard a door closing in the distance and sighed softly, "Maybe it is time..." she whispered more convinced, before slowly drifting to sleep.

The next day, Michiru walked down the hallway and widened her eyes in surprise to see Megumi sitting on the couch, looking out the window. Slowly, she turned and saw the aquamarine beauty standing at the door. "Good morning," Michiru greeted softly and noticed Megumi looked at her different this time, Michiru noticed a more determined aura around the girl, she no longer looked hesitant or anxious when being around her. "You must be hungry, I will go and make something qu—"

"Michiru, isn't it?" Megumi finally broke her silence, surprising the bluenette. Michiru widened her eyes and nodded, "Y-Yes," The girl turned to look out the window again, and sighed, "It has been a long time since I spoke to somebody."

"Y-You can speak our language..." Michiru said, amazed. Megumi turned and looked at her, hope was all she had at this moment and nodded, "You said you can help me..."

"Yes."

Megumi looked down at the clothed object resting on the couch "You... you have special powers... correct?"

Soon Haruka appeared at the door with Setsuna and Hotaru behind. "Everything okay?" she asked; Michiru turned and nodded, "Are you, like them?"Megumi asked softly, startling Haruka and the rest, Setsuna's eyes widened, "You can..."

Hotaru walked inside the living room and stood in front of Megumi, "We are Sailor Senshi and our duty is to fight against evil."

"When you say _them_ , who are you referring to?" Haruka asked, still confused. Megumi at the blonde and looked down for a minute as she remembered scenes from the past, "Some time ago, I met soldiers like you. They had similar uniforms and they were guardians to the Princess."

Four pairs of eyes widened in shock "Princess?" Setsuna shook her head and turned to Haruka joining them in the living room, throwing her keys on the closest table she asked before sitting on the sofa, intrigued "Who are you?"

Megumi looked at her without hesitation and released a soft puff of air, "My name is Megumi, I was once an inhabitant of Earth but there were circumstances that made me travel far away from home. During that time, I met five guardians who wore similar uniforms as yours, but they were guardians of a beautiful Princess,"

"That is why you were there that night." Haruka narrowed her narrowed her eyes, doubtful "But if you are from Earth, what were you doing there?" Megumi lowered her gaze and sat on the couch "When I lived on Earth, I used to live in a Palace."

"You are a Princess, then," Haruka asked, Megumi shook her head "No, I lived there as a maid." she looked up with teary eyes, "I used to serve the Royals that lived in that Palace."

"You knew the Prince," Setsuna said softly and sat on the couch, next to Michiru "You knew Prince Endymion," as if Setsuna's words unlocked a heavy secret, Megumi widened her eyes at the sound of his name and looked at her with surprise, "Y-You knew him?"

"That is why you knew the Inner Senshi, and Princess Serenity," Michiru said softly, everything made sense now, that is why she was hesitant to trust them. She never met them and yet, shared the same uniform, the same duty, and purpose. "I remember hearing about the Terran Prince being on the Moon—news spread very quickly."

"We are in the same league of soldiers but we were given other duties that did not allow us to move from our post. We are Guardians of the outer planets of the Solar System," Haruka looked at Megumi with a more serene face, "We only heard about the tragedy—" she turned to Michiru and sighed sadly, "Neptune was the only one who saw what happened through her mirror."

"The Inner Senshi were also Guardians to their respective planets, the Inner Planets, but they were also Princess Serenity's Guardians. They were given the task to never leave her side and protect her from any harm." Setsuna's voice was serene, knowing all this new information could be too much for the girl sitting on the couch close to the window. Haruka moved from her place on the sofa and sat on the coffee table in front of Megumi and frowned, "Can you tell us what that is?" she pointed her finger at the clothed object. Megumi turned and sighed softly, "It is an assignment—a duty I must fulfill."

All four women frowned, confused "Assignment?" Haruka asked, "What do you mean?" Megumi nodded but never left her eyes off the object, "It is a weapon."

"Yours?"

Megumi shook her head "No... I cannot use it. Nobody can, only its rightful owner."

"Then, who is it?" Setsuna asked softly, Megumi looked down at her trembling hands and bit her lower lip, "It belonged to my Prince."

The room fell silent despite all the questions and answers floating in the air. They all wanted to keep learning about this girl and why she has been traveling with a weapon like that, and how, being a mortal, she managed to survive all these years, but those were questions not even Megumi seemed to have answers for. Hotaru kneeled in front of Megumi and gave her a warm smile, "Thank you, for trusting us." Megumi looked at the young girl and could not believe this was the same stoic, powerful soldier who brought silence to an entire Kingdom. Hotaru directed her dark violet gaze at the clothed object and tilted her head, "Why do you have this with you?"

"When that evil spirit finally vanished, I saw my Prince lay on the ground, dead and next to him was Princess Serenity." Megumi's voice started to break, "I was asked to get hold of it and protect it from evil, and to find its rightful owner."

"Then, the rightful owner of that weapon you carry is the Prince," Haruka said logically. Megumi hung her head low and shook her head, "My Prince is dead."

Michiru stood up, "I will go make some tea," she turned to Setsuna and gave her a soft knowing smile, "Could you help me with the tray?" one Setsuna understood to perfection and nodded, knowing there was something else behind the bluenette's intentions. Both women entered the kitchen and made sure nobody was listening, "What should we do?" Michiru asked Setsuna slightly panicked. Her fingers tapped the counter while considering all aspects of the situation, "She doesn't know Usagi and Mamoru-san, are alive."

Setsuna sighed, "This is complicated, I want to tell her but she just opened to us," Michiru nodded and bit her lip softly, "It can be quite the shock to her, if we tell her right now that he is alive... she might escape looking for him." she sighed with worry. Setsuna nodded and went to the cupboard to take five cups and a pot to pour the tea and placed them on a wooden tray on the counter. "We will have to contact Minako and the rest of the girls and let _them_ know first, they will be able to help us figure out what to do," she put water to boil and leaned on the counter with her arms crossed, "There are many things that are still unanswered, but I do not dare to ask for the same reasons you mention, like, who told her to take the weapon? Who told her to escape? How did she manage to stay alive all these years?"

"Who is after her..." Michiru added and turned to check the kettle on the stove. She sighed and tightened the strap on her robe, "God, she probably thinks the Inner Senshi have died too."

Setsuna was the only one who, just like Megumi never perished and was reborn. Her reincarnation was granted when she broke one of the time taboos to stop Nemesis and the Black Moon Clan. Her memories were intact, "I cannot remember a single thing that could lead me to meet or knowing about this girl."

"We were not there," Michiru said softly, soon both were distracted by the whistle from the kettle. The bluenette turned and prepared the tea in the pot, threw in some herbs and waited for them to simmer, giving them another couple of minutes to discuss their next step. "Venus, Mars, Mercury and Jupiter did,"

Setsuna sighed softly "We can talk to them in private but, with the wedding coming close it will be difficult."

"I will talk to Minako." Michiru turned and took the filter off the pot and closed it "I will call her and tell her about the situation, she will know how to talk to the girls." she noticed Setsuna stayed silent and thoughtful, "What is it, Setsuna?"

Setsuna pursed her lips, and looked at her "It seems, the future is catching up to us."

O—o—o—o—O

Usagi opened the door to her home and tossed the keys on the small table at the entrance, "I'm home!" she said loudly and saw her mother coming to welcome her with a cup of tea in her hand from the kitchen, "Oh, Usagi, you're home early!" The blonde smiled while taking her black heels and left them by the door, "Yeah... my boss went out of town so we had the rest of the afternoon off," she walked to her mother and gave her a small kiss on her cheek.

"What do you have there?" Ikuko asked, Usagi looked down and showed her several magazines she bought on her way home "Just something to read...and do some research for this new project for the magazine."

"Let me help you, dear," Ikuko grabbed the large bag on Usagi's shoulder and walked inside, "I was just about to have some more tea, would you like me to serve you a cup?"

"Sure," Usagi smiled and walked into the living room, sitting on the couch she took out her phone from her purse to check her messages before putting it on the coffee table where her mother put a cup of jasmine tea, her favorite. "Here you go dear,"

"Thanks, mama," she looked around and frowned, "Wow... the house sure is quiet at this time of the day."

"Well, all of you are out working. Your father usually comes home around 7 and your brother well... you know, between school, friends and his new girlfriend," Usagi smiled and nodded thinking how time sure went by really quick. It was only yesterday when Shingo was still in middle school and was afraid to talk to girls, now he was in college and with a girlfriend, "Time sure flies,"

"It does," Ikuko took a sip of her tea, "Shingo has a girlfriend, you are getting married—this house will feel lonely without you here."

Usagi blushed, "I will come and visit often, I promise. I still have a lot of cooking skills I need to learn."

"I thought Mako-chan was teaching you how to cook," Ikuko chuckled making Usagi sweat-drop, "Yes," she blushed deep red, "She does, but... it is not really my forte,"

Ikuko chuckled again and looked down at the magazines with melancholy in her eyes, "I always knew this time would come, I just didn't realize it would come this soon," her smile was slowly fainting as she realized how much she was going to miss her always cheerful daughter. She looked up at her and smiled again, this time with more enthusiasm "But what really comforts me is that you are marrying a very good man."

Usagi smiled and put her cup down on the table, "Good thing you do realize he is a good man and not a thief, taking me away." she chuckled. Ikuko laughed, her soft, powdery voice really made Usagi feel better, "Your father likes Mamoru too, you know how he is—he tends to exaggerate things."

The blonde gave her mother a sad smile, "I wished Mamo-chan's parents were here to be with him on his wedding day." Ikuko tilted her head and reached for her daughter's hand, "I know dear, it is sad. But from that moment on, you will become his family and that is all that matters. His parents, I am sure are watching over him."

Usagi slid from the couch to the shaggy rug and sat with her arms resting on the coffee table, "They would be very proud of him."

"I am sure they are dear." Ikuko smiled and patted Usagi's hand softly, "Yeah..." Usagi smiled and with a soft sigh, continued flipping the pages from one of the magazines she had brought home, "Is there anything else missing for the wedding?" she heard her mother asks curiously, Usagi shook her head softly, "No, just looking if they printed my designs on the magazine," Usagi turned to her mother "There have been some... _issues_ lately with the editor in chief and her assistant that has been making me wonder about some things..."

"Everything okay dear? I thought you were happy with your job." Ikuko frowned with worry, Usagi sighed as she turned another page, "I _am_ happy, but sometimes I have hard days... I wouldn't call them bad, but they are certainly um—challenging."

"You could look for a better job, somewhere you would be much more appreciated," Ikuko suggested, making Usagi turned to look at her, "I know but, I do think being at this magazine is a good opportunity for me. The editor could open a lot of doors for me in the future, the magazine is earning more and more followers turning into a cult, so I guess that will help me when the time to look for another job comes,"

"Well, whatever you think it is best for you, I will support you, you know that," Ikuko sat on the rug next to Usagi and wrapped her arm around her, "My baby has grown up—I am so proud of you,"

Usagi blushed, "Oh, Mama..." the phone rang, interrupting their conversation. Usagi stood up to answer the insistent caller, "I'll get it—moshi moshi?"

"Oh, Konnichiwa Neki-san." Usagi turned to look at her mother and waved her hand to call her, "Yes, she is right here, give me a minute." the blonde passed her mother the phone, "We will continue our conversation later," Ikuko whispered to her daughter before answering and put the phone to her ear, Usagi already knowing this call would take a long while, since she was her mother's closest friend. And speaking of friends, she went to the living room to grab her things, and while going up the stairs she checked her phone again for new messages.

Her blue eyes surfed through her inbox when she noticed a missed call from Minako and dialed back while closing the door of her bedroom behind her, _"Hellooo!"_ she heard her friend answering the line. Usagi chuckled, same old Minako with her bubbly greetings over the phone, "Hi Minako-chan, what's up? I had a missing call from you."

Minako turned to Rei and put her finger on her lips, "Oh right... I just had a quick question about the bridesmaid dresses, but I found this gorgeous pair of shoes that go perfectly with it." she tapped her head with a smile, letting her dark haired friend know how quick and natural way to tell white, little innocent lies.

"Oh, that's great!" Usagi smiled and sat on her bed, "Hey, have you talked to the girls?"

"No... well, just Rei-chan, you know," she turned to her priestess friend and bit her lower lip, "She's still angry at Yuuichiro, she yells, smashes things—same old, same old." Rei glared at Minako with fiery eyes, "I am going to smash your... Ow!" Minako flicked Rei's forehead to quiet her down. "But with Mako-chan and Ami-chan, just via text, they have been super busy lately," she let out a nervous laugh,

 _"Are you okay Mina-chan?"_ Usagi said at the other end of the line, "Suuuuuure, I'm fine." Minako sweat-dropped. "Everything has been going great, we are all excited about the wedding." she paused while listened to Usagi at the other end and nodded, "Yes, everything is almost ready, it is right around the corner now," she looked at the priestess and pressed her lips into a tight line, "Yeah, sure. We should definitely go out, I will call Mako, Ami, and Rei..." she smiled and nodded again, "Okay, sounds perfect—dinner it is. Okay Usa-chan, talk to you tomorrow! Byeee!" Minako hung up and exhaled heavily, "That was close."

Rei arched her brow "What was that?"

"What?" Minako looked at her friend with quizzical eyes, Rei sighed and leaned back on the couch while shaking her head, "You couldn't sound any more suspicious because it was impossible to do so. What the hell?!"

"I know..." Minako sighed and ran her hands through her hair, "This is too hard, I cannot tell her. Not yet."

"You have been going back and forth with this situation." Rei narrowed her amethyst eyes, "We have to do something," Minako sat straight and sighed again, her blue eyes looked at Rei with all seriousness. "I know, but, I just can't go back to being _her._ "

Rei frowned confused, "Who's _her_?"

"Venus, her Guardian—the one who would bring the bad news, the one that would restrain her from happiness, the one that made her cry so many times," the confession made Rei understand more the situation her friend was going through, because she knew what she was talking about and she knew how she felt. It was like betraying their new lives, what they have achieved since they stopped fighting; it was bittersweet. "Is this is what this is all about?" Rei shook her head and scoot over to sit next to her friend, "Minako, that happened years ago and I am not talking about five or ten years, I am talking about more than a thousand. Why is this bothering so much?"

"Because I don't want to go back to that time. I want to be her friend, not just her guardian. Don't you remember how much suffering I caused her? I don't want to do that again and with all this—" she trailed off and covered her face with her hands.

"Hey, you won't and you know why? Because we are not the same anymore. We all live here, there are no laws breaking. That was a whole other story." Rei patted her friend's hand. "And even if there were... she is not going to hate you or anything like it. You never were _just_ her guardian, you have always been her friend."

"I know... I just..." the phone rang again, interrupting her. Minako turned and answered without looking at her caller ID, "Hello?" The voice at the other end of the line surprised her, making her widen her eyes, "Hey! It's been a while... H-how are you?"

Rei ran a hand through her hair and waited for her friend to end her call, maybe it was another friend of Minako's—she thought. While listening Minako's voice in the background, Rei thought about her concerns and what she just confessed to her, never imagining how serious she felt about it. Again, her personality contrasted her feelings and this was another surprising example of it. She did remember clearly, the many times she argued with Princess Serenity or the many times she tried to keep her under surveillance but also remembered how much she suffered and cried in the process. It was like if their past was making its way through their present lives and it was confusing, exciting, but also unnerving.

Rei noticed the change in Minako's voice and turned to look at her as she waited hesitant to end the call, now wondering who the person at the other end might be. After several 'yes' and nods, Minako finally hung up and put her phone aside in silence worrying Rei even more, "Minako, are you alright?" The blonde shook her head, still trying to assimilate the information she just received from the mysterious caller. "It was Michiru-san,"

Rei frowned, still confused "Michiru? Are they okay? Did something happen?"

Minako turned to look at her friend with a pale face and nodded, "They found the girl."

* * *

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	16. Chapter 16

Divinity: The Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Sixteen

 _A/N: Thank you kera69love and SerenityMorrison for your lovely messages, you guys make me feel like this isn't made in vain. Thank you, it really means a lot. Have a lovely weekend!_

* * *

 _* Audi, Model A5 Sportback Prestige in Brilliant Black– Now, this is my personal choice of car (because it's my favorite), but feel free to imagine whichever model you like._

 _Something to keep in mind: When in phone conversations, if the text is in italic it means is the other person at the end of the line._

* * *

Rei looked at Minako with shock, her brain could not come with anything logical to say. This only meant one thing, it was important and it was related to them, one way or the other. "W-What did she..." she trailed off and shook her head, still surprised to learn the news. Minako sighed softly and put the phone on the coffee table and stayed silent for a minute, as she also processed the information given, "She... um..." she looked at Rei and nibbled her lower lip softly, "She said that they want to talk to us, _all_ of us."

"Did she mention where they found the girl?" Rei frowned, Minako shook her head and looked at the phone on the table "No, she said she would explain once we were all together." She turned and took a deep breath, "I need to tell Artemis and Luna..." Rei exhaled, and rested her hands on her lap ignoring her friend and leader's comment, "Did she say when?"

Minako looked at her and nodded, "This afternoon—I will call Ami-chan and Mako-chan."

"And Usagi?"

"Michiru agreed not to call her until we know what is going on," Minako sighed and rubbed her temples, "I think it's fair."

Rei nodded and turned to grab her purse to look for her phone then dialed a number and waited for an answer, "It's me." she said bluntly and narrowed her eyes, "I need you to please look after my grandfather, I will not return to the Shrine until later this afternoon." she paused as she listened to the other person at the other line, "I have things to do I don't need to explain to you, I will be there later—goodbye." Minako arched her brow and turned to her friend with a query look in her eyes, "He answered, huh?" the blonde crossed her arms. Rei nodded and sighed heavily, "At least he treats my grandfather well, he owes him much."

Minako felt bad for her friend, she knew how much the situation with Yuuichiro was damaging her spirit, and how much it would cause if she had to go back to battle. She turned to grab her phone with resignation and dialed another number and waited for an answer "Hey..." she said softly and leaned her head on her hand, "Mako-chan, are you busy?"

At the other side of busy Tokyo, Makoto smiled as she wiped a trace of sweat running down her forehead while she served and garnished another dish, "Hey you! Where have you been?" She waved her hand to the waiter, to let the girl know it was ready to be taken to the dining area. _"Um, up and about."_ she heard Minako joked lightly at the other end of the line, _"How are you?"_

Makoto exhaled, exhaustion was her new look, smiling she changed her phone to one ear to another and held it in place with her shoulder as she walked towards the back door to take a small break, "The same, work has been crazy these days, it's been a while since I saw you all. We need to set up the final details for Usagi's wedding—there is a cake we must try and approve."

 _"Yeah, we do."_ Minako said softly and took a brief moment to continue, _"Mako-chan, there is some—"_

"How about tonight?" Makoto took out her handkerchief and patted it softly all over her face, "How is your agenda? I can get out of work early tonight."

Back at her apartment, Minako turned to give a quick hesitant glance at Rei and then back to face the wall to think her next choice of words carefully, "Actually, the reason I called you is to ask if you were available tonight to see each other, there is something I need to tell you."

 _"Ok, sure. Should I call Usagi or are you—"_ the strong and cheerful tone in Makoto's voice was soon interrupted by her friend and confident, "But, for another reason," Minako sighed softly and closed her eyes. Makoto stopped cleaning her runny mascara and frowned, "You okay?"

Minako sighed again, "There has been something going on and I wasn't going to say anything but it has come to the point where it is important for you and Ami-chan to know."

"Oh my god... you are pregnant," Makoto said bluntly, Minako widened her eyes with shock and shook her head, almost frantic "What?! No!"

 _"Then what is it? You sound worried,"_

Minako nodded and rubbed her right temple in a circular motion, "I am, but it's better if we talk about it in person," Makoto checked her watch and bit her lower lip, "I'll be out in a couple of hours, where do I meet you?"

"I think the Crown Café would be best. We all know the place and we can get the privacy we need," Minako turned to a nodding Rei, who agreed with the blonde's suggestion. _"I suppose then that Rei knows what this is about?"_ Makoto asked, over the phone. Minako nodded, "Yes, she does. See you there in a couple of hours okay? I have to call Ami-chan and let her know too."

 _"And Usagi?"_

Minako sighed heavily, "Usagi will know but in another time," the comment took Makoto by surprise, thinking either this was a surprise for the bride or was something else, though, she wished it was a bridal surprise. Frowning, she nodded to herself and looked down at her watch again, "Okay, I will meet you there."

As soon as both women hung up the phone, the blonde patted her flushed cheeks nervously and started dialing Ami's phone with high hopes to find her available, since she was the hardest to reach most of the time. She looked at her raven-haired friend and bit her lower lip, "Let's hope she answers... hey, Ami-chan, I suppose you are busy and all, I know, I'm sorry but—"

Ami leaned her back on the wall while waiting for the elevator to come down to her floor "Hi Minako! no, don't worry, it's okay. What's up?"

 _"First off, are you alone?"_ The bluenette heard her friend ask with a nervous tone, and nodded when realized in fact, no one was close enough to eavesdrop on her conversation, "Yes."

 _"Oh good,"_ The relaxed sigh she heard from her blonde friend made Ami frown with concern, "Why? Minako-chan, everything alright?"

 _"You are probably the only one I don't need to sugar coat things since you are a Doctor and have nerves of steel. I need to talk to you—it's important, do you think you would be able to come to the Crown Café in about two hours?"_

Ami widened her eyes and turned to look at the clock at the nurse's station, "Sure, I can ask somebody to cover for me for a couple of hours—I just have to check on a patient and pass the report to Mamoru and then I can go,"

 _"Perfect, though, there is something I need to ask you."_

"Sure." Ami tapped her foot on the floor anxiously waiting for the elevator to open its doors. _"Do not tell Mamoru anything about this, don't say a word."_ Minako's request added to the strange tone in her voice caught the bluenette's attention, "Minako... is everything okay?" She heard her friend sigh at the other end, " _I just need to tell you something I think it's important and I need your support on it,"_

Ami widened her blue eyes with shock, "Minako... are you?"

 _"No! I'm not!"_ Ami squinted her eyes and moved her phone away from her ear when she heard Minako raise her voice at the other end of the line. _"Please, don't say anything because I am not calling Usagi for this. It's a thing between us,"_

"Is it a surprise?" Ami went down Makoto's same path, making Minako feel like the worst surprise giver in the world and bit her lip before turning to Rei whom, by the look on her face was more than obvious that she felt the same way or even worse than her at the moment, "Um, yes, kind of,"

 _"Ok, I will see you there in a couple of hours. That should be enough to finish my pending tasks."_ Minako nodded with relief to hear her friend's confirmation, "Okay, see you then Ami chan." Minako hung up and put her phone on the coffee table and looked at it like it was touched by the devil itself. She stayed silent for a couple of minutes before closing her eyes and let out a worry exhale, "I guess there is no turning back now."

Rei looked down and nodded, feeling very much the same, "The best we can do now is to prevent whatever might put everyone in danger,"

Time didn't go fast enough for any of the girls. Minako and Rei waited on her apartment until it was late enough for them to leave, between small talk both women could not hide their concern about the whole situation. Ami and Makoto both handled their tasks at work in silence, very aware and concerned about whatever they were going to find out. But one thing was for sure, the feeling of uncertainty was beyond overwhelming.

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

* * *

Michiru looked at the clock resting on top of the fireplace in silence while waiting for Hotaru to come back from school. She had spoken her decisions and thoughts to the rest and was only waiting for the moment to take action. Megumi sat next to the musician on the couch, looking down at her hands was all she felt she could do; she wished to explain everything but even for her, it was too complicated. Confused and overwhelmed, she waited; she waited for them to come for her, she could feel their eyes on her and that she was being observed in silence at all times. Those who were after her, she knew were there, close lurking, and waiting for the right moment to attack and drag her to hell.

Michiru exhaled softly and stood up when she heard the door open, turning to face the dark haired girl at the door "It's time,"

"Did you talk to them?"

"Just Minako, she called the rest of the girls."

Hotaru turned to look around but her thoughts were answered by Michiru, "Setsuna is out with Haruka, we will meet all of them here later. The young girl walked into the living room and looked at Megumi as she sat next to her on the sofa, her dark eyes showing compassion and understanding towards what the Terran maid must be feeling "You are not alone in this. Do not be scared." With eyes hopeful and a spirit reinforced, Megumi smiled and hoped for a miracle to finally happen.

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

* * *

At the other side of the city, Mamoru finally ended his shift at the hospital and was ready to go to Usagi's house to have dinner with her and her family. He looked at his wrist watch and sighed, knowing he was already fifteen minutes late, "I won't hear the end of it..." he breathed as he pressed the alarm button on his key to unlock his impeccable black *Audi. As soon as he closed the door, his phone rang; his lips curved into an apologetic smile as if she could see him, pressing a button on his wheel he answered to her call, "I'm sorry—I had a patient at the very last minute."

 _"Papa is asking for you..."_ Her sweet but more ladylike voice echoed inside the car; Mamoru looked to his right to make sure no cars were coming close and exited the hospital's parking lot and narrowed his blue eyes, "Yes, I'm sure he is..."

 _"Where are you?"_

"I just left the hospital, I'll be there in around twenty minutes—if I am lucky. I am so sorry Usa... you can start without me."

Usagi chuckled, knowing how much Mamoru hated to be late when he had an appointment with his in laws, especially when he still tried to win his father in law's affection, " _Relax, nobody is upset. Shingo hasn't even come home yet! And dinner isn't ready—It's still in the oven."_ Mamoru smiled as he took another turn, "Oh well in that case..."

 _"Noooo! You come over here now!"_

He chuckled, finding adorable her reaction. He still loved to tease her from time to time and more because he was aware that she knew he was not being serious but just playful and that it was his way to forget any kind of stress from his job and that after all the nagging, it was harmless. "Do you need anything from the store? I need to—" his eyes widened when he felt a sudden stab in his chest that made it hard and painful to breathe. He looked up and saw the traffic light turn red, luckily for him.

 _"You need what?"_

Mamoru pressed a hand on his chest and tried to grasp some air; the feeling was very familiar, it was like he was being called. He felt like if his alter ego was coming through and slowly wanted to take over like if he had to respond to something but the problem was that he didn't know what or whom it was behind that call. _"Mamo chan?"_ Usagi noticed the silence, and her voice began to reflect it, _"Are you there?"_

"Y-Yeah..." Mamoru opened one eye and took a deep breath, he saw the light turning green and took all the strength he could and managed to park outside a building, "Usako... I have to call you back..."

 _"Mamo-chan what's wrong? Are you okay?"_

"Yeah... I just... I need to load some gas—I'll be there soon." Mamoru didn't give Usagi time enough to ask another question and pressed the button on his steering wheel to end the call. He threw his head back and growled in pain. He pressed his hand against his chest but it didn't matter how much pressure he put, the pain didn't go away and it was starting to become almost unbearable. Suddenly, the same vision he had days ago flashed into his mind again; as the mysterious woman appeared in front of him and called his name while being engulfed by rabid flames making Mamoru feel anguished again for trying to save her, "What do you want!? What do you want for me!?" He yelled at the woman extending her hand out to him, "Who are you!?" he growled angrily.

 _"Endymion! Endymion, wake up!"_

"NO!" He groused and opened his eyes. His own anger and heavy breathing brought him back to reality once again and freed himself from the pain and saw the woman in front of him was gone. He turned and looked everything was normal and under control. He stayed there frozen and silent in his car as he tried to pick up the pieces of what just happened and relate it to something, something that he might have left inconclusive in his past. It didn't make sense to him, why a woman was calling him that again? He thought Serenity was the only one who really had the power to link her energy with his and that he was done with looking into strange faces from his past the moment the Silver Crystal appeared. He slammed his hands on the wheel several times with anger and cursed under his breath, "Why do you keep calling that name!?" he asked frustrated and looked up, "Who in heaven's sake are you?"

Like an answer to his questions, a bright light scratched its way across the sky, like a lighting. "What the..." he mumbled with wide eyes. He got out of the car immediately and turned to see other how all the people around stopped to stare with the same face of wonder. Making him feel less crazy for been having all those strange visions. Seconds after the light vanished, the city went into total blackout. All the lights on the streets and buildings were suddenly dead, leaving everybody surrounded by pure darkness.

 _"Ego sum iens ut interficias omnibus vobis,"_

A deep, low voice echoed in Mamoru's mind and sent chills all over his body. Widening his eyes, he turned to his side to find the person who might have said it but nobody was close enough to him to whisper something in his ear. His throat went dry when he realized what this meant. Unlike all the people standing there, amazed and wowed by the _natural_ occurrence, he knew this was not just a marvelous event, it was a threat and it was addressed to them.

Seconds after the phenomenon disappeared, the lights started to flicker and slowly came back, one after the another, leaving a mortified Mamoru standing under a street light, still looking up into the night sky. A tug in his chest made him react and walked back to his car with his mind thinking of only one person: "Usagi..." he breathed and drove as fast as he could to her house.

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

* * *

Setsuna looked outside the window and exhaled softly, "It looks like the power is back."

Hotaru turned to a very silent Megumi, sitting on the couch with her arms wrapped around herself, her breathing was betraying her usual calm. "It was them, wasn't it?" she was surprised to hear the young girl's affirmation. Megumi hung her head low and took a deep breath "They are not going to leave us alone. They will keep looking until they capture me."

"Why are they looking—" Haruka asked, but soon her question was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. "It's them." she said softly and turned to Setsuna who went to open the door, "I'm glad you could make it," she said softly to all the five girls. "Yes, we almost get lost when the blackout happened... but we found our way. Good thing it only lasted a couple of minutes," Minako nodded and was the first to come in, followed by Rei, Ami and lastly Makoto. "Is everyone...?"

"Yes." Setsuna said, "Go straight to the living room, they are all there—I'll go make some tea."

All five women walked inside the living room and were immediately welcomed and greeted by Michiru, Haruka, and Hotaru, except for the one guest. "It's been quite a while since we saw each other," Haruka's voice showed a little remorse and guilt, unlike them, the Outers had more busy schedules with their careers that made it hard to be as much in touch with the others as they would like to and now with the new strange events happening and the new addition to the group, it was going to become even harder.

Minako smiled "We totally understand," turned and gave Hotaru a small hug, and turned to the couch "I didn't know you had company, you should have..." she paused, her eyes widened in surprise when she recognized the person who was sitting quietly next to Hotaru; Megumi in return, reacted the same way and stood up. Minako gasped with surprise and pointed at her absently, "You..."

Megumi widened her brown eyes and turned to Haruka, then to Hotaru with a confused face. Rei joined the conversation and the confusion, "What is going on?" Minako blinked a couple of times, trying to break free from her shock and turned to the raven-haired woman "The girl, she's the girl." Rei's amethyst eyes widened "W-What?"

Hotaru, Michiru and Haruka looked at both girls with wide eyes and ended on them, "Wait, _you_ know her?"

Megumi turned to look at Rei then turned to look at Ami and Makoto standing in silence behind, and exhaled with surprise, "I-It cannot be..." she walked over to Minako and looked at her in the eye "I was not dreaming..." she whispered and felt new tears began to pool in her eyes "It _is_ you," she turned to Rei, then the other girls again. Minako shook her head with astonishment, "It was not a mistake, that you called me Venus—you know who I am and you can talk," Megumi nodded, "I do not know what is happening... Why? How?"

Rei sighed and turned to Ami and Makoto, "I know Minako didn't say much when she called you but there are some strange things happening lately and it is important for you to know too."

"You are scaring me, Rei-chan." Ami frowned, "What are you talking about? Michiru looked at them and invited them to sit, thinking it would be better for them to be reunited and as comfortable as possible to be able to put some pieces of this odd puzzle called Megumi. "Please, join us."

All five girls sat around the coffee table while Megumi, Michiru, and Hotaru sat on a couch, close to the window. Setsuna joined them minutes later carrying a tray with a teapot and cups. Haruka as hesitant as always, started the conversation "Let's start from how do you know this girl?" she turned to Minako.

Rei sighed, "I believe I am the one who should start explaining," her soft voice caught everyone's attention and turned to look at her, "This all began with a vision I had a couple of weeks ago while I was reading the sacred fire at the Shrine." Rei turned to Haruka, "I had many visions of a man wearing some sort of armor, the silhouette of a girl and a call for help," Rei turned to look down at her steamy tea cut, "After a couple of days since that vision, I had another one. One, coming from an entity I could say it was evil, a demonic creature," she looked up at all the girls paying attention to every word, "This _entity_ spoke in another language, an ancient tongue, one I could not decipher. I could not quite get what it was saying but after I tried to purify the fire, it attacked me and almost asphyxiated me to death,"

Michiru frowned, "It is so strange... I saw something similar on the mirror but I could not relate it to anything—that was my first warning." Makoto turned to Rei shocked "Rei... why didn't you say something to us when it happened?" Rei tilted her head low, ashamed for having to drag this situation until this very moment when things were now clearly alarming, "I don't know if you remember being all somber when I asked if you missed being a senshi..."

"Since then?!" Makoto widened her eyes and turned when she felt Ami's hand on her Amazon friend's shoulder. Her powdery and polite tone always soothing the roughness from the thunder Senshi, "Did something else happened after this incident happened Rei-chan?" she turned to Minako, "And how Minako-chan got involved into this?"

Minako put her cup down, "Rei called me one afternoon and told me about it. We decided not to tell you then because we weren't sure what it meant, or what it was. We decided to take action until something else happened, and... well, it did." she looked at Megumi.

"What else happened?" Makoto rested both palms on the cold surface of the coffee table as if the feeling of the cold glass from the table could keep her mind grounded.

"I found this girl close to my apartment right after Rei and I had this talk, I took her home. Luna and Artemis were there too," Minako turned to Makoto, "Luna said she looked familiar, like if she knew her from somewhere else but she could quite not remember from where and she never spoke to me, she just called me Venus and the next thing I knew, she was nowhere to be found." she turned to Megumi with an air of relief but also slightly heartbroken for not trusting her, "I searched for you, I was worried that something could have happened to you. I am so glad you are safe but now that you are here, it only confirms our suspicions into say there is so much more to this situation..." she turned to face Haruka and Michiru "Am I right?"

"We were attacked," Michiru said in her usual regal tone, "Our side of the story begins when Setsuna saw a light crashing in a park close to her workplace,"

"It was a beam of light similar to the one we just saw before this blackout," Setsuna added. Makoto raised her hand and shook her head, "Wait, is all of this related to this blackout?"

Setsuna nodded, "It appears so—that day at the park, there was an evident crash on the concrete but no object to be found. That is where I started to become suspicious when I saw a girl hiding in the bushes... that same afternoon, when all of us went back she was nowhere around,"

"It was you..." Minako looked at Megumi, "You landed here, you escaped... that is why I found you."

"We found her a couple of days ago when she was being attacked by what appeared to be _entities_ possessing the bodies of civilians at the park—they were after her," Michiru turned to a nodding Haruka, "We fought them, but it is clear that this isn't close to being over but just the beginning of a new battle, a new enemy is filtering into this city" Haruka said dryly. Hotaru turned to Minako, "The reason she called you Venus..." Her sweet, soft voice caught the girl's attention, "Is because she knows us from the past."

All five girls turned to look at Megumi with a shocked expression "You know us?" Makoto turned to Megumi with a perplexed look in her eyes. Hotaru nodded, "She was there that night when I put down my Silence Glaive and everything was over—she recognized me," she turned to Megumi, who was struggling to keep herself calm. Minako frowned as she slowly tried to the pieces of her memory together, "I am trying to remember... but," she shook her head, "How is it even possible?"

"You saw it then, the end of that era," Ami turned to Megumi who nodded in response, "You were the White Princess' Guardians, you tried to help her... and my Master, but..." she lowered her head "It was too late."

Rei looked curious at her and put her cup down, "Your Master?" Megumi nodded and looked up, her tears and the knot in her throat was making it impossible for her to continue so Hotaru felt it was appropriate to explain it to her, "Megumi is from this planet but from two thousand years ago—just like us. When she was at the Moon at that time, was because of her _Master_ , Prince Endymion, was there with Princess Serenity."

All five pairs of eyes widened in shock, Minako broke the pattern as the memory came clear in her mind making her gasp with shock, "The girl who asked for help... it's _you_!" she stood up, "That is why you knew me! You plead for help to save the Prince that night!" Megumi looked up and before she could know it, the blonde was wrapping her arms around her, "I am so sorry for not recognizing you before... Oh my god, I am so sorry... I can see it now... I can see it, that moment, that night."

Rei shook her head as the memory slowly came to her again, like a fog clearing in her mind and putting the pieces together, "I remember now... it was the night of the engagement," she frowned "How?" Rei turned to Megumi with evident amazement. Her thoughts slowly started to come back, like a film before her eyes; everything that happened since that night and all the trouble before it. She remembered the dilemma with the Princess sneaking to Earth very often, to see her lover, the Terran Prince.

Minako pulled back and sniffed softly. Her blue eyes looked into the girl's brown ones and took a deep breath, to calm her emotion and the sense of nostalgia that was invading her heart, "You must have been horrified... to see all that destruction, all that hate, and the result of it."

Megumi closed her eyes and lowered her head again, deep in her pain she lamented the loss of her Prince and the tragic end of the White Princess, "I was told to run away... as fast as I could. Ever since that night, I have been a nomad, a fugitive, and prey."

"Why are they after you?" Rei asked, "Why after all this time... you are here?"

"The clothed object..." Minako muttered and turned to look at it resting against the sofa, Makoto frowned still confused, "What? What clothed object?" Minako pointed at it to clear her friend's question and looked at the girl, "The object you've been carrying around... whoever is after you, wants it. Why?"

Megumi shook her head "I do not know why—I was told to carry it with me because it is supposed to be a key of some sorts, my mission is to deliver it to its rightful owner."

"And who is the rightful owner of that?" Makoto arched her brow, "The Protector of this planet." Michiru answered, her tone of voice deepened, "The Prince..." Ami ended the mystery and turned to Minako but before she could ask Minako took the lead and shook her head, "No, Rei and I didn't want to say anything because of the event coming close, we cannot help to feel guilty if we told something and ruin _that_ moment... it's not fair."

"I have been feeling really guilty about all this, I cannot ruin their day with news like this..." Rei ran a hand through her long, dark hair in frustration, "But at the same time, I feel bad for saying nothing at all."

"But... they have a right to know, especially _him_ ," Ami said softly. Haruka sighed and crossed her arms, "You say Luna and Artemis were there when you took Megumi home, right?" she turned to Minako, "What did they say?"

"To tell them the truth, of course—Luna wanted me to talk to all of you right away but I needed more evidence that she, in fact, was related to us somehow, then Rei came along with her side of the story and the rest is history."

Ami looked at the girl and gave her a kind smile, "You may be wondering why are we calling ourselves differently from that time you knew us," her kind voice and attitude made Megumi remember the sweet senshi with the blue gown, always silent and calm, but very assertive with every comment she made. "We were reborn on this planet and were given these names to carry on with our lives here. Sometime later, we were found by Luna and Artemis and they helped us unlock our real identities but we normally go now by our civilian names to avoid confusion among others. Times are different now and it's nothing as you might remember."

"You may associate Luna and Artemis as the cats looking after you at my apartment, but back then... they were the advisors to the Moon Queen." Minako said softly, "Do you remember?"

Megumi widened her eyes and nodded, she surprised that all this time had gone through. All the things she must had missed while she was traveling through the universe trying to fulfill the mission given to her. "How did you find your way back to Earth?" Rei asked with a new wave of familiarity towards the girl, Megumi looked at her and then at the clothed object that was now resting on her lap, "I prayed for help... and it brought me here,"

"The enemies after her, all we know is that she knows them as _'the shadows'_ because that is what they are. They lurk in the darkness and possess whoever they can take as a vessel. But who is behind it all, we still don't know it yet. But it's more than clear that they won't rest until they get what they want." Setsuna said determinant.

"The key..." Makoto turned and saw the large object on the girl's lap "What _is_ that key?"

Megumi closed her eyes and remember the moment she took the weapon from the Princess' corpse and shook her head softly "It burns..." she muttered, her eyes looked down at the shaggy carpet, "The reason I cannot allow you to even look at it, is because it burns. It shines so brightly, it could leave you blind. I do not know why it accepted me as its Guardian, and it is because of its constant warmth that I believe I am alive—it has protected me all this time from evil."

"We have decided to keep her safe with us until we learn more about the enemy and what its true intentions are, the obvious is that whoever that is, wants this object. But why? We still need to find out. In the meantime, she is staying with us." Haruka turned to Minako, with more authority. This was serious, they all knew that. But now the bigger question was thrown in the air.

"Should we tell... _them_?" Makoto dared to break the spell and asked.

All eight senshi fell silent, they knew the answer but they all agreed that it would be unfair for the royal couple, with the wedding so close and after all this time when they can finally live together, a new enemy had to appear. Hotaru looked at the girl and could not help to feel nostalgic. She put herself in her position and her heart ached, this was a girl who hasn't had a proper bath, a meal or a place to sleep in more than a thousand years. She took and agreed on the task to guard the object on her lap, risking her life, running away all of her life. She imagined her scared, depressed, alone in the vastity of the universe, without being able to speak to no one, with no family, without a planet to return to and without her Prince.

She was the soldier of death, she knew perfectly well the feeling of being hunted, of being wanted dead and of being alone, afraid and angry at the same time for this kind of life they were destined to follow. She put her cup on the small side table, the sound of the porcelain touching the glass caught everybody's attention "She deserves to be, with the only person related to her. In this time and era, she needs to be with her family or, who is close to being her family. She has the right to know what happened and she needs to fulfill her duty. So, I believe we do not have another option." Hotaru looked at Setsuna and Haruka, who, at first were the most hesitant and against the idea "She has suffered enough,"

Makoto leaned her back on the couch and sighed "So, what do we do then?"

"He must know something... he has the power to read and sense things, just like me or Michiru-san or me," Rei said, still not wanting to mention the fact that the person they were talking about, was the Prince himself. All the girls knew, that if they told Megumi about it, she would run off desperately with the hopes of finding him and the result of it, would be catastrophic. For once, because she would be easily targeted and found by the enemy and second because the Price probably would not recognize her just like they didn't at first. Right now, it was a risk it all kind of situation and they needed to set the ground and prepare both sides for it. And for that, they needed to talk to Usagi first because she would be the right person to bring him to where Megumi was, without suspicion. Everything had to be kept in secret, for now, they had to be as hermetic as they possibly could, any leak of information could be devastating and would put not only Megumi but everyone in danger. The _shadows_ were clever and they just needed an opening to create a disaster.

This was a decisive moment and it had to be handled with extreme care.

"So, what then?" Makoto asked, again. Rei bit her lower lip in thought for a moment "I think... either we talk to her first, and then bring him here or just... bring both of them and let it be a surprise, just like it happened to us."

"I will talk to her," Minako answered, "I need to see her tomorrow for some things related to the... _event_. I will tell her then." she turned to Megumi and gave her a soft, reassuring smile, "I'm very glad to know you are here. You are in good hands, they are _very_ strong," she winked her eye at her, making Megumi smile, genuinely. If you need anything, you can contact me or the girls. She turned and pointed her finger at Rei, "Mars is Rei, and she is a shrine priestess in this era. She lives in a beautiful shrine full of all kinds of trees and flowers." Rei, in response, smiled. Her finger then moved to Ami "Mercury, is Ami. She is a doctor, she works in a hospital and saves people's lives every day." The bluenette waved her hand, "And Jupiter, who we knew as the Amazon girl, is Makoto." she wrapped her arm around the fragile girl in a friendly manner to make her feel more at ease, "She is a chef and she makes the most delicious food and pastries you will _ever_ taste." Makoto giggled and tilted her head, "I can make something for you, anytime. You just ask, okay?"

Megumi smiled, thinking how at last, she had found allies and people she could relate to; they were being so kind towards her, despite not really knowing her. Her grip tightened around the object in her lap as in gratitude for listening to her prayers and taking her to a safe ground. At last, she didn't have to run away, anymore.

She was home.

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

* * *

In the immensity of a palace, filled with solitude. Its walls held years of regret, and its polished marble halls echoed only laments under the dome-like ceilings and pristine appearance. One would normally think this is a place filled with dreams, peace, and harmony but in fact, the only thing that inhabited these long halls and tall walls were just haunted memories of a past and a life that never came to be successful. A woman with long dark hair walked in silence; her long dark red gown contrasted with the gray and obscure walls of her castle. Her dark eyes held regret, anger mixed with rage, her spirit was filled with abandon. She knew her destiny was meant to be this way, it was written since she agreed to be the wife to the God of War, Ares.

Eris felt the rage of never being what her husband wanted her to be. The woman he always carried in his mind, and in his heart. She lived by the rage of the shadow of a woman, who decided another path in her life but had learned to become a legend. For centuries she cursed her name and despised everything she represented. Because, after all; she was once a woman in love with her husband and not only that, he loved her too. The moment Eris agreed to marry Ares she became a mistress kept in the dark and a vessel to those memories of his true one love.

The echo of steps bounced through the marble floors and stone walls, it was him who had finally gone back home. The Goddess of Discord turned to find the blonde warrior standing in the main court, looking up at the night sky. Her now cold blood could not feel anything but the pleasure to see him as miserable as she was.

"Interesting view—" Eris broke the silence between them, "I never thought I could see the day to witness it. The Mighty Lord of War, broken, hopeful... lingering from his own memories. Trapped, in his past," her sultry voice curled out from her tongue, dancing through her lips; her sentence was finished with a smirk of satisfaction. "Oh, My War Lord, how times have changed. Once a hero, feared by everyone and now..." she stood next to him and peered her vicious stare at him up and down, like examining his perfectly toned body she knew he had under that heavy armor, her dark eyes pierced through his soul and could not help to snarl at him with a poisonous comment. "—You are nothing but a joke."

"It is good to see you are still alive, too, Eris," Ares' held pure disinterest, his eyes never left the sky, to even look at her, it was more than obvious than the relationship between them was beyond lost and broken. "It is indeed amazing how your words cannot hurt a single cell in me, no matter how much you try," he finally broke contact with the stars and looked down at the petite woman in red, "I have grown a very thick skin against you. You can say whatever you want but that will not ever make you better than anything that lives in this realm," Ares narrowed his gray eyes, "When did you become so bitter?"

Eris let out a single chuckle, and looked away "The moment I married you, Ares, you condemned me to misery,"

"You knew the consequences of this marriage." Ares looked the other way, completely avoiding any sort of contact with her beautiful but very bitter wife. Eris scoffed, "The consequences..." she shook her head and frowned, "It is interesting how after all this time you dare to come here like if nothing happened. You have been absent for years and now you come to say these words to me? What else is that you want from me?"

Ares arched his brow, "Me, wanting from you? No, Eris. I do not want anything from you. But I would like to remind you that this is _my_ realm, _my_ Palace— _my_ planet. You are most welcome to leave anytime you want. I do not care what you do with your life, you have done enough to make me not want you—to make me not to care."

Eris's peace did not last long enough to keep the conversation in a moderate state. Her dark eyes burned with anger, every time he reminded her that, that he did not care. "I know you do not but, do you know what makes me go to sleep at peace every night? To know that she did not care for you either." Ares chuckled and closed his eyes, "Oh, Eris..." his smile slowly fading as he turned to look at her again "The only thing I am thankful for, the only good thing that this marriage ever created, was our daughter and I thank all the Lords and heavens, that she did not come to be like you,"

"That child was always weak, no wonder why she died by Serenity's hand," Eris rolled her eyes and crossed her arms with evident disinterest.

"I am really sorry for not loving you the way you wanted me to. It was too much, too demanding, and your paranoia slowly poisoned this relationship. You grew to be a rotten soul," Ares shook his head, "The real reason why Serenity asked for our daughter to be part of the Royal Guardians was that I asked her to. Her life was miserable here with your constant screaming so full of hatred towards her, it is like you never loved her."

"You always loved the wrong people, I am your wife! I deserved a better treatment from you. I deserved the attention, I deserved to be desired and adored, the same way you did with Gaia." Her hands began to tremble with anger and her controlled voice changed to one with distress, "I curse the memory of that woman... I curse the day she was created and brought to this realm. I curse the moment you set your eyes on her and the moment you asked me to marry you—look what you have done to me, Ares! Look at what you made me become!"

"You did that to yourself, Eris." Ares frowned, "All your hatred, all this heavy energy around you... you created it. You created this hell I am standing on, this is the reason why I left and didn't come back, until now."

"Why did you come back, anyway?"

Ares sighed tiredly, "This might be the last time we see each other. This is, after all, _my_ realm. I can come and go as I please... but from this day forward I detach myself and everything that represents me, from you. I have spoken to Zeus and Hera; this shell of a marriage no longer exists. I am no longer your husband and you are no longer my wife and if I ever look into my daughter's eyes, _my_ daughter, again; I will not think of you. She is my daughter and mine alone, the only good thing that was in you, you passed it onto her and that is what I will value, for the rest of my time in this realm. Because, you Eris, you are nothing but a part of a past I no longer care about," Eris looked at him with shock as he turned to leave her behind, "You cannot do this to me! Where am I supposed to go?!"

"I do not care what you do with your life from this moment on," Ares looked over his shoulder at her and stopped, "That is the reason I came back—to tell you that I want you to get the hell out of this place and my life, forever." A sad smile crossed his lips, "It is true, I never got over Gaia because she was the woman I always aspired to love but somehow, she was always out of my league. Even if I had the opportunity to be with her and give her the life she deserved, she was too good for me. In the end, she was smarter and braver than _any_ of us and found a better man than myself. All this time, your recriminations have been invalid because you have been thinking that I was longing to be with her when in reality all I have ever been doing since I left her on Earth, was to protect her. It is true, I loved her, I loved everything she represented and probably I still do. I will always remember her and I truly regret that I never had the opportunity to ask for her forgiveness for what I did to her, but since that day, I promised myself to change things and fight for a better cause and protect the only good part left of that dynasty."

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

* * *

Mamoru parked his car in the driveway and walked with hurry over to Usagi's house but as he made his way through the small front yard he soon spotted his fiancé sitting on the porch in silence with both arms wrapped around her as if she was trying to comfort herself for what happened. "Usako," he said with a worried tone and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in a protective embrace, "Are you okay?"

Usagi nodded still not looking at him. This was unlike her, and it was worrying him more than a while ago. He sat next to her and leaned his head on hers, "Usa... what happened?"

"Did you see the light in the sky?" He heard her ask in almost a whisper, Mamoru sighed and closed his eyes, "Yes, yes I did."

"It was very strange... and then the blackout—I felt uneasy, troubled... scared," Usagi mumbled in his chest but her words were clear enough for him to understand what she was saying, "There was this wave of energy that made me feel unstable, I was worried about you. I didn't know if you were okay, I could not reach you on the phone... I was becoming very desperate,"

"Hey," kissed her head to comfort her, "Whatever it was, it has passed. It's okay. I'm fine," his hand slowly rubbed her bare arms and frowned, "How long have you been out here? You're freezing—let's go inside," he pulled back and looked her in the eye, "Your family? Are they okay?"

"Yes," Usagi nodded, "They're inside, Shingo just got home too—they're alright."

It appeared to be that he was the only one who heard those menacing words, it was almost as if they were addressed only to him. For what Usagi was talking about, she was scared about the whole blackout and the light that came from the sky for a couple of seconds and not the threat that came along with it. The blonde took a deep breath and exhaled, "Mamo-chan, should we be worried?"

Mamoru rested his forehead on hers and thought of a good answer to give her. It was hard for him to lie to her but with what has been happening to him lately it could easily be related to what happened that night. He had to let her know, at least part of the uncertainty he was feeling, "I don't know Usako," he managed to say, "But whatever it is, I won't let anything happen to you—you are not alone,"

"So, what you are saying is that something might be coming to us," Usagi said, her voice slowly breaking with deception, "Usa," Mamoru whispered and looked into her eyes, "We don't know anything about this incident, we cannot jump to any conclusions... but like I said, whatever it is... I won't let anything happen to you." He felt Usagi caressing his cheek and saw the tears quivering in her eyes. Usagi knew something was different, deep down she knew something was happening. She knew him too well, more than he could ever imagine and she could feel the distress and the effort of keeping the conversation and the situation under control, so she won't get worried.

She always thought that it was the cutest thing he did for her but also the most dangerous because, in the end, he was always the one to take the first blow. Usagi sighed and closed her eyes and thought how Mamoru could eat dry, burnt cookies, burn his hand by accident with the misplaced pot she left on the counter and never complain or scold her, or drink the saddest, most bland coffee she could ever make because he knew it made her happy to do things for him. Of course, he never complained when she offered to put the coffee maker, even when he knew the result would be, well—strange.

The love she had for him had no boundaries and even when they have been together for so many years, she still learned and loved new things about him. They were getting older and while they learned new, more mature ways of handling difficult situations she was still the same klutzy and distracted Usagi everybody knew and loved but also the girl who worried about others before herself. No matter how distracted or vulnerable she was, she could always count that she had a steady, calm support from Mamoru, anytime. She gave him a sad smile, she felt it and he felt it too, something was coming and none of them had a clue of what it was. Her hand reached for his and intertwined her fingers with his having one thing for sure in her mind, if she entered to a battle again, she wouldn't do it alone.

With a heavy sigh, she closed her eyes and tried to change the course of what could become a heavy conversation, "I was waiting for you, I was hoping you could drive me somewhere we could buy something to eat." Mamoru frowned and tilted his head to look at her, "Wait, weren't we supposed to have dinner _here_? You told me..."

"Yeah, it didn't work out," Usagi pulled back and crossed her arms with disappointment. Mamoru arched a brow suspiciously, "You burnt—"

"Dinner? —Yes," Usagi interrupted and scratched her nose, "Okay," Mamoru sighed and looked around, "And your parents? Did they get to eat something at least?"

"Well... since I offered myself to cook dinner, they either had the option of eating something raw or something burnt to a crisp."

"And what did they do?"

"They ordered pizza."

"And you didn't eat?"

Usagi sighed with even more disappointment, "Shingo came with his girlfriend and they ate what would have been our slices, by the time I finished cleaning the kitchen, it was all gone—then the blackout happened, yadda, yadda, yadda..."

Mamoru cleared his throat and scratched his chin in thought, "So, let me get this straight—you cooked dinner. It burned or was left uncooked and your family ordered pizza but you didn't get a piece for any of us? That is the worst bargain ever." he tried to keep his laughter to himself, but it was too hard for him to keep a straight face at the whole situation, "This is a tantrum of yours, isn't it? You, sitting here in the cold, alone in the porch..."

Usagi rolled her eyes, "Well, the flash of light and the blackout did scare the hell out of me, but I am also starving! Shingo was inconsiderate, I mean, I understand his girlfriend came along but, he at least should have offered to order another one,"

Mamoru could not hold it any longer and broke into a fit of laughter, getting Usagi upset in the process, "Don't laugh! This is a serious matter!" she turned and slapped him in the arm "Ash, you are so annoying,"

"Hey, you burned the food—I should be the one upset here, I am starving too and you were almost asking me to fly all the way here because dinner was almost ready and when I finally get here pouf! There is no dinner,"

"And _what_?" Usagi turned with a frowned and saw her boyfriend wiggled his fingers in the air, "Pouf, you know—like magic." Usagi laughed, "You are so weird, you are definitely not suitable to be King."

Mamoru threw his head back and laughed louder, "Says the Queen who has the power to burn water," Usagi could not hold it anymore and joined the fit of laughter, "Hey at least I can modify things from their original state!"

Both kept laughing like children at the park, in the middle of the day. The sound finally caught the attention of everyone inside and soon Ikuko appeared at the other side of the door and watched surprised at the couple sitting on the porch, crying of laughter, "I knew I heard noises, what are you two doing outside?! Usagi, I thought you were in your room!"

Both turned over their shoulder and wiped the tears from their eyes, Usagi shook her head and cleared her throat, "No, after I cleaned the kitchen and found out we were out of pizza I decided to wait for Mamo-chan here,"

"Oh, yes well... we were not counting with Shingo's starvation... I'm sorry dear, I will cook you something or we can order something else if you like?" she looked at Mamoru "I am so sorry Mamoru, Usagi offered to make us dinner but the blackout... well, ruined it."

Mamoru smiled, "Yes, I was informed of the incident. Don't worry, we can go and have something to eat, do you want something, or need anything?" Ikuko smiled, "As always so sweet, but I am alright dear. I was actually planning on going to bed early," she looked at Usagi and sighed, "Your father is slightly annoyed with all the noise your brother and his girlfriend are making in the living room,"

Usagi narrowed her eyes, "Noise? What are they doing in there?"

"They're watching something... a movie, I think, but it is really loud and we do not understand a thing,"

"Well then, say no more—I will go get my purse," Usagi turned to give Mamoru a peck on his cheek and walked inside, leaving Ikuko alone with him, "Did you find your way here safely dear? I do not know the extent of the blackout, but it was very strange."

"Yes, I was just driving from the hospital when it happened. It was a little chaotic, but the lights came back to normal quickly." He smiled at his mother in law, the woman was always so sweet towards him that it was impossible not to love her like a second mother. Ikuko crossed her arms and pouted her lips, "I was hoping to see the news in case there was some information about it, oh well, I guess I will have to wait until tomorrow—it doesn't look like Shingo will go to bed anytime soon," the older Tsukino smiled, "Oh, dear come inside! It is very cold out here and Usagi might take a while to come down... you know how she is—I just made some tea, you can have a cup with me while you wait."

"Thank you, Mama-san, I think I will accept your offer, you are very right about Usagi taking her time..." The older woman smiled and patted Mamoru on his back as they entered the house, she closed the door and changed her slippers, so did Mamoru. Just like Ikuko said, there was a lot of noise in the living room but it was common for a young couple like Shingo and his girlfriend to be watching movies that loud. Still, he had to admit that the noise was a little overwhelming; Shingo peered from the couch and waved his hand at him, "Hey Mamoru!"

Mamoru smiled and waved his hand from the foyer, and walked into the living room to greet the young man. "Hey Shingo..." he turned and frowned when he saw the movie playing in the t.v. "What are you watching?" Shingo smiled and turned to lower the sound with the remote, "Oh, this sci-fi movie... it's a little low budget but it's entertaining," he turned to his girlfriend "Oh, I think you haven't met my girlfriend—Sato Akari,"

The young, dark haired girl waved her hand and could not help to blush a little when she took a good look at the man Shingo was talking to, the blonde young man wrapped an arm around her and smiled, "This is Chiba Mamoru, my sister's fiancé,"

"Oh," the girl blushed and bowed her head in respect "N-Nice to meet you." Mamoru smiled, "Likewise."

"Are you waiting for Usagi?" Shingo popped another corn kettle into his mouth and leaned back in the couch, Mamoru nodded, "Yeah, she went to get her purse... so..."

"Oh man, give her like 40 minutes to come down," Shingo joked making Mamoru let out a hearty chuckle, "Yeah, I know," he patted Shingo on the shoulder in a brotherly fashion, "Well I'll leave you two little love birds to continue watching your movie. Nice meeting you, Sato-san." Akari blushed again and nodded, "Nice to meet you too Chiba-san,"

"Do you want to join us while you wait? I'm telling you... it's not that bad," Shingo pointed his thumb towards the t.v. but Mamoru turned down the offer with much politeness, "It's okay. I'll wait for your sister in the kitchen—your mother's making some tea, I'll go have a cup while I wait."

"Okay, but just so you know... my dad is in there, so... you know," Mamoru smiled and nodded as he walked towards the kitchen, "I think I'll survive,"

* * *

 _Liked it? Leave me a comment below! Good vibes are always well appreciated._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	17. Chapter 17

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Seventeen

 _A/N Thank you, Guest, SerenityMorrison, and kera69love for your reviews. I wish I could have uploaded this earlier but the site has been crashing on me all day. Well, I hope you like this one and again, have a lovely weekend._

* * *

 _The sound of laughter echoed softly, it was the sound of soft giggles coming from a young maiden. A young woman with long raven hair and porcelain skin. She looked like an ethereal creature running through a large, almost infinite field of wild flowers; her delicate fingers brushed the delicate leaves and petals flowing with the soft wind, as she looked up at the clear blue sky with her beautiful prismatic golden-green eyes._ _Her rosy cheeks flushed by the warmth of the sun and her long silky hair danced in swirls as the wind played with it, matching the hypnotic dance of her flowy silk blue gown. It was a beautiful picture, to see her there, enjoying the marvels of nature. She turned and brought a hand to her face to protect her eyes from the sun but soon, that sunny day slowly turned dark and big, thick gray clouds covered the sun from view darkening that once lovely prairie._

 _Confused and scared, the maiden turned and closed her eyes with deception when she felt the once playful wind turned aggressive and violent towards her, like if it no longer welcomed her presence. Her indigo dress was no longer following her movements but it was desperately clinging to her skin making it impossible for her to move. Her sparkling, enigmatic eyes and sweet smile vanished and was replaced by concern and fright as tears rolled down her chubby cheeks, trying to accept the facts that her fate had changed and now she had to fight with all her strength against the demon standing in front of her._

 _She shook her head, still crying with a heavy heart "Why?!" she looked at the man in front of her and fell to the ground on her knees. "Why…?" she asked again with_ _rage and pain in her eyes. The maiden was no more, her long gown soon morphed into an armored Senshi uniform as she kept looking into the man's eyes. She raised her hand up to the heavens and asked for the blessings of her lineage and_ _took hold of the sword appearing before her and channeled her energy that engulfed it in intense golden and raging flames. "Quare sic fecerit?"_

"… _Cho…"_

"… _Cho…"_

… _Why?..."_

* * *

The echo reached into the deepest part of Athamas' mind and opened his eyes. A loud, heavy growl resonated in the vast, lonely room where he was hidden, alone; his body felt weak, despite all the energy he has been taking lately, it wasn't enough. He still needed more, he wanted more and time was wasting by every minute he was not earning a victory, the freedom to choose and hunt whoever he chose was invigorating to him, being feared was the best satisfaction to all that he suffered and had to deal with in the past. This was his dream, to become somebody invincible and he was on his way to achieving it but lately, strange visions of a young woman have been showing up, possessing his thoughts, like a vivid experience; he could almost reach and touch the woman's beautiful face as he looked into her ever changing hazel colored eyes and her pouty lips that were always swollen because of her constant sobbing. She appeared to be suffering for him but he could not understand why. He didn't have any recollections of ever seeing her in the past, the beauty in her warm voice was something he would never forget.

Sometimes Athamas felt like if his spirit escaped his body and saw the events from other time and other people's lives, losing all control over his own desires and body and this soldier maiden had been occupying his thoughts for a long time now. Who was the girl? Athamas could not recognize anything that he was constantly witnessing like a film, over and over again the same vision was clear in his mind.

* * *

" _Cur clamas?" (Why are you crying?)_ _a deep cold male voice asked the warrior maiden still holding her sword with her right hand._ _Between sobs and tears, she looked at the attacker in front of her and shook her head but did not say anything to the man challenging her with his own weapon, imitating the stance of a predator ready to attack. Like her, he still had an enigmatic beauty that made it impossible to ignore and admire. Much taller than her and with a very toned body underneath his dark armor and long dark cape, he also had pitch black hair that gracefully reached his shoulders with thick playful pieces of hair covering one eye and alabaster skin; like hers, his eyes changed from pale yellow to deep amber as he looked down at her with slight disdain. His cold stare despite being charged with anger and contempt was as beautiful as the maiden's "Ita ut e vitae meae," (Get out of my way)" his voice was intense and intimidating despite its elegant tone._

 _The Senshi shook her head while still showing the pain of having to fight him in her eyes. The Polemarchos narrowed his amber eyes and looked at the people standing behind her creating a barrier to keep the raging and the burning flames she soon summoned to protect everyone from their inevitable encounter. He smirked and arched a brow, "Hac via elegisti igitur haec duo extranei facti rationes divinas. Quibus fides tua erunt suis ignominiam tuam: et in verbis meis adtende-parantur simplicitate, stupidis et infirma."_

 _(This is the path you have chosen then, this is what we have become—two strangers on divine grounds. Those beliefs of yours will be your own disgrace, mark my words—you are being naïve, stupid and weak.)_

" _Et quoniam mens tua perdidit!_ ," ( _You have lost your mind!) the Senshi exclaimed with frustration, unlike the Polemarchos before her, her armored uniform was navy blue with golden trimming and her armored boots reached up to her mid thighs. Her face was smudged with charcoal and blood, probably her own, showing the distress of the moment, "Quid mihi et tibi est?"_ ( _What have you become?) she narrowed her eyes and pointed her sword at him with less hesitation than before. In response, the Polemarchos gave her a twisted, creepy smirk "Tua pessimum somnum exterreri solebat._ " ( _Your worst nightmare.) he shook his head with deception, "Quid vis ut neges naturae nostrae? Cur venis ad Romanos inclinasset? —Ut misereatur,"_ _(Why do you keep denying our nature? Why have you taken their side?)_

 _"Non partis, cupio discedere pacatum ab ultionem recipiam,"_ _(I am not taking sides, I want to leave a peaceful life away from revenge,)_ _she_ _no longer cared for the tears that kept rolling down her cheeks and shook her head "Cho…" she muttered "Pugnare nolo te … Quare sic fecerit?" (I do not want to fight you... Why are you doing this?)_

 _His amber eyes narrowed,"Et pessimus pars mi sed quod te amo, quod te non stare, infirmam, quod res data legitime meum est. Quod si non est mihi: quod autem aliquis tenens gladio, non tibi." (The worst part my dear is that I love you but I cannot stand that you, a weakling, has been given something that it is rightfully mine. It should have been me, the one holding that sword, not you.) he felt his blood boiling with rage in his veins as he looked into her warm, prismatic eyes "Non poterit stare sed respiciens ad vos habens tantum iter viam quæ ventura sunt ponatur perfecta, quod non per exiguam esse," (I cannot stand looking at you and the only way to having things happen the way they are supposed to be, is by vanishing you from existence.)_

 _Outside of the barrier a woman fell to her knees crying desperately for the situation unfolding right before her eyes, her husband had left her side to stand in and give his strength to the gods to contain the power inside, an obvious power that if released would be catastrophic for the divine realm._ _"_ _No!" she screamed with desperation, her voice strained with anguish as she looked at the Polemarchos, her son, raise his black onyx sword above his head, condemning the young Senshi, her daughter, to die by his hand. In a quick glide, the loud clashing sound of metal against metal surprised everyone at the scene, it was the first time a Senshi fought against a Polemarchos. The Warrior in black summoned for the first stance of his power, enough to lift a strong stream of air around them, like a tornado devouring them into its dense pit. They continued to fight, their swords meeting one swing and clash after another, battling for different causes. They were too strong and too fast for the ones outside of the storm to see but they knew that only one of them could come alive from it. "Sensi ea breviter currit per venas ejus ardenti omnis lux lucis navitas ... una cellula eam illi semper erunt mihi!" (I felt it briefly running through my veins, it's burning energy lighting every single cell in me...it was meant to be mine!)_

 _The_ _Senshi moved quickly but he was much more experienced and vicious when fighting, surpassing her already sharp skills and hit her on her side, stumbling her to the ground. The Polemarchos swung his blade but the Senshi was fast enough to avoid getting killed in the process—he was not backing down for her. She tried to stand up but the energy around them was too thick to allow her to think with clarity, at this moment she was at his mercy and for what she looked in his amber colored eyes, there was none of it left."Suis conati sunt facere tibi nisi telum contra me vides, Gaia, non posse aequare tibi et mihi artes et potentiae."_

 _(They tried to make you their weapon against me but you see, Gaia, not even you can match my skills and power.)_

 _The Senshi looked up, trying to summon for her power again to regain the strength on her bleeding arm. She summoned for another stage of her power but the man was already standing in front of her with his sharp blade cutting the pulsing skin of her neck. The Polemarchos's lips curved when he felt another blade strategically positioned on his neck as well, the coldness of Ares' blade was pressed against his skin much more aggressively, imitating the dark warrior's approach on the Senshi._

" _I will not let you lay a finger on her!"_ _The God of War growled with anger and defiance._ _The eyes of the Polemarchos narrowed and darkened, showing the anger and hatred against the one who was now between him and the Senshi, "Vector Olympi pondere, sane servus, venerunt ad te."_ _(_ _Olympus' servant—of course, you had to come.)_

 _Ares narrowed his eyes and pressed his blade on his throat, cutting his flesh with no remorse "Tu animam tuam, et per veneni veneficii es in omnibus viis tuis. Tu morbum, hoc non terminus, nunc." (You have poisoned your soul and you are poisoning everything in your way. You are a disease, this will end, now.)_

 _A loud, heavy chuckle escaped from the warrior in black armor and turned to look at Chronos using the power of the Garnet Orb to freeze him in his own energy storm. His eyes widened when he noticed he was standing next to the Senshi, "No…"_ _he growled and extended his hand, blasting a wave of heavy energy towards the Lord of Time and then turned and responded to Ares' threat and attack, blocking the deadly blade with several quick swings and clashes; both with hatred, both deceived and hungry to win the battle._

 _A loud thundering caught the warrior's attention as he jumped away from Ares' attack and saw the King of Gods with a lighting blade in his hand, pointing at him_ _"_ _You, demonic creature, will not see the light of day again!" to the armored warrior his words were like leaves floating in the wind, pointless and stupid. He smirked defiantly at the gods and spit at their feet, showing his disgust for their existence. "Ego autem, Titan, alioquin interficiemus te, et omnium. Voces percipe mente meas." (I am a Titan, I will kill you all. Mark my words.) He summoned his own power, a strong energy that came with force from beneath his feet; the ground began shaking with tremendous force transforming their surroundings into pitch darkness._

 _Chronos put his hands over the Senshi's shoulders and whispered something in her ear. The dark man saw the sudden change in her expression; her eyes suddenly stopped showing compassion and fright. With regained strength she raised her hand and summoned for the power of their dynasty in a sudden flash of light her sleek sword began to gleam with a golden light before her and like its rightful owner, she curled her fingers around the hilt and stood up, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, ready to follow its divine command. Her eyes slowly changed from hazel to pure gold and just like the man in front of her, there was no longer a trace of mercy in them._

 _"_ _Crystalli aurei you- invoco beato igne. Helios, Titaniaque astra sol in auribus meis orationis - ut det mihi fortitudinem, et imperium, et tenebrae obsigno malitiae ego, Gaia, Terra invocabo divina virtute et potentia sua quatuor cardinales ad aggrediendum et sol - sum præcipe filiis et concatenata in aeternum uri malum in carcerem ut tua insania altum tuum in solitudine." She narrowed her eyes as she felt the fire starting to ignite around her, feeding from the darkness coming from the Polemarchos and without looking back at the older woman pleading to stop the fight, she jumped like a vicious beast against its prey and raised the blade above her head, and crashed her weapon against the dark warrior's, then landed behind him and pierced her weapon through his armor, close to his ribs, "Tantum modo tangebat signum solis solvatur."_

 _(The seal can only be broken by one touched by the Sun.)_

 _His amber colored eyes widened and tried to fight back the burning flames with his own energy and turned to Chronos, Poseidon, Apollo, Zeus and Ares calling for Hades' power to create the void that would become his new resting place. "Et non moriemini!" (I will not die!)_ _he blasted his energy again, breaking the barrier created by the high gods and turned to the Senshi, who remained still and strong despite the cuts and bruises caused by him and his dense, malicious energy that only intensified the flames coming from her, devouring them slowly. The Senshi summoned for another stage of her power, intensifying the flames coming from the blade, her hands began to tremble, her heart began to break; she knew the truth behind his words, she did not injure him enough to kill him and she could not release the full potential of the Crystal in her care; he was too strong for her but all she could do now was to resist and wait for everything to be over._

 _The dark Polemarchos channeled his power onto his weapon and clashed angrily against the golden blade, they were both using their energy, one feeding the other and vice versa. He was going to win—he knew it, but the pleasure of seeing her slowly fade away before him was too delicious for him to ignore, little did he know that Hades was already there swinging his scythe and creating a void to take him with him down to the underworld and then it hit him, the Senshi was not trying to kill him but to lock him away, that, she could do. Everything was condemned to be destroyed and the God of the Underworld would be using the power of his weapon despite its consequences, the padlock to his freedom were those heavy, condemning words coming from a sweet little, and heartbroken maiden that once looked at him with loving eyes and admiration. "Stop doing harm, in darkness, you shall never rise." She took her blade away and made a cut on her hand and suddenly everything turned black._

* * *

"Alios duos annos et tempora currerent; eandem esse memoriae," (Time could pass for another two thousand years and still; our memories would be the same,) the Andromedian muttered as he slowly walked down the dark halls of his hideout, "Et odium pro dilectione mea es tu tamen tam vivus sicut et ego hodie; sed nunquam cedere in memoriam et blandimenti meus dulcis ... soror."

(My love and hate for you are still as vivid as that day but I will never yield to your memory and enchantment... my little sweet sister.)

Athamas widened his eyes and looked down at his hands, confused. The thirst for revenge was still latent in his heart, hungry to see him victorious in the end was still the same and forever would be his motivation for conquest but he could not understand why he felt like his thoughts and memories were splitting into two; he was having memories that didn't recognize as his own, seen people he's never met, spoken words he did not even understand. There was an echo, a dark matter living in his brain like a ghost, pining for its sins and engulfed in a wave of madness.

"Who are you? And who are those you have chosen to follow your path?" Athamas rested his head on his hand and closed his eyes, still trying to recover from his latent vision, "Who are _you_? He frowned, "...Gaia"

O—o—o—o—O

* * *

"I understand the seriousness of the case, the pain you have been experienced is not something to take so lightly." Mamoru looked at the couple sitting in front of his desk and closed the file with the Furukawa case "I took the liberty to consult with my colleague about this matter; you probably have seen him before. Dr. Furuhata—he is the Specialist that would take your case from here,"

"How bad is it Dr. Chiba?" the woman asked with a trembling voice showing her evident worry in her wise, tired eyes "We have done every test available and we can't take it anymore, we need an answer."

Mamoru took a second to find a better way to break the news to the older couple, "Furukawa-san, the pain you have been feeling in your lower abdomen area is not due to an infection or a deficiency with your gallbladder like you were informed in the past by other physicians."

"Then, what is it?" the older man was finally able to speak, Mamoru looked at him and crossed his fingers together on his desk, a sign he did every time he had to give these types of diagnostics, "It's colon cancer."

The woman gasped while the man's reaction was to stay silent for a minute. Mamoru hated giving these type of news, he felt like the bearer of bad luck or the worst person in the world to be able to tell something like that and have to stay at bay with the situation. "How bad is it?" the man asked, ignoring his wife's sobbing. Mamoru opened the file on his desk and turned to his computer to show the result from the scans they took as a sample and the other analysis they made to give an accurate result. He slowly pointed with his pen the dark spots showed on the screen "Cancer cells can disperse very quickly, in this case, they are gathered in one place."

"What does that mean?"

"Means we can try to remove most of it with surgery." Motoki joined the conversation and stood next to Mamoru while looking at the screen "We would be removing a tract of the intestine, and connect it back again then follow up with chemotherapy."

"Who would be doing the surgery?"

"Both—I would be performing the surgery and Dr. Chiba would be there to advise and supervise with the medication and following treatments," Motoki said in a serious tone. Ami, who joined minutes after stood in a corner next to both of them and could not deny her admiration every time she saw them in their role as serious doctors. Mamoru was easy to picture since he always had the mysterious and serious vibe going on but Motoki, who always was joking around, that was something that still found it difficult to believe.

Ami listened in silence to everything that was being said when suddenly, she saw a phone screen blink, she imagined was Mamoru's due to his uncommon reaction to the unfamiliar name on the caller id, the bluenette tried to ignore the distraction, but then a soft buzz caught the young doctor's attention again, quickly moving his hand to cover the screen and cancelling the entrance call with one swift of his finger. _'_ _Chieko'_ Ami repeated in her mind as much as she tried to dismiss her curiosity over the name and came to the conclusion that it was, maybe, a colleague, a patient or a friend she did not know of.

After what it seemed an hour of consultation, the couple left with an accurate diagnosis. The air still felt heavy from the news and the reactions from the husband and his worried wife. "This is never easy." Motoki broke the silence while taking the case with him to do a follow up "I will go and schedule the surgery then,"

Mamoru nodded while looking through his agenda, "I have to assist one this Thursday but we can do it either that same day or Friday, very early in the morning." a very curious Ami spotted the same name that appeared on that call written on the agenda _'Chieko', 8:30 pm. Dinner.' "Chieko..."_ she thought and bit her lower lip, thinking why was she feeling so bothered by the woman she obviously never heard of. Much to her surprise, his cell buzzed again, and it was the same caller. This time, Mamoru answered immediately, "Hey, could you give me a second, please?" he turned to Motoki and sighed tiredly, "What do you think?"

Motoki looked through his own agenda and nodded, "Friday it is then, the faster, the better…"

Mamoru grabbed his pen and began writing the patient's name and turned to Motoki "I will let them know so they can schedule the operating room." Motoki nodded "Perfect." he pointed the phone and widened his eyes "Is it…" he trailed off when noticed Ami was still standing there and cleared his throat, "Let me know how _that_ turns out." Mamoru nodded and turned to Ami, "I will see if you can enter the operating room to assist us. Since you have been involved with the case since day one, I think it would be a good opportunity for you to put your skills to the test."

Ami widened her blue eyes and blinked, surprised at the offer "T-Thank you." Mamoru smiled at her and pointed at his phone "I'm sorry Ami-chan, I have to take this call."

"Oh, okay… yeah… I…" she blinked a little surprised by his sudden serious behavior and turned on her heel "I'll go."

"Could you close the door on your way out, please?"

"S-Sure," Ami answered softly and walked towards the door but could not ignore the sudden change in his voice from formal to one more intimate. "Sorry for making you wait—I had a patient," he made a pause, indicating the other person on the line was speaking, Mamoru smiled and turned to grab a piece of paper "Perfect, I can't deny how good you are with all this, I will see you soon." His last words caught Ami's attention and made too much noise in her head, as she closed the door she could not help but wonder the identity of that Chieko person and why, of all people had to be Mamoru the one answering her call and be somewhat excited to see her. It bothered her because while it was not the same reaction he had whenever Usagi called, she could tell he was excited. She didn't want to imagine the wrong thing, she couldn't. So for the moment, she decided to put it behind her and move along with her day.

At the other side of the door, Mamoru smiled once again and hung up. He made a few annotations in his agenda and stood up to go to his next consultation when a sudden pulsation in his chest made him stop in his tracks. He put his right hand close to his heart and frowned, "Again?" he muttered and closed his eyes, trying to suppress the pain while wishing it didn't come along with another strange vision or event. It was starting to wear him down, not knowing what was happening and why he was constantly pulled to react to something he couldn't understand so he did the next best thing he could do under uncertain situations, he was going to ignore it, at least for the rest of the day.

Like an answered prayer, his phone buzzed again, interrupting his internal battle. He reached for it and smiled softly "Hey,"

" _You busy?"_ Usagi's powdery voice sounded at the other end, Mamoru chuckled and shook his head as if she could look at him which, would not be the better choice at the moment since he was still struggling to ignore the pain in his chest. "No,"

" _Patient?"_

"Not at the moment—on my way to meet one, though." he rubbed his chest and grunted softly, "Everything okay?"

" _Yeah…"_ he heard her say in a slightly discouraged tone. "You sure?" Mamoru asked while waiting for the pain to go away. _"_ _Yes, why?"_

Mamoru took a deep breath and began typing something related to the previous consultation on his laptop, "You don't normally call me at this hour unless it's something urgent or very important. Not that I don't like it, on the contrary."

At the other side of town and hidden inside the restroom, Usagi looked down at her shoes while she tried to formulate the best answer to give her boyfriend. With a soft smile, she wanted to convince him that she was alright, but she also was having a rough day and she missed him, "I just missed your voice, that's all."

Mamoru exhaled, still feeling the discomfort in his chest. It burned, it hurt, every heartbeat felt like a heavy pound. He was no longer sure if it was because of whatever was happening to him or because he was concerned about Usagi "She's giving you a hard time, isn't she?"

" _She is just, you know… being her."_

"You know you can leave, right Usako?" Mamoru stopped typing and arched his brow, "Usa?"

Usagi turned and leaned forward, her head almost touching the mirror in front of her. She shook her head and smiled "I can't Mamo-chan, you know that."

Mamoru frowned and leaned his head back on his chair, this was becoming a recurring topic of discussion between them and not always things ended well. To Mamoru, the problem was simple to solve: resign, look for a better job, and succeed. To Usagi it was something more complex: Hang on, deal with it and wait for an opportunity. Sometimes the practicality in Mamoru was too much for Usagi's more elaborate feelings and that often made them crash into a duel of opinions. Mamoru understood, Usagi wanted to make things on her own, she wanted to create her own success without anyone's help and he was okay with it, he was the one that encouraged that attitude in the first place but he disliked how she allowed them to use her the way her boss and assistant did. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with a little frustration because he wanted to help her but he knew the outcome of his intent, "Usako… I…" a knock on the door interrupted his conversation and turned on his chair to see Motoki at the door, standing next to a member of the medical board he had been working on closely for the past 6 months and widened his eyes "Dear… I have to call you back,"

Usagi smiled at the other end at the sound of the loving nickname, but also there was a joy she could not describe every time she knew her future husband was needed. She knew how much he worked and sacrificed to get where he is now. It took him a little longer due to their constant battles but in the end, he made it true and she was proud of him. "Go get 'em. I will see you later today, she widened her eyes before hanging her phone "No! Wait!"

" _Yes?"_

Usagi smiled, "Do you think you could pick me up at work this afternoon? I need to tell you something."

 _"Everything okay?"_

"Yeah..." she returned to her discouraged tone. At the other end, Mamoru pressed his lips together, already feeling there was something else but the short window to dig into the matter urged him to end the call, "Sure, of course." he answered politely. Usagi's giggles sounded at the other end _"_ _You are not alone, isn't it?"_

"No,"

Usagi chuckled "Okay, I'll let you do your thing."

" _I appreciate it."_

 _"I love you, my handsome man."_

Mamoru cleared his throat, trying to dissimulate his blush, "I most certainly appreciate your comment, likewise." Motoki stepped in and frowned "Hey, you okay?" Mamoru put his phone into his pocket and turned to his friend with a puzzled look "Yeah, I just…" he shrugged his shoulders "Muscle pain."

At the other end of the line, Usagi pressed the end button on her phone and smiled softly, she had the boost she needed for the day, even when things were about to get a little complicated.

* * *

 _Earlier that day_

 _Usagi walked out of the elevator when she noticed her phone was ringing inside her purse. After a few seconds of rummaging through all of the things she carried inside, found it and answered with a smile "Well, this is a lovely surprise..."_

 _"Hey Usagi, my dear soul sister," Minako greeted and looked up at the building where she knew her friend worked, "You busy?"_

 _Usagi gave the girl at the front desk her member card so she could write down the time she went to have lunch, "Not really, I am about to get something to eat because I had to stay on my usual lunch break and finish some changes I was asked for the issue of this month. What's up? You've been a stranger lately."_

 _Minako smiled when she saw her friend walk out of the building "I know, but I must say, that navy blue vintage skirt looks great on you," Usagi widened her eyes and looked down, "Wait, how do you...?" she turned to look outside and saw her friend waving her hand at her from the sidewalk. Both blondes hung up and went to greet each other in person with a hug, "What are you doing here!?" Usagi said cheerful, "This is a cool surprise!"_

 _Minako giggled, "I know, right? We should do this more often." she pushed her pink mirror shades back and took a good look at her friend "I love your outfit, it's so chic," she smiled "I was in the neighborhood doing some errands for my boss, he is trying to score an interview and well, I had to talk to this executive. The last thing I knew, it was on the same block as your building and wondered if you were free to get some lunch. Lucky for me, here you are."_

 _Usagi chuckled, "I am free like a bird... for the next hour..."_

 _"Good," Minako smiled, soon her once bubbly personality turned hesitant "Shall we? I recently found this cool new place and I heard it's very good."_

 _Usagi noticed this change in her demeanor but decided to stay silent until they finally entered the deli café to have something quick to eat. Usagi studied her friend's behavior as they walked inside the place and how she chose the farthest table, close to a window. The waitress followed them to their table and gave them the large menus and asked for their beverages, once left alone, Usagi looked around and looked at the many vintage details on the walls, the wooden tables, and pastel colored chairs, "You were right, it is a lovely place."_

 _Minako smiled "Yes, it is." Usagi sighed softly and folded her pale blue napkin over her lap "Minako... is something bothering you? Minako blinked surprised at her friend, "What do you mean?"_

 _"You have been acting strange lately, I've been worried since the last time we spoke over the phone... you were distant and well, so unlike you," Usagi frowned "Is it something that has to do with your job? A friend? Is the whole wedding thing bothering you?"_

 _"Of course not!" Minako shook her head, "Absolutely not, everything's ready for the wedding. I just picked my dress, it's lovely by the way..." Usagi frowned, she sensed there was something else and looked down at her menu, trying to ignore the awkward turn their lunch was taking._

 _"But there is something..." Minako continued "...And it has come to the point where I need your help. I need to tell you the truth."_

 _Usagi looked up and tilted her head, "The truth? Minako, you are scaring me..."_

 _Minako pursed her lips and sighed, totally understanding how Rei felt when she tried to talk to her and wished the poor waitress wasn't there stealing their precious time. The lingering feeling of guilt for keeping something so important from her, was overbearing; she turned and smiled at the girl, "Can you give us a minute? We haven't decided yet."_

 _The young waitress looked at both women surprised and nodded, turning on her heel, leaving them alone. The blonde turned to look at Usagi and cleared her throat, "I know I have not been myself lately, I understand what you say and it is not because of the wedding. I really wished it was, I really wish it was because of something else and I really wished I was not the person to bring you the news but, after all this time, I am still your guardian and you are still my Princess and I must look after you."_

 _Usagi frowned and extended her hand to touch Minako's "Minako-chan, why are you talking like this?"_

 _Minako sighed softly and closed her eyes until gathering enough courage to look at her friend in the eye she continued, "There have been happening strange things lately. It all started with a vision Rei-chan had almost a month ago. Since then... many things have happened and even Haruka-san and Michiru-san have been attacked."_

 _Before Usagi could say anything, Minako continued "At first I tried to ignore it, then, it was difficult to do so. The next thing I knew, Rei was involved, Michiru-san, Haruka-san, Setsuna-san, and Hotaru-chan all found out about it on their own. Yesterday we sat and talked about it and tried to tie all the loose ends. We called Ami-chan and Mako-chan because they didn't know yet and we all came to the same conclusion..."_

 _Usagi was expressionless, her eyes didn't show any kind of emotion. There was no anger, no pain, not even a sign of tears. Nothing and it was worrying Minako. She took a deep breath and tilted her head low, "We all feel guilty, we wanted to take charge of this matter so you wouldn't be in the middle of all this, so you wouldn't be in any danger... and with the wedding coming so close... we—" she trailed off and was surprised to see Usagi, sitting on the chair next to her. Her hands on top of hers, their warmth making her friend feel more at peace and sure that she was not mat at her. That she did not hate her for telling her all of this._

 _"I know," she said loud enough for only Minako to hear. "This is a bad timing," Usagi continued, "And I do feel overwhelmed but I know there is something strange going on I just do not know to what extent."_

 _Minako widened her eyes "Wait, how?"_

 _"The night of the blackout." Usagi looked at Minako and took a deep breath before exhaling slowly, "I felt a strange energy surrounding me, it felt dreadful, it was cold... the light that crossed the sky was not one from a comet or a satellite. It was something else. I know it was something else,"_

 _"The blackout. Yes," Minako nodded "Has Mamoru said something by any chance? Has he—?"_

 _Usagi shook her head "No." she leaned back in the chair, "But I know he knows something. He has been acting strange too. He is distracted, and silent." she sighed "Last night he confessed it to me without having to tell me a single word. He's worried, but being the man he is, he is just trying his best to make me look the other way so I don't worry. The thing is, I do get worried Minako, I know he is trying to protect me, and I know you too but not telling me makes me feel that you don't trust me. You seem to forget that I am a Senshi too. With Mamo-chan I can try to make an effort to understand his reasons, he's my boyfriend, he wants to protect me, I get it—but with you, I am an equal."_

 _"Usa..."_

 _"Thank you for taking the time and telling me this," Usagi gave her blonde friend a faint smile, "But why do I have the feeling that there is more to this?" Without having to say much, the truth was out and Minako could not keep it a secret anymore. Minako nodded and looked at the waitress who had gone for the second time to take their order "Are you guys ready? Can I take your order?"_

 _Usagi smiled and shook her head "Just a cup of green tea." Minako turned to the waitress with an apologetic smile but she had to admit, her appetite was gone too, "Me too."_

 _The young waitress tried to contain her annoyance, wondering why it took so much time for them to decide on a cup of tea. Cursing under breath as she walked away from the table, a gesture both blondes noticed and decided to ignore—until the time to pay came up. Minako extended her hands over the table and nodded, "The vision Rei had was about a girl, at first we didn't understand, we thought it was about a missing girl but then, the girl herself appeared."_

 _"And who is she?" Usagi looked at Minako taking a sip of her tea and grimaced, "She is from the past," Minako said simply "I cannot say much, not here, it is a delicate matter and we must address it in a private place. All I can say is that it is very important that you bring Mamoru with you."_

 _Usagi frowned "Mamo-chan? Is it...? Is she...?"_

 _Minako held her friend's hand, "Please, bring him with you to meet us at Haruka's house. I know he has loads of work at the hospital but it is very important for him to be there, we had no time to talk to him in private. This is the only opportunity before something else happens, another blackout, another attack..."_

 _"Of course, of course... I will talk to him."_

 _"I was not supposed to say this much, please be careful Usa-chan, I promise I will explain tonight—Everything."_

 _Usagi held her friend's hand "I promise. Thank you Minako-chan." she looked down, her eyes finally showing a sign of something. A sad smile crossed her goddess like features and bit her lip "It was nice while it lasted..." her voice showed a heavy sentiment of melancholy, mixed with resignation, something Minako could not ignore. "Usagi,"_

 _"I'm okay..." Usagi chuckled, disguising her true feelings, "I mean... it was meant to happen—something... I just..." she trailed off "I just..." She couldn't hold it any longer and covered her face with her hands, Minako leaned closer and wrapped her arms around her friend, "Usagi..." she whispered and closed her eyes. Feeling her pain, feeling guilty once again. Just like a thousand years ago._

* * *

Usagi looked her reflection in the mirror and fixed her makeup before going out of the restroom; she took out her nude lipstick and started to paint her lips when a strange echo caught her off guard.

" _It's mine."_

The blonde stopped and turned her head to the side, then looked around and frowned with surprise "Hello?" she swore she heard somebody whispering to her ear, the voice was very clear and the mere thought of being alone sent chills down her spine. Once coming to the conclusion that she was not insane, she bent down to see if there was anybody in the room with her unaware that she was being observed. "What in the world are you doing?" a voice stopped her mission to find the reason behind her strange position and behavior. Usagi widened her eyes and looked up, surprised to see Mika standing at the door, "Mika…"

Mika gave the blonde a strange look and crossed her arms "Ok, I am going to ask you again because I just.." she wheezed, "What the hell are you doing?"

"I…" the blonde stood again, and puffed her skirt, "I thought there was someone inside—I thought I heard..." she trailed off and shrugged her shoulders with a sigh, "Never mind—are you okay? You look upset."

"Nah, just... annoyed." Mika took out her little makeup bag out of her purse, "Maya is asking for you but I told her you were in the copy room." Usagi frowned "But, I barely ever go to the copy room."

"Yeah well, she doesn't know that." Mika smiled and grabbed her powder compact from her purse and shrugged a shoulder, "Besides, it's not like she will go and look for you there, that's what Yuki is for and she won't do it either, so..." Usagi smiled, she felt relieved to have a friend like her in this place. It's not that the job was awful; the office building was great, modern, chic and well known. She loved doing what she did and she was good at it, but there were people like her boss or Yuki who sometimes didn't appreciate her effort. But again, she always had in mind that this environment was competitive and demanding, it was all part of the charm of working in a place like this. "You know them too well."

Mika peered at the blonde from the mirror in front of her and smiled while re-applying some peachy gloss on her lips, "It wasn't like this all the time you know? I learned to grow a thick, protective skin." she closed the cap of her gloss and turned "Maia has always been this way, maybe not as high maintenance as she is today but Yuki…" she grimaced "Well, that girl no longer has her feet on the ground."

"How did you learn to do that?" Usagi sighed and leaned her back on the wall while crossing her arms. "I just didn't give a damn anymore." Mika shrugged her shoulders and went back to look at her cosmetic bag, this time, grabbing her mascara to give another dramatic coat to her already dark lashes, "One thing is to be cool, elite, popular and another very different is to pretend to be that. I see both situations happen in front of me, but I don't care anymore."

"You two were close friends, weren't you?" Usagi narrowed her crystal blue eyes, "Because you don't just talk about someone with such melancholy unless you have been related to her somehow."

Mika sighed and stopped brushing the mascara on one eye "I was already working here when she joined the team. I taught her everything she needed to know to survive this place and established a good relationship. We became close friends—just like I did with you but soon enough, she changed."

"What made her change?"

"Maya did." Mika raised her brows, like showing surprise to her words and turned the water on to wash her hands "Yuki became obsessed with her, her lifestyle, her connections, everything, and when Maya's luck gave that unexpected turn from where she never returned Yuki got sucked into it. Maya soon took notice of her and promoted her as her assistant/art manager and well… the rest is history—you came along, blah, blah, blah,"

"And in that meantime, she…" Usagi waved her hand, "dismissed you,"

"Yes." Mika closed the faucet and took a paper towel, "That was the moment I realized that the girl I once knew was lost, it didn't bother me that she "took" and claimed my own achievements as hers. I was hurt because I trusted her, we were friends. The betrayal… that is what hurts you; the rest…" she waved her hand and threw the paper into the trash can "The rest can be fixed very easily."

"I'm sorry,"

Mika shrugged her shoulders "I eventually got over it. Honestly, I don't take too personal what those two say to me and you should do the same."

"I know, but… I just love my job so much…"

"I love my job too but sometimes you just have to give them what they want and everything will work out fine." Mika walked towards Usagi and patted her shoulder, "Honey, you cannot change the world and do your own thing, unless you own it—metaphorically speaking." Usagi widened her eyes with surprise. _'_ _own the world, change the world.'_ that is something she constantly heard while actually _'_ _saving the world._ ' Every enemy was after the same ideal, get power and control. A part of her wondered if they were entirely wrong in their beliefs, not the death and decay but their strong will to follow their wishes to make something true out of an ideal. Was that something she needed to do in order to do what she thought it was right or better for that matter? Thinking about what Minako said earlier that day, it was like all was connected and strangely, it made sense.

She thought about her friends as she walked out of the restroom with Mika. Her friends were another example, they did things to make the world a better place in their own way. But they all had obstacles, whether were jerks, uncomfortable situations or stress they all dealt with it and carried on. Then, she thought about Minako who despite the current crashing against her many times she still continued to follow her dreams by going to auditions and keep pressuring the t.v. station to grant her some time on air. The more time she spent with Mika, the more she reminded her of Minako, her longtime best friend.

O—o—o—o—O

* * *

Ami looked at the clock in the nurses station and tapped her pen several times against the flat surface of her binder. She was anxiously waiting for the time for her to leave the hospital so she can meet the girls and continue with their conversation. After that night, things has gained a new perspective for the bluenette. It was a calling, coming through her, suddenly, being just plain Ami was not enough for her. Not anymore.

While she waited silently she wondered if Minako had the chance to speak to Usagi and if Usagi already spoke or mention something to Mamoru. She wondered if he knew something or if he found something on his own, before all of them or even something they still have not. Then her thoughts went straight to the girl, Megumi. If they met, were they taking the advantage of the situation and actually win the battle before it even started?

"Mizuno-san." A familiar voice caught up with her thoughts; Ami turned to find a smiling Mamoru checking some papers at the station and apparently, he had been calling her several times "You sure were away with your thoughts, something troubling your mind?" Ami smiled and shook her head "No, I am just a little tired—I couldn't sleep well last night."

"Ah, I see." Mamoru looked down and wrote something on one of the papers in the binders. "Any plans for today, Mamoru-san?" The honorific made Mamoru chuckle and raised his brow "Mamoru- _san_? Where did the reliance go?" He peered at her and frowned slightly, "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Ami smiled and shrugged her shoulders "I just thought you preferred to be called in a more formal manner since we are working together and you want to keep it professional and—"

"Is that guy, isn't he?" Mamoru's frown deepened and crossed his arms, as he leaned on the station. Both were alone at the moment which made her behavior even more strange "Did something happen with him? I haven't seen him around..." Ami sighed and blew her bangs softly, "He—" she huffed, "He thinks there is something between us or that I have a crush on you or something—he finds it hard to believe that we are close friends. He didn't even let me clarify that you are engaged to my best friend." Mamoru widened his eyes and turned to keep reading the paper on his hand "Ah... damn, I'm sorry Ami,"

"Yeah, well..." Ami sighed and shrugged her shoulders, "It's your fault anyways..."

" _My_ fault?" he turned, shocked. "Why, yes." Ami pointed at him "You and Motoki told me to date the guy and when I finally made a move, _this_ happens,"

"Yes, Ami, we did but we also told you to clear things out with the guy and not play mystery," Mamoru sighed softly and closed the binder, "I told you it would complicate things."

"It doesn't matter," Ami gave her friend a sad smile "If he does not trust me, there is nothing much I can do."

Mamoru left the binder aside "That _is_ true." He pinched her cheek softly, "Good you have that in mind, also in our defense, you being friends with us is very obvious—he's just jealous." he checked his card to finally end his shift, startling Ami "You leaving? What time is it?" she turned, her eyes widened and looked at the clock on the wall again "You are leaving a little early today..."

"Not really—I got here a few hours early."

"Any plans for tonight?" Ami dared to ask again, wondering if he already knew something about Megumi and the apparent enemy or, if he was meeting this Chieko person in secret. His face looked calm and didn't show any signs of concern, maybe he didn't, she thought to herself. "No, not really." Mamoru smiled at Ami as they both walked towards the elevator, he pushed the button and waited for the doors to open, in the distance both heard Motoki asking desperately for his friend, Mamoru turned and frowned "Motoki?"

The blonde caught up with his friend and Ami, "Mamoru... it's Furikawa-san." Mamoru's eyes widened. The serious tone in Motoki's voice let him know things were not alright, "Who is there with him right now?"

"His wife." Motoki said and followed Mamoru towards the patient's room with Ami walking behind in silence. Mamoru found the old man with a severe shock from the pain and it was losing consciousness. "He's having a tachycardia." he took his stethoscope and moved to the side of the bed with the monitor and turned to his wife "How long has he been acting like this?"

"He suddenly started to have convulsions but he said he was in too much pain."

"You did not report this symptoms to any of the nurses? Why nobody called me?!" he asked to one of the nurses with a frustrated tone "We were just informed of his critical situation Dr. Chiba," Mamoru frowned and turned to Ami who was preparing a shot to tranquilize him, "I am giving the patient 5 ml of Fentanyl—" he nodded and turned to the nurse standing next to him "Get me his medication history. It's urgent." The nurse fled the room, letting Motoki join his friend, "He's been having severe pain for over an hour now,"

"Yes, but nobody informed me. I was here this morning, what happened?!" he grabbed the patient's file from the nurse who just walked in and started studying his status "Everything has been given as prescribed, unless..." He turned and put his hand on the man's shoulder as in trying to listen to his heartbeat with the stethoscope again. In a fraction of a second he sensed the problem and turned to the man's wife, "Furikawa-san, according to the previous consultation, you said he was not allergic to any medication." he took the stethoscope off his ears and gave it to the nurse next to him.

"Not that I was aware of... he does not say much. He said he wasn't...I-Is he going to be alright?!" The poor woman asked, mortified for her husband. "He's been administered a medication that has a component that is giving him an allergic reaction, causing the pain and convulsions." he turned to Ami as a sign to allow her take his blood pressure again. "Is he allergic to peniciline?" Motoki asked, the woman shook her head and burrowed her face in her hands "I don't know anymore... I just want to know that he is going to be alright."

Mamoru looked at the monitor, his hand rested again on his chest "This is a serious matter, what else haven't you told us, Furikawa-san?" he muttered to himself as in hoping for an answer from the man himself. His warm hand collected all the information he needed from the man, things that wasn't mentioned before, like a film playing in front of his eyes, he could see in his mind where the problem was and what he needed to do to prevent from going worse. This is when he was thankful for his given and very secret power as he slowly shared his healing energy to tranquilize the man, "He's stabilizing but needs to go straight to surgery, we cannot wait until tomorrow." Ami turned to Mamoru and nodded, "I will go notify that we need an operating table with urgency."

Mamoru nodded, his eyes fixed on the woman "I gave him a strong tranquilizer, it should keep him pain free for a couple of hours and it will counteract the reaction to the precious medication. As soon as his heart rate and pressure stabilize, he needs to go into surgery."

"Is he going to be alright Dr. Chiba?" she turned to Motoki "Dr. Furuhata?"

"The situation complicated because of this reaction, what he has, Furikawa-san, is serious. There are many things we weren't informed by your husband and now it's causing repercussions." Motoki said in a serious tone. "Once he stabilizes we are in the clear to operate him." Mamoru made a few annotations on the patient's chart, "The reaction caused his arteries to close making it difficult for his heart to pump the blood appropriately. What this medication will do, besides of counteracting the effects of the reaction is that it is going to minimize the pain close to none, regulate his pressure and tranquilize him. That will help his heart to pump correctly. If one of us had come here a minute later, the situation would have gone from bad, to worse, with fatal results."

The poor woman's tears stirred Mamoru's heart, he understood perfectly well the feeling of being powerless before a critical situation, while the one he cared and loved was risking her life. He remembered the many times he cursed himself under his breath for not being able to do more, despite his position. It was always like he was limited to do something—restrained. Pieces of his life were still missing, many questions unanswered, but still, with all those disabilities he gave everything he had. "I will do everything in my power, to keep your husband safe." His warm hand rested on the woman's shoulder, giving her a sense of tranquility, "I will give everything that I have to save his life. Just, please—be strong, because this is a tough battle but he is in good hands. Dr. Furuhata is a great doctor, also is Dr. Mizuno."

The woman sniffed her tears, and looked at the young doctor with hopeful eyes, she nodded and followed one of the nurses to the cafeteria "Please make sure she eats something." Mamoru whispered to the nurse. The young girl nodded as she closed the door. He turned to Motoki, then Ami "I need to make a call, I will be right back." As soon as he walked out of the room, Mamoru took out his phone from his slacks' pocket and dialed Usagi's number while is deep blue eyes kept staring at the clock on the wall, waiting for her to answer "Hi Mamo-chan... I am almost done here,"

"Usa..." His usual warm voice was shadowed by the seriousness of the situation. At the other end, Usagi froze and widened her eyes with mortification "Mamo-chan... are you okay?"

 _"I won't be able to make it Buns, I'm sorry..."_

"What's wrong?" Usagi frowned, Yuki and Mika immediately took notice of the sudden change in her voice. She heard Mamoru sigh at the other end and waited a minute before answering _"Things got complicated with a patient at the hospital, I was already leaving when I was alerted to the situation. I need to stay and assist one emergency surgery."_

Usagi pouted her lips, her heart sunk in her chest. She knew how much affected Mamoru when a patient was in a critical condition. She has been there with him in his brightest moments, but also on his worst and darkest moments when he lost patients due to terminal diseases; she has been there and witnessed how much he loves his job, and how important it is for him. "Is he going to be okay?" she asked, her voice slightly breaking.

 _"We believe so if we act now. I am so sorry Usako..."_

"No, no—it's okay... I will see you at home, alright? Please let me know what happens."

 _"I will...thank you for being so understanding—I love you Buns,"_

Usagi blushed softly and nodded at the other end of the line, her lips curved into a smile as well "I love _you_." and hung up. She looked up at both women staring back at her, Mika with a more mortified expression, "Everything okay?"

Usagi smiled and nodded "Yeah, um..." she put her phone down, "My boyfriend was supposed to pick me up but something came up at his job and he won't be able to make it."

"Aw... too bad." Yuki said with slight sarcasm, "You know what happens when men start to say that 'something came up' at work..." Mika frowned and turned to look at her "Really?"

Usagi blinked, quite confused "What?" Yuki chuckled and pointed her pencil at her, "Please, don't tell me you don't know." Usagi shook her head, "I really don't." Yuki sighed and leaned back on her chair "You are so, _so_ innocent."

"Yuki, don't." Mika pleaded and rubbed the bridge of her nose, already knowing this was not going to end well. Yuki frowned at Mika, ignoring her warning then turned to Usagi, "Men are natural cheaters dear. It's what they do—it's is in their genes... they're meant to cheat."

"Yes, you are the one to say..." Mika muttered. Yuki snarled at her co-worker and turned again to face Usagi who was still trying to understand Yuki's point. "But..." she shook her head "Not all men do that."

"Of course they do." Yuki stood up and walked towards Usagi's desk, she leaned forward with her predator eyes looked straight into her clear blue ones, "Don't tell me you blindly trust this boyfriend of yours?" she looked down at the phone on the desk, the screen was still lit, showing the picture she had of them set as a wallpaper and picked Usagi's phone to look at the picture closely "With a man like this... dear heavens,"

"What?" Usagi frowned, slightly annoyed by her choice of words. Yuki mentally savoured Mamoru's handsome face and then looked at the sweet innocent looking Usagi, "Don't tell me _this_ is your boyfriend and that he does _not_ cheat!" Yuki said, still stunned "No man with these looks can be so faithful to just one woman—a man like this knows exactly what he has and what he can get from it."

"Mamo-chan would never do something like that." Usagi's tone changed from her usual sweetness to a more defiant one, giving Mika the cue to intercept for her friend, "Leave her alone, Yuki."

"How did you even manage to—" Yuki trailed off, while still looking at the picture "Oh my god..." she chuckled "What did you do to score someone like him!?"

Usagi's frown deepened, "What did _I_ do? Are you implying that I am not allowed to have a boyfriend? What do you even mean by saying _like_ _him_?" Yuki looked at the blonde and shook her head, realizing what she has done, "Oh, no, no—don't get me wrong..."

"Are you saying that he is too _good_ for _me_? You don't even know me! Why should you even speak for him?"

"I am just saying... men, are not that loyal."

"Just because you do not have a loyal man by your side, does not mean all of them are dirtbags—stick to your own experience and leave the rest of humanity be—for once." Mika interrupted Yuki making her turn with a defying stare "Yes, _you_ should know."

Mika narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "I am just telling you, you never know and you can never tell..." Yuki pulled herself away from Usagi's desk and walked towards the door, "I am just saying that you need to be more alert and a little less innocent honey, before he leaves you jilted," and with that, she left the room. Mika sighed and turned to a stone serious Usagi, still staring at the empty doorway "Usagi..." she tried to pull her from her already troubled thoughts, but there was no response from the silver blonde, the damage was done—it was too late. The girl stood up and walked towards her co-worker's desk and looked down at her, "Do not listen to her, she has nothing but poisonous comments to say."

Usagi finally turned to see Mika and frowned "I am sick of this..."

"What?"

The blonde shook her head and stood up, "Always telling me what I can and cannot have, what I do and do not deserve; what I can do and cannot do!" her trembling hands began to gather her things and threw her phone and other belongings inside her purse and close it angrily and looked at Mika with red, teary eyes. One could tell she was angry, frustrated and most of all, hurt. Usagi's words held more meaning than just plain anger, it was more than a simple reaction from a comment, from a person like Yuki. It was, indeed, Yuki's personality what made her snap out of her usual chirpy and bubbly mood because she has heard it before, a long, long, time ago. It was as if her life with Mamoru was doomed to be rejected by everyone at any time and it infuriated her because deep down, she wished she could be like him and just ignore any negative comments coming his way. "I will see you tomorrow." she ignored Mika's concerned face and walked out the door and towards the elevator without realizing Yuki was waiting for it as well.

"Tsukino-san, the designs for the campaign... I need them on my desk in an hour. Maya is leaving early today and she wants to take a good look at them before approving your work." The stylish woman noticed Usagi was carrying her purse and frowned, "Wait, where are you going? You need to inform me with previous time before leaving early!"

Usagi did not even take the time to look at her and walked inside the elevator without saying a word to her "Tsukino-san!" Yuki exclaimed, "Did you even hear what I just said?!"

Usagi put her hand on the elevator door to stop it from closing in an abrupt manner and gave the woman a dead glare "I sure damn heard you but you know what? Your desk is just three feet away from mine and the designs are already printed and stacked inside the binder for the presentation. I am sure you can easily go there, grab it and take it yourself to Maya so you can keep looking good yourself without giving any fair credit to anyone for our work and to answer your second question, I am leaving for the day. _There_. You have been informed."

The comment itself surprised Yuki since it was something she would never expect from Usagi who was always calm and kind to others. She was aware of how she treated others, but she always saw Usagi as a pushover, one who would always give a good face no matter how horrible she would be towards her, this was unusual from her. Little did she know what was going through the blonde's mind.

"Okay. Buh-bye." Usagi gave the woman a sarcastic chuckle and moved her hand away so the elevator doors could close in a single, sharp movement.

Once Usagi exited the elevator and freed herself from the torture of being around Yuki and Maya, she did not feel like going home. She did not feel like doing anything and then, she remembered. She looked down at her watch and went straight to grab a cab, she did not even feel in the mood to walk to take the subway or the trolley; she needed to get away fast.

As she entered the cab and gave the address she knew by heart, Usagi could not help to feel anxious and somehow hopeless. While looking at the lights from the streets, the cars, the buildings and people walking she wondered just how much she would have to sacrifice this time to keep this planet safe if the warning Minako mentioned was serious, just how serious it was and how this battle would start? Her anger began to resurface and started to question herself how much did she have to wait to live her happily, ever after? Why at this time? Why her? Why them? Why now?

She was angry and was not sure to whom or to what. The enemy? —Perhaps, but these are the kind of things she signed on the moment she decided to become a Senshi. She did not want to be a Princess in distress anymore, without anyone making decisions for her, she decided that the moment she wanted to be with Endymion, as Serenity.

The cab finally stopped right in front of her destination and the driver turned to look at a very distressed and nervous young woman "Lady? We're here." Usagi turned slowly to the driver and swallowed, her throat felt dry and could not even mumble an answer for the man. She looked down at her purse and handed him the money for the ride and stepped out of the car. In silence, she heard the cab drive away and stayed outside the drive way for a minute, thinking of what she would find inside.

A girl looked out the window and widened her eyes "It's her." she said softly, catching the attention of the rest waiting inside the living room. Haruka went quickly to open the door and waited for the blonde to walk those ten steps she needed to take, to get inside. She felt she was walking in a timeless hallway, hesitant and she had to admit it, very afraid.

* * *

 _Liked it? Leave me a review and keep the good vibes!_

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	18. Chapter 18

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Eighteen

 _A/N Thank you for your reviews: TropicalRemix, Alitre, kera69love, SerenityMorrison, Guest and Guardians 314 (I wish I could reply to your message, sadly you are logged in as guest and I can't reach you-thank you for such lovely words) your thoughts mean a lot, your good wishes the world. Thank you for your wonderful words and support. Thank you for giving me a chance._

 _I had a little incident that made me postpone the story-let's hope this can go well so I can continue writing. Also, the system was giving me a hard time uploading the chapter, no matter how much I tried it just marked me an error. Sorry for the delay-I hope you enjoy._

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Haruka went quickly to open the door and waited for the silver blonde to walk those ten steps she needed to take to get inside. With a genuine smile, she wrapped her arms around the petite woman and sighed heavily, "It's so good to see you."

Usagi closed her eyes and responded to the hug with a faint smile and patted her hands on Haruka's back while nodding and still without being able to say a word. Haruka noticed there was something strange about the usually happy and chirpy blonde, and pulled away with a face of concern, "Are you alright?"

Usagi looked up and nodded again but her silence gave an answer to the question that was still lingering in the air. No, she was not alright Haruka understood, but she was there and alone. Much to her surprise, "Where—"

"Working," Usagi interrupted and exhaled, realizing her blunt reaction she decided to take another approach, after all, her terrible and bittersweet day wasn't Haruka's fault. "He..." she trailed off and reconsidered her answer, looking down at her feet with embarrassment "He had an emergency with a patient... I don't know if he will be able to come."

Haruka pressed her lips together in a tight line for a moment, thinking of what could have happened to have Usagi in her current state. Did she have an argument with Mamoru? Did she really know what this was all about? Did something happen to her? Like a wizard, Usagi simply answered: "I just... had a bad day."

"Oh." The sandy blonde answered just to fill the silence between them, "Come in, we were just about to..." she was about to turn on her heel when she felt Usagi's delicate hand pulling her sleeve, stopping her. Haruka widened her blue eyes, surprised. "Is it bad?" Usagi simply asked, while still with her head low and unable to make any eye contact. Haruka immediately knew what she meant; she didn't know Usagi was informed about the situation so quickly, this only meant one thing:

"Minako chan told me this afternoon." finally, she looked up into Haruka's eyes and frowned, "Is it?"

Haruka sighed softly and kept a serious expression "I don't know... to what extent."

Usagi nodded as if she had surrendered to the situation and gave the blonde a soft smile, one completely different from minutes before. Her emotion was genuine and her eyes gleamed a little more like her usual self, "It's good to see you too."

Haruka wrapped her arm around her and walked her inside the house where Hotaru, Setsuna, and Michiru were waiting. Minako was standing there as soon as blonde crossed the door and gave her a soft smile "I'm glad you came,"

Usagi responded the smile with the same warmth and shook her head, "I tried... he will not be able to come."

Minako nodded and grabbed her friend's arm, "It's okay—we will find some other time,"

Hotaru was sitting on the sofa next to Megumi, who, was oblivious to the situation. The silent girl turned to see the young woman joining them in the room, followed by Haruka and accompanied by Minako. Once she greeted all of the girls present, Setsuna hugged Usagi and smiled; she always had a soft spot for her future Queen, maybe because she reminded her greatly to Small Lady or because she could truly see her magnificent change over the years from a cry baby to a regal Lady paying honor to her regal title.

"Usagi-sama," Setsuna stepped aside and turned to Megumi, "I want you to meet Megumi."

As soon as Megumi looked up her eyes widened in shock. A mixture of horror and wonder clouded her vision in the form of tears as she jumped from her seat, away from the blonde. Her lips parted as if she tried to speak but her words could not come out of her mouth, her throat went dry and without any warning, her eyes began to burn with the tears now pooling in her eyes.

Usagi frowned and looked at Setsuna with confusion, still not understanding what was happening and then at the girl going almost frantic in front of her, shaking her head in fright. Haruka walked towards her to try to calm her but Usagi pulled her shirt again to stop her and without saying anything else, kneeled in front of Megumi who was now curled up in a ball on the floor, taking over the situation, "It's okay..." she whispered and resting her hand on top of her head, "It's okay..." she said again in reassurance.

The soothing sound of her voice began to reach Megumi's heart slowly calming her sobbing, her panic started to disappear giving her enough courage to look up at the blonde, but with her tears still rolling down her cheeks without control, "I am not going to hurt you." Usagi whispered, "I am just another girl, just like them,"

"Vos sunt non sicut illos" Megumi shook her head, "Non simplex, sed non unum ... caeli benedicta tu."

Usagi tilted her head and frowned, "I... I can't understand,"

Megumi frowned and shook her head with newfound anger and pushed Usagi away with defiance, "The one blessed by the heavens, I saw her lifeless body on the marble floors... her once pristine white gown was tainted with warm blood—his blood." her frightened eyes turned angry, "This is an illusion, no," she turned to the girls and stood up. "This is all an illusion! She cannot be here! _She_ cannot be here!"

"Who can't?" Usagi asked and stood up to meet Megumi's eyes and pulled her arm to make the young maid look at her, "Answer me! Who can't?!" Megumi turned to face her, her eyes still showing rage towards her, "The Lunar Princess is dead!" she wept "I saw her dead!" she pulled away from Usagi's grasp with rage.

"Megumi..." Michiru tried to calm her but the girl resisted, "Remember what we talked about... remember what we told you..."

"What is this?! What kind of a sick joke is this!?" Megumi raised her quivering voice at Michiru who was still trying to make visual contact with her, "Megumi-san..." Michiru tried to calm her down but it was too late, the girl was already holding Usagi's shoulders and began shaking her with anguish and anger, "I do not believe this! I cannot accept this!"

"I do not accept this! I do not accept your existence!" Megumi's voice was heavy with emotion and distress. All of her fears and years in hiding turned pointless, her mission had failed. She was in pain and Usagi felt it deep in her heart. Without knowing or having any recollection from this girl, she could feel the rage igniting inside her fragile body and it was all towards her, for some reason. They tried to pull Megumi away from Usagi, afraid that she would go ballistic and do something to her but the Princess stopped them and responded to the girl's anger with silence instead as she came to realize why she was suffering and for whom.

"She cannot be alive because she would never..." Megumi tried to grab some air between her sobs as she looked into Usagi's clear blue eyes, "She would never..." she trailed off again and shook her head, "She would never leave..."

"I didn't," Usagi tightened her grip on Megumi's wrists, making the young maiden widen her eyes with raw surprise, Usagi shook her head, reassuring her answer—knowing exactly what she meant. "I didn't."

Megumi's mind could not still process it was the same woman from two thousand years ago, there, speaking to her. With trembling hands, she covered her swollen face as if that action was going to wake her up from this strange form of dreaming, the sentiment was too great for her to bear. Usagi let go and wrapped her arms around her without hesitation giving her an opportunity to let her cry her heart out until she felt some sort of relief.

Her actions and reactions, surprised the other girls because this was so rare to see from the Princess. She was obviously distressed and confused but she wanted answers and the only way she could get them was if the maiden in her arms calmed down. If there was something she learned from Mamoru was that by making tantrums nothing could ever be resolved—this was one of those moments where she mentally thanked and put his lessons to practice. Turning to Michiru she let out a soft sigh, "Can I please have a cup of tea?"

Michiru nodded and immediately poured freshly brewed tea into a porcelain cup and handed it to the blonde girl "Megumi, is it?" Usagi mumbled softly as she pulled Megumi with her to sit on the floor next to her, "Try to drink this tea—it will help you clear your mind," the suggestion made Megumi moved one hand away from her face and saw the steaming cup on the blonde's hand and pulled away from her and took the cup in silence. Her initial rampage hung heavy in the air but it was clearly impossible to ignore, things were said but still were not clear.

Despite having a rough idea of the situation and from what Minako told her earlier that day Usagi made her own conclusions and with a heavy sigh, she tried to cross the silent bridge between the girl and herself. She looked at the girl in front of her trying to think what to say next but strangely nothing could come out, no matter how many questions echoed in her mind. What could she say? She could not say she was sorry, she could not say she hoped she did not have to go through whatever she went through, she did not know what to do because she couldn't remember her.

"Your tea is getting cold," Michiru tried to break the heavy silence in the room but Megumi kept her head low and instead of taking a sip, she put the cup on the carpet, next to Usagi "I do not want any tea." her voice was a little hoarse from crying and yelling but it sounded less charged with anger, "I want to understand," she finally looked up at Usagi, "I want to know why."

Usagi frowned, "I don't understand—"

"I want to know why there were so much hatred and punishment?" Megumi said with a heavy heart, "Why did you have to die?"

"Because there was too much envy around us," Usagi simply answered, "I don't know why it was so complicated to live in peace but what I can answer you, what I _do_ know is that a life without love—was no life at all."

"And yet, here you are..." Megumi snarled with hurt and looked down despite knowing Usagi was looking at her, "Minako told me you were there..." Usagi took a deep breath trying to clear the anguish pulsing in her chest, as a heavy wave of silence fell between them again. Despite wanting answers, the brunette was reluctant to talk, her mind was still clouded with pain and anger, "Unlike us, Megumi was not reborn." Setsuna said softly, breaking the silence in the room, "Her memories are complete—like me, she has complete recollection of what happened in the past."

"You remember Beryl then," Usagi said, "The attack..." Megumi tried to contain her tears as she looked down at her trembling hands resting over her lap "I was looking for my Master when it all happened—when I came out of my hiding, everything was over."

"Your Master..." with astonishment, Usagi mumbled the words and turned to look for her purse with trembling hands, after a minute of looking through her things she finally found her sleek phone and searched for the person of her interest as she thought this girl was a missing piece of their past—his past. Usagi was aware that the moment the silver crystal appeared and her memories and true self-were returned, she remembered more than Mamoru ever did when he awoke as Endymion.

Soon after, the doorbell echoed followed by Rei, Ami, and Makoto entering the living room "Usagi-chan!" Ami looked surprised to see her on the floor, next to a very pale, very quiet Megumi.

"She knows..." Rei turned to Minako, who nodded in response "We had lunch...well, sort of."

Rei frowned, "Sort of?" Minako nodded again and blew her bangs, "We just had the stomach and time for a cup of tea." Rei pursed her lips and turned to look at her friend on the floor, "How did she take it?" She muttered her question, keeping some privacy to their conversation. Minako pursed her lips "Better than we all expected to be honest, but still, it was a hard thing for her to process... she was already aware but there was no answer to her suspicions—until now."

"I see," Rei exhaled and saw Ami kneeling next to the distracted blonde still trying to establish a phone call at the other side of the room, "Usagi-chan," her hand softly patted the blonde's arm, startling her out of her thoughts "Ami-chan," Usagi turned and widened her eyes "I didn't notice you... I—"

"Are you okay?" The bluenette frowned with concern, diverting her gaze from the blonde to the other girl, "You know..." she muttered with slight heaviness in her always calm and soothing voice. Usagi nodded and tried to dial the number she knew by heart but her hand was shaking too much making the call an impossible task, Ami noticed, "The call will not go through."

"W-What?"

"A patient entered in an emergency state, the call will not go through."

The confirmation from Ami suddenly took Usagi's calm and peace of mind. Somehow, deep down, knowing that she couldn't reach her boyfriend over the phone shook her ground, making her hit reality. The recent events, the blackout, the light in the sky and the strange whispering in her ear, it all started to fall into place and not having Mamoru around to ease her mind was the cherry on top to her horrible day. "I just—I-I need to leave..." Usagi took a deep breath, trying her best to keep her anxiety at bay. Ami frowned, "Usagi?"

Usagi turned to Haruka, "Can I use your bathroom?" she tried her best to sound as cool and collected as possible but the anxious tone in her voice was betraying her. Haruka nodded and helped her stand on her feet, "Sure, down the hall, first door on the left."

Usagi nodded and walked out of the room without taking another glance at Megumi or any of the girls. At the sound of the door closing, Makoto bit her lower lip and turned the tall blonde, "We should go after her..."

"Let's give her a moment." Haruka shook her head and crossed her arms, "She is in shock... it's understandable, the information just sunk in," With a nod, Rei sighed and sat on the couch next to Hotaru, "I think we all are." she turned to Ami, "Do you know if..." Ami shook her head, knowing what the priestess meant, "I don't think so."

"She is aware that something is going on," All eyes were now on Minako who was still standing by the door, "She says she heard something at the time the blackout happened." The blonde's words made Megumi turn in the direction where Usagi had left, silently surprised to know she was not the only one hearing that strange voice.

Michiru sighed softly "It's strange that we can remember some things Usagi-chan cannot."

"Such as?" Haruka arched her brow and turned to her lover with an arched brow, Michiru bit her lower lip, "Well, for example, the man we saw,"

Megumi frowned and closed her eyes, "She does not remember..." shaking her head she tried to keep her emotional heart in check, wanting nothing more but to not start crying again. "She chose to forget then," her eyes opened when she felt Ami's hand on her shoulder and saw her shake her head, "It takes some time, she is surprised and she has a lot on her mind right now," Ami turned to the hall and breathed, "Let's just give her time."

Inside the bathroom, Usagi leaned on the sink and tried to calm her anxiety attack by taking deep breaths but she felt her head could explode any minute now with so much, but yet incomplete information. So many emotions, so many surprises, she looked up to look at herself in the mirror, "This girl..." she mumbled vaguely, still wrapped up in her own emotional turmoil as she put her memory to the test and began to visualize some images from her past, "I know I have seen this girl..." she frowned and closed her eyes, "My Master—she said," A faint image of her smiling suddenly came to her mind, making Usagi open her eyes. She tried to remember more but it was like if her mind was blocked, asleep or numb making it impossible to connect the dots.

A soft knock startled the blonde inside the bathroom and turned to open the door showing a concerned Minako outside "Hey... are you okay?"

A less anxious Usagi leaned on the door frame and nodded, crossing her arms she looked down in thought for a minute. "Why I can't remember?" she shook her head, confused and looked at her blonde friend "How... Why? I have a vague remembrance of seeing her smile, smiling at me but..."

"We tried to talk to her, what we know is that she was a maid in the Terran Palace—she was a witness of your meetings with the Prince."

"Her Master..." Usagi mumbled, " _He's_ her Master—but how?" she tried to find an explanation of being there after all this time, "Who brought her here?"

Minako imitated her friend and crossed her arms as well, "She has been wandering for years, hiding and running away, from who? We are still not sure. This is why I was telling you that it is important for her to see Mamoru. She thinks he's dead and she has been mourning his passing for more than a millennium."

"She's angry at me." Usagi shook her head, "She can't stand it—to see me here,"

"She doesn't know better... she—" Minako looked behind her shoulder to make sure nobody was there eavesdropping on their conversation then turned back to look at her friend, "She has no clue of what has happened. Michiru-san explained to her what happened but in a very vague scale. She knows we were granted a second chance to live thanks to Queen Serenity, but that is pretty much it."

"But—"

"Look," Minako raised her hand, motioning Usagi to stop "She doesn't know Prince Endymion is alive too. We haven't told her because we don't want her to run away in the hopes of finding him and then, get trapped by the enemy. She has told us some things but they are still not clear, she is still keeping secrets but it's very clear that she has been faithful to whatever he asked her to do before you know—he died."

"Hey," Makoto's warm voice interrupted their conversation as she joined them with Rei standing behind, "I was getting worried, you left a while ago and haven't come back, are you okay?" Makoto asked with concern for her friend; her face showed exhaustion, it was clear she had a difficult day at the restaurant. Things have been strange lately, she gets praised for her work but the sous chefs are not taking it very well and Haruto still puts her future in jeopardy. It was not much needed to be explained to tell Makoto had been living rough times but if she wanted to open her own place and have the liberty to do her own thing she had to hold on a little while longer.

"Yes, everything's fine. I was telling Usagi-chan what the girl has told us," Minako rubbed the bridge of her nose tiredly, Rei crossed her arms and looked at Usagi "We have been trying to figure it out ourselves but—"

"Still, you should have told me Rei." Usagi interrupted bluntly, she sighed and put a hand on her forehead. Her skin was cold from the water when she washed her hands and somehow it helped diminish her growing headache, "I'm also a Senshi, I know there is something strange about all this... and the night of the blackout."

"We hoped we could do something without you learning about this, because of the wedding..." Makoto paused, not sure if she had made a mistake in mentioning it and didn't know if she should continue because she was aware of how this conversation would end if not being careful. Minako put a hand on Makoto's shoulder as a comforting gesture and patted it softly.

Usagi hung her head low, that was something else in her mind, "The wedding..." she murmured, mentally cursing the perfect timing, it was as if the heavens still wanted to play jokes on them and pulling them apart. She chuckled but it was soon after accompanied by soft sniffing and awkward silence, making the scene bittersweet, "I need to go," she walked by without looking at the girls staring at her, "Usagi," Rei called out to her without getting a response from the blonde as she walked away.

Usagi walked back into the living room without saying a word and ignoring the glances coming from Haruka and company, including Megumi's and went to grab her purse before storming out of the house without saying a single word. Haruka is the most surprised by her actions went right after her while Michiru poured more tea into her cup and sighed heavily with sadness. "Bad timing," she muttered to Hotaru, who was looking at her with sad eyes. Megumi turned to the window where she could see Usagi talking to the tall blonde and noticed she was crying, her nose was red and her lips were trembling and swollen. She could not help to feel the guilt taking over her for blaming the blonde Princess for her tormented life. Minako, Rei, and Makoto all walked back into the living room to join the others, "What happened?" Ami asked to the blonde still with disbelief for what just happened. Minako sighed, "She is..." she looked at her and pursed her lips, "We need to give her some time,"

Ami frowned and looked out the window, "I have never seen Usagi this upset before—this is so unusual for her."

"Can you blame her?" Makoto sighed and sat on the couch, "She is about to get ma—" Rei and Minako both widened their eyes in shock, covered the brunette's mouth and dragged her out of the living room, hoping Megumi would not listen. "What the hell Mako-chan? Minako exclaimed with exasperation.

"Sorry, sorry... sorry!" Makoto shook her head and held her hands up apologetically, "I have not been myself lately..."

"What's going on?" Rei asked with her brows knitted in thought, showing her concern for her always centered friend "You look extremely tired."

"I am," Makoto rub the back of her neck, "This is tearing me down—driving me insane."

"How are things at the restaurant?" Minako asked, "Are they still giving you a hard time?"

"Yeah, all of them." Makoto sat on a chair at the foyer, resting her hands on her face she breathed a couple of times, trying to make her growing anxiety go away, after taking a few more breaths she looked up and leaned her head on the back of the chair "Haruto-san acts like nothing happened and Suzuki-san is the same as always... nothing has changed with her."

"And this guy you liked?" Minako asked, patting her friend's back in support. Makoto sighed "Masao-san doesn't speak to me unless is related to work—figures, if he thinks I am sleeping around with Haruto. I thought all the high school drama would end once I got out of high school," she shook her head and stood up, "Look, I can't keep waiting for him to realize I am not sleeping with Haruto-san so the best thing I can do is to try and ignore the situation and focus on cooking—if I ever want to open my own place, which I do." Makoto shrugged her shoulders "At least, I am getting recognition from my work and that is what counts and also, we have this _situation_ to take care of,"

"Hey, if they give you a hard time it's because they are threatened by your talent. You know more things than the ones with culinary school's degrees do so, stand tall and be proud." Rei said in with determination, "Now, about this..." she sighed, "Situation..."

"We have to give Usagi-chan some time to process all this," Minako said bluntly "I understand her position. The timing is..."

"Inappropriate."

Rei, Minako and Makoto widened their eyes, surprised to realize they were no longer alone. Hotaru stood by the door with her deep violet eyes, so full of knowledge and determination staring back at them. Her expression was one of a true Goddess of silence, despite her age and appearance in this modern era. "Princess Serenity will have to realize that our journey towards peace is still ahead of us. It hasn't been done, this girl is proof of it. There is more to this and the answers now lie with the Prince."

"Mamoru..." Rei said, pressing her lips together in deep thought she frowned and dismissed the idea of Mamoru ever doing something that could jeopardize the safety of their Princess, "What can he know that none of us does? Why would he keep secrets from Usagi?"

Hotaru raised one brow, "Things are moving and I feel something very powerful is approaching us."

Rei stayed silent, she just like Hotaru, has been feeling a wave of energy very different from what she ever witnessed before. The feeling of dread was upon them, like a curse and was slowly coming for them like a heavy blanket of hatred and malice; the shadow she saw in the fire was slowly coming and the worst part was that she was no longer sure if they would be able to fight it.

Uncertainty was one dreadful enemy to add to their list.

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O—o—o—o—O

Usagi entered her home, tired and confused. The day she had could not compare to anything she could think of at the moment. Maybe in her junior high days, things could get this complicated and maybe not even then, because she would always find a way to sneak at night to fight evil while not getting married in the process. As she walked down the hallway, she noticed nobody seemed to home giving her a perfect excuse to go and lock herself in her room from the rest of the world for the rest of the day. Once she finally got to her room, she threw her heels to the corner and turned the switch light, surprising Luna in the process.

"Luna," Usagi said in a surprised tone as well to see the feline there, "I was not expecting to see you here at this hour." The black cat looked at Usagi walking towards the bed without saying another word and as her companion and advisor, she immediately knew something was odd with her. "You got home a little early today, I thought you would be out with the girls, or Mamoru-san."

"I got out of work early," The blonde mumbled "I just saw the girls and Mamo-chan had an emergency at the hospital so I guess I won't be seeing him today," sitting in her bed, Usagi sighed and looked at Luna with a tired expression, "Where is Artemis?" Her question had all the intentions to divert the conversation she hardly wanted to continue with her mentor and friend.

"He is out,"

"Without you? That's odd," Usagi leaned back on the bed and closed her eyes "He never wants to leave your side—not ever."

"Well... he," the cat hesitated to continue, wondering if she should say something before Minako explained what was happening. Usually, she would give the news to Usagi since she is her guardian, but the girls taking the lead into action and trying to manage the situation was something Artemis asked her to understand and to support. She did not want to go further into explanation but it seemed like her plans were about to collapse right in front of her and that she would not be able to keep it together now that she ignored the blonde had seen the girls and is aware of the situation. "He said he wanted to look around—for something." She heard Usagi sigh and roll on her side to face her, but still avoiding eye contact with her, "He is out looking for more clues, isn't he?"

Luna widened her eyes realizing the blonde had caught her in her lies, "I knew it," Usagi said before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. The cat jumped from the chair in front of the vanity and into the bed, sitting closer to Usagi "What is it that you know?"

The blonde slouched back on the bed and rested a hand on her forehead, casually. Another heavy sigh accompanied her distressed emotions, this time, worrying Luna in the process. "Usagi-chan?"

"I know Luna, I know what you are all doing."

"I do not understand."

Usagi opened her eyes but kept looking at the ceiling, "Strange things are happening and I know you are aware,"

Luna looked down at her paws sinking in the blush pink fluffy comforter and remained silent. So, she knew—she thought. Now how would she explain their reasons to be silent during this whole ordeal?

"I just saw everyone at Haruka-san's house," One could tell the heavy weight, the strain and the annoyance all combined in Usagi's voice. "Minako-chan and I had lunch today, she explained to me what was going on—the visions, the strange events happening—the girl."

"You met her?" Luna asked, surprised.

"Haruka-san, Setsuna-san, Michiru-san and Hotaru-chan are looking after her."

"Usagi-chan..." A long pause or what appeared to be a long pause followed Luna's attempt to sympathize with Usagi. "Why didn't you tell me Luna?" Usagi moved her hand away from her face and finally looked at the cat, "I could expect it from the girls but not from you, you never keep anything from me. You always put my duties as Senshi anything else, to you I am not just a Princess everyone needs to protect."

Luna felt guilty, her burgundy eyes didn't dare to meet her Princess' pale blue ones but she was right, she knew Usagi was right, she did put her duties as Senshi before her title as Princess and now, she was in the same boat as the others, she knew she couldn't defend herself but the least thing she could do was to explain why, "Artemis suggested it was best if we dig a little deeper into this situation before telling you and Mamoru."

Usagi let out a soft, sarcastic chuckle "Well," she paused for a second, "I don't think he is unaware of the situation."

"What do you mean?" Luna asked confused, as far as she knew nobody had spoken to either of them, until now that the girls explained things to Usagi. "He knows—I am sure," Usagi answered bluntly. "Mamo-chan might even know more than we all do but knowing him, he is keeping it a secret too. Just like you have been doing this whole time..."

"But then, how do you know Usagi-chan?"

Usagi sighed and sat on the bed, her legs resting buddha style "Oh come on Luna, do you honestly think he is clueless of whatever is happening? He is the Guardian of this planet, of course he knows something—" Annoyance was written all over her face, it was obvious this was something that was truly bothering Usagi and Luna wondered why since she has always been a person who is always willing to help, to participate and to make a difference in anyone's life. She always carries a positive, contagious vibe that would light up even the darkest of spirits. This was something that ran deeper in her heart, it was something that affected her directly, and somehow was not accepting it. She was not accepting it.

"Mamo-chan has been acting strange lately," Usagi calmed down, her voice sounded more serene and almost, melancholic, "He is too distracted, vacant, like if his mind is occupied with something else. He says he is there, he says nothing is wrong and he tries to act like it but I know him too well. I know he is hiding something from me and I confirmed it the night of the black out."

"Did he say something?" Luna was now interested, now considering that the person they should have gone first was the Prince instead of the Princess despite the consequences that would eventually bring. Usagi shook her head, "Like I said, he pretends nothing is wrong but to his disgrace, I know him too well—adding on to the fact that he is a terrible liar." she frowned "Like if I ever am going to believe that he was being _ditzy_ when he cut his hand the other day."

"So, what are you going to do now that you know?"

"Well I suppose I am going to talk to him, Minako asked me to bring him today to the meeting so he could meet this— _girl_."

"Well, this is new," Luna widened her eyes "I was aware of the girl's existence because Minako rescued her first and stayed at her apartment for a night, but then she ran away and the rest happened. I did not know she was related to you."

"She is not related to me." Usagi looked at Luna, "Apparently, she is related to Mamo-chan."

"Oh?"

"That is not the point." Usagi growled frustrated and got off the bed, her hands scratched the back of her neck with evident frustration, "I don't know why it bothers me so much Luna. It bothers me that this situation bothers me—if that makes any sense. I feel like everything we built him and I, since our last battle is collapsing. Our plans for a life together, the wedding—everything."

"But we are not even sure if this girl is an enemy." Luna tried her best to comfort Usagi, it hurt her to see her struggling with dark emotions like these. She knew the consequences to their silence would be something like this or even worse, but still, lying was lying and she let her Princess down. The platinum blonde turned to look over her shoulder at Luna, "No, but she is being pursued. She has been running away for years and years and years, trying to fulfill a promise that apparently, she made to Endymion."

"So she has finally spoken," Luna muttered, "A promise? And what is that promise?"

Usgai shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. She won't tell. She hasn't said much." she sighed heavily, "She thinks Endymion is dead. She thinks I was granted a second life because of me being related to the Gods and that I abandoned him—she doesn't know he is alive too." the blonde bit her lip, "I saw her anger, I saw her pain. She didn't need to curse me with words to make me feel all the deception and rage she was holding in her heart—she's angry at me, you should have seen her Luna—pushing me away with so much resentment."

"Why didn't you tell her Prince Endymion is alive?"

"The girls are right, if she knows Mamo-chan is alive she would escape again and would get caught by the enemy if, there is an enemy we should be careful for. This is all messed up!" The blonde sat on the edge of her bed, both hands holding her head "Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna and Hotaru chan fought strange beings, and rescued her."

"What else did they tell you?"

"I don't know." Usagi sniffed, her eyes were now burning with tears "I left the house. I didn't want to hear anything else."

"Usagi-chan..."

"I know I am wrong," Usagi sniffed again, this time her tears began rolling down her cheeks more freely, "I know I shouldn't act this way. I know I should help but..." she paused and looked down before turning to Luna "I really wanted my happy ending with my Prince, I was looking towards our life together, a normal life. A life without laws and social class meddling in." Usagi could not hold it any longer, her emotions slowly began to break the hard shell that was covering her own anxiety and anger, revealing a very vulnerable woman, longing for normality. "We've been dealing with this for centuries, we've been fighting for our freedom over more than a millennium, it's always because of me, because of my heritage—because of the crystal, everyone wants the crystal, everyone wants to see me destroyed and he, well, he has to go after me, saving me or giving me his strength so we can overcome another battle, getting hurt in the process."

And just like that, Usagi exposed her true feelings. Those feelings she did not even could explain, her anger and frustration were now justified. It was not because she did not want to help, it was because it was her time to be happy. It was her time to be herself first. She had started to become her own priority, to plan her wedding, to plan her life with the man she loves and now when she finally could grasp it, this mysterious girl appears and taints her dreams with fear and overwhelming pain.

Luna moved closer to Usagi and nudged her arm with her warm nose, purring in between, trying to comfort her. The feline now understood how selfish they were all being by trying to solve a situation without taking notice that the person they are trying to protect, is the one they are hurting the most. "Usagi-chan, listen to me..." Luna broke the silence "You need to—"

"I know," Usagi responded between sniffs, "I need to do the right thing."

"You are not being selfish if that is what you think," Luna looked at the blonde, catching her attention. Usagi looked surprised at the feline-like if she had just solve a murder mystery "L-Luna..."

"It is very normal to feel this way. To feel this tired. I can imagine you also feel somewhat disappointed for not being able to maintain peace but this is not your fault and neither it's the girl's—we were somehow warned that we would always be fighting for the sake of this planet and the galaxy and now, this girl needs our help."

Usagi nodded softly with more acceptance towards the situation. She did feel guilty, and a bad person for being hesitant to do something but to hear those understanding words from Luna was the emotional lift she needed. All she wanted was to be understood and she was glad to have Luna on her side. "I know," she looked at her black cat "Thank you, Luna."

Luna smiled, her paw softly rested on Usagi's forearm in support "Now then, what comes next?"

Usagi considered many variations of a solution at this point, but some were not going to be accepted by the girls. But if this was meant to be a war, at least they had to be prepared. Starting for her.

o—o—o

The next morning, Usagi woke up earlier than usual and got ready to go out with more determination than the day before; she decided to take a new leaf into her thoughts and do what deep down she knew was the right thing to do. After her emotional talk with Luna, she felt more liberated and with a clearer vision of the things she had to do, "Usagi-chan, you're up so early!" Luna greeted her as she entered the room from the balcony, Usagi turned from her vanity to the feline and smiled, it was like the storm had passed, "Good morning Luna."

Luna sat on the bed and looked at her, surprised and glad to see her Princess in a much better mood and with a better countenance "I assume you are going out." she said softly as she sat on the bed.

Usagi nodded while looking down at her phone, her fingers swiping across the screen. It always marveled the black cat how graciously Usagi moved her fingers to text or to surf through the contents of the sleek phone, "Yes, I have to go see the photographer for the wedding and some other things."

Luna smiled, it gave her joy to know the plans for her wedding continued despite of what happened the day before. "It's nice to see you in a better mood." Usagi gave the cat a warm, knowing smile and put her phone on the table "I kind of have to—don't I?" she shrugged her shoulders "I left things very murky with the girls after I stormed out yesterday from Haruka's. I did not call anybody, not even Mamo-chan, I have like five missed calls from him and that is a lot."

"He called here last night but you had fallen asleep. Your mother answered."

The blonde sighed and turned to look at her reflection in her vanity mirror, "I feel bad, I was mad at him for no reason and he doesn't even know, the same goes for the girls."

"Well, good thing you are in a better place from yesterday and you can make things right with them."

"That's right."

Luna watched Usagi go to her closet and grab a light ivory colored jacket to match her pale pink wide leg trousers and light ivory colored sweater, her hair to Luna's surprise was up in her long time wear style, up in two tousled buns on top of her head. Her makeup was clean and classy, a very thin cat eye and soft pink lips. "I don't know how good my actions will do but, I feel like it has to be done."

Luna frowned, puzzled "What is?"

"We need to know more about Megumi-san," she turned over her shoulder to look at Luna, as if she heard the question in the cat's mind "That is the girl's name." She gave her back again to try something else to cover the crisp and chilly morning breeze, a light short cape the blonde thought would do a better trick. As she walked towards her closet again to put the jacket on a hanger and take the light-colored cape, she proceeded "And for what I learned yesterday, we won't know much about her until we—"

"Reunite her with the Prince." Luna finished the sentence, Usagi smiled and nodded "That's it."

"I shall look for Artemis and let him know about your intentions then."

"I don't know if anyone will approve of what I am thinking of doing, Haruka-san will probably be the first against the idea but it is easier for Mamo-chan to meet her if I take her to his apartment rather than take him to their house. He is always busy and he is always on call, at least I know that once he is home is because he has finally got out of his shift."

Luna analyzed the situation, "You may be right about the Outer Senshi not being too keen on the idea but good thing you have Minako on your side." Usagi smiled, knowing what she meant. It didn't matter the cause, she always had the blonde leader on her side.

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

At the other side of town, another blonde was drinking coffee in her apartment silently thanking the lords of time for Saturday. As she surfed through the paper Artemis left on the counter, her attention was soon interrupted by a particular phone ring. In a hurry, she left the bagel she was chewing and put her mug down to take the call "Hey... I'm so glad you called I—"

At the other end of the line, Usagi was paying the cab driver for the lift and stepped out of the car, "Minako-chan, I need to speak to you, if you can of course."

Minako widened her eyes and nodded, "Of course, of course! Do you want us to meet somewhere? I can get out of my place in like ten minutes and meet you whenever you are."

"Actually," Usagi walked to the apartment building and buzzed the number to Minako's apartment. "I'm downstairs."

Minako widened her eyes and stood up "You dummy, come on up! The doorman will let you in!" she immediately hung up the phone and as soon as she heard the knock she opened slightly hesitant and worried because she didn't know what to expect with how her friend acted the day before. "Hi, Minako-chan." Usagi greeted first, with a warm smile adorning her face making Minako feel like if a weight was taken off her shoulders, a smile was enough to put their bittersweet day behind them, "Usagi-chan! Come in, come in!" she closed the door behind her, "Well, this is unexpected. I thought you might be having some sleep... since it's Saturday. Can I get you anything? I was having some coffee with a bagel, want some?"

"That sounds great, thank you but, do you have some milk? I don't like it dark."

Minako chuckled and walked out of the kitchen with a clean mug and poured the freshly brewed coffee "Obviously—that is so not you." she smiled as she put a small cup with milk, sugar, and cinnamon "I like to put cinnamon in my coffee, it gives it a little-unexpected kick."

"Are you alone? Where is Artemis?"

Minako blew her tousled bangs out of the way, her faint freckles could be seen across her cheeks when she did not wear any makeup on, "He went out to look for Luna. You know he can't be away from her for too long."

"You're right on that." Usagi smiled as she sweetened her hot beverage. A moment of semi-awkward silence passed before the blonde could take the lead of the conversation, "I'm sorry for how I left things yesterday," she looked at Minako "It was unfair, there is no way to justify my behavior—I am really sorry,"

Minako took a sip of her coffee and reached for her friend's hand "Hey, it's okay. You don't have to say sorry, I totally understand. I was worried, of course. So was Ami-chan, Rei-chan and Mako-chan and the rest, but we all understand. It is us who should say sorry for that matter, we hid very important news from you but we did it—"

"—Because you wanted to protect me, I know." Usagi took a sip of her coffee, Minako smiled when saw a different, and much lighter look on her friend's face, "I'm relieved to see you in a better mood today."

"I know I was not being myself, I was taken back for the load of information you gave and then—the girl." Usagi sighed, more in thought "I was upset, I was tired. I missed Mamo-chan, I needed him but I knew I couldn't see him, I was hurt because you were all hiding this from me, and I was surprised to meet this girl."

"We all were and we all are." Minako took another sip to her coffee, "But now that you know, we won't do anything without telling you first, or question any suggestions."

"I thought about it, and Luna helped me go through it; she did say something that made me clear my mind." she looked at Minako with a serious face, "We all are Sailor Senshi and we have a mission to keep peace on this planet and galaxy." Leaning her head low to look at her steaming mug, Usagi bit her lip softly and continued "For a long time I forgot that. I was too happy—to immersed in the wedding plans, in my job, in my normal life—"

"Usa-chan, we were all taken by surprise by this. One way or another, we were all living a life different from what we used to have in the past, this life or the other but, I totally understand why you were upset. You see, this is your time, you have gone through so much and we were trying to figure this out so you could be tranquil, enjoying the process of getting married, of having a good job, of accomplishing your own merits."

"See, that is where I don't agree Mina-chan, you are as important as I am. We are all the same on this planet and even if we went back to our previous lives, we would still be all the same. You are my friends, I am your friend. You are a Senshi and so am I. You are like a sister to me, I cannot let you go through all this alone."

Minako was moved by her friend's words, a wide smile was given in response and a soft nudge on her friend's hand. Finally, she felt like normality had hit home and they could be themselves even under strange situations, like old times. Without any secrets, without any lies. "You could have told me this over the phone you know? I feel kind bad to see you all dolled up while I am here slouching on my counter, drinking coffee with a disastrous bun at the top of my head."

Usagi chuckled, she missed this. She missed the honesty and simplicity of their conversations. "I needed to do some things for the wedding first and I felt I needed a little boost for my self-esteem with all that has been happening. I could have gone out in the same conditions you are right now if I didn't have to meet with some people,"

"Still, you would look cuter than me. Anyways, what now? What are you up to? Want to go and grab some lunch later? I promise I will look better than this," she waved her hands up and down, dramatically. Usagi chuckled again, "Actually... I need to ask you a favor."

"A favor?" Minako arched her brow, puzzled. Usagi smiled and put her cup down and nodded "You said that you would not question any suggestion I would give... I have one suggestion but I don't think Haruka-san or any of them would approve."

Minako took another sip of the coffee, trying not to jump to any conclusions before listening to Usagi's request. She knew that when her blonde friend had an idea in mind, she was determined to accomplish it whether they would like it or not, she was used to it. She decided to stay silent and let her friend to continue without any interruptions, after she's done all of her explaining and justifications then, she would make a comment. After all the time they had spent together, Minako has learned this was the better way to listen and help Usagi.

Usagi looked at her friend and extended her palms over the counter, tapping it with the hesitation of what she was about to say "I was thinking you could help me get Megumi-san out of Haruka and Michiru's house."

Minako widened her eyes and choked on her coffee, Usagi raised her hands before the blonde could say anything else "Let me explain," she sighed, softly. "Okay, you told me yesterday that Megumi-san knew me because she was witness of my secret meetings with Mamo-chan during the Silver Millennium, right?" Minako nodded, "Okay, good." Usagi bit her lip in thought, "You also said that she was still keeping secrets and I think that she would explain everything once she meets Mamo-chan."

"Yes?" Minako looked at her with a curious face "But she think's Mamoru-san is dead."

"I know but you wanted me to bring him with me yesterday so he could meet Megumi-san, right?"

"Yes."

"I was explaining Luna earlier today that it would be easier for me to take Megumi-san to Mamo-chan's apartment and wait for him to come home. It is a little complicated for me to know his schedule at the hospital, he is always on call and I am certain that once he gets home his shift is over. There would not be any interruptions and, _aaaand_ , since it is his apartment, he can't leave!"

"Oh Usagi chan, that is so evil," Minako widened her eyes, "And genius at the same time."

Usagi widened her eyes surprised by her friend's reaction, "You don't think I'm crazy?"

"Well, a little bit. But it is part of who you are." Minako smiled and winked an eye at her, "I think it is a very good idea, but I also agree with you that Haruka-san will not be very pleased. We are trying to prevent Megumi-san from getting trapped by the enemy and she has been safe with them. Also, once Haruka-san makes up her mind about something, it is very difficult to make her desist or change her ideas."

Usagi pursed her lips, tapping her fingers on the ceramic mug in thought. Minako looked at her hopeful eyes and hoped for the best herself, taking the last sip of her coffee, she sighed. "We need to go there."

The blonde blinked surprised "And what will you say to her? You just said that she—"

Minako raised her brows "Well, maybe Michiru-san will listen."

Usagi sighed "She is going to say no..."

Minako arched her brow as she looked down at the open newspaper on the counter "Well... I guess she will have to change her mind," Her finger tapped an article printed on the paper catching Usagi's attention and widened her eyes, in shock.

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

Casanova Akira entered the research room with a face of complete confusion. She saw Mikael at the end of one of the tables typing on his laptop without realizing she was there. A heavy, loud slam broke his concentration and looked at her, "What?" Akira looked at him with a frown "What the hell are you doing?"

"What?"

"What?" she repeated, this time with annoyance carried in her voice, she pointed the paper and tapped her finger on it repeatedly "What is this?! Are you taking control of the investigation now? Since when?!"

Mikael lifted his round shaped glasses and looked at her "Since you haven't done much with the information we have."

Akira sat on a stool across from him on the table "You were the one who said I should wait to get more answers! You said I was being risky to show everything to the media! Why are you going against the initial plan you proposed in the first place and without telling me!" An expressionless Mikael return to type on his computer without saying anything else to Akira, causing her to lose her temper this time, "What is the matter with you?!" she stood up and went to his side, she saw a strange writing in a spreadsheet and frowned, "What is that? What are you doing?"

Mikael turned furious and slapped her hand away, "We don't have much time!" He narrowed his eyes and began mumbling in what she could identify an ancient tongue.

Akira widened her eyes in shock, it was strange enough that Mikael would be in the mood he has been for the past couple of weeks and now that the strange reactions and decisions he has been making. It was not like him, it was not like him at all. Sure, they didn't always agree on the decisions they would make but this was beyond strange. His face started to show the signs too, his eyes were starting to look hollow and his dark circles turned darker by the day. His face was very pale and it was obvious that he was starting to lose some weight. Akira noticed his hands were shaking and that there was dry blood around his nail beds, like if he was biting his fingers to deal with the anxiety he was feeling. He was not being the rational man she knew he was and it was starting to upset her because it was like she was living with a strange person, or more like, a corpse.

Akira did remember that Mikael told her a couple of weeks ago that he saw something strange at the museum but they both ignored it and took it as a prank some of the staff must have made. Or as a casualty, but never crossed that it might have something to do with this.

* * *

 _-o-_

 _Mikael entered the hotel room where he was staying with Akira and put his laptop on the desk by the window in silence. Akira came out of the bathroom as soon as she heard the door open and smiled at him, "Hey, I am glad you are back."_

 _Mikael was absent for a moment, catching her attention and shook his head "Is everything alright?" he heard her ask. "Y-Yes. I was—" he hesitated to speak for a moment, "The strangest thing happened to me today."_

 _"Oh?" Akira said while rubbing some lotion on her hands as she prepared herself to go to bed "Did a fan caught up with you and asked for a night of adventure?" she asked in a playful tone, like they always did but this time, Mikael frowned, ignoring the joke and shook his head "N-No. Although, I don't know why that would matter to you since we are not 'serious' about each other."_

 _"Hey," Akira warned, pointing a finger at him "To the media, we are just colleagues." she then smiled "But to me," she stood up and stood very close to him and caressed his cheek "To me, you are very serious."_

 _Mikael captured her lips in a passionate kiss that soon led them to the bed. Once their intimate moment ended, he looked up at the ceiling in silence. Akira woke up and rolled on her side, surprised to find him awake at this time of dawn "W-What are you doing awake?"_

 _"The strangest thing happened to me at the museum." he repeated. He turned on his side to grab a cigarette and lit it up for a second, then exhaled the puff of smoke "I was working on the investigation and I heard some strange noises—like if somebody was talking to me in a very strange language."_

 _Akira frowned, "What was it? The language."_

 _"I could not quite place what language it was, it sounded ancient—Latin, maybe. The sound was not clear, only I could hear whispering."_

 _"It may have been Toshi or one of the other guys, you are hard on yourselves with the pranking."_

 _"Once I packed everything in my bag and turned the light of the room off and turned to close the door. My natural instinct was to turn to one side, then to the other and there it was—a man in black, or at least, it appeared to be a man in black because I couldn't see his face. It was like—a shadow."_

 _Akira frowned and sat on the bed. Mikael continued after taking another puff of smoke and exhaling it out, "I asked if he was lost or if he needed something but he didn't answer, instead the whispers I heard before started to sound louder in my head, like if he was speaking to me through his mind. I tried to move but somehow, the image of this—person was very unsettling. He began to walk towards me but his movements were not natural. I could hear his bones cracking, I tried to open the door again so I could go inside but when I turned to look at this 'creature' again, it was gone."_

 _Akira waited a moment to process what Mikael just told her and shrugged her shoulders "It was definitely Toshi,"_

 _"What?" Mikael frowned and turned to look at her, Akira chuckled, "It was definitely him, he probably used one of the mannequins of one of the storages or maybe one of the skeleton props and dressed it like that so he could freak you out."_

 _Mikael frowned "Yes, sounds reasonable. That would explain the sound made when the thing moved."_

 _"And the faceless feature."_

 _Mikael smiled at Akira and gave her a soft kiss on her temple. Akira slid under the covers again and sighed "I will talk to Toshi as soon as I see him and ask him to stop the pranks—they're getting into your head,"_

 _Mikael stayed silent and finished his cigarette, not really wanting to say anything else about the creature or the whispering that he could still listen in his mind but he was sure it was more than just a prank, he could feel it, he could hear it._

 _-o-_

* * *

Suddenly, Mikael seemed to regain some sanity and came back to reality "A-Akira..." with trembling eyes he covered his face and shook his head, confused "I-I don't know what is happening to me..." he looked at her and gave her an sympathetic smile, "It is probably because I am tired."

"What is going on Mikael..." Akira murmured the question more to herself than to him, because she knew at this point nothing she said could reach him. "It's the shadow man..." she heard him say and looked at him confused, "W-What?"

"The shadow man... he wants..." he trailed off "He wants something—but I cannot figure out what it is... I can't understand..."

"Who are you talking about?" Akira frowned more scared than confused this time, Mikael looked up at her with a horrified expression, "It was better me than you to have him inside—"

The ambient turned creepy and unsettling, Akira did not know what to say at this point. She was too curious to what was happening but also too scared to find out, but whatever it was it had Mikael trapped. "He won't stop—he won't stop. You have to run, run Akira, run—and find them."

"F-Find who?"

In a sudden turn, Mikael returned to his hollow, creepy mood again. He looked down at the computer and started to type again, "Find who, Mikael?" Akira dared to ask again but this time the man she knew as Mikael was nowhere to be found, instead a creepy distorted version of Mikael smiled at her "Et invenietis illos primus." (I will find them first.)

Akira widened her eyes in horror and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her. She could feel her heart racing in her chest, pounding like a rock against a wall, loud, hard and unsettling. The man who smiled at her definitely wasn't Mikael, it was something else. Scared, she went straight to the room where she kept all the samples and treasures she found and put them in a bag, if publishing to the media all the information they had found up until now was a doing of whoever was in possession of Mikael, then she had to fight him to stay away from what apparently he was after.

Toshi knocked on the door, startling Akira "Hey, Akira-san—what are you doing?" he looked at her confused by her actions "Why are you...?"

"Toshi," Akira looked at him "Have you spoken to Mikael today?"

Toshi shook his head "N-No, why?"

"He—he is not acting like himself lately," Akira said while continuing to put all the evidence she could on bags. Toshi walked towards her "Akira, what is going on?"

"Why?" Akira responded quickly. "Because, an article came out and it mentioned some of the things we have been working on and we were trying to keep secret until we had definite proof. It says we must look for the descendants of the Sun, what the hell? This will ruin our reputation and credibility... the media already is!"

Akira stopped and took a deep breath "Toshi, all the evidence we have found has not been proved wrong. Mikael seemed to have published some of it, to find something we don't even know what it is..."

"So I have seen," Toshi said annoyed, "This is not his work alone, why is he—"

"Toshi, listen to me." Akira went to him and looked at him straight in the eyes "You may think I am crazy but something is going on with Mikael, he is not being himself and I am scared."

"What are you saying?"

"He told me something that happened a couple of weeks ago and at first I thought it was a prank from you but since then, he has been acting very weird and I am not sure what is going on, only that the man claiming is Mikael is not."

"You—You are scaring me Akira."

"Now, imagine how I feel." Akira said, "Please Toshi, tell the others and help me pack all of the evidence. I don't want Mikael to be close to any of what we have. If he is being an asshole, well—I don't want him to take all the credit for our work. It works both ways."

Toshi didn't know what to believe, but seeing the always so calm and collected Akira was too strange for him. They had seen many strange things in their career but somehow, what she said about Mikael sounded to disturbing to be made out. In silence he went, to follow Akira and started to put the items in another bag in the same hurry Akira making a mental note to ask her more about what she was trying to explain.

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

Minako combed her blonde hair back and pushed the doorbell button at the entrance of Haruka's house. She looked at a very same nervous Usagi next to her and smiled, "I got this—I am a great mediator," she winked an eye at her friend, making her smile. A few more seconds passed until the cleaning lady opened the door "Yes?"

Minako smiled widely "Hi! We are looking for Tenou-san, is she here?"

The lady, probably in her mid-forties looked at both girls up and down and shook her head in slight, disapproval "She is not here."

"Really, you don't say..." Minako clicked her tongue and turned to a slightly disappointed Usagi, then turned to the woman again "Is by any chance a girl with dark brown hair in the house?"

The woman arched her brow "Who are you?"

Minako chuckled, "Okay, we don't have time for this..." Usagi widened her eyes startled at Minako pushing the door open and walking in, ignoring the frantic lady walking behind her. Usagi had no other choice but to follow them and walk inside as well, "I have no authorization to let anybody in—who are you!?"

"Well you just failed your task." Minako walked into the living room, finding Megumi sitting on the sofa, looking at the garden outside. She turned when listened at the woman's loud yelling and widened her eyes when saw Minako there, followed by Usagi.

"You cannot be in here!" The woman exclaimed with her arms up in the air frantically, "You have to leave, Tenoh-san is going to fire me!"

"She is not going to fire you." Minako looked at her and arched her brow, "Calm down, she knows us, we are her friends—best friends, in fact." Usagi for a minute felt ashamed of having to recur to Minako's tactics to go on with her plan but again and like Luna said, it was good to have her on her side. Minako spotted Megumi and smiled "Megumi-san, we have come here to take you with us,"

Megumi was surprised to see Usagi, she looked very different from the day before and this time her hair was styled the way she remembered her doing it and only confirmed that in fact, it was the Moon Princess. Without asking, Megumi stood up but soon was stopped by a very surprised Michiru joining the frenzy, "What is going on here Akita san?!" her aquamarine eyes widened when she noticed both blondes in the room "Minako... Usagi..."

It was Usagi's time to act, "Michiru-san... hi." she smiled softly, "I'm sorry we scared you but—"

"Is everything okay?" Michiru asked, genuinely worried "You left yesterday very upset and—" Usagi raised her hand and tried to excuse herself "I know and I am sorry..."

Michiru turned to the woman first, "Thank you Akita-san, it's alright, they are my friends, you are excused." The woman glared at Minako bloody murder and left the room. Once alone, Michiru frowned "What happened?"

"Nothing, yet." Minako said and exhaled "We came to take Megumi with us,"

Michiru widened her eyes, "What? Absolutely not!"

"We must take her with us," Minako said, taking her place as leader of the Inner Senshi "If we must continue with the plan, she has to come with us."

"The plan is to keep her safe." she turned to Usagi "Usagi-chan," she said in a more sweet, noble manner "What are you doing?"

"I am going to take her to see Mamo-chan."

Michiru frowned but her silence was enough to make her point and let them know she was not too happy about what they were trying to do. "Time is running out," Minako intercepted "Look, Michiru-san I know you are in the same place Haruka-san is. I know you don't approve but for this once, please help us without any more discussions."

"I cannot allow you to do whatever you are planning, somebody or something is after her. Taking her out of here is like throwing her to the enemy's plate. Are you crazy? At least wait for Haruka and Setsuna to come home."

Minako took the newspaper out of her purse and showed it to Michiru. After the aquamarine read the headline, her eyes widened in shock, Minako took it as her cue to continue "Is this enough proof now?"

"When did this come out?" Michiru frowned as she read down the page quickly "Who did this?"

"They have been around for a while now, they are archaeologists—treasure hunters. The station has been trying to book them for weeks now for an interview for the news but this is too strange, why now? They haven't revealed anything and now they suddenly publish these random things on the newspaper—who are those descendants from the Sun they're talking about? —She could tell us, but she won't if we keep her here... she needs to meet him,"

"I remember seeing something related to this somewhere..." The aquamarine eyed sighed. Michiru looked at Usagi and then at the girl, waiting anxiously on the sofa. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and took a moment to continue "Won't be easier to bring him here?"

Usagi put her hand on Michiru's shoulder in comfort "Michiru-san, I know this is dangerous but—" she blew her long whispy bangs and turned to look at the girl and felt sympathy for her, she felt compassionate and the need to help her, "She has waited too long," she turned to look at Michiru in the eye, "She has been waiting for a resolution and the only resolution she is expecting is from the one she considered family all those years ago, there must be a reason for her to be in this time and era."

Michiru closed her eyes for a moment in thought, then sighed in defeat "I will talk to Haruka."

Usagi's face lit up with hope and smiled "Thank you, for trusting me." Michiru smiled back and nodded "Princess, please be very careful. This is a serious matter. We still do not know who is out there looking for her."

Usagi nodded "I know, and I want you to be there. You are the ones who have spent more time with her and Mamo-chan will have questions of his own... I will call you as soon as we get there, he won't be home for another few hours, so we have time... I know she will get mad, but this is something I need to do."

"I will handle her." Michiru said and turned to Megumi. Walking towards her she sat next to her on the couch and tucked a strand of her dark chocolate hair behind her ear in a sisterly manner, "The nightmare might not be over, but you will not be alone. That I promise." she grabbed her mirror and handed it to her, "Please take this with you. Do not let go of it, it will protect you." she looked over her shoulder at the girls, "I will go and pick it up as soon as you call me you are there."

"I will call the girls." Minako said and took her phone out and looked at Usagi "I will let them know the plan, and hope they can meet us there." she dialed the first number and waited for the other end to answer, then walked away for some privacy. Usagi looked at Megumi looking down at Michiru's mirror and sat next to her "Megumi-san..." she called her softly "I need you to come with me—I need you to trust me, please."

Megumi looked up at her with confusion. She still she found it very hard to see her there, talking to her so casually and wondered how mysterious and selfish the life of those with divine blood was, but then, she thought she was a mortal herself and yet she was still here, more than a thousand years after. "Where..." she trailed off, still hesitant.

Usagi smiled softly and was about to answer when she heard her phone ring, as soon as she saw the screen she immediately wiped the screen to answer, "Hey..."

Megumi looked at her while she listened to the once Lunar Princess speak to a strange looking item close to her ear, she has seen a lot of those lately 'who was she talking to?' —she wondered.

"Are you going home after you are done with your shift?" Usagi looked at Michiru, who was standing right next to Megumi "Yes, no—I'm fine, I just wanted to know if you were heading back home or if you had something else to do that would keep you busy for the rest of the day, I don't know with *Furu-chan or something." The blonde bit her lip, waiting for an answer and nodded "Okay, then... I will see you there." she smiled "I love you too–bye." It was probably the first time words as kind as _'I love you'_ felt like burning oil going down Usagi's throat because she knew Megumi was hurt, and also because she knew she was not handling the situation all to very well.

"Megumi-san, I know you are angry at me." Usagi felt the need to address it "I know—" she trailed of "How this must be so difficult for you to understand, I know you feel like somehow I disappointed you and it breaks my heart. So many things have happened and you will learn it all in time but right now, I need you to trust me."

Megumi looked at her in the eyes as if trying to find the answers, she sighed and looked down. No matter how much she wanted to hate her, she still was engraved in her memory as the woman who made her Prince happy and her kindness was still there. She was there and all she had left at this moment, was to hold her hand and trust in her.

Usagi smiled at the small gesture and turned to Minako who just entered the room, "I think we must go before sunset. It would be safer, for all of us. I talked to the girls, they all are going to meet us there tonight." Usagi nodded and stood up, with Megumi following behind.

"Okay..." Usagi let out a deep breath "Let us be going."

"I will be waiting for your call then," Michiru said, as she walked them out, "If anything, _anything_ happens, please send a sign." she turned and put a deep blue silk scarf over Megumi's head, to give her some privacy then she wrapped the ends casually around her neck "It is a little cold outside, you better cover up a little." she rested her hands on her shoulders "The object you carry, leave it here."

"I-I cannot leave—"

"We will guard it with our lives, I promise." Michiru said softly "The less you create suspicion, the better. I will personally take it to wherever you are."

Minako nodded and put her sunglasses on Megumi's face, "These should help too."

"I thank you, for everything." Megumi turned to Michiru and turned to walk out the door, holding Minako's hand, as they stepped inside a cab, Michiru leaned on the door and sighed heavily "Please... be safe,"

* * *

 _Liked it? Leave me a comment below and help keep the good vibes flowing!_

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	19. Chapter 19

Divinity: The Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Nineteen

 _AN You have no idea how happy I was to read more reviews than usual, please, keep them coming!. Thank you all! I have been feeling pretty low lately, your kind words really mean a lot to me. Thank you SerenityMorrison, TamoumatheStarWarrior, TropicalRemix, Guest, kera96love, and Guardians314. I hope you enjoy this chapter-have a great weekend!_

* * *

The clicking sound of a keyboard was the only thing that could be heard in Mikael's hotel room. It had been several hours since he locked himself in the dark, typing things he could not even understand. His drapes were shut down, blocking all light coming from the bright sun, it was annoying to him—the warmth, the organic feeling of being embraced by its light, completely rejecting everything but the cold light coming from the of his computer. His face showed heavy signs of exhaustion, his eyes were red from the lack of sleep and he probably had not taken a shower for days now or eating a single bite of anything.

After sharing part of the investigation, he has not had any contact with anyone from the crew, including Akira. The lucid part in him that sometimes came to surfaced already realized the blow his sudden and very strange outbreaks had caused to his career and the young archaeologist's credibility but he could not help it, it was like his body was no longer his own. His voice did not even sound like himself anymore, it was as if he slowly started to give his own body to somebody else, to whoever entered his mind and took possession of him that night at the museum.

He recalled feeling disgusted after the incident and a restless need to dig in more on the information. It was like he knew what he was looking for and yet, he hasn't still had found it. His hand rested on his face as he tried to breathe while looking at the screen with vacant eyes that turned dark once he felt he was no longer alone in the room.

"Have you found it?"

Mikael turned to look over his shoulder and saw a shadow standing next to his bed and narrowed his eyes, "I am working on it—"

"You have been granted more than _plenty_ of time to find what I asked you,"

"I have given a great part of the research about the symbols and ruins to the media—the word is out... it should be enough to stir the waters of those linked to them—" the blonde man grunted and held his head with pain, snapping him from his new split personality, "What do you want from me!?" His eyes widened when he felt another burning feeling inside his chest, the now familiar feeling of losing control, "Nothing you have mentioned before has appeared in anything these mortals have found." Mikael's voice immediately shifted to a more hoarse, demonic one. He turned horrified at the shadow standing behind him, "What have you done to me?!" his eyes burned with desperate tears "What have you done to me!? Who are you?!"

The shadow moved closer to Mikael, allowing the cold light from the computer lit its face. Athamas looked down at the man on the desk and grabbed him by the neck without showing any signs of mercy, "You are not here to be making any questions—pitiful mortal," he threw him back with force, making him hit his head on the side of the bed. Panicked and afraid, Mikael tried to turn on the light on the nightstand to see the man's pale face again "It is futile, mortal. Lighting up this room will not free you from the curse you have been put under but I suppose that is what you get for crossing our path."

"Crossing your path?" Mikael frowned and shook his head "What..." he widened his eyes angrily, "What are you saying?!"

"The symbols, the items you found—I want to know where is the guardian to this planet."

Mikael widened his eyes "W-What?"

"All that you have found, what you think is a civilization are pieces to a Kingdom that you do not even know it existed. It holds power, great power. I need to find the one related to the being who cast the seal and the answer lies in that ancient discovery of yours."

"We haven't found anything that—ahhh!" Mikael felt a sharp pain in his head and curled up in a ball on the floor "You are a vessel for the shadow feeding on your soul, a lost being from the Underworld. This planet soon will be possessed by them, under my command." Athamas gave the man a wicked smile and grabbed his face, "Your body no longer belongs to you. It will not be long until your soul gets devoured by the demon inside of you and be thrown to feed the darkest soul in Tartarus."

The mysterious, frightening man standing before Mikael confirmed his biggest fear, indeed, he felt his body being possessed by something, he heard the many voices echoed in his mind, speaking ancient tongues and mocking his sanity. He tried to look up but all he could see was Athamas's dark figure who soon was surrounded by tall, lean demon-like creatures around him, "Darkness will soon fall upon this planet, and there is nothing you can do about it." he went down on one knee and looked at Mikael struggling with his pain and lack of air "Find what I want before I take your mortal lover as a vessel too."

Mikael screamed in pain and looked up again in panic "Don't take her... Leave Akira alone!"

"Find the Guardian—get me the girl." Athamas narrowed his dark eyes. "Its blood is mine."

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

At the other side of the city, Minako, Usagi and a very frightened Megumi stepped out of a car. Minako walked to the passenger's side window and paid the driver and with an apologetic smile, thanked the young driver. Usagi held Megumi's hand and pointed up, "We are almost there."

Minako stood next to her blonde friend and exhaled, "That poor cab driver either thought she was crazy or that we were kidnapping her." she frowned "What?"

Usagi looked at her quizzingly, "Aren't we?"

"This is not a kidnap—technically."

"Well, Haruka-san will think otherwise," Usagi mumbled as she walked inside the building. Megumi's surprised face was perfectly hidden behind the scarf and her teary eyes behind the dark shades Minako put on her the minute they walked inside the fancy lobby. Usagi waved her hand at the commissionaire and smiled, "Takahina-san, good afternoon."

Takahina, a man in his mid-forties greeted her from across the elevators with a warm, friendly smile "Ah, Tsukino-san, you need me to open the door again for you?" Minako sweat dropped and turned to look at her friend. Usagi blushed and waved the set of keys in front of her "No, I haven't lost them this time! Thank you!"

The blonde soon turned to push the elevator button and waited for the doors to open, she turned and noticed Megumi was starting to have a panic attack and immediately took control of the situation, "Don't worry, this is just going to take us where we need to go, that's all."

"They move by themselves..." Megumi muttered when the door opened by itself again. Once all three were inside, Usagi pushed the 19th-floor button and waited for the elevator to go up. The sudden pull made Megumi gasp with surprise, "This is madness." Minako put a hand on Megumi's shoulder, "They are called elevators, because they take us up and down from tall buildings." she tried to explain the girl who was too entranced looking around the well-lit small space. The blonde sighed "How many times have you lost your keys, Usagi-chan?"

Usagi shrugged her shoulders, lightly blushed "Five—teen."

"Oh my god." Minako shook her head, "You haven't changed a bit—no wonder why you are friends with the manager."

"Yeah, _you_ are the one to talk." Usagi pouted her lips and turned to a frowning Minako, "What is that supposed to mean?" Usagi sighed, "Who lost her credit card two months ago?"

Minako hushed and turned abruptly, trying to hide her blush "But I found it," she tilted her head up, proud of her accomplishment "You, on the other hand, have had to go and get a new set of keys done like, every other week."

"Pfff..." Usagi dismissed her remark "I don't do that!"

Minako arched her brow "Then who?"

"Mamo-chan does."

Minako narrowed her eyes, "Of course, he does." shaking her head, she looked at her friend "I am surprised he has given you a new set of keys every time you have lost them. Wait, then how is it that you know the manager?

"Because he has helped me open the door when I am in a hurry and I do not have the keys with me."

"You are so one of a kind," Minako muttered while shaking her head in disapproval. Megumi watched them in silence, secretly enjoying to see them joking around with each other. The strong bond of friendship between them was obvious, a little more casual, more like sisters—she noticed. "It is good to see you two are still good friends," Megumi said softly, catching them by surprise. Minako turned and looked at Megumi lowering her gaze, fighting her own sentiment, "I did not see much, but you suffered very much when Her Highness—" she widened her eyes when she realized what she was saying and trailed off nervously. Minako raised her eyebrows, still a little confused, "When Her Highness—?" Megumi did not respond but Usagi did, "When I killed myself."

The blonde exhaled and rested a hand on Megumi's shoulder in comfort, startling her "I am sorry you had to be a witness of such tragic story. It seems like destiny has been playing jokes on us for such a long time."

Megumi looked up at a seriously melancholic Usagi, she could tell there was more to her words and she wanted to know more about it but the sound of the elevator interrupted their moment. The doors opened, showing a quiet and elegant hallway. After walking down a few doors, Usagi grabbed her keys and began unlocking the door and pushed it open for Megumi and Minako walk inside. "After you,"

Minako took the glasses and scarf from Megumi's face and walked from the small foyer into the living room. Megumi looked around, very much surprised by the impeccable space as she watched Usagi opening the thick wooden blinds on all the windows around. The decor was very crisp and minimalistic, white walls and detailing in grays, browns and some navy blue here and there. The main sofa was facing its back the kitchen and wooden counter that worked both as a divider and sitting area. Everything was well neatly organized and under impeccable conditions, she noticed a set of fluffy pillows stacked on one side of the couch, which, made her guess it was Usagi's favorite spot to sit. Megumi wondered where they were, the ambient was peaceful, she could even dare to say it was much calmer than the outer Senshi's home, not sure why, but she felt a familiar feeling to it.

She turned to look around and noticed a large wooden bookshelf on one of the walls with white geometric plant pots, a wooden vintage clock making its constant and soothing sound and random pictures in different frames in between the stacked books. The wooden floors looked like they were recently polished and since it was an open space you could see the impeccable kitchen as well with stainless steel detailing and matte glass cupboards. Behind her, Megumi noticed there was a small hall that she imagined, led to an also, very well-arranged bedroom. The place was impressive but there was still something that kept her wondering; while it made her feel secure, there was a familiar vibe lingering in the air that made her feel nostalgic, leading her to think that it was maybe the way everything was arranged, maybe the colors, maybe... "The scent." she murmured to herself.

The afternoon light filtering through the windows gave it a cozier feeling, a warmth that made her feel protected, somehow. Minako sat on the couch while Usagi went to the kitchen to grab some water bottles, "This place is amazing," Minako said in a tone of admiration, "And I can already tell you have been adding your special touch to it. I remember how lonely this place was back then, despite its awesomeness—it was kind of sad." Usagi giggled and passed the bottles, one to Minako and one to Megumi, "It _is_ really something—I love the view."

"I never asked you how he managed to get a place like this to live, because, he has been living here for a long time." Minako leaned her head back, feeling more relaxed now that they were there and alone. Usagi cracked the cap on her bottle and took a small sip, "When his parents passed away, he was left with a heritage he could use once he turned 18 and was independent enough to live on his own."

"Well, I guess he didn't need to prove much there." Minako chuckle and turned her head to see Megumi still standing in between the foyer and the living room, "Megumi-san, why don't you come and sit here with us?"

Megumi looked down at her bottle, then at Usagi "Where are we?"

Usagi looked at her and gave her a reassuring, warm smile "I would dare to say it's a place you would have wanted to be since the very beginning."

"I do not understand." Megumi frowned.

Usagi gave a quick glance at Minako then stood up and walked towards the brunette and held her hands while looking into her eyes, "I know you are angry at me—I can feel it. You think I followed my own path and forgot about everything—that I forgot about _him._ You don't know this but, we made a promise to each other. No matter how much time it would take us, we would look for each other and find out a way to be together in a new era where we could live freely without rules—without anyone treating us like criminals."

Megumi felt a strong tug in her chest and widened her eyes; Usagi smiled softly "It took us two thousand years to fulfill that promise..." she turned and pointed a picture in one of the shelves next to a stack of books about astronomy, suggesting Megumi to go and look at it. The brunette silently followed the request and gasped before tears started to roll down her cheeks and unwillingly dropping the bottle in her hands.

There it was, what she longed to see and thought she never would. It was a picture of her loving Prince, a selfie took by them, both smiling, both looking happy. Usagi walked over to Megumi and put a hand on her shoulder, surprising her. She turned with her face red and swollen from crying "I-I..."

"You didn't know," Usagi looked at her tenderly and wiped her tears with a gentle touch, "We didn't want to say anything because you might have run away and it would have been an opportunity for them to get to you—it wasn't safe." she smiled and grabbed the picture frame and handed it to Megumi, "Let's sit on the couch, it won't take long for him to get home." The brunette turned wide-eyed, "H-He..."

Usagi giggled and nodded, "This is where he lives."

The pieces of her mental puzzle slowly started to fall into place, the reason of the familiar vibe, the musky yet fresh scent lingering in the air, she remembered it all; it all made sense now and she could not believe she was there. They went to sit on the couch silently, while Minako kept texting on her phone, "I am sending everyone a message that we are here."

Megumi could not begin to describe to herself the sea of emotions happening inside her as she looked down at the picture in her hands, "He looks happy..." she looked up at the blonde and try to contain the fresh batch of tears pooling in her eyes, "Please forgive me," Usagi shook her hand, "No, Megumi-san... there is nothing for me to forgive, I understand—believe me, I understand."

"I failed to believe your word, Your Highness," Megumi hung her head low with shame "I did not have an opportunity to believe anything,"

"Megumi-san, who—" Usagi was interrupted by the sound of keys opening the entrance door and widened her eyes while looking at the clock on the shelf "He's home early." Minako held Megumi's hand and smiled, "It's okay, everything is going to be alright."

Megumi felt her heart pounding in her chest like if it was trying to escape her own body; just the idea of seeing the Prince's face again was too overwhelming and gave into the irony of how suspense was doing to her what countless sleepless nights of running away from the shadows did to her—it was killing her. The door finally opened and the familiar clinging sound of keys let them know he was finally inside. Usagi leaned herself on the couch and smiled, "You are home early,"

"Hey, you are here already!"

Megumi's heart skipped a beat when she heard that voice, the same warm, deep and enchanting voice she remembered so well. The same voice that greeted her every morning and wished her a good night every evening. The same one that jokingly would ask her for silly favors or would confess his feelings on a more serious note.

"I got out a little early and I thought I could—" Mamoru walked inside while looking down at some correspondence and stopped surprised when he saw Minako smiling and waving at him, "Hey Minako,"

Minako chuckled, "Hey Mamoru-kun, I am sorry but whatever you were planning on doing with Usa-chan, I crashed it." Mamoru chuckled and patted her shoulder softly, "No, not at all, how are you? It's good to see you."

"You know, same old me." Minako smiled, "Work, bridesmaid duties... the works. It's good to see you too, you are always so busy, just like Ami-chan." she winked an eye at him, jokingly. Chuckling, he went to Usagi's side and gave her a quick peck on the lips but sensed there were more people in the room and turned his gaze to catch the other person sitting next to Minako "Oh, I didn't know you had company—Hi." he bowed his head slightly and gave Megumi a courteous smile, "Chiba Mamoru."

Megumi widened her eyes, terrified and confused. He was there, looking at her and still, his eyes did not show any signs of nostalgia or recognition, he was being a total stranger to her. Usagi noticed the tension and the obvious confusion clouding Megumi's mind and decided to intervene, "This is Megumi-san."

"Nice to meet you, Megumi-san," Mamoru smiled softly, Megumi on the other hand, could not hold her tears any longer and began to cry "Non putabam me stare ante te, Princeps."

Mamoru frowned slightly confused, not really sure how to react or what to say. She seemed to look at him with such familiarity and felt guilty for not being able to return the gesture. He was never very good at dealing these sorts of situations and it happened several times after his parents passed away. He could be greeted by somebody on the street and talk to him like they were very close without having any recollection of the person making it hard for him to say the right word, pretty much like a stranger at a funeral. "I am sorry..." he shook his head, "I-I can't understand..."

Megumi widened her eyes when she felt an uncomfortable distance between them, it was like he was a different person but with the same face, the same voice, the same eyes. "Oculi vestri…" she mumbled. Her body began to take the expense of her emotions and suddenly stopped responding to her command. She wanted to touch him, she wanted to wrap her arms around him and feel the relief she was praying for so many years. Her Prince was safe, her Prince was alive but this Prince of hers did not know who she was and it was too sad for her to handle. She tried to speak but she began feeling nauseous and her vision clouded before vanishing in front of them, "Megumi-san!" both Usagi and Minako exclaimed as they lay her down on the couch. Mamoru looked at them confused and silently sat next to her and grabbed her wrist to check her pulse and rested his other hand on her forehead. The second his skin made contact with hers several images flashed in his head and moved his hand away abruptly, "Who is she, Usako?" he looked at his girlfriend with a frown. "You saw something," Usagi said softly, knowing what just happened. Mamoru looked at her, still with his brows knitted in thought "What—?"

"She is here to see you," Usagi looked at him with a more serious expression, "Endymion."

The tension in Mamoru's face became more obvious. He stayed in silence for a minute before looking down at the girl lying on the sofa and tried to understand what was going on. With a sigh, he pulled back and closed his eyes for a minute, trying to keep his own confused thoughts in control, "She's exhausted and the emotion was too much for her, she's fine, she just needs some rest."

"You saw something... I know you did." Usagi frowned, "What did you see?"

"I—I don't know," Mamoru shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "I am going to take her to the bedroom so she can rest—then we will talk." he bent to carry her in his arms and walked to his bedroom and laid her on the bed. He stood next to her and looked at her in silence for a couple of minutes trying to understand what just happened. Could she be related to the dreams he's been having? Could she be the girl that has been speaking to him in his dreams? He didn't understand the sudden wave of nostalgia hitting him. He turned to close the blinds to block the afternoon sun hitting on her face and left the room, leaving the door slightly open behind him.

Minako and Usagi waited in the living room, one looking at the other with worry. "How do you think he is going to take all this?" Minako asked in whispers, Usagi sighed and shook her head "I feel like each and every one of us have been dealing with this situation in a different way and Mamo-chan is no exception to it. I know he knows something, like I said, the night of the blackout he confirmed it to me and he didn't even have to say it explicitly."

"You know me too well, Usa, I don't know if that is a good or bad thing." Mamoru walked to the living room and sat next to her, with an apologetic look "It is very hard to keep secrets from you." Usagi combed his hair back softly "I know you," Mamoru nodded and looked down, "Again, I don't know if it's a good or a bad thing."

"Do you recognize her Mamoru-kun?" Minako looked at him with high expectations, wishing Hotaru's words were true when she said the Prince might have the answers to Megumi's appearance but it soon vanished when she saw the confusion on his handsome face. He sighed softly and shook his head "No," his eyes looked into hers, also hoping to understand what was happening. "I do sense something from her, I can't explain it but it's strange—nostalgic."

"I let the girls know that we were here, they are on their way." Minako put her phone away and turned to Mamoru "So, everybody knows about this..." he muttered, Usagi wasn't sure if there was a hint of annoyance behind his words but Minako, unaware of it just nodded "It all started a month ago, Rei-chan had a vision while reading the fire and was attacked, she says she heard somebody was speaking to her and by miracle she managed to cease the threat and purify the fire once again but she kept it to herself until I noticed she was being too emotional and asking all these nostalgic questions. She came to me first and told me something about a girl she saw in the fire—I did not know what or who that might be until I found Megumi-san."

"And how did you find her?" Mamoru asked in the same tone, Minako took a deep breath before continuing, already sensing the tension, "It happened the same day I spoke to Rei, I was on my way home and I saw her hiding in one of the alleys close to my apartment. She was all dirty and scared but the strangest thing was that when I came close to her, she called me Venus."

"That is why I told you she came looking for Endymion," Usagi said softly. Mamoru leaned back on the couch and sighed, "Why Endymion?" he turned to look at her "Wait, you knew about all this too?"

Usagi shook her head, "I just found out yesterday—all of you were keeping secrets with the purpose of me not finding anything out—" the tone of her voice made Mamoru feel guilty for being part of that mission, clueless that her friends were also dealing with all this in their own way; he gave her an apologetic look but before he could say anything else, the doorbell interrupted their conversation. Usagi softly brushed his face with her hand and sighed softly, "I'll go." she stood up and went to open the door to the girls waiting at the other side and greeted them and allowed them to walk inside, "Come on in."

"How are things?" Rei asked with worry "How did she take it?"

"She fainted," Usagi pressed her lips tight for a moment, "She is asleep in Mamo-chan's room"

All 8 girls entered and greeted Mamoru and took a seat in the living room; Michiru was last to join and put Megumi's clothed object on the coffee table in the center "What is that?" Mamoru asked more confused than he was just minutes ago. Michiru said as she sat down next to Haruka. "We don't know, but the girl has been carrying it since we found her and hasn't let go of it since then, she is very protective of it but I asked her to leave it with me so she wouldn't lift any suspicions and that we would bring it here later today, so, here it is."

Haruka glared at Minako and shook her head "I can't believe you decided to take her out of the house when we asked you not to."

"Usagi asked me the favor," Minako raised her hands as a defensive gesture, "And it is was not a bad idea."

"There are people looking for this girl and you took her out, unprotected—"

"She wasn't unprotected, she was with us." Usagi snapped in Minako's defense, "This was the easiest way for her to meet Mamo-chan."

Mamoru sighed and rested his head on his hand. Every time there was an argument where Haruka was involved it could take hours to be settled _if_ there was any settlement. Ami was sitting next to him and patted her hand on his shoulder in understanding, "How are you feeling with all this?" Mamoru turned to look at her and gave her a faint smile "I don't know. Things aren't clear enough for me to understand."

Rei sighed and raised her hand, stopping the argument between the three blondes "I think that is enough. The girl is already here and she has met Mamoru, she knows he is alive too so let's leave it like that. Now, we must put the pieces we have together and try to figure out this puzzle."

Haruka sighed with annoyance and began pacing around the living room "This girl has been looking for something we don't know, she is being chased by somebody we don't know, she is carrying something we don't know—the only thing we know is that she is related to you."

Mamoru looked at her and frowned "Related to me?"

Michiru stood from the floor and took Haruka's previous spot on the other sofa across Mamoru, Usagi, Ami, and Rei. Makoto sat next to Michiru with Minako by her side. Setsuna and Hotaru were sitting on the floor around the coffee table. "She has been mentioning that she knows you and that she has been fulfilling a promise made to you."

Mamoru looked more confused than a minute ago and knitted his brows as he tried to understand, "A promise?"

"She served as a maid at the Terran Palace and was a witness of your romance with Princess Serenity." Hotaru joined the conversation, "She was there the night the Moon was attacked and the Silver Millennium came to an end. She saw me bringing down my Silence Glaive."

* * *

Inside the bedroom, Megumi slowly came to herself and slowly opened her eyes and she stared at the white ceiling for a minute before realizing what happened and that she was now in a different place from where she fainted. She flinched, feeling the signs of a headache as she slowly sat on the bed and took a look around the quiet and murky room. Her eyes widened when she came to realize she was in the Prince's bedroom and felt her cheeks flush in bashfulness by the intimate gesture and could smell the same unmistakable masculine scent linger with more intensity on the sheets. "She recognized us all." she recognized the voice as Minako's coming from another room, "When I first met her she called me Venus," at this point, she was aware what they were talking about and how they were accompanied by more people. Megumi felt curious about what they would say, what the Prince would say and quickly got off from the bed and walked to the door Mamoru had left half closed. She stood behind the door and leaned closer to the open creak and listened to the conversation being held in the living room and noticed the other girls were now also there.

* * *

"Is there anything you remember Mamoru-kun? Do you remember her?" Makoto asked highly hoping he would say something that would help them understand Megumi's intentions but Mamoru's confused expression deepened the mystery. "I... I don't." he shook his head, "I don't remember anything, I don't know anything about the promise you mentioned," he turned to Michiru, then to Hotaru "I don't remember her at the Palace..." He finally made eye contact with his bride to be, "I don't—I don't know who she is... do you?" Usagi looked at him and bit her lower lip, "Not at first but, I do have a vague memory of having seen her somewhere—"

"We were hoping you would give us a hint of her past or what she could be doing in this time and era." Haruka's voice sounded discouraged by the lack of information, "Since she is very bonded to you."

"I wish I could give you the answers you want but—" Mamoru paused and shook his head again, "I do not recognize anything you just mentioned."

"We do have an idea of who might be after her," Setsuna looked at Mamoru, hoping to clear the fog of mystery even a little, "The night we rescued her, she was being followed by some demon-like creatures. Something possessed a couple at the park and went after her when we destroyed them a man appeared and threatened us."

"She could not explain much about this man, only that he was once Usagi-chan's lover or something..." Makoto said. Mamoru widened his eyes with surprise and raised a brow at Usagi, "I—I" Usagi blinked surprised as well, "This is catching me off guard!"

"He was highly ranked and he was once involved with Princess Serenity," Rei said.

"I thought _I_ was your lover," Mamoru mumbled with slight jealousy and hurt, Usagi covered her blushing face "I don't know what to say."

"Princess Serenity was engaged during the Silver Millenium but the wedding never happened." Setsuna tried to make a little damage control but the tension was already too thick to be dissipated. Mamoru sighed, "Well, what do you know—you were engaged." he scoffed at Usagi who in return pouted her lips with annoyance "I was probably engaged to you and you rather prefer to give me a hard time."

"Okay, so this man—Serenity's _fiancé..."_ Mamoru rolled his eyes, "What does he want with Megumi-san? Why is he here?" he was slowly becoming irritated for the incredible amount of speculation, "What is the relation between them?"

"We are not sure what he wants but I would dare to guess it might be because of this..." Michiru pointed the object on the table. Mamoru stayed silent for a minute, trying to remember what he could have possibly asked the girl to do, what could it be so important to make her promise him to fulfill such mission. At this point, he was too upset about it and not because he was angry at the girls or Megumi but at himself, for not having a single clue about anything. He pointed the object with slight disdain, "I don't know what that is," and stood up to start pacing around the living room just like Haruka did, minutes ago. He hoped the movement could help him clear his mind, put the pieces together and understand what they were talking about. Haruka pursed her lips, noticing his frustration "Should we consider her as an enemy too? We've been protecting the wrong person all along?"

Mamoru stopped near one of the windows and looked outside, "She is not an enemy— _that_ I am sure."

"Mamo-chan..." Usagi looked at her boyfriend with much concern, it was strange to see him battling with his emotions so openly but to her, there was still something important she needed to know. "What did you see?" Her soft, worried tone reached Mamoru, but he kept showing his back to the girls and closed his eyes with a sigh, "Death." He let the heavy word sink in then he turned around to look at them one by one, before continuing "I saw corruption, destruction—a destroyed Palace." he lowered his gaze in thought and frowned, "I have been having a vision of a woman—calling out to me, pleading me to wake up and to help somebody... but I still don't understand why me? Of all people, why it has to be me, specifically?"

"This is getting more confusing." Haruka looked at him and crossed her arms, Mamoru mimicked the gesture seconds after, "When did you say this girl was found?"

"The day before the blackout happened." Haruka said, "Why?"

"Somebody threatened me. I heard someone whispering in my ear saying he was going to kill us all."

" _He_?" Haruka asked, with interest and turned to Michiru, "Could this man be the same after this girl?"

"Probably, but cause so much terror... for what?" Michiru shook her head and turned to Ami the minute she began to speak "Megumi san said they wanted a key-" the bluenette frowned. "She said this object belonged to its rightful owner—" this time, Minako continued and looked at Mamoru "The Protector of this Planet."

Mamoru ran a hand through his midnight hair, "Then we all been having some sort of premonition. You remember your past in its entirety I do not. I remember who I was, yes. I remember Serenity, my past in this life but—that's it. I don't remember what I did as Prince, I don't—" he frowned "I-I don't remember my life. I live as Chiba Mamoru, I do not have any connection to Endymion aside of the fact that I was once this person, but no longer am."

* * *

Behind the door, Megumi gasped with much pain and horror. Her eyes burned with tears by the words coming from the one person she so much wished to see again. It did not make sense to her, how a man who looked the same, sounded the same and even knew his name would not accept who he is. How they were alive and not remember anything that happened with them. She felt discouraged, heartbroken and made her question her existence and the real reason behind her survival. Despondent and depressed, she turned her head to spot something gleaming and calling for her attention, without caring anymore about the conversation unfolding in the living room, she turned and walked over to a table near the window and looked down at a crystal case resting on top. Her eyes widened when she recognized each stone, carefully placed on a velvety dark cushion "Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite—Kunzite. Those are..." Megumi closed her teary eyes. "I need help—I cannot do this on my own anymore." Her tears started to roll down her cheeks and one of them splashed on the case, making the quartz stones glow for a second. Megumi looked at them with amaze, not sure if what she saw really happened.

* * *

Usagi looked at Mamoru in silence, noticing his sudden change. This was one of the few times she has seen him slightly lose his temper concerning their true selves in their past life. It was true, what he said. Unlike her or any of the girls, when he got hold of the silver crystal he regained his memories and realized he was indeed the Prince to the Terran Kingdom once, that he had a romance with the Moon Princess and that his Kingdom protected the Golden Crystal, but he never recalled anything else from that point of truth, but now that a person from his past came to claim things from him and that life, his frustration for not remembering was catching up on him.

Usagi suddenly realized something she never imagined to see before. Mamoru was vulnerable, he felt trapped between a sword and a wall, very much feeling the same way, she was the day before. Like her, he did not want to go down the path that was put upon him as Prince, just like her as Princess. He, just like her, wanted to live a normal life, away from one that needed to battle for a reason to be together; a life here his nature and hers was not an impediment, an obstacle or crime. At this point, he was rejecting being Endymion as much as she rejected being called Serenity. His face showed it all, no matter how much he tried to dissimulate to the rest like he said, she knew him too well and knew by heart every gesture, every smile, every blink and also, every silent grimace. This man was her other half and she felt the urge to get him out of that turmoil of wonder and self-doubt, but she didn't know how. "I think the only thing left for us, is to wait for Megumi-san to tell us everything she knows," Her baby blue eyes never left Mamoru's deep sapphire ones. "Nothing good will come out if we squeeze the answers out of her."

"But the enemy—" Haruka widened her eyes in anguish but was surprised by Usagi's mature take on this, very different from the day before, "If there is an enemy, we will fight it—that is not to be argued," her determination made her stop to making any further comments. The blonde Princess looked at everyone in the room with the same serious gaze, "We have the pieces and with time we will assemble the puzzle, but right now, all we can do now is wait." she sighed softly and turned to Haruka and Michiru, "I can take Megumi-san with me, I can say she is a friend from work. I will talk to Luna as soon as I get home."

"She will stay here."

All eyes locked on a very serious Mamoru, "I may not remember her but she is the only one related directly to me. I should even consider her family."

"Mamo-chan..." Usagi whispered, astonished.

Makoto sighed softly and nodded in agreement, "Well, I don't think she will wake up anytime soon... we should give them some space." she stood up and grabbed her purse, "Nothing good will come out if we rush things, the important thing is that she finally found out Mamoru-kun is alive."

Rei looked at Usagi then at Mamoru and smiled sadly "I know the timing is not the right one. This is the reason why we didn't want to say anything to either of you—with the wedding and all..." Mamoru shook his head and gave the Priestess a small smile of understanding, "Nothing will stop me from getting married to Usa." he looked at a blushing Usagi "I don't know about you, I'm sorry, but I am still marrying you." the lightness in his tone and voice made her smile, silently thanking the playful comment. "Me too."

"Well, I guess that's settled then," Haruka patted Mamoru on the back as she always did as a friendly gesture and turned to walk away, "I was going to make you pay hell if you said you were calling off the wedding." she muttered while helping Michiru stand from the couch, Mamoru chuckled softly "Sorry to burst your bubble, it isn't happening." Haruka smirked and looked over her shoulder at him, "Good."

Setsuna turned to Usagi and held her hands for a minute, "Please call us if anything happens Usagi-san, keep us informed on her progress," Usagi smiled in return and nodded then turned to Minako first then the rest, "Thank you all."

"We are here for you, both of you." Ami looked down at her watch and widened her eyes, "Oh my, it's late! We should get going..." Makoto went and gave Usagi a hug "Call me if you need anything." Usagi smiled and returned the gesture, "I feel like I haven't spoken to you in such a long time." Makoto moved away and chuckled, "We all have had our share of emotional baggage but we will, soon. We still need to see the designs for your cake,"

Minako also gave the blonde a warm, sisterly hug "I will call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah sure," Usagi smiled at Minako who was looking for her purse, "Are you going to stay here?"

"I don't know..." Usagi sighed, "I need to talk to Luna and tell her what happened, she's going to be upset because I didn't ask her or Artemis to come." Minako waved her hand in dismissal, "Don't worry, they will understand. I will talk to them, they are probably at my place."

"Thank you." Usagi gave her leader and friend a smile of gratitude. "Besides," Minako added as she crossed the long strap over her chest, "You need to be here in case anything happens."

"It pretty much depends if Mamo-chan wants me to stay—after all this, I am kind of worry," Usagi peered quickly at Mamoru who was talking to Michiru at the door, Minako arched her brow, "Oh please..." She leaned closer to give her friend another hug before leaving without saying another word.

O—o—O

After all the girls bid their goodbyes, silence finally returned to the apartment; a worried Usagi and a very serious Mamoru stood there with no words to share at the moment but only stares.

Sighing, Mamoru walked back to the living room and sat on the couch and looked at the clothed object on the table while Usagi went to the kitchen to turn on the coffee machine, knowing the bitter beverage would help him feel better. She patiently stayed there until it was ready, clearly feeling the tension in the apartment and thinking he would not say a word until he processed what just happened. Once done, she walked back to the living room and put the steaming mug on the table in front of him and waited in silence. She sat next to him on the sofa and joined him in the strangest staring contest, hoping the thing in front of them would lighten the awkwardness happening between them. It took a few more minutes for Mamoru to lean forwards and grab the mug to take the first sip. "You knew..." he finally spoke, breaking the heavy silence. "Yes," she answered without trying anything to justify what just happened.

Mamoru took another sip of his coffee and held her hand, "It's a blessing." he muttered, making Usagi smile "Even if that makes me know your deepest secrets?"

"It's a blessing," Mamoru took another sip and finally turned to look at her "You are a blessing," he looked down, "I'm sorry I wasn't of much help." he took a moment before looking at her again and gave her an apologetic look, "I don't know what is wrong with me."

"How can you even say that?" Usagi tightened her grip on his hand, "None of this is caused by you."

"But it is somehow related to me, apparently." he shook his head tiredly, "I never thought about how I could not remember as much as you do. I never—" he sighed, "I guess I just cared about us moving forward and not really thinking about the past."

Usagi looked at him with the most loving look, she leaned closer to him and combed his hair softly when she realized they were no longer alone when she turned and spotted Megumi standing in the hallway like a scared deer in the middle of a forest, "Megumi-san," she quickly stood up and walked over to her while Mamoru only looked at her but preferred to stay silent. The blonde smiled and invited her to join them in the living room trying to make her feel more at ease and confident enough to tell them more of what she knew. "Would you like something to drink?"

Megumi shook her head in silence, clearly nervous and avoiding any visual contact with Mamoru. With the tension boiling up again in the ambient, Usagi turned on her heel and walked back to the kitchen to put a kettle on the stove and boil some water for tea, despite the young woman's declined offer. She thought that it would be good for them to have some privacy to open up and talk without any mediators around asking too many questions she was not ready to answer. Mamoru took another sip of his coffee and put the still steaming mug on the table; without making any visual contact with Megumi either and took a deep breath "Michiru brought it, she said it's yours."

Megumi nodded and turned to see the object on the table, mentally thanking Michiru for keeping her promise. Mamoru sighed tiredly and tilted his head back on the sofa not really sure of what else to say at the moment.

"You still drink black coffee at nighttime—" she said softly, catching his attention "W-What?" he blinked startled, Megumi looked at the mug and pointed at it "That beverage, you always asked me to bring you some of that every evening to help you keep your mind clear."

"You remember things like that? Of myself?" Mamoru frowned with curiosity and wonder. Megumi nodded, "You used to stay up late every evening working or waiting for Her Highness to come and visit you, you constantly reminded me that it helped you keep your sanity." Mamoru hung his head low and smiled, accepting her words "It's funny," he chuckled softly, catching the girl's attention "It does sound like something I would say."

The gesture made Megumi lose some of the tension built up by meeting with him and she finally looked up and gave him a warm smile, "You were very good to me, Your Highness."

Mamoru turned to look at her surprised, Megumi nodded "Lady Aurea used to tell me that all the time, it surprised her how much you trusted me since you were always very jealous of your privacy." Mamoru frowned "Lady Aurea?"

Megumi felt strange being able to talk to him again and yet, he not knowing a single thing she said, "Y-You do not remember Lady Aurea?" Mamoru shook his head "To my misfortune Megumi-san, I do not remember anything about my life as Prince, just the fact that I was one, a long time ago." he lowered his head again and smiled sadly, "But well, I barely remember my past in this life too so... I guess it's even."

"How is it that you cannot remember?"

Mamoru pursed his lips and shrugged one shoulder, "I-I don't know... unlike the girls, I was revealed with the truth I needed to hear, I was too desperate to know who I was and never really thought about anything else."

Megumi scoot a little closer to Mamoru and looked at him, "Lady Aurea was Her Majesty's right hand and close friend, and your Godmother, she always looked after you like a second mother." she smiled and looked up at the ceiling in remembrance, "Oh how you loved to play jokes on her... I remember her scolding you, all the time."

Mamoru widened his eyes with amaze, "My... Godmother..."

"Whenever there was a meeting late in the afternoon and you did not wish to attend so you could meet with Princess Serenity, you always asked me to tell everyone you were feeling ill." Megumi giggled "And not once you were caught, well—only by the Shitennou."

Mamoru found it refreshing to hear this from somebody else, it was like unclouding a part of his life he completely ignored. His life apparently was like an open book to her, the nostalgia in her voice made him acknowledge there was deep trust between them in the past. He imagined if he was the same way he was now, a man too private with his life and a serious person minding his own life. "The Shitennou—" he trailed off and gave her a sad smile "They gave their lives to save mine."

"You gave yours to save ours," Megumi said softly, her brown eyes were filled with gratitude "I never had the chance to thank you, for saving me."

Mamoru frowned and shook his head confused; Megumi let out a soft, melancholic chuckle "If it were not for you, Your Highness, I would not be here now," she looked at him "You never lost hope, and even when I was the only one left you did not leave me behind." Her words captivated his interest, she had the answers to the many questions still echoing in his mind. What did he do? Where did he go and why? Mamoru narrowed his eyes in concentration, trying to remember "The only one left?"

Megumi nodded "Sadly, everyone at the Palace was gone. Lord Leonidas, Lady Aurea—Her Majesty our Mother Queen, His and Her Majesty too, every personnel went missing."

"The obvious answer would be that everything was caused by Beryl." Mamoru muttered, surprising Megumi "You remember Lady Beryl!" she looked at him wide-eyed. Mamoru nodded, "She too reincarnated into this world and freed Metallia—that is how everything started all over again."

Megumi frowned "All over again?" Mamoru nodded again, "The battle with her started again because we were all looking for the Silver Crystal without any recollection of why, but we all had our reasons." He exhaled softly and gave Megumi a soft reassuring smile, "She has finally been defeated," the words of victory relaxed Megumi, making lean back on the couch with great relief but then wondered that if Beryl was in fact, dead, then why was somebody after her up to this day. The Lord of War did not even get an opportunity to explain, he just pledged her to leave and to avoid any more tragedy, she complied. "I had parents then—" her thoughts were interrupted by the Prince's warm voice and turned to look at him looking back at her with so much wonder, "Do you remember my parents, Megumi-san?" She smiled and bowed her head to honor the memory of the Terran Royals. "I do, My Prince."

The question caught Usagi's attention, and was glad they were re-building their bond, her plans worked exactly how she wanted. She turned off the stove and poured two cups of hot water and sprinkled some green tea leaves to simmer and walked back to the living room. She put the first mug in front of Megumi and the other, kept it resting in between her hands on her lap.

"She was very beautiful and very kind," Megumi smiled softly, "She had strong character but ruled with a fair heart" she looked at him, "Everybody said you two were like two peas in a pond-you had a very special bond. His Majesty was kind-hearted too, he had a very joyful spirit and loved Her Majesty very much."

Mamoru smiled, listening to this girl talk about his family made his chest feel warm and nostalgic. Megumi looked at both of them, sitting next to each other and bowed her head at Usagi "I must ask for your forgiveness Your Highness."

Usagi widened her eyes "Megumi-san... no, we talked about this before..."

"I mistreated you—I failed your trust," Megumi closed her eyes and shook her head, "I should have known better,"

Usagi tilted her head, "You did nothing wrong Megumi-san..."

"Still..." Megumi said while still looking down "It is hard for me to believe I am here, in front of my Master after all this time," she looked up at him with tears in her eyes, "But I can see something is different."

"Different?" both asked taken back, Megumi nodded and looked into the Mamoru's eyes, "Prince Endymion was known to be the strongest soldier in our Kingdom and for having the sharpest skills to fight. But also, he was famous for his strong determination."

Mamoru sweatdropped, "It sounds like meeting this version of me is disappointing."

Megumi widened her eyes and shook her head, "Oh, no, no, no! W-What I meant is that people constantly mentioned the truth could always be found in his gaze."

Mamoru frowned, "Truth?"

"It was something constantly said by whoever met His Highness," Megumi nodded, "You were always very blunt and honest."

"He still is—painfully blunt and honest," Usagi blew her bangs and took a sip of her tea, making Megumi giggle. Mamoru sighed, dismissing Usagi's taunt he turned to the object on the coffee table, "What was the promise?" he frowned, "The promise I asked you to fulfill—"

"It was a promise I made to myself," Megumi turned to look at the object on the table, "I promise that I would protect your legacy and never let anyone forget you. You fought for this planet with every drop of strength you had left in your body and did ever leave me behind."

"Your loyalty amazes me," Mamoru said and extended his hand out to her "Your words move me to the core Megumi, thank you, for everything you have done, for my family... and for me," he wiped the tears running down her cheeks and pointed again at the coffee table, "And that, may I ask what that is?" Megumi blushed by his intimate gesture and grabbed his hand in return, ignoring the protocol that always kept her at bay with her emotions, "I am sorry I cannot say much Your Highness but—it is still not the time for me to speak."

Mamoru patted her hand and nodded, "I understand, I appreciate what you have told me," he looked at her "I will treasure it forever."

Silence fell in the room and by this point all three were beyond exhausted by everything that happened, Mamoru turned to Usagi and graced her cheek with the back of his hand, "Do you want to stay?"

Usagi smiled, "Can I?" Mamoru chuckled and rubbed his temples with his free hand, "Your question baffles me Usa," he turned to Megumi "I have an extra room where you can stay, besides Usa, you are my only relative."

Megumi blushed and bowed her head in respect "I am most grateful, My Prince." Her words were suddenly interrupted by a loud growl, making all three widen their eyes in shock, Usagi giggled with amazement "Megumi-san, was that you?" Megumi blushed in shamefulness and shook her head, "I-I am so sorry..."

Mamoru chuckled, he just met her and he already felt an endearing feeling for her. He wanted to look out for her and protect her the same way she has been protecting the memory of a Prince she clearly admired. He wondered in all the things she must have gone through all this time, the many days and nights she has spent alone, afraid, without a home and without knowing of his existence.

"I'll order something for us to eat," Usagi grabbed her phone and frowned "Ugh, my battery died." Mamoru took his phone out of his pocket and gave it to Usagi "Use mine, I'm too tired to even attempt to get off this couch to grab the phone."

Megumi looked at the devices with such curiosity and widened her eyes in wonder, "My Prince, what is that you carry?"

Mamoru smiled tiredly and tilted his head, touched by her respectful way to address to him "Megumi, you can call me Mamoru, that is my given name in this era." he chuckled "People will find it very strange if you address to me as Prince. I am not the Prince in Japan,"

"Japan?" Megumi frowned and shook her head, "This is no Elysion?"

Mamoru gave her a sad smiled and shook his head "Elysion is a sacred place that I protect from afar as Endymion. It is now known as a land of dreams."

"A land of dreams... so it no longer exists," Megumi said sadly "It was a beautiful place. The Terran Palace was famous for its gardens and greenery, its great fountains and magical atmosphere."

Usagi looked at them and smiled, "How does some Ramen sound?" Megumi widened her eyes, feeling foreign to the question itself "I—I do not know what that is Your Highness."

Usagi chuckled "Call me Usagi, just like Mamo-chan, that is my name now."

Megumi blushed and lowered her head, "I find it hard to call you differently, it would be as if I am denying who you are."

Mamoru smiled "Alright," he leaned closer to Megumi and grabbed her hands in a brotherly gesture, "You can call me however you like but, when we are with other people you will have to call me Mamoru. Is that alright with you?" The brunette widened her eyes and had to comply. Usagi hung up the phone and handed it back to Mamoru, and turned to Megumi, "Now that you are here, we must consider going out shopping."

Mamoru raised a brow at his fiancé "Wasn't all this ordeal done to keep her safe?"

Usagi frowned "You are not expecting to keep her locked in here forever, right?" she sighed, "She has every right to go out and see how much this planet has changed and let her live a normal life."

Mamoru narrowed his eyes, "You only want a reason to go out."

"Well—this is a good opportunity." the blonde pouted her lips "We can't expect her to wear that and look like that forever, look, maybe it will help to distract the enemy because they won't recognize her."

"Your lover? Yes, maybe." Mamoru rolled his eyes with slight annoyance but Usagi slapped his arm "Don't be silly!" her voice pitch went high, the most obvious hint when she was embarrassed. Mamoru arched his brow, "You have to admit it sounds—"

"What?"

"—Weird. Your, _lover_..." Mamoru couldn't hold it any longer and broke in laughter "It sounds like those cheap novels you find in the international aisle at bookstores. Burning loins and all."

Usagi laughed and shook her head, "Oh my god, I can't believe you."

Megumi chuckled, it was incredible how they remained the same together after all these years. It was a comforting feeling to see that even if she did not get to fulfill the promise she made to him, just by looking at them happy and safe, but there was still something missing, Megumi thought. The closeness lost between them? His loss of memory? No—she answered to herself in her mind. It was something else, something deeper, something that came from within. Then his words when he said somebody was asking him to wake up resonated in her mind, once again. It was true, back then, his energy was different, he was not as passive as the man before her. The truth was always mirrored in his eyes, she widened hers in realization:

 _'His eyes—his eyes are not the same.'_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell, startling all three. "Food is here, finally." Usagi smiled and went to grab her purse "There is money in my wallet, it's on the tray with the keys..." Mamoru said and looked at her "Put your purse away."

Usagi blushed and smiled as she did what was told. Megumi looked at Usagi picking the package delivered to the door and Mamoru walking towards the kitchen "M-My Prince?"

Mamoru turned and looked at Megumi walking towards him, taking him off guard when she grabbed the bowl plates from his hands "Megumi?" he asked puzzled; the brunette looked at him and bowed her head in deep respect "Allow me to be of service."

Mamoru blinked surprised "You don't have to, you are our guest."

Megumi looked at him with a serious stare "Please, Your Highness. Let me be of service."

"Uh—" the insistently called Prince let out a deep breath in defeat and stepped aside, "Alright."

Mamoru could not deny that it made him feel uncomfortable having somebody doing things he could easily do like setting up a table or pouring himself a cup of tea. The idea of this girl serving him was a little too overwhelming but he had to comply, at least for now. Usagi was the first to take a seat around the coffee table, followed by Mamoru who again, was surprised to see Megumi standing close to the kitchen "Megumi-san?" This time, Usagi noticed there was something strange going on, "Megumi-san come, sit with us, your food will get cold."

Megumi shook her head, "I-I cannot do such thing."

The blonde frowned "Why? It's just us."

"I-I am not allowed to eat close to His Highness."

Mamoru closed his eyes in slight exasperation, was he that obnoxious in his previous life? he began to question himself, no wonder why he was so reluctant to the idea of being a Royal again. Usagi glanced at him for a moment and then turned to Megumi again "It's alright Megumi-san. Come sit with us." The answer was a blunt no from the girl, who was still standing behind the kitchen counter. Mamoru put his chopsticks aside and stood up with a bowl in his hand and walked towards the counter, seating in one of the stools, he gave her a determinant look, "If you don't come to eat with me, then I will come and eat with you."

Megumi widened her eyes "Y-Your Highness..."

Mamoru paused and rested his elbows on the counter, the plate was just an adornment to prove a point with her "Megumi," he said in a serious tone, "Back then, you said I was good to you," he furrowed his brows "But, did I ever do something to make you feel inferior?"

"N-No My Prince." Megumi tilted her head down slightly "It is just that I know my place."

"And what place is that?" Mamoru shook his head, not accepting the situation "Do you think I would have told you to eat elsewhere if we were only the three of us say, in a secret place at the Palace?"

Megumi widened her eyes in realization. It was true, in all the many times she was there helping the couple to meet in secret, he never dismissed her with rudeness or treated her unkindly, instead, he was protective and kind towards her and often referred to her as his friend. "No."

Mamoru's face relaxed. Grabbing the bowl, he handed it to her "There is your answer then," Megumi blinked and grabbed the bowl with both hands carefully. "Megumi." He looked at her and shook his head disapproving her recent actions, "Don't ever lower yourself to me— _ever_. You have every right to be here and you are allowed to do anything around us." he arched his brow, "Now, can we go back to the table and have dinner?"

Megumi blushed and slowly nodded, "A-Alright."

Usagi was moved by his words and actions, it was obvious he cared for the girl despite having no recollection of her. Mamoru had a kind heart, a just heart and maybe because he understood the situation she was in. He knew the feeling of being alone in the world, something she didn't experience, ever. She slowly served another bowl of ramen and handed it to him with a smile on her face thinking how it could easily pass another three thousand years and she would fall deeply in love with the man sitting next to her.

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

At the other side of the city, Minako threw her heels across the room and slouched on her bed. Artemis and Luna were still trying to figure the situation while all she wanted to do was sleep. "So then, what will happen now?" Luna asked her, confused and worried.

Minako stayed silent for a minute and opened her blue eyes, "Well, she will stay with him."

"And?"

A little exasperated and overwhelmed, the blonde pushed herself up from the bed with her elbows supporting her weight and turned to both felines "We will just have to wait what happens."

Artemis waved his tail one side to the other, a peculiar characteristic when he was in deep thought "We do not have very much of another choice." he frowned "How did the other girls take it?"

"Well—" Minako exhaled and sat on the bed, facing them "Most of them agreed it was a good idea, but we already know who didn't."

"A little difficult."

"A little?" Minako raised a brow at Luna "It's true, we were kind of hoping that once she met Mamoru-kun, something new would come to light but he doesn't remember her and she fainted, so she was not present during the whole meeting."

"And Usagi-chan?" Luna asked, concerned. Minako tilted her shoulder and pursed her lips "She will stay there tonight, she was okay." sighing, she looked at the ceiling "I know she wants to help, but I also know this is not something she wanted."

"I don't believe any of you wanted it."

"I think it is just the fact of not knowing what the hell is going on." Minako rubbed her eyes, fighting her somnolence and some of her frustration as well "There are too many secrets that are half revealed, just when we think we will get somewhere there is something that blocks us from knowing the whole truth." shaking her head, she brought her knees up and hugged them, "This girl is carrying more things on her back besides that object. No wonder why she can't sleep."

Artemis turned to Luna "I guess all we have to do for now is to leave this to Mamoru and hope he will open the chest of secrets this girl carries with her."

"But—" Luna widened her eyes, "Things will have to continue their course as normal as possible." Artemis interrupted Luna, "They all have business to attend to. Minako is right about something, we do not know the reasons why this man is after her," he turned to the blonde "Right, Mina—" he widened his eyes, surprised to see the blonde deeply asleep on the bed; they were too into their own conversation they did not notice when she slowly cuddled on the bed and fell asleep.

Both cats left the room in silence and went to the living room to continue their conversation. Luna still showed a concern and Artemis noticed right away "Everything will be alright do not fret."

"What if it won't?" The black cat looked at him, "I am scared Artemis, there is nothing worse than a silent enemy because we do not know who that is, what it wants or what is it doing. We barely have any information." she tilted her head low, "I worry about Usagi-chan, she will always be my first concern." closing her eyes, she sighed heavily "Sometimes I feel so useless, being in this form."

"Luna..." Artemis saw her shaking her head repeatedly, "Queen Serenity asked me to look after her..."

"And you have..."

"You needed to be there to understand. Yesterday—" Luna sighed and closed her eyes, "She was unrecognizable. She was broken."

"And today, Minako said she was okay."

"That is the problem Artemis." Luna snapped with anger, her burgundy eyes met his green ones "Everybody thinks she will be okay, but she is vulnerable. That has been her problem all the time. She keeps things to herself and tries to resolve them but she cannot handle everything on her own."

"And what would you do as a human?" Artemis tried to reason with her, making her sigh again "At least, I could hug her. I could comfort her somehow."

"You know there is a reason why we are in this form, Luna." Artemis jumped to the couch and sat while looking out the window, "Queen Serenity granted us the power to become human while we were at the Palace, a place outside Mau we are condemned to be like this."

"You always so regal." Luna muttered with annoyance, "Is that part of being from noble class?"

Artemis widened his eyes and turned to look at her, surprised by her sudden behavior "What do you mean?"

"Being a conformist."

"What?" Artemis frowned, "What are you even talking about?"

Luna exhaled, "You are always so calm and collected, always have an answer for everything, never worry about anything."

Artemis narrowed his green eyes, "You think I do not worry about things?" the white cat moved from his spot close to the window and walked towards her "You think this is something I do not care about?"

"You never show any concern." Luna frowned, slowly letting her own anger and frustration come to surface "Always knowing what to do or what to say."

"Luna, that is how I was taught to address these types of situations." Artemis sat in front of her "Just like you, I was Queen Serenity's advisor, I addressed strained political situations, I had to be under stress all the time. Being all anxious and upset won't solve any problems, just so you know." his frown deepened, "Now, about my background? This has always been a problem for you. Why? I thought we had surpassed this. Why is it relevant all of the sudden? We have gone through so many things since then —why are you bringing this up? Because you think I like to be this way? Because you think I love being in this form? I have news for you dear, I do not." he turned to look away, "Do you think it is easy to be with you and not being able to embrace you? I have waited a long time to be with you and when we are finally together, we are not able to hold hands but we have managed." he stood up and turned on his heel, "We have managed, because that is what people who love each other do." without looking back at her, he stepped down the couch and walked away from her.

"Is that what you think lovers do? To manage things?!"

Artemis stopped "Usagi and Mamoru have—" he turned to look at her "They had to sacrifice everything they had to be together, it has not been easy. We all know that. Even in this era, they are so different from each other. She is a descendant of a divine lineage, he is a mortal and still—they have managed. So if they have had, why can't we? When I see them together, it just fortifies my love for you, because they are proof that love conquers all. We did not die, we did not sacrifice anything, we were given a feline form in order to survive. You say we are different, I just see two lovers trying their best to be apart by invisible walls—and it breaks my heart because there is nothing I would not do for you, to make you happy."

With that, Artemis turned and left Luna behind. The black cat stared into nothingness, processing what Artemis just said. A sting of guilt made her chest feel heavy with regret; against what she wanted to believe, he was right. The issue of being different had been behind them for centuries. Her rebel start at the Moon Palace always put her on edge every time she came to dealing a situation where she did not know how to address it properly. It was a common problem she faced during her first year serving as advisor and assistant to the Queen of the White Kingdom and she always envied Artemis' calm self. Artemis' family was well known in Mau, his father had been an advisor to Royalty, his grandfather had been an advisor to Royalty, his great-grandfather had been an advisor to Royalty in Olympus as well and the list went on. She, on the other side, was a girl who had to make her way to accomplish things. She came from a very modest home, and even her own family was surprised to hear what she wanted to do with her future. If only they could see her now, she thought.

She had broken Artemis's heart, again. She has been broken his heart for years and despite the differences, she points out constantly, he is still there, trying to win her heart. But this time, this time it felt different.

Every time they argued or were not on the same page with something, they would eventually give in and settle it. As advisors, they had also a rough start, she, always trying to prove a point and he always ignoring it by doing his job. It brought so many memories back.

O—o—O

 _Princess Serenity had just taken her oath to be the new Queen of the Moon Kingdom; her mother Queen Selene had just given the announcement of stepping down and allowing her daughter continue with the legacy while she arranged her departure. A new Alliance was in the making and she wanted it to be led by a young Queen, with new ideas and point of view._

 _Luna walked down the long hall towards the Princess' chambers, in her hands, she carried a tray with tea and biscuits when her path was soon interrupted by a man dressed in white. Since she got to the palace, Luna was not very fond of him and constantly found him too presumptuous and arrogant; just like anyone with some level of power or influence would. She knew he was also from Mau and that he came from a good household. His family was well known for being always suitable to serve Royalty and now, it was the young man's follow the tradition._

 _"You got up early," Artemis said, his soft yet authoritative voice welcomed her. Luna stopped in her tracks and tried her best not to show her dislike for him but her attempts were futile and with a sigh, she continued, "What do you want?"_

 _"Just wanted to greet you, and see how you were doing—that is all. Since you came to the Palace your participation with the staff has been—quite remarkable."_

 _"Such as?" Luna frowned._

 _"Your tongue, I would say." Artemis said softly, his face never losing his calm gestures, "You are one passionate Mauian."_

 _"I believe anyone is allowed to have their own opinion on things."_

 _"Yes, yes. I agree. Although, you might just want to hold some information to yourself. Take it as an advice. Your ideas won't work in this era and realm."_

 _Luna stepped back, her frown deepened "What is that supposed to mean? You know what? —Nothing, never mind." She shook her head and continued her way, startling Artemis "What?" Luna stopped and turned "You are exactly as I thought you would be."_

 _"Oh?" Artemis widened his eyes. "You think that you are where you belong, you did not even have to flinch to get an opportunity like this since all of your family has done what you are doing now and it is only natural for you. I, on the other hand, had to make my own way to be here. I worked for it, not just waited until it was my turn."_

 _"There is nothing I can do to make you change your mind then, alright. I will go back to do my duties. I hope you have a lovely day." With that, the white-haired man turned on his heel and left a very anxious and furious Luna behind. She reached for the Princess' chambers, knocked on the door and soon after entered, letting the young Queen know she was there. The new Queen turned to look at her and gave her a warm smile "Oh, you are here early."_

 _"I brought you some breakfast." The dark-haired lady commented, then, cursed under her breath and bowed her head "Your Majesty." For her, it was still quite difficult to remember all the formalities and etiquette rules that she needed to have towards the Royals. The gesture made the young Princess chuckle softly "I know it can be a little overwhelming to remember everything." Luna looked at her with a startled expression, "I beg your pardon?"_

 _The young princess stood up and tied the silk ribbon around her robe and walked towards the table where Luna had put the tray and looked at the small delicacies perfectly arranged on silver plates "It has come to my ears that you have been struggling a little finding your place in the Palace."_

 _Luna blinked surprised, and tilted her head low "I—"_

 _"You must remember Luna, this is not Mau, therefore your duties and obligations are different."_

 _Luna looked up but stayed silent, the young Princess continued, "Your point of view is a little—" she turned and looked at her "Too extravagant for them," she poured herself a cup of tea "I know your thoughts about Royals are a little out there—" she sighed, Luna tightened her lips when she realized what she had done. "But they are not that mistaken."_

 _The mauian girl looked up at the Princess with surprise written all over her face, "Mother thinks you are a little inappropriate, rough around the edges but I find you quite refreshing." Serenity smiled, "Calm down Luna, what is with that face?"_

 _"Y-You are not going to dismiss me?"_

 _"Why would I do that?" the soon to be Queen frowned and took a sip of her tea. Luna tried to come up with a better set of words to excuse her behavior but her mind had gone completely blank. Serenity continued, "I have put great thought into the matter and I have spoken with people of my trust—your roughness is something I need in this new era, I need sincerity which is why I want you to stay with me and take a stand as my advisor when I become Queen."_

 _Luna's burgundy eyes widened "Y-Your Highness?"_

 _"You are rebel enough to make me see things not everybody can see. I do not want things sugar coated, you have a way to speak your mind, and I like that. Deep inside your courageous heart is a very brave girl who wants her voice to be heard. I want to listen to what you have to say and so others as well."_

 _"I-I do not know what to say..."_

 _"Luna," the Princess put her porcelain cup on the little table close to her window and looked at her, her rosy cheeks flushed against the soft warm light from the morning sun, her eyes so gentle and pure of innocence looked at her with grace. "You are meant to do something greater than just bring me my morning tea. I am petrified of becoming Queen of this Kingdom. I hardly even know how to guide an army and political matters, I have had an education but this something completely different—I know people who were born to be leaders, with a strong character and who would do a much better job than I will ever do. The Gods question my mother's decision but she believes in me. The strongest Goddess I know also believes in me and so, I want you to believe in me as well."_

 _"It will be an honor, Your Highness." Luna bowed her head. The Princess smiled and took another sip of her tea "Wonderful. I have to be ready to meet a... suitor, I believe the one coming today is from Andromeda or so that is what mother says. I better start, so this can be over soon. Thank you for the tea, Luna."_

 _"You do not want me to assist you, Your Highness?"_

 _"I will ask Amadis to help me prepare myself for the meeting." Princess Serenity stood up and went to choose a dress for the occasion "Princess—may I ask?"_

 _"What?" Serenity asked, while still looking for a gown._

 _"Who did you speak to, about—me?"_

 _Serenity paused and looked over her shoulder, "Gaia, Goddess of Earth and my dearest friend. I believe you might have seen her coming to visit me very often. She is like a sister to me but also, being a Sailor Senshi makes her good with these things, she has a good eye and she has seen great potential in you. Also, Artemis, the Palace's new political advisor."_

 _Luna widened her eyes "A-Artemis?" the name sunk in her chest like a ton of bricks, she had to admit that it was strange to be even mentioning him, since, she has always had a special idea of him. "Yes." Serenity answered, "He has put his recommendation and thinks highly of you. He believes you are more than suitable for the position and I agree with him. Despite being rather young, he has done very wonderful things with political negotiations lately. I also want him to be part of my advising court."_

 _"Artemis..." Luna muttered surprised, as she left the Princess chambers never imagining the man she thought as uptight, was the same man that was giving her a new opportunity in life._

O—o—O

Luna felt awful, since day one she has been giving the poor man-cat a hard time. And he was right about something, just when they found each other and finally see themselves as a couple, her old habits would come to the surface. She considered going after him and solve things out or wait until morning to ask for his forgiveness. But, to mend a broken heart is going to take a little more than just a plain, 'I am so sorry Artemis...' —she thought.

* * *

 _A/N Latin translation._

 _*I never thought I would be standing in front of you again, my Prince._

 _**Your eyes..._

* * *

 _Liked it? Leave me a comment below and help keep the good vibes flowing!_

 _I do not own Sailor Moon just this plot and some of the characters._


	20. Chapter 20

Divinity: The Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Twenty

* * *

 _A/N Oh my goodness-thank you for all of your reviews! Good vibes surely help in continuing writing more chapters (though, I am ahead of this one)_

 _Thank you SerenityMorrison, kera69love, Guest (s), TropicalRemix, TamoumatheStarWarrior, thank you for the support and for sticking with me and this story. Until next time!_

* * *

Up in the highest level of Tokyo Tower, a man looked out to the city invisible to the people admiring the view, just as he did. His grey eyes studied the city, its colors, sounds, scents and vivacity. For the last couple of days, he has gone there to admire the different scenarios played by the different stages of the sun dancing in the sky. Ares' face was marked by the passage of time, he looked tired, he felt tired and the energy he had to use to be able to cross to the mortal realm also took its toll on him.

He looked in wonder at the planet he once knew as primitive and condemned to its own tragic mortal nature and wondered how many times he came down here to visit the Terran Goddess—his apprentice. A Goddess these people probably didn't even know existed and that later protected them as their Queen. He looked around at the people and the many couples admiring the same view just like him while talking a different language, all smiling and clueless to their true nature. With a sad smile, he hung his head low and closed his eyes "I have to avenge you, my dear. Your legacy must prevail, your dynasty must rise once again—that I wish." Looking up, he remembered the last time he was standing on terran ground. The memory of being against her and threatening her life was still pounding in his chest like if it just happened yesterday.

 _"Get up."_ His own voice echoed in his mind, remembering the moment he vowed to look out for her. _"Get up, this is not what warriors do—we do not know the meaning of weakness."_ His lips curved into a nostalgic smile and closed his eyes.

O—o—O

 _Ares looked at the girl on the floor and frowned "I said—get up." The girl's sobs caught his attention but did not show any signs of sympathy. It was not new to know that the Lord of War wasn't soft and condescending when it came to training his soldiers, "How long are you going to keep whining down there?"_

 _The girl looked up, her green and hazel eyes slowly morphed to a golden color. Her tear streaked face was muddy from all the times she fell to the ground and her blistered hands exposed the intensity of her training. "I see—you are still holding yourself," he muttered._ _"I do not train conformists nor those who hold their true selves within."_

 _"I am not holding anything," she snapped at him and dig her sword on the ground to use it as support to stand up "You just do not see that whatever you are doing is pointless—I am not a conformist."_

 _"Why are you acting like this all out of the sudden?" Ares frowned "Look at me—Gaia,"_

 _"He is going to find his way back," Gaia said between hoarse breaths and looked at him with both fright and anger in her beautiful prismatic eyes, "You think a hole will stop him? —That is only going to make him stronger. You and I both know how strong and vicious he can be—that is the reason why I am here, is it not? Cho was right, you are training me to use me as your weapon for when things get out of your control."_

 _"Why are you saying this to me?" Ares frowned, the young Terran Goddess and Senshi in training, Gaia, looked at him with fearful eyes, "He whispered it in my ear before Hades dragged him to hell."_

 _Ares grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to him, his intense gray eyes looked into her prismatic hazel ones "The reason you are here and he is in hell is because you are stronger than he is. I do not train weakly minded. Do not let him play with your mind and thoughts. It does not suit you—do not forget the lineage in your blood." He leaned for her sword and put it back in her hand, "If you do not ever get to use your power, at least you will know how to get rid of unwanted suitors." The joke behind his always intimidating voice made Gaia snap from her own frustrated thoughts; the God of War turned on his heel and began to walk away to take his place and stand to continue their training._

 _"Are you doing this as a favor to my father?"_ _Ares heard her ask and stopped mid-track and turned to look at her over his shoulder, "Are you?"_

 _Gaia shook her head "No—I want to be stronger and honor my family,"_

 _Ares turned to look at her fully and smirked "Well, there is my answer. Now, on position... first stance, show me what you are made of, Gaia of Terra."_

O—o—O

The cold evening breeze played with his sandy blonde hair, as he looked at the city lights blinking in the distance. Narrowing his eyes, his grip on his sword tightened "It is all a matter of time now," he sighed with a knowing smile on his face, "It is all a matter of time now—Gaia."

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

The next morning, Megumi opened her eyes and took a moment to realize where she was. She felt hazy from her sleep and thought if it was all had been just a dream. Looking at the ceiling in her room, she slowly came back to reality, it had not been a dream. Everything happened. She was there—he was there.

A soft but lingering scent reached her senses, waking her up from her hazy state. She hears soft sounds coming from outside her window and the door of her room. Slowly she sat on the bed and looked around, then proceeded to slowly make her bed thinking how crazy this felt and how surreal it was when it had been so many years without her having a decent bed to sleep on since anything made sense. Megumi opened the door and turned in the direction of Mamoru's bedroom and noticed the door was open enough for her realize he had woken up since his bed was already neatly made.

Megumi closed the door behind her and walked down the short distance between the hallway and the living room and saw the prince in the kitchen dressed in a plain white t-shirt and dark blue jeans. She slowly walked towards the kitchen bar, catching his attention in the process. "Good morning." He smiled. Megumi could not help her cheeks blushing and bowed her head with respect, "Good morning, Your Royal Highness."

Mamoru chuckled and turned to grab the milk jar from the refrigerator "Did you sleep well?" he turned to give a quick glance at her, Megumi nodded "Very well, thank you."

"Good," Mamoru said, still with a warm and friendly smile in his face, "Are you hungry?"

Megumi widened her eyes slightly and nodded, a gesture Mamoru found quite endearing "I can make you something, or having what I am having."

"I can cook you something, Your Highness," Megumi's old maid habits began to resurface as she made her way towards the kitchen but Mamoru shook his head, immediately interrupting her intentions "No, it's fine—you may find this surprising but, I know how to cook." he chuckled playfully surprising Megumi and making her chuckle "You know how to cook, Your Highness?"

"Who would have thought, right?" Mamoru smiled "But, yes. I kind of had to—in order to survive." he looked at her "So then? Do you want something in particular or do you want the same thing I am having?"

"The same thing you are having is fine with me, Your Highness," Megumi still found it difficult to be the one being served by him, instead of her doing it for him, thinking this would be the time she would go to his chambers with his morning dose of caffeine and help him have everything ready for his day. She noticed he looked more relaxed and at ease around her, giving her enough confidence to take a seat at the bar that worked as a counter on its opposite side facing the kitchen where Mamoru was busy having his usual dose of coffee. She looked at him move so casually around the kitchen while he grabbed a couple of plates and mugs from the fancy cupboard and could not help to want to know more about this new life of his; then it hit her—he was alone. Megumi looked around and frowned when she remembered that Usagi had stayed there last night and now she was nowhere to be found, "Is Her Highness will be joining us, My Prince?"

Mamoru turned and put two mugs, two plates, milk and sugar in front of her on the bar and poured freshly brewed coffee on her cup and a warm toasted bagel on her plate, "She had to go home early," he turned to the fridge again to grab cream cheese for the bagels, "She had to take something to her office but she will come by while I am at the hospital." He took a bite of his warm, crispy bagel.

"Hospital?" Megumi blinked, Mamoru nodded "I'm a doctor."

"Oh, you are?" Megumi widened her eyes, the gesture genuinely surprising Mamoru, "Why?" he asked, curious. Encouraged by the kind tone in his voice, Megumi smiled and proceeded to tweak her coffee to perfection, with a teaspoon of sugar and a touch of milk "Back then, His Highness used to be very interested in medicine."

Mamoru widened his eyes "I was?"

Megumi nodded as she stirred a spoon inside the mug, making a soft clicking sound "Yes, His Highness used to have many books about it," she looked at him with slight sadness in her eyes, "You were desperate in finding a cure for Her Majesty the Queen."

Mamoru frowned and rested his arms on the bar, "Her Majesty—my Mother?"

Megumi nodded and took a sip of her coffee, holding the cup with both hands. "It was known around Elysion that Her Majesty had weak health. You spent hours reading all types of medicine books at the library and your chambers whenever you were not working."

"And—did I ever found a cure?"

Megumi gave the Prince a sad smile and shook her head. Mamoru exhaled deeply and went to sit next to her at the bar, bringing his mug with him, feeling more at ease around her and open to talk about it. "I have very few memories from then, I know Helios, I know who I am—it's interesting to know there are things I took with me through time, like my interest in medicine but, essential aspects of my life— _that_ life, are still a mystery somehow." he took a sip of his coffee and took a minute to process and verbalize his emotions, "I see Usa and the girls with their memories back but I never understood why I never did, not entirely, but like I said yesterday, I kind of just—" he pursed his lips in thought, "I focused on the future rather than my past, I figured that if I didn't remember all of it was because it was something not worth knowing anymore." he looked at her and smiled sadly, "But to be honest, knowing that I treated you fairly, makes me feel much better."

Megumi smiled and looked down at her steaming mug, "You were always very kind and respectful to all of us, Your Highness," she turned to look at him with the same warm smile on her face, "You were very much admired and respected throughout the entire Kingdom." Mamoru smiled and patted Megumi's back softly then turned to look over his shoulder at the clock in one of the bookshelves in the living room and widened his deep blue eyes "Oh," he stood up. "I have to go—" his voice showed slight disappointment for having to leave and interrupt their conversation. Megumi widened her eyes and looked at him turn off the coffee machine, "Y-Your Highness?"

Mamoru walked back and put his hands on her shoulders with reassurance, "I won't take long, I just have to go check on a patient and will come straight back. Can I trust that you will be alright for a couple of hours?" Megumi could see specks of that worrisome Prince she knew, always thinking of other's safety before his and blushed, responding with a single nod.

"I promise I won't take long—Usa will be here soon too so you won't be alone for too long," Mamoru pinched her chin in a brotherly fashion and turned to look for his phone. Megumi's blush deepened, "I will be alright, Your Highness."

Mamoru smiled, "Thank you." He went to the sound system next to the t.v. and turned the radio on, surprising Megumi, "H-How did you...?" Mamoru turned and gave her the small remote, "If you don't like what you hear, you can change the stations by pressing this," the girl looked down at her hand with amazement and nodded. How did the sound fit inside a box was beyond her. "I will be out for at least an hour. Don't open the door to _anybody_ , Usa has her own key—most of the time," Mamoru sighed as he made his way to the door and grabbed his keys from the large platter at the foyer, "Please have yourself whatever you want from the fridge, make yourself at home." Mamoru looked at Megumi nodding again, silently admitting he was not comfortable knowing that she would be alone when was being chased by someone but trusted Usagi would get there soon keep her company like she promised countless of times. Still reluctant, Mamoru turned on his heel, grabbed his phone and wallet and walked out the door.

Megumi stared at the door for a minute before looking around the apartment, this time with more detail and feeling more at ease. It felt odd to be on her own in a place where she knew she was safe, a wave of nostalgia washed over her, making her feel like she was in the Palace ready to start another day and allowed her old self slowly come back and feeling like she was in his chambers, ready to tidy things up the way she knew he liked them to be organized.

Wandering on her own, she went to look for something she could use to dust the furniture and walked back down the hall, not really sure what she was doing or why when she saw Mamoru's bedroom door slightly open and felt immediately attracted to go back inside not really knowing what to expect or what to look for, she just wanted to feed the curiosity blooming in her. Pushing the door wide open, Megumi noticed the room had a different feel—she even dared to think it looked different, like a field post-war. She had been there, she was aware of that but maybe, just maybe, she would be able to find something else that could give her a hint or more information about him and his life, something else that could nurture the words he shared to her earlier as she mentally questioned:

 _Did he really not remember?_

 _Did he really lose all attachment to his previous life?_

 _Was him the same Prince Endymion she admired and secretly had an innocent crush on?_

Guilt tried to sneak in into Megumi's mind but curiosity was a much stronger sentiment for her to keep at bay. She sat on the bed and looked at the room, memorizing every little detail in her mind as she breathed in the so musky masculine scent still lingering in the air along with another big question popping in her mind.

 _If he was the rightful Prince of this planet, how come the object she had been carrying around hasn't shown any signs of it? How come she was not summoned to return? Why it took him two thousand years to bring her back?_

 _Was he even the one that brought her back?_

After all, it was his in the first place. Was it? Right? she asked to herself again. She turned around to look at the glass case with the stones inside asking herself why did she have the feeling that he was just a memory of who he was in reality. She turned to what she guessed it was his nightstand and slowly slid the drawer open. With curious eyes, she rummaged through the sticky notes inside with random scribbling, numbers, names and other things she could not understand, already feeling like a thief for invading his always well-kept privacy. The emotional storm happening inside Megumi now took her through frustration by not finding anything that could give her an explanation as to why he was deprived of from knowing what happened in his life or if in fact, he was really him and not just an illusion. She had to admit that she was more frustrated that he did not remember her in the first place rather than hurt, why the Princess could and not him? She wondered slightly annoyed.

 _Why not him?_

Sighing in defeat and in guilt, she closed the drawer and went back to her initial plan—being a maid, again. She walked out of the bedroom and closed the door behind her and walked towards her room with the mission of finding something to use to clean the apartment. She slid the door of her closet open and was met with a very strange and very much intimidating object known as a vacuum cleaner.

Megumi stared at the object with wide eyes and pulled it from its hiding place marveled at its design and wondering what it was; like a kid playing in a store, she grabbed the cable attached and pulled it all out only to regret it minutes later when the dust container soon fell off the machine sprawling its dusty contents all over the girl and the room, making a mess. "Oh..." she mumbled, immediately regretting her curious nature.

A while after, Usagi opened the door to the apartment holding her usual bunch of new magazines under one arm and a small tray with a couple of frappuccinos on the other as was welcomed by the music in the living room thinking cheerfully that she might see him before going to the hospital, "Mamo-chan?" she quickly dropped the question but got no reply "Megumi-san?" she asked and again, no reply. Usagi tossed her keys and things in a hurry with evident worry when she heard strange noises coming from inside the apartment "Hello?" she called, now with a more defiant ton as she walked down the hallway. Turning to the door of what would be Megumi's bedroom she widened her eyes at the sight of Megumi tangled with the vacuum's long and unforgiving cable, covered in dirt and dust "Megumi-san!" she quickly stepped in to help her, "What happened here?!"

Megumi tried her best to free herself from the trap she put on herself and stood up with Usagi's help, "Your Highness..." she bowed her head deeply embarrassed for the mess she had caused. Usagi looked wide-eyed at the room and then at the dirty girl in front of her and tried not to crack a laugh, "What happened? What were you doing?"

The brunette sighed in defeat and looked up at Usagi, still very embarrassed, "I-I... I was just trying to—" she turned to give the vacuum cleaner the deadliest of glares and then at the blonde, "I was trying to clean His Highness' chambers... then this... thing came to life and trapped me in its web and..."

Usagi blinked, then chuckled feeling guilty about it right afterward, thinking it was unfair to laugh when practically everything was new to the girl, "Come, Megumi-san," she grabbed her by her hand and motioned her to the bathroom "Princess?" Megumi blinked with a little worry.

"You are covered in dirt, you must take a shower," Usagi turned to look at her with the determination of a big sister in her icy blue eyes. Megumi saw the princess open the bathroom door and turned the hot water knob to one side, letting the water run from the shower. "B-But..."

Usagi started to prepared a bubble bath and sat on the tub's edge and looked over her shoulder while waiting to level the water, "But?" Usagi quirked a brow "How long it has been since you took a proper shower, hm?"

Megumi shook her head with flushed cheeks, "I-I don't... remember."

Usagi looked at her with more sympathy and gave her a warm smile "Nothing is going to happen to you, this is just a tub and a shower, you'll be fine—come on, I'll help you," she looked around and blinked, "Wait, is Mamo-chan here?"

Megumi shook her head "He left some time ago."

Usagi turned and frowned "Did he say where?"

"Hospital—he is a doctor," Megumi said proudly. Usagi found the gesture endearing and chuckled "Yes, he is a doctor and a very good one I must add." she smiled "Okay, this will work out perfectly because we will have enough time to clean all this mess up before he returns and realizes I didn't clean the vacuum's deposit like I was supposed to... I won't hear the end of it if he finds out I didn't stick to my side of the deal," she looked at the girl in front of her, trying to keep her blush in check when she remembered the truth behind that deal, "Take off your clothes."

Megumi widened her eyes, "Y-Your Highness?"

Usagi touched the water in the tub and poured some salts and lush bombs to make it extra foamy and luxurious. She looked up "Yes?" she realized what she asked and how the girl probably felt, "I'm sorry, you must feel embarrassed by everything but it's okay, I am here to help you—"

"It is not Her Royal Highness' duty to help a maid being washed up." Megumi tried to divert her teary gaze from Usagi but the sweetness in her eyes was too beautiful to ignore. Usagi sighed and shook her head, "Megumi-san, I am just a girl in this world," Usagi tried to lift that heavy burden off her shoulders, the one that obliged her to lower herself before them, "Think of this as a new start—a new life," the blonde smiled, "You are now with us, let us help you. Those times when you had to serve as a maid in a Palace are gone; these are other times, newer times. Think of me as a friend," she nodded reassuringly and extended her hand out for her to grab, "A friend who wants to help another friend."

"Princess..." Megumi breathed with emotion.

"Let's surprise Mamo-chan with a brand-new Megumi," Usagi chuckled, "Come on, I even brought you new clothes for you to try out, it will be fun."

Megumi watched Usagi's welcoming hand and thought about her words; true, everything was new and she had to start seeing things as a new beginning, one where she could easily fall in love with its simplicity and endless wonder.

 _A new start... this is a new life._

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

Across the city, on top of the hill where the Hikawa Shrine stood proudly, Rei was doing her usual priestess chores. With a broom in one hand and some food for her crows on the other, she wiped the small droplets of sweat, trickling down her face. Sighing, she looked at her crows Phobos and Deimos eating peacefully on the ground where she just sprinkled some seeds for them to catch.

She turned to walk back to the shrine's entrance and turned to walk inside the prayer room when something caught her attention, a man, standing in front of the sacred bells looking at them with great interest and evident curiosity.

"They are to bring peace to any troubled soul." she told him softly, the man lowered his head and smiled sadly without parting his gaze from the polished bells, "Troubled souls..." he whispered, surprising the priestess. "Troubled souls easily get corrupted. They need more than just a prayer to find their path towards redemption."

"It depends," Rei said.

"In what?" The man asked, his interest was now captured by the maiden. Rei turned to the bells "Courage. If the person in question has the courage to face whatever troubles its soul, redemption will eventually come along with peace."

"So you believe it is a matter of courage rather than just praying for something they cannot see with their bare eyes."

"Is it a question?" Rei asked, puzzled. The man lowered his head allowing his blonde hair cover his face making it difficult to her to look at him clearly "It was more an affirmation than a question."

"Is there something that is troubling you?"

"Time—time troubles me." he simply answered and shook his head, "But one cannot do anything to control time."

"Time may be uncontrollable but also helps heal deep, old wounds." Rei frowned, "Why do you wish to control time?"

The man finally turned to look at her and gave her the saddest smile she has seen in someone, "So I can make it stop and rewind it to better times. Change things that weren't possible and make them possible, make other decisions—better decisions."

Rei widened her eyes, her stoic face did not express the surprise she felt inside her. The man before her looked no older than a forty-something-year-old, but somehow, she could feel a very different yet strong energy coming from him, a wiser aura; something she would normally sense from an old man, like her grandfather. There were no signs of him being any different from her but there was something she could not describe that caught her full attention or better said, demanded her full attention.

She could not help to feel divided by his words and her own beliefs, it was like he was trying to tell her something and yet, she could not decipher his words or intentions. A familiar and very nostalgic feeling soon took over her making her feel sad. His eyes held so much sentiment, so much regret, his face showed signs of war, of suffering and despair but also, knowledge, much knowledge. There was more he was giving her than she was giving him in return to lighten the heavy burden she obviously knew he was carrying deep inside him.

"Is you soul troubled?" she dared to ask him but there was no verbal response to her question, just a kind smile. Bowing his head low, he turned on his heel and walked away "Not anymore." he said softly as he walked towards the steps to go down the hill.

She looked at his back slowly becoming smaller with every step he took away from her. Strangely, she felt like if he had seen him before and wondered if he was a regular visitor after this being the first time she ever spoke to him, whatever it was and surprising for her, she wished it wasn't the last time.

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

Makoto was finishing cleaning her station, it had finally been the end of her shift for the day and she could not wait any longer to get out of there. Despite mostly ignoring all the weird glances towards her from Suzuki, Haruto, and even Masao the air still held some density too heavy for her to bear. It was not new to her to be misunderstood, she came to terms with that. People often tended to think she was a tough girl with masculine activities to pursue when her dream in life was to be around flowers and good food, was that too much to ask? She thought with annoyance.

As she packed her belongings and grabbed her purse from her locker she noticed Masao was there too but decided to ignore him. She turned on her heel and silence and walked towards the back door when he decided to break the awkward silence between them "You are leaving so soon?"

Makoto turned surprised by the gesture and half smiled, "It's the end of my shift."

"Oh, I thought you were leaving later today," the young sous chef said with slight interest. The brunette shrugged her shoulders and pursed her lips, "Does it really matter at what time I leave? It doesn't make much difference to any of those inside that kitchen if I am there or not."

"I don't..." Masao tried to excuse himself but was soon interrupted by Makoto "Look," she sighed softly, "I am not trying to be rude or anything but, I have to meet a friend—so..." she pointed at the door with her thumb in a casual way and smiled at him, "I'm sorry, I have to go." she turned on her heel not giving the young man any cue to continue with whatever excuse he would come up with and closed the door behind her. Sighing again, she looked down and surfed through her phone's screen looking for a familiar number to dial—she lied—she did not have any plans with anyone but the last thing she wanted to do was to give more reasons for them to question her integrity, to lurk into her life like he owned it. She was tired of that—of giving her heart and attention to the wrong man.

She dialed a number and smiled when it was answered right away "Hey," she greeted "Can I come over?"

O—o—o—o—O

Minako opened the door to her apartment to be greeted by Makoto on the other side "Hey—so glad you came," she said happily and closed the door once the brunette walked in. After taking off her red loafers, she put her bag and purse on the coat rack next to the door and walked into the living room while Minako went to the kitchen to grab a bottle of wine and two glasses and joined her friend on the couch, "Though day huh?"

"When isn't?" Makoto sighed and slouched back on the couch with a frown on her face, "It's wearing me out."

"You should look for something else." Minako mumbled as she poured some chilled rosé on both glasses "Before you become insane,"

"If it only was that easy," Makoto muttered and took a sip of her wine. Minako leaned back with her arm resting on its backrest for support, "It kind of is."

"Haruto could do anything that would eventually harm my reputation—I don't want that, I want my own place," she looked at her friend and shook her head "I work hard for this... I can't throw everything away."

"So, what are you going to do?"

"I am going to keep swimming." Makoto smiled and shook her fist in the air, "I'm a tough girl."

Minako smiled in sympathy "You are softer than you think—than everyone thinks, actually," Makoto chuckled and nodded, "You are the only ones who know me for real," she took another chilly sip of her wine and looked around "Are you alone?"

Minako nodded "Yeah..." she said lazily, "I think—" she paused and bit her lip, "I think Luna and Artemis are mad at each other or something."

"Marital issues?"

"Well, they aren't married—technically," Minako shrugged her shoulders, "But, yeah, something like that."

"Did you hear anything?"

"Artemis was acting strange this morning and didn't even wait for Luna like he usually does. He just went out."

"And Luna?" Makoto asked, looking down the hall hoping the black cat would not be around, like the ninja she always was, "I would only suppose she went back to Usagi's house."

Makoto raised her brows and shook her head in disbelief "I never thought they would be arguing and having problems." Minako chuckled lazily, "I know, but I think it had to do with the whole situation with Megumi-san."

"Are there any news about it?" Makoto frowned "Has Usagi-chan talked to you or something?" Minako sighed and nodded "Nothing much, things are still pretty much the same. Mamoru-kun doesn't remember anything about her, Megumi-san gets scared from time to time. She sent me a text saying she is helping her take a bath. She did mention that she is more open and relaxed and not on that defensive side we saw from her."

Makoto bit her lip "What do you think will happen if Mamoru-kun does not remember anything? Or if... I don't know... if something happens to her."

"Things are very confusing. I hate it when I don't know what's happening..." Minako said absently while looking at her glass of wine, "My mind is hazy, it's funny how I remember seeing her, I remember what happened but I feel that there are things still hidden between each memory. Have you felt that?"

"I know what you mean." Makoto nodded "What is strange is that neither Rei, Mamoru or any of the outer girls can tie the missing loops to this story."

"This whole deal is strange but we have to see the bigger picture," Minako looked at Makoto and smiled "We have to be there for Usagi, she is getting married in two weeks."

"I know, I just bought all the ingredients for the cake a couple of days ago." Makoto smiled "She is going to look so beautiful in her dress... I am also making her a flower bouquet as a surprise."

"Aww, that is so sweet!"

Makoto smiled and looked down at her glass of wine, "Say, Minako chan—what do you think it will happen?"

Minako blinked, taken back by her friend's question. She widened her blue eyes and shrugged her shoulders, not really knowing what to answer, wishing she could help in some sort of form to clear the fear in her friend's eyes, "I—I don't know."

Makoto bit her lip and looked at her "What will happen to us? Does this mean Setsuna's premonition was correct?"

"Setsuna-san's premonition was set to happen years ago." Minako sighed and put her glass on the coffee table, "I stopped paying attention to those words a long time ago."

"Usagi-chan is twenty-four years old..."

"So?" Minako arched her brow "I am twenty-four years old, you are twenty—"

"—Usagi-chan was supposed to become Queen and mother at twenty-two. I stopped thinking about this a long time ago too Mina-chan but I don't know why this has been ringing bells in my mind ever since Megumi-san appeared."

The blonde knew Makoto's point but deep down, she did not want to go there. It was too complicated; their emotions would get tangled up and they would end up hurting and longing for better times. She tried her best to ignore it and make her friend feel better but her actual mood was not helping at all to the situation. "You are just upset because you had a rough day at work, don't overthink this too much." she sighed "I know, and I am very aware of what Setsuna-san said but that time has passed. I don't—"

"Then why do you think this girl appeared?" Makoto frowned, still trying to tie any loopholes to this messy situation. "Maybe because she had to," Minako said nonchalantly "Because, in some way, she is Mamoru-kun's relative. He is getting married and bam! She magically appears—"

Makoto sighed, interrupting her friend's logical approach "You are just trying to make me feel better,"

"Well, duh," Minako threw her hands up in the air and on a more serious note, she sighed "Look, Mako-chan—nothing good will come if we stay wondering what is going to happen. We have enough on our plates, we have very demanding jobs and we are trying to pursue our dreams, let's just leave it like that... for now." she gave her friend a smile, one Makoto knew she was masking very well from her own sadness and worry "We need to be there for her, no matter what."

Makoto returned the same smile and nodded "I know and we will. You're right—bigger picture—bigger picture." she sighed "I have my dress ready, by the way..."

"That's more like it," Minako smiled and looked at the magazines on her coffee table, she leaned forward to grab one and surfed through the pages of a thick magazine and pointed at one of the models with a smile, "Look, what do you think of this hairdo? I am thinking about doing it on myself..."

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

Mamoru entered the hospital and put on his white coat right away as he made his way to the nurse's station and grabbed the binder with a report on his patient and began reading his progress quickly "Wow, I did not expect to see you here _this_ soon!" Mamoru looked up at a very surprised Motoki and chuckled before looking down again at the papers in his hands "How is he doing?" he asked softly. Motoki sighed, "We did remove most of the contaminated tissue in his colon but the real battle begins after he recovers from this."

"Quimo." Mamoru commented, making his friend nod "Quimo, that's correct. He will be starting in the next couple of weeks. I need his defenses strong so he can put up a good fight—I trust your best judgment in deciding what is the best treatment for him,"

Mamoru nodded "Is his wife here right now?"

Motoki crossed his arms, "I already spoke to her and explained what needs to be done. I know I could have spoken to you about this over the phone but—"

"I know." Mamoru smiled while looking down at the papers again "He is still under my observation and care. I ran the tests, he is my responsibility until he's free of cancer."

"Chiba-san!" A nurse called him with surprise, her big brown eyes showed concern and also some sort of relief "I am so glad you are here!" she exclaimed. Mamoru blinked, trying to suppress his own amusement and frowned "Seta-san?"

"I wonder if anyone is glad to see _me_." Motoki muttered sarcastically at the scene happening in front of him. The nurse took deep breaths and then continued, "I need your assistance down at E.R. there is something wrong with a patient but nobody seems to find the cause of his disease or what kind of disease he has... it's serious, _very_ serious."

"And you are asking Chiba-san—why exactly?" Motoki quirked his brow; Mamoru sweatdropped, the usual comical Motoki tried to lighten the mood even when it was obviously a serious matter, or so it seemed to be. "Chiba-san is an Internist—maybe he can find what we're missing," The nurse responded, part hurried, part annoyed. Mamoru sighed, giving Motoki the opportunity to take advantage of the situation and chuckle a little more, "Chiba-san has sub-specializations... you just demeaned his position in this hospital by 50%"

"Motoki..." Mamoru turned to him with a warning glare while shaking his head.

The blonde doctor was known to be funny and often a tease, but it was that same playful attitude that often led to being misunderstood and making him look like a jerk most of the time. Mamoru knew the level of his skill, he mastered the art of sarcasm way faster than he did but unlike him, Motoki did keep some of the charms Mamoru was aware he had lost with time, turning him more somber than his lit and cheerful friend—that's the secret to his mysterious vibe—he thought constantly. Some nurses learned to crack his codes and find him funny, others just laughed it off without really understanding because, in the end, he did no harm, he was just too playful but this time and with this case, in particular, the nurse was not having it, it was obvious there was more to the joke and now it was backfiring at Motoki.

"Where is he now?" Mamoru asked, trying to divert the attention back to the topic at hand, hoping to diminish the tension falling over them. The nurse sighed and pointed the elevator "He is still on E.R. but the interns have already checked everything and they can't seem to find anything wrong with him—but still, his face..." she trailed off, with a horrified look on her face. Mamoru frowned and gave his binder back to Motoki, "I will come back after I go and see this patient. Are you going to be here?"

"I am a Specialized Surgeon, Mamoru. Unlike you, I don't have a schedule like yours..."

Mamoru sighed, letting the comment pass him by "Um, sorry?"

"Go, go—I'll catch with you later." Motoki waved his hand dismissively, he knew well how to play with Mamoru's sarcasm and watched both doctor and nurse take the elevator down to E.R. As they waited to be taken to the floor, Mamoru turned to the middle-aged woman probably in her mid 40's was fidgeting like a child waiting to leave school on a Friday afternoon and noticed she was still dealing with the discomfort she went through minutes ago. Mamoru felt the need to lighten his friend's reputation once again and do some damage control, once again. "Seta-san, about what happened..."

"Dr. Chiba, you don't need to defend him. I know Furuhata-san is—well, like _that_."

Mamoru sighed, thinking to himself there was no way to recover from the blow this time, but his thoughts were soon interrupted by the nurse's apologetic stare "What?" he simply asked.

"I didn't mean to diminish your position in this hospital, Dr. Chiba,"

"You didn't," Mamoru said in a more reassuring tone, "I know what my job is, I know what I have to do and as long I can help people I don't mind being confused for something else. It's okay—it's not the end of the world."

"You really are something Chiba-san." The nurse said with a tone of amusement. She has heard the many stories about the young doctor and she has seen him work. That is why of all the internists in the hospital she went looking for him the second she heard he was in the building on a day he usually takes off. He was _that_ good.

The elevator doors opened and quickly walked towards the cubicle where the mysterious patient laid on a hospital gurney attached to many wires that monitored his vital signs. As they came closer she began giving Mamoru all the information available at this point, "Sato Takashi—58 years old. He was brought here already in a crisis, almost unresponsive. He was having seizures and coughing blood according to one witness—he was at a Park near Azabu when he was found and was sent here but by the time he arrived he was already on the verge of a cardiac arrest." The nurse said as Mamoru took a quick look at his chart in silence, then at the monitor "His blood pressure?" he asked quickly.

"180/97" another nurse that was already assisting the patient answered. "He was barely awake when he was brought in but after we started checking his vitals he fainted and has been unconscious ever since."

"Where are his blood tests results?" Mamoru looked at another reading from the monitor and grabbed the chart with the information requested, "Any records of cardiac disease on him?"

"No," the younger nurse answered. Mamoru tried to tie mental knots as he continued asking basic questions so he could eventually be led to a common pattern that would take him to a proper treatment but the information he was given was off and unpredictable "Any record of diabetes?"

"No *Ishi-san" Seta Ikumi, the nurse that took him there to analyze the patient spoke again, "We checked everything but there is nothing that could give us a hint as to why he's in this catatonic state."

Mamoru proceeded to check on the patient, "His pupils are dilated, his mouth and throat are dry." he muttered to himself as he continued doing mental notes for quick reference. He looked down at his hands, studied his nails when suddenly the man opened his eyes and grabbed on Mamoru's wrist with impressive force, taking everyone by surprise "Vos omnes ad mortem..." he mumbled with a creepy tone in his voice. It sounded like if it wasn't his and more like if he was being possessed by something, it was unnatural. Mamoru immediately noticed his unnatural movements and frowned, "What?"

The man looked at him with obvious pain; his eyes were turning red from his blood, indicating his body was collapsing from within, "He's having internal bleeding!" he informed with urgency to the nurses before taking a needle from the tray and a stabilizing serum to inject the man, "Vos omnes ad mortem..." The man continued repeating, Mamoru's frown deepened with frustration, "What are you saying?!"

The man turned to look at him and smirked, no longer looking human, "Et circa hoc nihil potestis facere." his eyes widened and gave in to whatever was devouring him inside, crashing all his vitals after a loud growl echoed from within. Everyone in the room was left in shock staring at the man lying dead in front of them.

"He is..." the young nurse stuttered with a pale face, "H-He..." the sound of her hitting the ground pulled everyone from their shock; Mamoru turned and carried her to another gurney and turned to another nurse "She fainted. Look after her," he turned his full attention back to the man who, by now had a very distressed and deformed expression on his face, one that clearly was causing panic among the medical staff. "Take everyone out of here," Mamoru turned to a young doctor who quickly recognized was Satomura Akashi, who just like the rest of the current present staff had a face of horror on his face, "Dr. Chiba—what..."

"Take everyone out of this area, _now!_ " Mamoru frowned and turned to the man on the gurney while waiting to be alone with the corpse. His shock was evident; in all his time studying medicine he never came across a case like this one. All his vitals were unpredictable, strange, "Unnatural..." he muttered as he removed all the wiring taped to his chest, nothing made sense and he could not do anything to save him. He exhaled with heaviness and proceeded to check the man once again and frowned when he looked into the man's skin and noticed it was starting to take a waxy feeling to the touch, he looked into the man's eyes and saw them vacant and... "Black?" his frown deepened as he moved closer to keep study the corpse.

Mamoru pulled back and made sure nobody was there to see what he was about to do and put his hand on the dead man's exposed chest and closed his eyes and summoned his power to try and decipher what just happened. A series of events flashed through his mind, like a film. He could see the older man eating breakfast, walking down the street, running errands before everything started to become a blur. After that, that same voice that came through him made him stop and step away from the corpse.

"Vos omnes ad mortem" he muttered, "Et circa hoc nihil potestis facere." Mamoru narrowed his deep blue his eyes in thought "What does it mean?"

Soon later, he took every sample he could and sent it to the laboratory. Blood, saliva, skin, nails, hair and everything in between and stayed to clean the blood from the corpses' body and prepared it to make it look less disturbing than he already was. Mamoru walked out of the cubicle and looked at the older nurse with the most serious look on his face, "He is ready to be taken to the morgue."

"W-What happened in there, Chiba-san?" The nurse finally dared to ask, giving Mamoru little to no time to come up with a good answer "I-I don't..." he trailed off and shook his head, still confused "His body just—it collapsed. Everything in him failed."

"He was chanting those weird words since he got here." Another nurse jumped into the conversation, startling Mamoru "Did he say anything else?" The young nurse shook her head, still horrified by the man's distressed face "He just kept repeating it like if he was mocking us, he was laughing at times... it was so creepy,"

"Does he have a family?" Mamoru asked the nurses, one of them shook her head "No, he was a widow."

"He must have relatives, a mother or father? A brother, perhaps?" he asked, again, and hoping to get an answer that could lead him to investigate more on the matter. Something that could explain what just happened.

"We are looking into it, in the meantime, he will be taken to the morgue. We will have to follow the usual protocol and inform the police about this so they can help us find his family—" The nurse added. Mamoru nodded and exhaled, it didn't matter how many times he did it, he could not calm himself. His chest felt heavy because he knew what it was and he couldn't do anything to save the man's life. Mamoru walked out of E.R. to the nurse's station and began writing a medical record and causes of death of the patient in silence and slowly re-played the previous events in his mind.

After signing the medical death certificate, he walked back to the elevator to take him to the fifth floor again and closed his eyes as he leaned his head back while waiting in silence for the doors to open again. Motoki was there talking to a nurse at the station while he filled a report on a patient he just visited clearly unaware of what happened, he smiled "Well, look who's back. That was fast, did you work your magic on the patient?"

Mamoru gave Motoki a serious glare, his face showed a very gloom and somber expression "He died."

Motoki frowned, the tone in Mamoru's voice was uncharacteristically cold and distant. They both have had experienced bad situations and both have witnessed death at first hand and true, it's difficult, but they manage to deal with it in their own way but this time it was something different. Mamoru was acting different, he was greatly affected by whatever happened down there. "Come, I'll buy you a cup of coffee," he turned to the nurse at the station and gave her the binder he had minutes ago "I will see you later to check the patient status."

Both doctors walked silently towards the cafeteria, after buying both coffees Motoki followed Mamoru to a secluded area in the back and sat across from him on the small table. He took a sip on his hot beverage and looked at his silent and still very disturbed friend, "What happened?" he asked in a more serious tone this time. Mamoru looked down at his coffee for a moment and then looked at his friend with a lost stare, "I don't know," the ambiguous answer made Motoki frown with concern, "What do you mean you don't know?"

"I don't—" Mamoru frowned as he tried to revive the events in his mind all over again "E.R. took him in the middle of a crisis. As soon as I got there I started looking for something the interns and doctors could be missing but—" he shook his head, still confused by everything "Everything was off. Nothing made sense—he had no reason to be in the sate he was, he was healthy yet—he was dying in the worst way a human being could possibly die—if that makes any sense."

"What do you mean?" Motoki frowned and took another gulp of his coffee. Mamoru rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly, "He was a 58-year-old male with no available records present, unresponsive, with no heart condition registered, the electro was normal but had sustained ventricular tachycardia, no diabetes but his Glucose was at 1500—and the list goes on." Motoki's frown deepened but before he could ask something else, Mamoru sighed "His body ended up collapsing. The blood vessels in his body gave in, he began bleeding from his ears, eyes, from his mouth and... everything in between, his veins exploded—it was a mess—it was horrible. One of the nurses couldn't take it and she fainted, while everyone else stood there in shock—including me."

"But—" Motoki shook his head, "Was there any heart failure? Any heart disease background?"

"Nothing, nothing." Mamoru closed his eyes and finally took a sip of his coffee, allowing the hot liquid slowly comfort his shaken mental state, "The mystery itself is what shook us all, I took samples of everything I could and sent them to the lab for further examination."

"Keep me informed—this is too strange, it makes no sense..." Motoki sighed, "I'm so sorry Mamoru, I know it's always hard when you see a patient pass away and more if this person was suffering and such complicated as this."

Mamoru pursed his lips and nodded "Exactly like that," he looked at his friend and took a deep breath "I will go check on Furikawa—" his blue eyes widened when he saw Motoki grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back in his seat "What are you doing?" he asked, confused. Motoki finished his coffee and looked at him "Go home."

"I have to—"

"Go. Home." Motoki repeated in a more authoritative tone, "I'll take care,"

Mamoru blinked "But—"

"If something comes up, I'll call you." Motoki let go of his arm, "Besides, you are working extra hours—this is not your regular schedule. Usagi-chan must be waiting for you at home." Mamoru looked down and closed his eyes, "She understands."

"She may understand, but isn't she a good reason why you took this branch in medicine? So you two could have time together?" Motoki crossed his arms, "All the sacrifices you made and decisions you took were in order to benefit you two in the future,"

Mamoru sighed "She is the reason for every decision I have made since I found her and no, I am not complaining."

"Well then, go home. Do wedding stuff—I don't know, go have some cake samples, a drink—whatever—just _don't_ be here." Motoki cleared his throat and looked at him "Mamoru, _go_."

Mamoru looked up, silently thanking his friend for the gesture. With a nod, he followed Motoki's suggestion and walked out of the cafeteria with the blonde doctor following behind. He later turned to the opposite side of the hallway to go and check the Furikawa before leaving, against Motoki's petition. "Hey." A soft voice caught him off guard, making him turn, his lips curved into a faint smile, "Ami." he greeted halfheartedly. Ami walked towards him and flashed him her usual friendly smile, "This is new... what are you doing here on a Saturday? Is everything alright?"

Mamoru inhaled deeply and shrugged his shoulders, not really knowing what kind of answer he should give her, taking the bluenette by surprise "What happened?" her face quickly changed to one of worry, once she noticed there was something wrong with him.

"A patient died on me—just a while ago."

"I heard." she said softly, Mamoru then remembered who might have been the source of information, "Ah yes, Satomura-san, of course."

"I asked you because you don't normally come on a Saturday—unless is very, _very_ urgent and important. Where you called on the case?" Ami asked with honest interest and concern, Mamoru exhaled deeply again and tilted his head, pointing to one of the clinic offices at the end of the hallway "Come with me."

Both doctors walked in silence until they entered one of the rooms, Mamoru closed the door behind him and leaned back, "Something was not right about that man." Ami frowned and sat on a chair, in front of a desk "What do you mean?"

"I just saw Motoki and explained what happened in medical terms, but to you, I can tell _you_ what exactly happened." Mamoru frowned and crossed his arms, "Medically and to sum up, his body gave in, his veins literally collapsed and bled himself to death," Ami widened her eyes and gasped, "What?!"

Mamoru nodded "I took samples of everything. I will study them once I get the results _but_ , that man was not human."

"What?" Ami's blue eyes widened in horror "Are you saying he was some sort of youma?"

Mamoru shook his head, "It was something else, it was not an actual monster, but, there was something that possessed this man. I didn't see it, but, I heard it—talking to me."

Ami found this appalling, a man possessed by a strange creature until it literally devoured its host, causing it to explode to its dead. "What did..." she trailed off, Mamoru frowned and shook his head "He spoke in another tongue, ancient tongue. I can't—" he looked away and sighed heavily, "It frustrates me because I have heard that language before and yet I can't understand anything." he looked at her, "It was mocking us, it was mocking _me_." he closed his eyes for a moment "He smiled, the creepiest smile you could ever imagine." he opened his eyes and looked at his friend "It was unnatural—inhuman."

"This has to be the enemy, the ones after Megumi-san," Ami frowned "There is no other explanation."

"There hasn't been any other case like this," Mamoru felt his chest tighten, "This will cause a commotion, I must handle this as silently and smart as possible—what?" Mamoru noticed a sudden change in Ami's expression "But it has..." she looked at him and nodded, "It has happened before..."

"When?"

"When Megumi-san was found," Ami said softly, surprising Mamoru "What?"

Ami nodded "I remember Haruka-san saying something of being chased by possessed people..." she looked at him in horror "The enemy might be making its way to this planet by using people as hosts."

"That might explain the blackout—" Mamoru mumbled with a frown, "—And Rei-chan's visions..." Ami ended his sentence, "What should we do Mamoru-kun?"

Mamoru sighed and sat on a chair next to her and rubbed his chin in thought, "We don't know who is going to be possessed next until it happens. We don't know who or what this enemy is, I don't get any visions about it, I don't hear or feel anything rather than exhaustion. We must be on guard because if this is indeed the enemy it will happen again and it will happen soon."

"We need to tell the girls."

"We need to be sure about this and confirm if the same happened when Megumi was found by Haruka and company."

"And Usagi-chan?" the tone in Ami's question gave Mamoru the hint of what she meant; with the wedding coming in a couple of weeks it was something that could totally devastate Usagi. He admitted it and frustrated him as well, he hated things this complicated and dangerous would happen at this particular time when he was about to marry the Lunar Princess and sighed heavily. He turned to his friend and shook his head, thinking how it was like if destiny knew something he did not and just wanted to keep them apart. The fates could be funny like that—know he knew.

"I will talk to her,"

* * *

 _Liked it? Leave a comment below and help keep the good vibes flowing!_

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

* * *

 _Glossary for reference:_

 _*Ishi-san: Doctor (Japanese)_

 _*Youma: Monster_

 _**Vos omnes ad mortem: You all are going to die_

 _***Et circa hoc nihil potestis facere: And there is nothing you can do about it._


	21. Chapter 21

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Twenty one

 _A/N This past week was a very difficult one, I am sorry for the delay. Thank you to those who have shown your support with the last chapter, I hope you enjoy this one. Thank you._

* * *

Athamas walked with proud towards the golden gates that allowed him to cross to Olympus' grounds. The former General stepped inside the main court of a place he never imagined would ever cross by himself and without the permission of any God and he had to admit how much he enjoyed it. Up until now, his existence had been a mystery to everyone since the Silver Millennium's fall, nobody heard or seen him after the attack, completely forgetting that the once General ever existed and once served the Goddess of the Moon as Commander.

"What is your business in this place?"

Athamas did not even turn to look at the guards who knew where pointing their deadly spears at him "I'm here to speak to the... Gods." he mumbled with his eyes fixed on the Palace where he knew the Lord of Thunder resided and arranged all meetings along the other High Gods.

Since he was very young, he heard many stories about these holy grounds; he knew myths and legends both good and bad have walked inside that palace's walls and now, he was part of that history. His story did not start when he arrived, but since he miraculously managed to escape the Underworld in one piece.

As an Andromedian and one with more strength than the average soldier, he had the ability to cross realms. It looked like a dream, or more like a nightmare as his body began taking accountant of his sudden trips throughout the realm of darkness and felt a strong painful tug in his chest, making him flinch and go on his knees as if he was trying to prevent his body from exploding. His eyes felt the sting of opening them to the clear light when they have been accustomed for too long in the dark and shut them tight for a minute while trying to adjust to this new raging force and energy growing inside of him.

After being disqualified as Commander and exiled from his native land in Andromeda, he had no other option but to roam and hold a grudge to the memories that haunted his exhausted mind. He looked at his hands and frowned, knowing how he was once able to touch and feel the lunar princess that was now gone. That same woman that pushed his sanity to its maximum level and made him desire nothing more than to make her his. He lived in solitude, feeding his spirit with hatred, what ifs and tainted memories for so many years he had lost count. It was then when something in him, something he could not describe took over him completely.

Since he walked out alive from the Gates of Hell, he came out different, since he set foot at the Moon Palace, he felt different. There was a time when he felt things were simpler, when he did feel proud to be a strong soldier for the Andromedian army but having his family against it and his lover at that time against it due to the excessive amount of time spent in training and sacrifices needed to become an actual soldier was something he thought he deserved and it was that what started to nurture his deepest desires, an ambition not even he knew he had. Athamas felt he deserved to be better, he felt he deserved to become somebody other than just a pawn or servant. He wanted to be better and to achieve it he did whatever he had to do to become the highest rank a warrior could ever achieve in Andromeda despite stepping on others good intentions and ego to get ahead of the game. The moment he stepped foot into the Lunar Palace, he savored the results of his long, hard work and the minute he laid eyes on the Lunar Princess, his life changed, igniting raw desire and lust for her and unceasing need to keep her close and own her. He wanted it all, but his plans were always clouded by the famous myth of the demigod.

His green eyes slowly turned dark and finally turned his attention to the guard pointing his sharp spear at his face "Put it down." he warned the guard, the low calculating tone made the guard to obediently step back with a shocked look on his face, immediately sensing there was something odd about the man. Another guard came close, completely ignoring what just happened and mimicked his comrade's tactics "No simple being can order an audience with the High Gods—if your presence has not been required, you better turn around and leave before we annihilate you."

A heavy chuckle escaped Athamas with pleasure and raised his hand at the guards crowding him with their weapons, "I am no pawn, nor simple being—you pitiful creatures." he widened his eyes, exposing the deadly energy nesting inside them, it was a strange face, a very creepy face. His pupils were gone and all you could see in those eyes was pitch darkness full of eerie, dark magic. The guards started to panic the minute they realized they were unable to move their bodies no matter how much they tried to break free from whatever was pinning them down. They felt their flesh began to melt like wax, making them howl in horror and pain until they were left like shells of their bodies now standing like living corpses, "Open the gates," Athamas commanded with disinterest for the dead soldiers. Turning to his command they opened the doors with one of them guiding his way to the main court and up to the conference room to cast an audience with the gods.

The blonde general smiled as he walked down the long, pristine white and gold hallways and scoffed with bitterness, "Always so well lit. How ridicule."

O—o—O

Zeus exhaled with frustration and turned to face Poseidon, Ares, Hades and Apollo, who were gathered in an urgent audience to discuss the many strange events happening around Olympus' territory and its alliance with other realms in the universe. Ares had presented the extensive report of the many deaths happened over the years under unexplainable reasons, not even something Hades could put his finger on and determine the causes.

"I have taken every measure needed, in every realm in every river," The God of the Underworld muttered in his usual unexpressive low voice and turned his dark eyes to Ares who was still reading the reports in his hands. Hades sighed, he was growing extremely tired of the meeting that did not seem to end any time soon. He was not a God who enjoyed to be away for too long, considering that despite having many guardians and spirits around the underworld to protect it, he is still the one in charge and his presence is always required when a soul was to be judged and needed to be taken to one of the its valleys. He shook his head, showing his annoyance "This has lost our control, we need to take higher risks—higher measures." His beautiful grey eyes darkened, "You are causing panic among the other gods in Olympus, Ares." Hades' frown deepened "I had met with at least fifty beings at Titan's Castle in the past week asking me if somebody is going to die each day—leaving the Underworld for such pitiful excuses are not part of my jurisdiction."

"Gods and soldiers are dying every day, this is not a pitiful excuse to bring you here," Ares frowned at his older brother. Their relationship has always been competitive, they both had similar jurisdictions but Ares had the rank to do the dirty work Hades just did without any explanation with the flick of his hand, unlike the majority thought, Hades was not a God who liked to get his hands dirty and he tried to avoid step into massacres as much as he could. It was ironic how the beautiful and intimidating God of the Dead was a very graceful and elegant man and not a beast who enjoyed to massacre and torture spirits, that was the spirits and dark gods were for.

Ares' patience grew tired over the years since the fall of the Silver Millennium, his actions and decisions were now constantly questioned and argued by the other Gods and sometimes discarded as rubbish or unrealistic but the current situation was alarming, he was more than certain that something was coming and it was up to him to prevent it if his brothers and allies were not listening, for the sake of those he held dear, for the sake of his daughter.

"What you are suggesting is not viable," Hades' eyes narrowed "What you want is not viable! If you seek for my approval, from now on I tell you that you will not have it—not now, not ever."

"You are witness of how things are getting worse, Hades," Ares defied his brother "I must gather all soldiers to strengthen the barrier around Olympus and every kingdom in this Universe. This is something I can no longer achieve by myself."

"You are a Polemarchos, you should have the ability to do so," Hades scoffed at the Lord of War "This is your jurisdiction, but since you decided to train Gaia, your mind has been elsewhere but were it should."

"This is not the time to reminiscence," Zeus interrupted and looked down at the parchment in his hands with frustration. "We are under a crisis."

"I have put my strategy on your table for many years," Ares's voice was charged with annoyance. Hades turned to look at him still with his well-known cynical face "And it will continue to be ignored until you come up with a better plan—what you are suggesting is madness,"

"A better plan?" Ares raised his voice with disbelief, "A better plan?! _This_ is our better plan Hades!"

"What you are suggesting is to bring a demon to aid us!" Hades raised his but with anger towards his brother. Apollo shook his head "Why do you defend such creature, Ares? You know this could be the fall of Olympus and you are charging this situation with more problems than solutions—allying with them is madness."

"I stand by Hades and Apollo point of view on this matter," Poseidon joined the discussion "We have been dealing with this for over a—" the lord of the sea was interrupted by the doors opening wide, allowing the Andromedian General walk casually into the room without any announcement or invitation, "Good evening, High Gods."

Ares' grey eyes widened when he saw the man " _You._ " The defiant tone in his voice surprised the other gods "Who is this and why is he interrupting this meeting with such casualty?!" Zeus exclaimed with indignation. Hades frowned and looked around to call for the guards, Athamas noticed and chuckled "My, my—you will not be able to call anyone to your rescue, you see..." Athamas smirked and waved his hand, "They all went to sleep."

"Who are you?!" Zeus asked demanded an answer.

"My identity should not be a matter of discussion, I am me—sometimes I am somebody else." Athamas walked around the large room and turned to look at the gods and smirked again "Your biggest fear..."

Zeus drew his lighting sword and pointed it at the General without any hesitation, "I command you to explain this nonsense of yours, I demand to know who the hell you are! This is my Palace, my realm!"

" _Your_ realm?" Athamas chuckled and clicked his tongue "Oh, times have not changed, you still live by that stupid ideology of yours," he arched his brow "But I am not here to give you any explanations you egotistical, voyeuristic _God_."

Zeus growled in anger and blasted a shot of energy at the man in front of him but his attack was blocked by an armor of dark magic, protecting Athamas "It is pointless."

Hades' frowned and extended his arm to summon for his weapon while looking at this man with careful detail and noticed something familiar in his presence, in the way he spoke and the way he moved. Ares noticed it too, confirming his deepest fears. Athamas turned to Ares and tilted his head in amusement "Oh, _you_ are here!" he chuckled sarcastically, "I thought you were out there you know, scouting."

"What do you want?" Ares growled with anger. The question triggered Athamas' patience and frowned, all sarcasm and joking put aside "What it is rightfully mine,"

"It is not yours," Ares took a step forward, challenging the General "It was never yours. You went as far as betraying your own kind—you are nothing but a worn-out memory."

Athamas raised a brow and narrowed his eyes, "Do not speak of betrayals with such casualty, Ares, because you are not too far behind me," he smiled "I know where _she_ is—I know where _it_ is,"

"WHY IS NOBODY ATTACKING THIS INTRUDER!?" Poseidon exclaimed with anger as he drew out his trident and pointed it at Athamas, but just as Ares was containing himself from slaying the man before them, Hades did it too, now knowing the reasons to his hesitation. Without looking at the God of Sea, Hades' hand rested on his triden and pushed it down, "You cannot attack this man, not now."

"WHY NOT?!" Poseidon widened his eyes, Hades turned with a warning glare, "Because if you do, you will be killing us all. The creature before us is a ticking bomb,"

"Interesting choice of words, Lord of the Underworld." Athamas snickered, "But I am not here to chat and catch up with all of your pointless adventures. I knew this would eventually happen." tilting his head low, he stared at the five Gods staring back at him angry and impotent, "No matter what you do, no matter what you try—this is not a war to be won by you—feral Gods. You have had enough false glory—it is disgusting, it is enough." Athamas' eyes narrowed, "You have always had fear despite of what you did and that is what has been feeding me all this time." he quirked his brow again as he turned to leave "I see you have not done anything new to this place—how boring." he waved his hand dismissively, "You can now play with your toys, I will leave you to it."

Zeus growled and ran after the man, but before he could hit him he disappeared into thin air. The thunder attack from the God never reached its prey, dissolving in a matter of seconds before his eyes. Wide eyed, he noticed there were no guards to be seen around the palace and realized the truth behind the Andromedian's words "W-Where..." he mumbled, his mind was still jammed with anger.

Ares put his sword back into its sheath "He is gathering an army," he turned to the Lord of Thunder "And he will not stop until he gets what he wants."

"Who was this man?!" Apollo questioned indignant, Hades frowned and shook his head "It cannot be,"

"What?!" Poseidon asked, Ares turned to look at him "This is what I have been trying to warn you for many year," He turned to Hades "He has been behind this all since the very beginning."

"The seal is not broken—you saw it with your own eyes!" Hades lost his usual composure "Tartarus is sealed deep in the Underworld! It's guarded at all times! This cannot be!"

"The man you saw here was Athamas, a soldier from Andromeda who was later chosen by Queen Serenity to be in charge of the Lunarian Army as its Commander. He was once engaged to her daughter, Serenity, but was later discovered to be abusing of his position and power to feed his own ambitious plans." Ares took a deep breath and shook his head, "But the one speaking to us was somebody else—that was _not_ the Andromedian,"

"What do you mean?!" Apollo asked perplexed, "Are you suggesting he was possessed?!"

"Exactly that Apollo—he _is_ corrupted, he is being the host of something malicious," Ares nodded "I have confronted him in the past and there is no question about it. The Andromedian General I knew, did not have this kind of power."

"Are you saying this man survived the fall of the Lunar Kingdom?" Zeus asked confused. Ares nodded again "Somehow, he did and he escaped with his help I supposed, but now... this is becoming more dangerous, this is far worse than dark shadows covering the Sun. This time, he _is_ the shadow of the Sun." Poseidon widened his eyes "By him—are you saying..."

"Yes, Poseidon." Ares nodded "The one who has been causing disturbances has been no other but _him_."

"That cannot be right," Hades shook his head "That creature was sealed!"

"I cannot explain how, but I have been keeping a close eye on the blue planet. The Senshi have fought evil forces for years now..." Ares turned to Zeus "I know you have read the reports, each and every one. This is not new to any of you—" he turned to Hades, "Your daughter has even been summoned to use her power..."

"But how do you know it is related to him?!" Hades raised his voice, his own frustration finally showing. Ares frowned "Because the same people are involved. Because, Hades, every evil being has been after the same thing—to take over the power that feeds the Universe. To take over the power of the Silver _and_ now, the Golden Crystal. _He_ has always been involved. _He_ is always affected."

Zeus looked down, the tension in his face was exposed. His jaw was clenched and his fisted hands trembled with rage. The Lord of Thunder hung his head low and closed his eyes, "Ares, are you positive of what you are suggesting?"

Hades widened his eyes and turned to Zeus, "W-What?!"

Ares nodded "Yes Brother, we need him on our side—we need that power and you know it."

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" Hades raised his voice "WE HAVE FOUGHT TO KEEP HIM AWAY FROM THESE GROUNDS AND NOW YOU WANT HIM ON OUR SIDE?!"

Ares turned with his eyes showing fierce character and conviction "Right now, not even _you_ can put a stop to this madness. It took all of us to contain him so he could put on a damn seal! A seal! We could not even kill the creature! We need that power, we need him and Chronos knew this all along. Now I understand why he wanted to protect them—he knew this was going to happen. Whether we like it or not, they are their own kind... and some, we cannot fight them."

"This would never had happened if that Crystal was back to where it belonged." Hades growled with rage, Ares shook his head "I know you threatened Geb in order to kill his own daughter, I know you wanted that stone for yourself—but it does not work that way, you know this!" he turned to Zeus and the rest "All of you, you want that stone but it is not yours to be owned!"

Hades narrowed his deep grey eyes "It has been you all along..." he muttered with disdain, "You are the one that has been protecting him since he was reborn by Serenity's power. You two have conspired against us... You have betrayed us." He walked towards his younger brother with both disgust and deception, "I expected it from Serenity—she was always a weak girl, too idealistic and too far away from her ancestor's beliefs but you... you, the God of War... this is disappointing."

"The Universe is being infected—there is nothing we can do now but..." Zeus closed his eyes, a clear sign of his own frustration "Do as you think it is the best for us." He opened his eyes and turned at Ares "Call for the Olympian Army and continue with the plan—summon all Polemarchos to be at your service and continue with the strategy."

"Zeus!" both Poseidon and Apollo exclaimed with disbelief while Hades just shook his head with disapproval.

"In order to do that, you know I have to summon for his presence as well, Zeus." Ares said despite the threatening look in Zeus' eyes. He felt pressed against his own walls of power, admitting and accepting Ares' tactics would jeopardize his authority and the safety of everyone and everything they built in Olympus but at this point there was more at stake to be lost and much to be won and for once, he had to comply even if it was against his own will and laws. "He is a blasphemy to this realm and forever will be considered an outcast, to me and to the rest of the Gods-he will never be accepted Ares and mark my words, if he ever crosses my path, I will not hesitate to put judgement on his soul and feed the beasts with it."

"He won't survive," Apollo said dryly "He is just a mortal—he is no Polemarchos."

Ares turned to Apollo, then at Zeus and Hades and narrowed his eyes "He comes from a lineage of Polemarchos, Apollo, you cannot deny his heritage. He has Helios' blood in his veins and he was trained as one, of course, he is a Polemarchos, whether you like it or not."

"Since the moment Serenity protected him, it was doom for us," Hades growled "You and your loyalty to a fallen Goddess. Where is she now to save you all, eh!?"

"Are you angry at us for keeping her memory alive or because you didn't have the pleasure of taking her soul to the underworld?" Ares frowned. Hades shook his head, "All that family deserves to rot in hell—their existence is a curse."

"If it was not for Helios, if it was not for The Great Twelve... Olympus would not be what it is now... open your eyes Brother, not even you have enough power to stop what is coming. You just proved to us that not even hell is strong enough to keep him inside." Ares looked at him with anger "Look at what is happening! ALL OF YOU!" He punched the marble desk with his fist "We could do nothing against the Andromedian! We need aid! Not even the High Gods can stop was has leaked from Tartarus," he turned to Hades and raised his brow "Are you afraid now, Hades? Is this enough for you to reconsider?"

Hades' eyes darkened "You will be sorry for this."

"Whatever happens to me after this war, I do not care. You can send me to the lowest of your rivers, throw my soul to whatever beast you like but it will never take off the fact that your anger lies in how there is somebody who can actually match our strength. My soul is yours Brother, you can do whatever you want with it but mark my words, all of you, war is coming, bigger than the one we faced two thousand years ago—this is a matter of life or death." his eyes darkened, "We need them, _all_ of them."

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

Usagi smiled when finished doing Megumi's hair "I feel so proud of me right now," stepping aside, she let the girl look at herself in the tall mirror behind the bedroom door "You look so pretty!" she said happily. Megumi widened her eyes when she saw at her own reflection and blinked with surprise "Mater mea..." she breathed. She was wearing a ¾ sleeve soft green summer dress and a thin flower printed scarf around her delicate neck. Her chocolate brown hair was cut up to her shoulders and styled in beachy waves, framing her delicate round face. She had very minimal makeup on and her lips had only a hint of rosy gloss that matched the natural flush on her cheeks. It has been ages since she saw herself without her dirty clothes and long, distressed and tangled hair. Her eyes burned with tears that soon threatened to fall, "Megumi-san..." Usagi noticed the emotion in the girl's eyes and gave her a soft smile "You don't need to hide anymore—you are too pretty and strong to be hidden."

Megumi looked at the blonde and smiled "Thank you, Your Highness, thank you so much."

Usagi giggled and shook her head, the gesture made her feel flattered. Just to imagine her wandering through the universe with no destination, with no hope. Usagi stepped into Megumi's shoes and tried to understand the feeling of loss and confusion she must have felt all this time. What she did was only a small fraction for what she has done for the sake of the memory of her Prince and the Kingdom she considered her home. Seconds later the sound of keys caught their attention, making them widen their eyes with surprise. Usagi walked down the hallway to greet a very silent Mamoru who just walked by the door and was taking off his shoes; unaware that she was waiting for him, his blue eyes widened when he saw Usagi standing in the hallway with a big mischievous smile on her face. "Usako..." he greeted her softly and looked down at his watch and sighed softly noticing it was later than he said he would be back "I-I'm sorry about the time... I—"

"It's okay, Megumi-san told me you went to the hospital." Usagi smiled walked towards him to greet him with a soft kiss. Mamoru returned the smile, a more tired version of it and put his keys on its usual place and walked towards her and returned the kiss while thinking of a way to explain what happened to him at the hospital earlier that day. He took a deep breath and before he could say something, she interrupted him with soft giggles "What?" he blinked, not really sure of what was happening.

"I have surprise," she said playfully, startling him. "A surprise?" he frowned and turned to the kitchen to grab a glass of water "Megumi?" he asked and turned to look at her "Is she asleep?"

Usagi chuckled and shook her head "Nope." she walked back to the hallway and came back, this time bringing Megumi with her. "Ta-dah!" Usagi exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air to emphasize the element of surprise. Mamoru widened his eyes at the image of the girl totally transformed "Megumi..." he said shocked and walked over to them to look at her more closely. He leaned down and smiled at her and tucked a wavy strand of hair behind her ear, "You look very pretty Megumi."

Megumi blushed and looked down shyly, this was the first time somebody ever told her she was pretty. Since her days as a maid, she got many compliments but none of them were ever referred to her beauty, she never considered herself beautiful because her idea of beauty was different. She remembered always looking at the women from the court and admired how they all looked flawless in their long gowns, wearing their tiaras and expensive jewelry. She thought class was made women beautiful, that was her perception of beauty until she met the Lunar Princess. She remembered the first time she met her and how she was instantly mesmerized by the delicacy of her looks and the elegance she radiated. Her beauty could not be compared to the one from court ladies, nor her presence or class, she did not need much to look perfect and she did not remember ever seeing her wearing tiaras or tons of jewelry or an excessive amount of makeup or perfume. Since the moment she met her, her standards of beauty changed, and inspired her to follow her steps and now, she felt closer to her goal and it was thanks to that same Princess.

"I brought her some clothes from the magazine that were going to be discarded... when I saw the model wearing this dress I immediately thought of Megumi-san—it's perfect for her," Usagi brought her hands together, excited by the result of her hard work "I brought her some other stuff for her too wear. Personal use items, a small bottle of perfume and some makeup if she feels like playing around with it."

Mamoru's smile widened, he felt moved by his fiancé's actions and wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him "Thank you, Usako." he whispered in her ear and breathed in her scent. Usagi noticed the exhaustion in Mamoru's warm voice and frowned slightly; since he walked through the door there was something odd in his behavior, he was being so uncharacteristically silent. He would normally greet her with a joke or a sarcastic comment but this time he looked absent—worried.

Megumi's blush lowered down and looked up at the royal couple "This is very different from what I am used to wear." Usagi chuckled and tilted her head, "Now all we have to do is to find you a proper dress for the wedding."

Megumi blinked, surprised "W-Wedding?"

The blonde smiled and nodded "Yes," she turned to Mamoru and then back at her with the same, enchanting smile "We are getting married."

Megumi's eyes widened and looked at the couple in front of her with tears framing her big brown eyes. After all the time she remembered them hiding their romance to the world, fighting against everyone in their worlds, the tragedies that took place at the Lunar and Terran Palace with Beryl's invasion and attack. After everything that happened, they were alive in this present era and about to marry and she could not be happier. She exhaled and brought her hands close to her chest "**Gratias ago tibi in caelum," she whispered.

Usagi smiled and took Megumi's hands "I am so happy Mamo-chan is going a member of his family with him on that special day."

Megumi smiled and felt too emotional to say something, it was great, the feeling of being part of such an important event was great, to be by the Prince's side on his wedding day with the Princess was great. She looked at the Prince behind the Princess in silence and noticed a sudden change from how he was earlier that day making her wonder what must have happened to him. His eyes, although very intense in color had something missing, everything she knew of him was somehow missing—hidden. The body was there, his handsomeness was there, the warm, deep voice, the character was there, the essence was there but sometimes it was like she interacted with somebody completely different.

In his own helplessness, Mamoru showed the same smile again and nodded, trying to focus his mind in the moment "I am happy too." He felt like losing control over the situation and his efforts to keep up with the conversation were slowly crumbling. After the premonitions and the dreams happened, every time the wedding was brought up he felt guilty for being witness of something that somehow pulled him away from their dream of living together in peace. He felt helpless and frustrated for not being able to act against whoever is threatening the planet he is supposed to protect and the more time it passed and the more event happened, the more his anger curled inside him, clinging like a rusty claw to his chest. He cursed himself for putting such burden to his bride at times like these, he cursed his inability to wipe all malice away. He cursed how vaguely he was reminded that though he was the rightful crowned royal to this planet he could only depend on the crystal his lover had with her. It was not a matter of gender, it was a matter of him being the one supposed to protect her and not always the other way around. Sure, he was told of the power he held, he was a witness of his own power but it still not matched the one Usagi had. It did not make any sense to him, he was with her because he loved her, he adored her there was no question about it but sometimes, in times like these, he felt more like her shadow rather than her companion and it killed him. His thoughts pulled him back into the events that happened at the hospital that morning and the suffering man but even whoever was possessing the man was aware of his weakness and mocked his inability to save his or any other soul.

Usagi frowned when she realized Mamoru was not paying any attention to what she was saying and stepped back with concern, "Mamo-chan?" she touched his arm softly and brought him back to reality. Mamoru blinked several times realizing he spaced out for too long for her to notice and turned to look at her, still very confused. "Y-Yes?"

"Are you listening? Are you okay?"

Mamoru sighed softly and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Y-Yes, the wedding... a dress for Megumi." The ghost of a smile graced his handsome face again but this time the blonde noticed there was something else, something that was taking him much effort to keep concealed and under control. "Mamo-chan..." Usagi mumbled while she watched him turn on his heel and walk back to the kitchen and pour himself another glass of water. Mentally hoping the fresh liquid could wash away this dark sentiment he was harvesting inside his chest. Usagi turned to Megumi and smiled softly "Could you give me a moment alone with him, Megumi-san?"

Megumi nodded in understanding, also being aware that there was something wrong with the Prince. It was funny o think there were two different women from two different periods of his life knowing him too well to decipher every single gesture he made. The young lady turned and walked back to her room in silence but leaned against the door to try to find the reason of what happened to him and see if she was able to help in some sort.

Usagi walked to the kitchen and leaned on the counter with her arms crossed, looking at him in silence "Mamo-chan?"

Mamoru stayed silent for a moment, still with his back towards her "Yes?" he turned, after a minute. Usagi frowned with concern, "Are you okay?"

Mamoru took a deep breath and exhaled "A patient died while on my watch. I'm sorry... I—my mind is elsewhere."

Usagi widened her eyes. In all their years together facing the most horrifict threats and adventures, she knew hos much affected him to be witness of the loss of someone under his watch. That was the main reason why he became a doctor, after all, to help people in need. "Oh my god, M-Mamo-chan... I'm so sorry..." she pushed herself away from the counter to walk over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist "I'm sorry..." she mumbled with her face crashing on his chest "I know this must be very hard for you..."

Mamoru wrapped his arms around her and thought if this would be the right time to tell her what really happened and the reasons behind this man's death. With the wedding coming in just in a few days, he wanted to save as much stress as possible from her, deciding it was best if he took the punches instead of her but if this was the way for the enemy to attack, she would eventually find out in a much worse way, or it could put her life in danger. There was nowhere else to go, this was it and he had to come clean. He had to talk to her and try to do as much as possible to keep her calm because, it was not going to be easy. Sighing heavily, he held her hand and closed his eyes for a moment before continuing, "There is something I must tell you, Usa..."

Usagi blinked and looked up to him, this strange attitude of his was starting to make her feel impatient and much more concerned, "What is it?"

"I need to tell you, what really happened."

Usagi frowned and shook her head, she felt his arms tighten the minute she questioned him, "W-What do you mean?" Mamoru opened his eyes and looked down at her with the most apologetic look she has seen and released his mortification with a sigh, "The patient that died... didn't die of natural causes."

Usagi tilted her head up "What do you mean?"

"He was possessed, Usako." Mamoru finally dared to say "In medical terms, it happened a lot of things that caused his body to give up—I don't want to give you much detail of what happened to him, but, it wasn't normal." Usagi stayed silent and tightened her grip on Mamoru's t-shirt. Her breathing starting to become heavier and shorter "No..." she breathed with panic.

"Usa..."

"No!" Usagi exclaimed and pulled away from Mamoru "NO!" she looked at him with teary eyes and pointed an accusing finger at him, "No, you can't do this! You can't do this!"

Mamoru widened his blue eyes half surprised, half hurt by her reaction and immediate judgement "What?"

"You can't do this to me!" Usagi looked away but she felt her anger and frustration growing inside her by the minute "Tell me this is a lie, tell me you didn't—tell me nothing you just said is true."

"Usa—please, this isn't easy for me either, it's not something I planned..." Mamoru ran a hand through his midnight hair and pursed his lips, regretting every word he just said, not sure why since it was the truth. It wasn't something he planned and it wasn't easy for him to give her these kinds of news. Usagi leaned on the counter and started to cry, each heavy sob carving into Mamoru's heart. "Why now?" he heard her whisper. Defeated and heartbroken, Mamoru sat on the kitchen floor and shook his head, "I don't know Usa, I really wish I could give you more than this... I wish... I could give you a better answer but—I'm at loss."

Usagi looked at him sitting helplessly on the kitchen floor and felt guilty for her poor choice of words and reaction. His face was marked with concern and just like her he too was frustrated; the only difference between them was that he was not as expressive as her, unlike her, Mamoru tend to keep everything to himself and figure out a solution before it gets out of control but this time, it was out of his control and it was more than obvious that it was torturing him. She slowly slid down and sat next to him on the floor, looked for his hand to hold and closed her eyes. "We have waited so much for this... we have fought endlessly for this,"

Mamoru looked up and shook his head "The sky can fall for all I care, it won't keep me away from you—call me crazy, call me stupid... I am just too crazy about you, I cannot see my life without you Tsukino Usagi. I cannot let you go."

Usagi opened her eyes and batted the trapped tears between her long, dark lashes. "Mamo-chan... but..."

"I am as frustrated and angry as you are Usa— _believe me_ , I am." Mamoru stayed silent for another minute and shook his head before continuing, "I considered not telling you anything about what happened today but the truth is, you have every right to know, you are a Sailor Senshi—and not just that, you are a warrior Princess," he looked at her proudly "You have every right to know and this won't stop our plans to be together—this won't tear us apart. We have come such a long way Usa... I won't let this step in between us."

Usagi looked down at their holding hands and bit her lower lip "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said what I said..."

"About?" Mamoru raised a brow; Usagi sighed "You, doing this to me."

"I feel terrible to be the one to bring these news to you," Mamoru leaned his head back on the kitchen cabinet with a regretful tongue-click, "The fact of being in the dark with this situation is what it is the most frustrating. We know nothing about what's going on."

Usagi nodded, the same feeling of anger and exhaustion when she met Megumi at Haruka's house slowly started to invade her but when she then turned to look at her boyfriend and he looked even worse. His eyes were closed but his body language was one of a person who had guilt and remorse. Mamoru didn't say much and tried to be as calm as the situation required when Megumi was brought to his apartment but deep down, she knew he was mortified because he did not know what to do to this point.

Megumi listened to what Mamoru told Usagi of the events that happened at the hospital and began to cry and curled into a ball on the floor. She was the sole reason why this enemy had appeared on earth, it was because of her that they were dealing with this invisible enemy, no matter how much she loved the Prince, she had brought danger into his life without him knowing why or how to fight it back. They were looking for her, the General was hunting her down through shadows and spirits possessing innocent people and if she didn't do anything, things would eventually turn worse; if running was the only way to keep them safe, then it was time to run away again. She turned to her side she looked at the clothed object and frowned while thinking it had not made or given any signal that it is at the right place. She has seen it work before, she was seen the shine that comes out like a sun rays and the intense burnign energy; she has been witness of its power and yet, even when she is where she is supposed to be, nothing has happened. With a heavy heart she hung her head low and began sobbing again "You are not the rightful owner..." she leaned her head back and shook her head with pain in her hear, "And so I must go. Parce mihi, Princeps..."

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

Michiru put her tea cup over the coffee table and sighed while looking out the window in silence. Since Minako and Usagi took Megumi to Mamoru's apartment she wondered about her safety, their duties as Senshi and the future.

Haruka entered the living room with a beer in her hand and sighed "You are at it again," she sat on the couch across from her and took a sip of her cold beverage. Michiru frowned and turned to look at her "I just wonder how things are going with them and the girl..." she said softly "We haven't heard anything."

"Have you called them?"

Michiru sighed and shook her head "I wanted to give them some space. Not every day a person from your past comes knocking on your door with hundreds of questions behind," she turned to look out the window again and leaned back on the couch "But it still worries me, I am worried about Usagi-chan."

"I am worried about both," Haruka put her cold beer on a coaster and leaned back, crossing her arms in front of her chest "I agree this is all unexpected. I agree they need time but there is an enemy hunting this girl and we cannot just, disappear."

"We haven't heard anything," Michiru said softly "Not even the Talisman can explain what we witnessed that night."

"Hotaru has been sensing something, what's strange is that Mamoru hasn't and he is the one that should be feeling this the most," Haruka frowned "When he told me he didn't remember anything—not even the girl, I found it very strange because all of us do remember our past lives."

"Are you suggesting something?" Michiru frowned and looked at her companion "Don't you find it strange?" Haruka asked again, "You could see genuine confusion in his face."

"We both agree that he can monitor the status of this planet and that he has special powers none of us have, right?"

"Yes, but—I felt like something is not right." Haruka brought a hand to her chin in thought "And the girl doesn't bring any answers to the table." she sighed tiredly, "I spoke to Setsuna about this but she doesn't give me straight answer either."

"Because it is not my place to do so," Setsuna joined them in the living room, startling both women, Michiru chuckled "You are always as silent as a ghost."

Setsuna smiled and sat next to Haruka, "I agree to one thing; the Prince does not remember anything other than what he was revealed by the Silver Crystal when Beryl was hunting them down. It makes sense, the Crystal reacts to the Princess' powers, not his."

"But, didn't the stone protected by his people was discovered and released its true power?" Haruka shrugged her shoulders, showing genuine confusion, just like she described Mamoru. "The stone cannot be awakened," It was Hotaru's turn to startle all three women. "It's becoming a tradition in this house to show up like spirits..." Haruka joked, never losing her sarcastic charm; that is what made her unique—Michiru thought. "What do you mean?" she frowned confused. "We were there... the Priest—"

"They even took their oath as King and Queen," Haruka said, joining Michiru's confusion. Hotaru and Setsuna shook their heads, "That was not an official coronation ceremony. That was the Priest doing his job—he released some power from the Crystal and helped Sailor Moon and the Prince overcome and defeat Nehellenia's curse."

"Wait, did you say _some_ power?" Haruka frowned.

Hotaru nodded and sat on the floor in front of Haruka and Setsuna, and next to Michiru "When our Princess awakened as Sailor Moon, the power she used to fight evil came from the Silver Crystal but it was only a fraction of it. The same happens with every sacred Crystal and the one protected by the Terran people is no exception. But it runs a lot of mystery around it, I don't know much about it and what it is capable of doing."

"Who has the Crystal now?" Haruka asked, Setsuna cleared her throat "I would dare to say the Holy Priest took it with him that day."

"And?" Haruka raised a brow, "This doesn't make any sense, what does this has to do with the Prince not remembering—Oh." she stopped arguing and widened her eyes with realization, "I see."

"The power the Prince has shown over the course of his life as soldier is just a small fraction of the power coming from that Crystal. The mystery sets now on the question, why?" Setsuna stood up and started to roam around the living room "There are too many questions left in the air during the Silver Millenium, Father did not say much. He was never a man of too many words but he did say that the Crystal guarded by the people of Earth matched and even surpassed the power of the Silver Crystal if completely mastered. If it ever falls in the wrong hands, this planet and the whole universe could burn to its demise."

"Burn?" Haruka arched a brow. "But—how?" Michiru frowned, "I too remember those stories but they were only that—stories,"

"We are the only ones who remember our lives from our past in its entirety. Time did not stop for us because we never died in that battle. I was not reborn, like you did—I was not summoned to serve like you did, I had to stay at the Gates." Setsuna turned to Hotaru "Saturn is the only exception but even she has her memories as the Goddess of Silence."

Michiru sighed "What comes next then?"

"Should we give them more time?" Haruka asked, Hotaru shook her head "I don't think there is enough time. Something is approaching us, darkness holds evils spirits that are lurking in every corner. I've seen them."

"The same ones we saw when the girl was attacked." Haruka said softly, Setsuna nodded "I have heard some strange cases at the clinic—people mysteriously dying for no apparent reason."

"This is a silent enemy," Haruka frowned, turned to Michiru who held her mirror up high "A very silent one."

"We have to be careful, it is a strong enemy in disguise." Hotaru said softly, all three women looked at her "What do you mean Hotaru?" Michiru asked, "What do you mean by a strong enemy in disguise?"

"I can hear its words... whispering, very late at night," Hotaru said, her amethyst eyes turned darker "He is watching."

"How can we fight this enemy then?" Haruka frowned, Hotaru narrowed her deep purple eyes, "Until it appears. There is nothing else we can do."

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

"Alright, here is the cake," Makoto put the cake in ceramic plate over the kitchen counter at her apartment. Rei and Minako looked at it and smiled, "Smells incredible, I am literally drooling," Minako said with excitement, "It's sooo pretty."

Makoto smiled "I know right? But this is only a test to see the flavor and how I should decorate it." she grabbed three small square plates and three silver forks and handed them to her friends "Let's dig in—I need your opinion,"

"Wait," Rei stopped Makoto from cutting the cake "Shouldn't we call Usagi to come over? It's her cake after all." she frowned and turned to Minako, "Have you spoken to her lately?"

"Not much, but she did tell me today that she gave Megumi-san a makeover," the blonde smiled, Rei leaned her arms on the counter and pursed her lips "Poor girl."

"What?" Makoto asked. Rei sighed softly "Her fate has been different from any of us, I am glad you could take her to the person she was looking for."

Makoto chuckled "For a moment I thought you said poor girl as a result of her makeover."

Rei chuckled, "Well... that too."

"But yet, nothing has happened," Makoto said softly returning to the main topic that has been in their mouths for weeks now. Minako slapped Makoto's arm softly and shook her head, "Shut your mouth, do we really want _anything_ to happen? And with the wedding just a few days away?"

Rei looked at her friends joking and talking in silence, Minako's comment fell deep into her mind. _Nothing has happened_ —she thought, repeating the blonde's words. 'It is already happening..." she thought again and looked down at her plate. Every day she reads the sacred fire a new vision comes to mind, one of a man and one of a demon. Shadows, war, and fire—golden fire. She has been staying up late trying to put the pieces together but it is still too confusing and the man calling for his daughter makes it even worse.

"Rei-chan?" Minako reached for her arm, startling the brunette "Y-Yes?"

"Everything alright?" Makoto asked. Rei smiled "Yes—I was just thinking about Usagi,"

"Let's call her," Makoto looked for her phone in her apron. "She probably is with Mamoru, it's Saturday night." Minako said softly, "I hope this whole thing of Megumi-san staying with Mamoru-kun doesn't get too much under her skin."

Rei leaned and scooped a piece of chocolate cake with her fork, startling Makoto "Hey!" Rei chuckled and took the first bite. Makoto sighed and shook her head "Why do you say that?"

"I don't know... with the wedding coming up, she has been very emotional. Remember when she first met Megumi-san?"

"Well, can you blame her?" Makoto followed Rei's technique and put the plates aside "It's like if destiny is playing a joke on her."

A soft knock startled the girls, Makoto turned and walked to open the door while Minako grabbed a fork and smirked playfully at Rei "Let's see if it tastes the same way it looks..." Makoto opened the door revealing Ami on the other side "Ami-chan!" the brunette greeted her with a smile, Ami waved her hands apologetically "I'm sorry I'm late... you know..."

"Who is it?" Minako exclaimed with her mouth full of chocolate cake, Ami soon walked into the kitchen but soon her smile faded and widened her eyes "What—"

Minako blushed while Rei burst into laughter, Makoto laughed and handed Minako a napkin, "Really!?" she turned to Ami and grabbed the bottle of wine "I made a smaller version for what will be the cake for Usagi-chan's wedding and I asked them to give me their most honest opinion—I guess its approved."

"Ooooh, this is how the cake will look?" Ami looked at the un-eaten part of the cake and smiled "It's very pretty, you did a great job..." she laughed at Minako, "Is it good?" Minako nodded and swallowed the bite she had in her mouth " _Really_ good."

"Yeah, no kidding," Rei said with slight sarcasm and turned to Ami "Hey, I thought you weren't coming..." she turned to move her purse out of the way to give the bluenette the seat next to her at the kitchen counter "I was stuck at the hospital..." Ami said in a monotone voice, startling the girls. "Everything okay?" The priestess asked. Ami sighed and pursed her lips in thought for a minute then turned to Makoto "I think we will have to open that bottle of wine."

"That bad?" Minako took another piece of cake with her fork, Ami sighed again and bit her lower lip before continuing "Something happened... and I think it is better if you know this."

After being told the events at the hospital, all three women looked at Ami with a serious face, Rei being the first one to break the heavy silence, "Is Usagi okay?" the blonde and brunette looked at her with concern "W-What?"

"I don't know if she is right now but Mamoru-kun was going to talk to her." Ami sighed softly.

"What happened Ami?" Minako put her fork aside and cleaned her hands with a napkin. Ami looked at her glass of chardonnay and pursed her lips, "I heard about a patient being taken to the E.R. with several, strange symptoms," the silence between then gave Ami the cue to continue, "The patient died."

"Uh, I am not following this story..." Minako frowned.

"That is all I heard but then I ran into this guy—you know and well, he told me Mamoru was at the hospital and that he assisted the case."

"I want to know about what happened to this guy but something tells me this story has a darker turn," Minako muttered, Ami nodded "After a while I found him. I was still with the news that a patient had died under Mamoru's care; he was so pale, it was worrisome. Once we were alone he explained to me what happened—in a nutshell, this man collapsed inside out. He had a lot of medical conditions that were not normal for a human being to have all at once but the strangest part is that Mamoru said this man was talking in another language and smiled at him before he died."

"What?" Makoto shook her head and rubbed her neck trying to get rid of the eerie feeling giving her goosebumps all over "What?!"

"And it wasn't a normal cause of death you say?" Minako frowned, Ami shook her head "No, Mamoru explained to me all the medical conditions this man had—he said it was like if his body collapsed."

"Oh my god..." Minako covered her mouth "Oh my god, Usagi-chan..."

Rei stayed silent, what Ami described as 'strange words in another language' was something she has heard before while doing her readings in front of the sacred fire. "It's trying to break its way to this world—whatever it is..."

"What?" Ami frowned "Are you saying this..."

"I have heard those words before, the enemy is trying to cross to this world. One way or another." Rei muttered, then frowned "And is he going to tell Usagi?"

Ami nodded, "Considering how upset she got she was the last to know what was going on when Megumi-san appeared, he thinks it's the best if he talks to her about this,"

"This will break her," Makoto sighed and closed her eyes "Why, why does it has to be happening all this so close to their wedding day?"

"We have to do anything in our power to restrain this bastard from crossing over," Minako said dryly. Rei nodded with determination, "I will do another barrier tonight, I will pray to the sacred fire and ask for advice from Phobos and Deimos." she frowned in thought, Minako noticed and looked at her and arched a brow "What?"

"Nothing—well, the strangest thing happened the other day at the shrine..." Makoto frowned with curiosity at Rei's words, "Yuuichiro decided to leave the shrine?" The comment made Rei huff "Yeah right, that would be a miracle..."

"Why don't you kick him already?" Ami said between chews, startling the girls, Minako laughed "Wait, are you Ami?"

Ami blushed "I'm sorry but I think Rei-chan should just..." she waved her hand and frowned at her lack of words to describe the feeling "...Ask him to leave, he needs to move on."

"There we go," Minako chuckled, patting her blue haired friend's shoulder, "That's more like you to say," she turned to Rei and arched her brow, "But she's right, you know." Rei sighed and bit her lip "I know, I know. But, besides the fact that my grandfather will resent it, is because he helps at the shrine. I would not be able to handle everything by myself and it is very hard to find somebody who would be interested in be a Miko's assistant these days."

"Ahhh, I see what you're doing..." Makoto swallowed her cake bite and pointed at her with her fork "It is convenient for you to keep him there, even if it affects you personally."

Rei sighed, "I know, but it's not like I am looking to have a romance with somebody," she frowned "I'm passed it."

Minako shook her head but preferred to remain silent when concerning the matter. Though she was a believer of love, even when she hadn't had the best of experiences when it came to it, she never lost hope. Maybe because of her background as a descendant of the Goddess of Love, maybe because she really loved to be in love, maybe because she just wanted to believe in something. Unlike her friend, she was going to continue on her search if not for Mr. Right, at least for a man she could share her joys and falls. A companion. A man that could love her the same way she would love him.

It was no news to the girls, when it came to Rei's decision to be away from all the sentiment. They were actually surprised she lasted that long with the man, and that at one point she showed the love she had for him. Being the mostly inexpressive from the group, it was rare to see her giggly and bubbly when around him. All that went to 'normal' when he decided to chose the path he chose, breaking her heart in the process. After that, she shut herself in her own cage and focused on her duties as Miko, not wanting to turn back ever since.

"Was that the strange thing you were going to tell us?" Minako decided to break the silence that fell upon them. Rei sighed softly and shook her head "No, it was something else. The other day, I was doing some blessings and cleaning the Shrine's porch when I spotted a man close to the praying bell. He looked so somber and the strange part is that he was not even praying it was as if he was contemplating the possibility of pray to someone."

"Aren't a lot of those these days?" Makoto frowned.

Rei looked at her friend and gave her a sad smile, it was true. It was as if society these days have lost most of its faith and decided to concentrate on other things. That being the reason of all tragedy that she has witnessed in the news and the paper lately. Shaking her head, she looked down at her glass of wine "Well yes, but, there was something about this man that really caught my attention, it made me feel nostalgic," she widened her eyes and looked at the girls, "Not that I am saying I felt attracted to him or anything but," she trailed off and frowned, again her gaze was locked in her beverage again "I sensed a very strong aura from him and the way he spoke, it was as if he was longing for something, or someone."

Minako tilted her head "And what happened?"

Rei shrugged her shoulders "Nothing much, we exchanged some words. But, I felt this need to—I don't know, I felt helpless," she looked at the girls, and lowered her gaze "Like if we both were longing for the same thing..."

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

The next couple of days went by with no incidents to consider a threat. Neither of the girls or Mamoru sensed nothing out of the usual. After their serious and defeated conversation, Mamoru drove Usagi home and tried to ignore the whole incident for their sake but both were unaware that Megumi was resenting their silence.

Looking out through her window, Megumi took a deep breath and come more to realize that she had to continue with the task she was given by the God of War. She was heartbroken and disappointed by the fact that the man with all the characteristics of the Prince she thought dead was not who she thought would be the owner of the object she had been carrying around for years. Looking down at her pale-yellow dress, she thought about the Princess' attempt to make her feel more at home and smiled sadly when her thoughts went back to the young man, who despite being courteous and respectful towards her, did not cross more than a few words with her. The bond they once shared, Megumi noticed it had vanished with everything from his past. His eyes did not look her in the same way, his smile though it was warm and friendly it felt distant. His mind was always elsewhere, his thoughts were always a secret to her. Mamoru became the ghost of Endymion, or maybe Endymion's essence dissolved through the many years Mamoru had to take to be reborn into this era, she thought.

Megumi tried to understand the magic of time. How it worked, how they managed to survive all that tragedy and how the Lunar Queen managed to release that kind of power to give them another life. Sighing, she shook her head; the Princess was also different, since she met her again her hair has been in different styles, she never talked about their many encounters, she never mentioned anything from the time she went to see her Prince. Her eyes widened, it was as if both of them were rejecting the idea of them being _them,_ their past and everything that represented their royal background. But then, as she turned to look at the clothed object she kept hidden behind the pillows in her bed she thought about that moment when the Prince took her with him to the Moon that night. Widening her eyes, she remembered the light that came from him and the portal he opened to cross to a realm she only knew from prayers and stories. Nothing she ever witnessed was reflected in any of the people she has met so far. Not even the girls she remembered as guardians and soldiers, everything was a big cloud, full of denial.

Oblivious to every battle they encountered, to their alter egos and to everything that brought them to be normal again, she frowned with upset. Megumi was oblivious to everything, things were obviously happening and none of them was doing nothing. What kind of alternate universe was this? she asked herself. Why, of all places, of all realities she had to be brought to this one, where the ones she once met as powerful were practically defenseless. She exhaled heavily, lamenting the situation happening around her she began to feel like a burden. With a broken heart she sat on the floor and began thinking of a way to continue on her journey and keep on her search for the guardian she is suppose to find no longer thinking about what would happen to her once her task is fulfilled. "Destiny is parting our paths again my Prince—please forgive me... I cannot stay with you anymore." Megumi closed her eyes and let her tears stream down her face, the thought of leaving was killing her but if this was meant to happen then, all she could do at this point was to being grateful for meeting with the Prince again before disappearing into the universe, once again.

* * *

 _Liked it? Leave me a message below and help keep the good vibes!_

 _**Gratias ago tibi in caelum_ : _Thank you to the heavens._


	22. Chapter 22

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Twenty Two

* * *

Things had been strange for the past few days at the hospital. Ami noticed Motoki was more occupied with many cases than usual. The E.R. had more movement than usual with too many people injured and too many people in some sort of crisis. But the strangest for Ami was that Mamoru was barely seen giving his rounds with patients in the hospital like he usually did and when she caught a glimpse of him walking around the hallways he always had a serious face or was in a hurry, leaving her without any chance to say hello.

Another break she thought as she made her way to the nurse's station on the fifth floor to take another case to assist, hopeful to see her friends, she asked one of the nurses for one of the schedule charts and sighed with slight disappointment when she saw there was no opening for her to assist any of them.

"Something troubling your mind?" The nurse asked Ami. The bluenette smiled at her and gave the chart back "No, I was just checking if I got to assist any of the doctors on this floor."

"Things have been pretty busy lately, don't you think?" Sukutchi Akita, a woman in his mid 30's asked the young doctor "But also, things have pretty tense—especially for Dr. Chiba." The comment caught Ami's attention and leaned forward on the large nurse's booth "What do you mean?"

The nurse took a deep breath and hesitated to continue, thinking if her telling the young doctor what was happening could bring her trouble. Ami tilted her head and shook it softly in reassurance, "Don't worry Sukutchi-san, I won't say anything."

Akita exhaled a puff of air in relief and leaned forward too and looked both sides to make sure nobody could overhear their conversation before continuing, "The board has been stepping on Chiba-san's heels since you know—the incident that happened days ago."

Ami widened her eyes "W-What?! W-Why!?"

The nurse shrugged her shoulders and gave Ami a worried look, "I don't know exactly but rumor has it that they are considering a case of bad praxis due to what happened with the patient—it was very disturbing, I saw it—the body."

Ami shook her head, still shocked "T-That's not possible, how could they think that of him?" The nurse pursed her lips and shook her head, joining the bluenette's train of confusion "That's the word around this floor. I can't believe it either," Ami asked for the chart again and gave it a quick glance, her blue eyes trying to find his name on some dotted line but it looked like he hadn't shown for work that day, "Do you know if he's here now?"

"In a meeting, actually," Akita answered softly, it was no secret for her that they had a close relationship, but unlike what many would suspect she was one of the few nurses if not the only one that knew she was best friends with him and his girlfriend. Ami sighed and looked down to see Motoki's name written under the now famous dotted line indicating that he was somewhere around, "Furuhata-san, where is he now?"

"Here," a soft, warm voice startled her and made her jolt in surprise, "Motoki-kun!" Motoki smiled at her and gave some papers to Akita to archive in the patient's chart and archive, "This patient will be released in a couple of hours—I just gave my approval."

The nurse nodded and turned to work on her computer, allowing the two of them to have a more private conversation. Ami looked at her friend with deep worry and shook her head, still wanting everything to be just a rumor, "Motoki, is it true? Mamoru is under investigation?"

Motoki blew his long, sandy blonde bangs and motioned Ami to follow him to a more secluded area "So, you heard," he frowned and looked back at the station, "Who told you? Ah, never mind—Sukutchi-san had to do with it—I see."

"Please don't tell her anything—I asked," Ami defended the nurse. Motoki sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he continued walking "Well, she is not wrong but, that is not the whole truth to this situation."

"Then, what is?" Ami frowned. Motoki waved his hand and motioned her to follow him to the cafeteria, "Have some time?" Ami nodded "Yes, of course."

He got a cup coffee for himself and Ami and sat on the farthest table around. He took a sip of his hot beverage and sighed heavily; it was very unusual to see the always cheerful and playful Motoki in full seriousness and showing genuine concern this time, for his best friend. "He is under investigation, yes." he started and took another sip of his coffee, "But due to the complexity of the case—not every day you get to see a man that just explodes from the inside out."

"But are they really judging him for bad praxis?" Ami looked at him worried, her fingers still curled around her warm cup of coffee, "You know he is far from being bad at his job."

"Very far," Motoki furrowed his brows as he swallowed another sip of his hot beverage, "He's good, very good, but the board wants to see beyond his impeccable reputation. They want proof of what he is alleging that happened—he will come out of this with success, don't worry." He sighed and looked down at his styrofoam cup for a minute, hesitant to even ask what he already knew, "Ami-chan, is this..." he paused and looked at her again "One of those cases..."

Ami widened her eyes and blinked, "W-What?"

"You know what I am talking about," he leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms "Remember I know who you are—or where, some years back."

Ami pressed her lips tight and exhaled softly with a shrug, "We are looking into it but we want to discard and prevent that possibility—at all costs."

"And what if it is related to something beyond of our control?" Motoki frowned. Ami looked at him with a serious face "Well, then we will have to do something about it." Somehow, the answer was something Motoki did not want to hear, not now and probably not ever, because he knew what it meant. Shaking his head, he sighed, "It is perfectly clear to me that you are not just normal people—I get it and I think it's awesome. Since you broke into the arcade and well, used it as a secret base I thought you were amazing for doing what you did. You started this whole thing from a very young age—you were 14 years old for goodness sake!"

Ami chuckled at the comment and nodded with amazement at the mention of their ages, accepting that they did start to live different lives at a very young age, "I know."

"I know Mamoru is involved too—I've seen things he does that a normal human being can't do and again, I think it's amazing." Motoki bit her lip "But he is my friend and since I met him back when he started dating Usagi-chan I knew he and I had a lot in common despite the age gap. He is special to me and I know that whatever happened that day and whatever is happening now is not his fault," he frowned slightly and shook his head, "This whole situation didn't happen just out of the blue, you know?"

Ami frowned "What do you mean?"

Motoki took another sip of his coffee and furrowed his brows "Somebody put a complaint on the case and pointed his finger at Mamoru."

Ami widened her eyes and pulled back on the table with shock written all over her face, "What?! Who could do such a thing?"

Motoki shrugged his shoulders "Got me. I haven't had a chance to speak to him yet—for the last few days, from the minute he gets here, he goes to have an audience with the medical board. By the time I end my shift, he either is gone or consulting a patient," he bit his lip "How is Usagi-chan?"

"She is—excited." Ami looked at him then sighed, "Frustrated, worried."

"Because the wedding is in a few days," Motoki said softly and clicked his tongue "I don't blame her. She must be worried sick about her fiancé's situation."

Ami chuckled softly, startling the man "What?" Ami looked at him "Do you really think he is going to tell her any of this on the eve of their wedding? Is Mamoru we are talking about here, the less he can worry her, the better for him."

Motoki widened his eyes, the way Ami had evolved these past few years still surprised him. It had been a long way since he met the studious, shy little girl to the young and beautiful brave doctor sitting in front of him. Her personality had become more confident, she was still a shy girl in many things but she could take any challenge put in front of her without any hesitation and excel at it. Maybe it had been the many battles they all faced during their younger years that made them mature to who are they now but he could see the slow progression in the bluenette's character and admired her. He was proud of all of them for who they have become and he was lucky to be their friend.

She no longer blushed every time she talked to him, Mamoru or to any of the doctors in the hospital. They had become very close friends as they shared similar situations during their day and whenever they had the chance, they would hang out in the cafeteria or during small breaks and clear their head from any bad day they might be having. Whenever she had a problem or a question, she would go to them for advice. It was no wonder to see her worried about Mamoru at times like these when he has been a mentor and role model to her for so many years now.

"Whatever it is Ami-chan, is going to be alright," Motoki said with a soft smile on his face. "I know they have been together for a long time, but don't worry, they are going to get through this." Ami returned the smile to her friend and nodded "I know," she looked down, "They have to be."

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

At the other side of the city, down at the researcher's office at one of the most prestigious museums in Tokyo, Mikael was looking into more information about what Akira had discovered underground. After the frightening apparition of the dark spirit, he has not been the same. His body has not been responding to his command, his conscious constantly went blank and unaware of what he did or say during those missing periods of time. His face showed a more serious sign of exhaustion, his eyes were red from the lack of sleep and he lost a considerable amount of weight.

He looked through the files of every research in the museum's archive and found nothing related to the investigation they were leading, ignoring completely that Akira asked Toshi and other archaeologists to take everything they have collected over the past few months and hide it away from Mikael and disappear for a while until the media would calm down.

The blonde Swedish man looked desperate to find something so he could be freed from the burning feeling he had inside his body. A member of the staff from the museum entered, oblivious to the situation being held inside the room and widened his eyes, recognizing the famous archaeologist. "You are..." he walked closer to the blonde man, who completely ignored the other man's presence "Ahlstran Mikael, isn't it?" he chuckled and walked over to him "Oh man, I have been following your work for years!" he smiled with admiration.

Mikael continued typing on the computer, ignoring the man completely. His lips mumbled several words, inaudible for the young archaeologist to understand. He stood to the monitor and looked at him with a frown, surprised to see him too concentrated and too weak to be even being standing up "Ahlstran-san?" he asked softly "Are you feeling well?"

Mikael continued typing, his voice coming more audible for the young man to hear but still what he was saying made any sense. "I will go—get help." The young man turned on his heel but was stopped by Mikael's strong grip on his wrist, making him turn with surprise in his face. "The records, where are they?!"

The young man looked at him surprised and shook his head "I-I don't know what you are talking about."

"The records! The papers! The pictures! WHERE ARE THEY?!" he looked down and started to feel the nauseous being inside of him slowly take over again. Closing his eyes, Mikael tightened his grip on the young man's hand "*Qui venturus est, et venit super eam nihil potestis facere."

 _*He's coming, he's coming and there is nothing you can do about it._

The young man stepped far away from Mikael, looking at him wide-eyed "W-What..." He clearly saw something was coming out of his body, like a dark shadow and soon surrounded the man mumbling the words in an ancient tongue. Mikael continued his mantra, part horrified and part possessed with joy and raised his head to look at the young man "**Insolentia mortalium, nihil est vos can operor illud per circuitum."

 _**Insolent mortals, there is nothing you can do about it._

The young archaeologist tried to escape, but his body froze at the image of the older man in front of him; his feet were slightly above the floor, he was levitating. His dark eyes looked at him and a crooked smile sent chills down his spine. Dark matter that looked like tar began pouring from the man's body, melting like a second skin into the floor and slowly moving towards the young man standing by the door, frozen in his own amusement and terror. He soon was drenched in the substance, slowly making its way into the young man's body making him scream in pain. Seconds after, he fell to the floor and opened his eyes and looked at Mikael, a creepy smirk marked his features as in responding to Mikael's chant.

The shadow dripping from Mikael's body soon regained his position inside the man's body and laughed throughout the man, "***Satis cito exercitus,"

 _***The army will be complete soon enough._

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

The constant sound of telephones ringing brought back Minako to her reality. After being with the girls and talking constantly about the strange but rather occasional events in the past few weeks kept her mind drifting away from work. She walked back to her cubicle and looked at a large stack of papers on her desk and sighed tiredly before giving them a quick glance. "Some people from another station came to drop this here." she heard Aiko, her co-worker say from her own desk, next to hers. Minako sighed again and combed her hair out of the way to continue reading "Yeah, but as always..." She pursed her lips and turned to the girl, "Saruto-san wants this revised and fixed by the end of the day."

Aiko widened her eyes as she pouted her bright red lips "There is no way you can finish that today,"

"Well," Minako bit her lower lip and leaned back in her chair, "I guess I will have to stay up until late today—again."

The young woman rolled her chair towards Minako's desk and looked down at the papers "What they're about?" Minako began separating the many stacks and sighed softly "The network is partnering with Hikoya Kenji and they are planning on doing some sort of special—you know, for rating purposes."

The young girl widened her eyes and looked at Minako with curiosity, "Hikoya Kenji? Isn't he like a Broadway guy?"

"He is also a producer and apparently has connections of much interest to Saruto-san." Minako looked at the girl and arched her brow, "So we will see this man very often here at the station."

"Well, good thing he is handsome," Aiko giggled and rolled back to her desk "I have seen him in several magazines promoting this blonde girl—god, she is everywhere."

Minako huffed and put another stack of papers away, "Tell me about it."

"Didn't you go to—"

"Yup." Minako cut through the girl's question, interrupting her and giving no further comments on the matter. Aiko knew about Minako's lately struggle to score a part in a play. It's been a while now since she has seen her perform at something; she agreed she had the talent to do so and it impressed her how nobody cast her lately. When she learned Minako tried for bigger leagues in acting like performing on Broadway shows she was amazed by her audacity and charm and for her first attempts she did get gigs to perform, small to medium parts. Mostly singing and dancing, and she could tell how she was made to shine in the show business.

She found irony in the situation, being Hikoya Kenji the producer of the moment and Minako working for him after being rejected for his now famous Broadway show. Everything the man touched turned to solid gold and success and when the blonde told her excitedly she was auditioning for a part in the play she was very sure she was going to get it and from there, her life would completely change. Minako had a good resume, she had the beauty, the attitude, she had the charm and the talent to be there, why she was rejected, she could not figure it out and why did she give up on trying, well that was another story.

"Is he going to produce a show or something?" she dared to ask, hoping the blonde's mood would not be tainted by her previous attempt to ask her a question. Minako nodded and turned to look at her "He's producing a documentary."

"A documentary?"

"Yes,"

"About?"

Minako raised her brows and widened her eyes "Um—about..." she sighed with both defeat and exhaustion, "I don't remember."

"Maybe it's about his years producing shows on Broadway or something to luster his ego."

The comment made Minako break her serious shell and break a laugh—the first in days. "That would be excellent but for what I see here it is about a couple of archaeologists. Ahh yes... I remember now. Apparently, one of them is friends or an acquaintance of Hikoya-san and Saruto-san wants to bring his project to the station." she looked down at the papers "It says right here that they want to do a primetime show because apparently, they discovered something."

"Didn't they do that already?" Aiko asked, confused. Minako looked at her and frowned, "What? What do you mean?"

"I heard it somewhere, that one of them exposed some contents of their research, it was a stir in the media—it's divided now, some think they're crazy and others want to believe what they claim. It only amplified their popularity and now everyone wants them on their shows."

"But, what did they release?"

"Something about an ancient tribe or something."

"A tribe? Where?"

"Apparently not too far from here—deep underground. That is all I heard but they are quite the buzz right now. No wonder why Saruto-san is using all of his charm cards to make him stay with us."

"I have never heard about anything like a tribe being buried under our feet," Minako mumbled and looked down at the papers in her hands, "It's not exactly under the city, but apparently is something big. It's been for a while now..."

The blonde frowned and pursed her lips, finding this new piece of information intriguing. She didn't know why exactly it was catching her attention or why it somehow ringed a bell in her mind but she was now interested to see how the situation would develop. As she revised more papers about the programming schedule she realized who was going to do the styling for the anchors and hosts of their upcoming shows. With a wide smile full of excitement, she reached for her phone and dialed the number printed in one of the sheets. "Yes, with Tsukino Usagi please—Art and Design Department." After a few more rings, a familiar voice finally answered her call "Tsukino Usagi—Design Department, how can I help you?"

Minako's smile widened "Am I talking to the best designer and Illustrator of Cult Magazine?" Usagi immediately recognized the voice and chuckled _"That is so nice of you."_

Minako smiled and curled her finger on the cord of her desk phone, a rather too old for Minako's taste but as long as it did the job, "I was looking through some of the reports here for the station and turns out your magazine is styling some of the hosts and guests from several shows on our station."

"Oh really? I didn't know—I wouldn't be surprised though, Maya has been up and about all of Japan by now," Usagi looked at her monitor as she continued editing some pictures for the monthly issue "Work has been crazy these days because of that."

"Yeah, about that, how are you?" Minako asked, using her professional connection to the magazine to have a little chat with her friend. "Oh, by the way, Mako-chan did a sample of what is going to be your cake for the wedding and it is going to be super delicious."

"W-What!? Why you didn't call me?!" Usagi widened her eyes "That is so not fair! Mako-chan told me she was going to—Oh..."

"Yeah, we called." Minako knew her blonde friend was looking through her missing calls and saw Makoto's number on her screen "I'm sorry—my head is everywhere. It has been a couple of crazy days."

"I bet," Minako smiled "Well, how about we go to lunch together, I can call the girls and see who's available to join us. What do you say? Soon enough you won't have much time for yourself—you are going to be busy being a wife."

Usagi smiled at the other end and lowered her gaze to see the screensaver on her phone. Her favorite picture of her and Mamoru smiling. She remembered the night they took that picture, it was a New Year's Eve party and they had gone out to celebrate it with all the girls and current dates, including Motoki and Reika. Their wedding had just passed a month before and it had been one of those random occasions when they all had a free schedule and took it as an opportunity and a perfect excuse to go out.

Motoki had become a very close friend of all of them and every time he knew there was going to be a gathering he was the first one to check his assistance. Usagi didn't remember the exact location of where the party was held but she did remember Minako getting the tickets from her current boyfriend who worked at the fancy hotel. The thought made Usagi smile as she remembered her failed attempts to get a good picture of all the gang but there was always something or someone ruining the frame. Midnight was getting close and she finally could get a decent group picture but by the time she wanted to take one with her boyfriend alone her battery had died. Mamoru took notice of her failed attempts and before she could rant about it took out his phone and snapped the selfie just when the clock marked 12 and everybody screamed happy new year. The picture was not their best, it was crooked and the lighting was odd because it was dark inside, Minako could be seen far behind them doing bunny ears or something but the background was slightly blurry than the couple in the front. There was something about that picture that made Usagi love it so much and it served as a constant reminder of how Mamoru always looked out for her and how he always tried to make her happy, even if it was with a selfie in a very crowded place.

Thinking about the origin of that picture struck her. He made her happy with everything she asked, in this case, it was her long-requested selfie. He made her happy by agreeing to go to a party she knew it was totally out of his comfort zone. The thought made her feel guilty; if he tried everything in his power to make her happy why would she blame him for whatever events are happening around them? After their talk in the kitchen, they both stayed in silence until it was time for him to drive her home. None of them had the words to explain their feelings, none of them had the energy. None of them wanted to realize their future was slightly changing and since that day, she has been trying to avoid him with made-up excuses involving the wedding making her feel terrible in the process. She didn't imagine her last days as a single woman would be this hectic and it was unfair to put all the blame on him.

 _"Usa-chan, you okay?"_ she heard Minako's voice at the other end of the line. Usagi bit her lower lip and smiled, "Ah, yes, sure but I also have an idea—I don't know how you are going to take it."

"Hmm... sounds intriguing, something only you could pull off," Minako leaned her head back, waiting for her friend's response. Usagi chuckled "I was thinking of taking Megumi-san shopping for a dress, for the wedding."

Minako widened her eyes and sat straight on her chair "Really?"

 _"She doesn't have anything to wear for that day and she is after all, related to Mamo-chan."_

"But, what about Haruka-san or the other girls? If they find out you took her out of Mamoru's apartment, they are going to freak out—including him."

"Mamo-chan said it was okay—I guess," Usagi said, her tone of voice was indistinguishable but soon after continued, going back to her usual friendly tone. She was trying to avoid going down the road and tell her friend that she was also avoiding her fiancé. "I think it would be lovely to find her something appropriate for the occasion."

"You don't need to ask, I am there! Just let me know when," Minako raised her arm in triumph, surprising Aiko next to her. She heard Usagi's soft laughter at the other end " _I was thinking this afternoon because tomorrow and the next couple of days I will be very busy with these pages Maya wants before the weekend. Not that she minds me working on a weekend but, you know—I kind of don't want to."_ she laughed again.

"You are alone, aren't you?" Minako arched her brow.

"Alone as a bug in the dark," Usagi chuckled. Minako smiled "Yes, otherwise you would be so serious and poised and..."

"—Shush!" Usagi exclaimed, then another chuckle came along "But I know what you mean."

"Ok, so—I will see you later today, how about at 6? We can go to the Azuba Mall... they opened this new little cute boutique, I am sure we can find something there."

"6 is fine but I have to go and pick Megumi at Mamo-chan's first—while he's still out. So, should I see you there?"

"Sure," Minako said softly, "I'll see you there then. Ok, bye." she smiled as she hung up her phone and turned to her coworker, who was looking at her with a puzzled stare "She's my best friend."

"Ah, that explains it all," Aiko said and continued typing on her computer. Minako turned to her own matters and continued looking at the mass of work on her desk and sighed happily, "She's my best friend."

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

"What you have shown is very impressive Chiba-san but still there are a few interrogations surrounding this matter." Saito Mizoguchi, the head of the medical board of the hospital said in a serious tone as he looked down at the medical records concerning the late patient's death.

The meeting concerning the strange cause of death of the patient from E.R. had been dragged on for hours. Mamoru exposed all of the medical explanations and detailed exactly how and when each happened. Even to him, it was still a mystery; after taking many samples he sent them to the laboratory, studied the results himself and still there was nothing that made sense which only complicated matters worse because now the board was taking a different approach at the situation.

"This will remain under evaluation. For a man to die under these conditions is still unbelievable and neither the press nor people must know this happened in our facilities." Dr. Osuna, one of the members of the board suggested. The man was a good doctor, an old doctor with old ways and since the moment Mamoru was accepted to be part of the staff of the hospital he had found his methods too progressive for him, despite being the most modern and updated approach to treatment. He always kept him under the microscope, meaning he had people working as his ears and eyes, inspecting every step the dark-haired man did or said inside the hospital.

"This is no joke, a man died of causes that could be preventable." He continued, giving Mamoru a stern face. Mamoru looked at him the same way, trying his best to remain as calm as possible. People were questioning his integrity and knowledge as a doctor. All his efforts and sleepless nights were being put under judgment by a man that was never fully satisfied with him being a resident at the hospital—his turf. "I understand your point, Dr. Osuna, but the facts are there. The patient entered E.R. already in trauma, all this happened after I arrived and during assistance. Sugar levels were high, the pressure was low. His heart was not responding—"

"Still, you could have saved the man!" Osuna raised his voice "Your methods are not very close to what medicine should be."

Mamoru frowned "My methods?"

"You have been defending yourself but we still haven't seen a clear panoramic of what happened to this patient. Why it died the way it died." Osuna sighed and looked down at the papers in his hands and shook his head, "That is why you have to keep a close eye on young doctors, they graduate and they already think they have all the experience. If Satomura-san hadn't informed me about this, we would be in great trouble right now—the media would be all over us."

Mamoru felt offended by the man's words. It was as if he was on a mission to put him on the spot and throw him out of the team and the hospital for good. He frowned at the mention of Satomura Akashi, why would he speak badly of him behind his back when he was there present assisting him in the case and was a witness of the events that unfolded. He nodded and lowered his gaze, "I see." he muttered dryly while closing his laptop and putting it inside its briefcase, "You insist saying I did not perform a complete checkup of the state of the patient—but the thing is, I already showed proof of it. You have proof of every single thing I checked and did in your hands, why my integrity as a physician is being questioned... that is something I cannot accept."

"I am asking for a more extended, in-depth report about what happened!" Osuna raised his voice.

"Alright, then—If I am not capable of describing the situation myself perhaps you could explain the board this better than I can and find something I might have missed: Dr. Osuna, what is your prognosis when a 58-year-old male with no available records presents enters the E.R. in an unresponsive state. His white cells were low and with no heart condition registered before, the electro was in normal parameters but had sustained ventricular tachycardia, no brain trauma but there were clogs in his cerebellum, no diabetes but his Glucose was at 1500 Lactic acidosis, gap metabolic acidosis, amylase 1500, potassium level of 1.1, phosphorus level 1, upper GI bleed, severe hypotension, dilated common bile duct, severe protein malnutrition, acute hypoxemic respiratory failure and lack of safe IV access." Mamoru stood up, his blue eyes fixed in the older man's ones "Doing an investigation about this is one thing, and I accept it—another very different is to question my knowledge and experience as a trained doctor. Every sample result is in front of you. Every test taken—everything."

Osuna looked at Mamoru with his jaw clenched, he caught him off guard. It's been a long time since he assisted E.R. or an emergency case and his specialization was not the same as Mamoru's. He remained silent and looked down at the file open with everything the young doctor just explained, pursing his lips he sighed heavily and turned to the other members of the board "Do you have anything to add?" Mizoguchi looked at Osuna then at Mamoru and frowned, shaking his head "We will take a closer look at this and continue this matter tomorrow." He stood up and bowed his head, before exiting the conference room, not long after the rest of the members of the board followed and left the room as well, leaving Osuna and Mamoru alone.

The old man pointed his finger at him and frowned "Do not try to act like a smart ass, boy, or you will get trapped in your own web." Mamoru looked at him and responded with a deeper frown "Are you threatening me?"

Osuna shook his head and dismissed his comment with his hand, "I told you. Just because you graduated from the best Medical School or went abroad does not make you a great doctor. I will get to the bottom of this, I do believe this is bad praxis—and you will have to face the consequences. This is not your first strike."

Mamoru narrowed his eyes, "My first strike? What do you mean?"

Osuna shook his head and walked out of the private conference room, leaving Mamoru angry and confused all at the same time. All the respect he had for the older doctor was slowly vanishing, thinking of him more as an obstacle for future generations of doctors in this hospital. His mind went back to his previous words and narrowed his eyes with deception, "Satomura..." he muttered angrily.

O—o—O

Motoki was walking down the hall of the fifth floor doing his final round for the day when he saw Mamoru walking in his direction carrying a binder with papers in one hand and his laptop bag on his other shoulder. His face was serious and unapproachable, it only meant that things were more complicated than he imagined. "Mamoru." He called out to him, without a hint of his usual playful tone. Mamoru stopped and turned to look at him but remained silent, "What happened?" The blonde frowned with concern.

Mamoru shook his head and sighed heavily, letting his friend know he was not willing to talk about the matter in hospital grounds, at this point he did not want to risk any chances he had left to remain as part of the medical staff in the hospital. Motoki understood his silence and signed his check out card and took off his white coat "I'll walk with you."

Both men walked to the elevator in silence and they did not say a word until they both reached for their cars, that happened to be one parked next to the other. "Mamoru, what—"

"They do not believe anything I proved to them," Mamoru cut him bluntly, Motoki widened his eyes "W-What?!"

Mamoru pressed the alarm button on his car keys to open his trunk and began to put his things inside, then slammed it close with anger and leaned on it for a minute and sighed. After another minute he walked to his door "Get in the car—I don't trust anyone in this place right now."

Motoki frowned and sat on the passenger's seat and closed the door. Mamoru rested his hands on the wheel and sighed, shaking his head in frustration "Osuna is behind it," he muttered, still with his eyes fixed in the distance, "He questioned every proof, every sample, every test, my integrity—everything."

"Why?" Motoki's frown deepened "What's wrong with that man?" Mamoru shrugged his shoulders dismissively, "I don't know, but he ended up threatening me."

"What?!"

Mamoru finally turned to look at his friend, "At some point of the meeting, he put my reputation to be questioned by the other members of the board. He said it wasn't my first strike and that just because I graduated from Med School it didn't mean I could call myself a doctor—asshole."

"What the fuck?" Motoki frowned and shook his head with disbelief. Hearing curse words coming out of their mouths was something very strange to witness. It was a thing they learned it only helped when they needed to vent their frustration and made it a tradition. When alone, they would banter all the words they were aware could not spill out while surrounded by the girls, as a matter of respect. "Strike? What is this, fucking baseball or something?"

Mamoru managed to chuckle for the first time since all this started, he felt an eternity has passed and at this point, he couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. "I know." he shook his head, "But the thing is, he is observing. He has people watching our every move—my moves."

"What do you mean?"

"This all happened because _somebody_ put a complaint about my tactics in handling this matter." Mamoru frowned. Motoki scratched the back of his head, more confused than five minutes ago "I heard about that—but I thought there were just rumors."

"So, the hospital already knows what's happening?" Mamoru rolled his eyes with annoyance, "Great."

"Do you know who was it? Who complained?"

"Satomura Akashi." Mamoru said dryly, surprising Motoki "Ami-chan's not so secret admirer?" The blonde widened his eyes, " _That_ guy?!"

"Exactly, _that_ guy." Mamoru pointed his finger at Motoki, emphasizing his frustration "But what surprises me the most is that he was there. He was there way before I was called to examine the patient. I was called to deal and take control of the situation because he panicked and didn't know what to do with the man..."

"So, you think this guy did something and then blamed it on you?"

Mamoru sighed and tilted his head back on his seat "I don't know anymore Motoki, I'm drained—I'm angry," he closed his eyes "These things will continue for I don't know how much longer. In the meantime, I must remain calm and keep doing my job—if I still have one, that is."

"Yes you do but they are on a mission here," Motoki widened his eyes, "Yes, yes they are," Mamoru nodded and opened his eyes, the exhaustion was clear on his handsome face. "I don't care what that brat thinks about me or what Osuna thinks about me, Motoki. What bothers me is how eager they were to question my integrity as a doctor and put it for their amusing. They are basically saying that I did not care for the man and just did random things and waited for him to die."

"I know, but you know that is not true." Motoki patted his friend's shoulder in support, "I heard about Osuna being old fashioned when it came to his approach to medicine but to be acting this way—it is beyond me." he sighed heavily, "So, what next?" Mamoru raised his brow and turned to look at Motoki, "What next? Well, I have to continue proving my innocence."

"I am very surprised Mizoguchi-san didn't say anything to defend you. He's the one that brought you to this hospital in the first place—he recommended you!"

Mamoru sighed and shrugged his shoulder, "He trusts the man. It's the most logical thing—they're friends, like you and me." Motoki crossed his arms in front of his chest "Well yeah, they're buddies but one thing is their friendship and the other is act like professionals."

"Something is not right, I can feel it," Mamoru frowned and shook his head "I didn't do anything out of what I should have done."

"I know Mamoru, I know." Motoki sighed heavily "This completely sucks. I am going to talk to Ami about this." Mamoru raised a brow and looked at his friend "Why would you do that?"

"I knew he was going to bring us trouble," Motoki cursed under his breath "Goddammit, I just knew it!"

"Those are childish games, you really don't think that is the reason why he put a complaint on me?" Mamoru frowned and widened his eyes, "Or do you?"

"At this point, Mamoru, who knows... you said so yourself, if you have the hunch so do I," The blonde sighed "You are going home I suppose." Mamoru leaned his head back again and bit his lower lip. Going home was not exactly what he really wanted to do, he hasn't seen Usagi in days or spoken to her other than a few texts here and there but Megumi was alone, and he had to go back to her. "Yes... I have some... things to do."

"Are you going to tell Usagi-chan about this?" Motoki tilted his head to the side and saw his friend shake his head in denial "I don't see the point in telling her this with the wedding coming so close. She has her mind occupied with work, the girls and other things... telling her this will worry her—I don't want that. I already did when I told her about the man died the other day."

"You always so considerate," Motoki mumbled with sarcasm and arched his brow "She will eventually find out, she can read you like an open book—you still can't manage to accept it."

Mamoru pursed his lips, "I know she does, but..." he sighed tiredly, "I-I don't know what the hell I am doing... I just..." He shook his head, he felt too confused to even come up with a good excuse for his actions.

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. I'm here to help." Motoki smiled at his friend, Mamoru appreciated the gesture. He appreciated the man's friendship despite being a couple of years older than he was. Their friendship began after he found out Sailor Moon was no other than the bubbly and all so lovely Tsukino Usagi, the rest of the truth was pure intuition. Being the only guy in the group, he later learned they had a lot of things in common besides their interest in medicine and being close friends with the girls. One day they started to hang out on their own and when they least expected it they were already best friends and Mamoru was his best man at his wedding and now Motoki was going to be his on his wedding day. Mamoru smiled and nodded at his friend "Thank you."

"Hey, what are bros for?" Motoki raised his hands, trying to lighten the mood "I have to go and get ready though, I thought I could just go home and chill but Reika has a cocktail party with some members of the museum where she works, apparently a very skilled archaeologist has made some discovery and they're giving a speech or something like that—I really didn't understand much but, she was excited."

Mamoru chuckled tiredly and shook his head, "Well, it's part of the charm of being married."

Motoki's face darkened "Yeah, yeah you keep telling yourself that, but when you least expect it you will be attending fashion runways with Usagi-chan." Mamoru widened his eyes giving Motoki the sign that he touched a soft spot, knowing his friend disliked those types of social gatherings "Ha—I'm telling you." Motoki laughed and opened the door of Mamoru's car and stepped out "I'll let you know how it went."

Mamoru smiled "Yeah, you do that..." he shrugged his shoulders and widened his eyes with fake enthusiasm "I can't wait to know how many cosmopolitans you had to survive the night!"

Motoki laughed heartedly, "Douche."

Mamoru laughed and waited for his friend to close the door before turning the engine on and leave the building. Motoki was right, it did not matter how much he tried to hide things to protect Usagi, she would always find out. She knew him too damn well. His mind then went from Usagi to drift to other things as he waited for the green light to continue.

After what happened when he told her about the incident in the hospital she had been distant and he had to comply no matter how much he wished to see her. He understood her because he felt the same way, he too was angry but perhaps for different reasons. As he continued to drive, he wondered how different his life might be from his previous one, had he changed that much? He wondered. Megumi's comments left him asking himself which version was the best of him, Endymion or Mamoru or if in the end, one shone more than the other. After the battle with Galaxia ended, he never thought himself as a man with an alter ego, not even when he used to be Tuxedo Kamen but somehow, he saw Megumi's longing to see something else in him; the way she spoke to him, the way she addressed to him, it was as if she was expecting more of him and he did not know what it was, he didn't know how to deliver what she was expecting. He felt like if he was letting her down or that she was mistaken him for somebody else. She always spoke as if she was referring to another person, sure, some classic traits of him were still there but it was like she was disappointed—of him.

There was evident tension between them, he knew that no matter how polite he was with her, he was not who she expected to see and what frustrated him the most was how she spoke of his life and he could not know what she was talking about. He hated being clueless when she spoke about his parents, his godparents, and the many people that once surrounded him and not having a single mnemonic trace of them. Without a recollection of their faces, the sound of their voice—nothing. After the crystal revealed that part of him that was hidden, there was still too much from the fact that he was once the Terran Prince. He then wondered again, if he was supposed to protect the Golden Crystal, how come the crystal never regained those memories from that part of his life? The more he thought about it, the more questions came to the surface and it was killing him. Megumi was a missing link to his past and he could not figure out anything about it, it was locked somewhere far away from him and in the end, it only brought more questions than actual answers.

An eerie feeling curled up on his chest, followed by a strong sting that almost made him lose control of the vehicle and decided to park somewhere to grab some air. He flinched once more in pain and heard the voice—that voice. _"Wake up..."_ Mamoru widened his eyes and gasped for more air.

 _"They're coming—you have to wake up."_

"W-Who's coming?" He asked and another strong sting struck his heart. He felt like if somebody was stabbing him with a hot blade through his chest, making it impossible to move and to breathe, he closed his eyes and growled in pain "Who's coming!? Who are you!?" he raised his voice, then the same vision came.

 _A woman standing near a tree in flames, tears streaming down her face as she extended her hand out to him, "You have to wake up—it's time, wake up Endymion... wake up!"_

Mamoru snapped his eyes wide open, "Megumi," he muttered with horror in his voice and turned the engine on again and drove to his apartment as fast as he could. He finally entered his building and parked his car in his usual spot and ran to the staircase that would eventually lead him to the lobby and the elevator. Minutes that felt like hours, he was finally inside and letting Megumi know he was home. He turned to the kitchen and saw the food he left her that morning was half eaten on the counter.

There was something in the air, something that lingered that made Mamoru feel uneasy. It was a dense energy he could not describe but it made him feel sick—disgusted.

He looked around the apartment and noticed the curtains were slightly closed, "Megumi?" he called again, this time louder for her to hear and found it strange that the girl hadn't gone to greet him at the entrance like she had been doing for the past few days. He walked down the hall and checked if she was in her room but found it empty and the green dress she wore when Usagi did the makeover on her was on the bed. Worry started to curl up his spine as he quickly went to look for her in his room and both bathrooms. "No..." he cursed under his breath, grabbed his keys again and ran out the door.

Several blocks away, Megumi sat on a bench deep in the park and watched the children at the playground. Back to her normal clothes, she looked down at her hands with teary eyes and tightened her grip on the clothed object in her arms.

* * *

 _Megumi was having breakfast at the kitchen counter in silence. Every morning before leaving for work Mamoru would leave her something made so she would not have to struggle to find a way how to use the stove and have another accident like the one she had with the vacuum cleaner. Yes—he found out about that later that day._

 _As she munched and swallowed each bite with content, she looked down at one of the magazines Usagi had left for her to read while she spent some time alone. After several failed attempts in trying to teach her how to turn the t.v. on or turn on some music, the blonde decided to leave at least something that would keep her entertained until one of them got off work and went back to the apartment. Her small delicate hands turned each page as she slowly continued enjoying her breakfast and wondered how much fashion had changed over the past century. As she looked at the many short and strange runway dresses she wondered how awkward that would feel once on._

 _It was then when she felt a chill bristling her tiny hairs at the back of her neck and stopped. She turned to look around and found the place empty, she turned to the living room and closed the curtains as if preventing anyone from seeing her there and hugged herself, knowing the sensation in her body; knowing what it meant._

 _In an attempt to make herself feel protected, Megumi ran straight to Mamoru's room and locked herself in and cuddled on what she guessed was his side of the bed and began to sob. Even though these past few days had been silent and peaceful, there was a feeling deep in her chest that let her know the battle was far from being over and that the shadows were still out there looking for her. Maybe they had found her early on, but it was time to start the hunt for her head once again. She closed her eyes and sobbed louder, begging in silence for her Prince to appear and help her, begging for somebody to hear her lament and feel her pain. She could not take it any longer, feeling closer to death and farther away from any resolution with the mission she agreed to fulfill. It was then when the words from the Lord of War echoed in her mind._

 _"You are the only one who can save him now."_

 _In between sobs, she looked up "What did you mean!? How can I save somebody that has changed so much, how can I save somebody that does not even remember who he is!? How can I save that memory!? I cannot do this alone anymore!" She heard a loud rumble outside, meaning only one thing. They were close. Frantic, she got up and ran out the room again, she could not stay any longer putting his Prince and the Princess in obvious danger anymore. She had come to a resolution, if he was indeed Endymion and wanted to live a different life, it was his choice. It was his life, and as his longtime friend, she had to respect that and move on to look for the rightful owner of the object in her possession._

 _She turned wide-eyed when u_ _nintelligible_ _whispering began to fill her head—the man with black eyes. She turned her heel and ran back to her room and looked for her precious object and hugged it close to her chest, and closed her eyes chanting a small prayer to keep herself safe. She felt observed, she knew there was something there lurking where her eyes could not reach its presence, she heard them speak, chanting malicious thing, mocking of her will to protect the unprotectable. They had found her, she thought "No..." she whispered and shook her head between sobs "No..."_

 _They had come for her before she could even leave without being unnoticed. The hunt had begun, once again. She quickly stood up and grabbed her torn dress again and left her new favorite one on the bed, wrapped her precious object close to her chest again and ran from the apartment, without looking back._

* * *

There she was again, lost and trapped in a world that felt alien to her. She cursed herself for being this coward, she was supposed not to run away again and there she was, running away. They asked her not to leave, they asked her to trust them, all of them including the Prince and Princess and there she was, trying to solve things by herself again.

Where would she run off to now? She thought, looking down at the clothed object she frowned, anger finally coming through her fragile body like fire blazing through everything in its way "Why can't you take me where I am supposed to go!?" she looked at it with despair and began cursing her luck. Tears began to burn in her eyes again as she tried for the sacred object to react like it always did when she was in danger "Why can't you listen!?" she looked at it, angry and oblivious to all the strange glances from the people passing by.

"Take me out of here!" Megumi raised her voice and started to pound at the object on her lap, "Why can't you listen! Why can't you listen to my prayers again! Have you abandoned me as well!?"

"My, my—you poor thing." A male voice startled her, making her glance up and gasp in horror and surprise.

O—o—O

Mamoru had run around the blocks of his building, had gone in and out of stores, restaurants, and boutiques and there was still no sight of Megumi. Frantic to find her, he searched for his phone and sent an urgent message to all of the girls so they could be alert in case she is close around. Haruka being the first to read while being at the workshop getting a car fixed widened her eyes and asked for the keys of one of the cars and sped on to look out for the girl.

Minako was the second one to read the message, she was finishing some things from work when her phone gave the alert. She widened her eyes, recognizing its tune, one they all had in common to recognize it in case of an emergency. Taking her phone, she surfed through the screen and widened her eyes when she read Mamoru's short but precise message with his exact location attached.

 _"They're here, Megumi ran away."_

She frantically grabbed her purse and stormed off the office without telling anybody, it was until she reached for the elevator when Aiko saw her walking with hurry "Minako-san?"

Minako waved her hand apologetically "I'm sorry, I have to go—it's an emergency."

"W-What?!" Aiko widened her eyes.

"I can't explain! I'm sorry." she entered the elevator, leaving a very worried and troubled Aiko at the end of the hall. With trembling hands, she searched for Rei's number and dialed, as soon as she responded she heard the priestess say "He sensed her aura near Ajiro Playground in Azabu—he's on his way."

Minako nodded, "I'm on my way too." As soon as she hung up, her phone rang "Usagi-chan..." she said softly, but with an obvious emergency in her voice.

O—o—O

Makoto was doing some special requests made by the chef when she heard her phone ringing, and just like Minako, she reacted to its urgency and importance. As she managed through her flaming pan due to the brandy she just poured in, she asked to one of the other assistant cooks to cover for her as she went to look at her phone. Haruto, obviously noticed and frowned at her sudden outburst, "Kino-san, where the hell are you going?!"

Makoto ignored the chef's cursing and widened her eyes when she saw the message and Minako's missing call and then proceeded to read Mamoru's message. "Oh damn..." she breathed and walked out of the kitchen, taking her apron off in the process. Haruto followed her, this time catching everyone's attention in the kitchen "What the hell do you think you are doing?!"

"I have an emergency—I need to leave," Makoto said, desperately.

Masao saw Makoto's desperate stare, he knew she was put under too much stress lately these past few days that made him wonder if she really was having an affair with the chef like Suzuki told everybody, being one of the reasons why everyone was giving her a hard time at the restaurant. There was something in the way she was talking to him, her eyes were almost glossy, revealing the fright of what could cause her sudden departure.

"I don't care if the Emperor himself dies at this moment and turns out to be your long-lost father, we have a busy room right now and I need those dishes made! NOW!" Haruto looked at her with anger, Makoto only shook her head trying to excuse the occasion, "It won't happen again Haruto-san, I promise—but I need to leave, right now—I need to—"

"If you dare to cross through those doors, you will no longer be welcome at this or any restaurant, do you hear me!?"

"Please—it's a family emergency—I have to—"

"I can take over her station, Haruto-san."

Makoto widened her eyes and turn to see Masao standing at the door drying his hands with a towel "I have already finished with my orders, I can take care of hers for today."

Haruto frowned and turned to Makoto "Whatever it is—it better does not repeat itself again. Otherwise, consider yourself out of the gastronomical world."

Makoto stayed silent with wide eyes and turned to Masao who was still at the door, looking at her. Haruto cursed under his breath and walked back to the kitchen leaving both chefs alone "T-Thank you..." Masao nodded and gave her a small smile, like a truce to settle the awkwardness between them, "It's okay. Whatever it is, I hope it can be solved." Makoto sighed softly and turned to grab her purse and looked at him "Me too." with that, she walked out the door without looking back.

At the other side of town, Ami was looking through some records to study a patient's case when she felt her phone vibrate. Since she was alone, she took a moment to look at it and widened her eyes when she read the message; the same desperation began to grow as she looked for an excuse to leave the hospital.

O—o—O

Rei was coming close to the park when she felt a strong energy surrounding the area "This must be it," she looked around and entered the park widening her eyes in shock at the scenery in front of her.

All the people inside were on the ground, gasping she continued walking to the furthest part of the park when she found Megumi talking to someone. Frowning, the priestess ran towards her catching her attention "Megumi-san..." she called out to her softly but with authority to let the other person know she wasn't alone, Megumi widened her eyes in surprise but stayed silent with horror evident on her face.

"I see—you have made friends," The man turned to Rei and widened his eyes in shock. Rei frowned and shook her head, "Don't you dare to hurt her," she said in a warning tone.

Athamas' eyes could not hide his surprise. The woman in front of him, she looked like her but it couldn't be—he thought. "What are you doing here... How..." he said, part surprised, part demandant and narrowed his eyes when he remembered the night of the fall of the kingdom he once claimed as his "I see... the daughter of the God of War has survived after all... Interesting."

Rei frowned, "You are the one after Megumi-san then,"

Athamas arched his brow "As demandant as always—Mars."

Rei widened her eyes, surprised that this man knew her secret identity "W-What?"

Megumi turned to Rei and shook her head "Please... run away... Priestess, please run away..."

"Yes, you run away—if you do not want your head cut off—this time, Daddy will not come to your rescue." Athamas threatened the fire senshi, his hand rested on the hilt of his sword. Rei narrowed her amethyst eyes "Megumi-san—step back."

"But—"

"Step back!" Rei did not turn to look at her and she did not give too much an opening to start a discussion with her so she had no other choice but obey the Priestess. Athamas arched his brow, "You are meddling in my business."

Rei glared at him, her gaze was cold and piercing as daggers of ice. She did not need much to show her disgust towards the man in front of him "Whoever you are, you leave the girl alone."

Athamas chuckled "My, my..." he raised his hand to attack her. Rei felt an urge to call to her inner power, it was like if her inner fire was taking over her, calling her, claiming its rightful place in her life. Was this what she had been missing? She turned to the girl who was still standing a few feet away from her holding the clothed object close to her chest.

"Hand me that sword!" Athamas growled at the girl, extending his hand "If you do not want your _friend_ die before your eyes—like everyone who has tried to help you in the past..."

Megumi widened her teary eyes, Rei frowned and closed her eyes, not thinking her decision any further. The man apparently already knew she was a Senshi, and there was no time to lose. She opened her eyes and raised her hand with her transformation pen and for the first time in years, she shouted the words she thought would never have to say again:

 _"Mars Crystal Power—Make Up!"_

A strong, yet familiar energy began engulfing her. An intense rush of fire surrounded her, quickly changing her appearance to one of a soldier. Her sailor fuku appeared in between the flames as the symbol of her planet shone in her forehead with an intensity, not even Athamas could ignore, confirming what he was told and dared not to believe.

Soon the flames yield to her, her uniform was different now from what he remembered in the past. Her long white boots contrasted the intensity of her three-layered skirt. There was no question about it, she had grown stronger and she was closer to honor her father's intimidating lineage. Her amethyst eyes darkened and pointed her gloved finger at him "I won't say it again, step away from her!"

Athamas growled deeply and snapped his fingers to summon the shadow nesting inside the people scattered around the park "I never had the patience to deal with you... you were always a nuisance."

Mars frowned "What?" she looked around and saw the dark matter dripping from the bodies "Tar...?" she muttered and frowned when she recognized the sulfuric smell—it was the same from her many reading in the fire when the shadow appeared and threatened her.

Athamas jumped high and stood in one of the light poles, looking down at the fire senshi "I do not know how did you manage to survive—but I will make sure this is the last time I will see your face."

Sailor Mars looked at the distorted shadows coming close to attack her, and brought her fingers close _"Pyou,"_

" _Tou,"_

" _Sha,"_

" _Kai,"_

" _Jin,"_

" _Retsu,"_

" _Zai,"_

" _Zen,"_

She drew out a talisman and traced a ring of fire in the air before shouting " _Akuryo Taisan_!"

This was probably one of the few times Athamas saw one of the senshi release their power, secretly admitting that in fact, at least this one was obvious she had the blood of the daughter of the God of War. Narrowing his eyes, he saw the blasts of fire engulfing the shadows. Megumi widened her eyes with surprise to see the amount of power the Priestess carried within her, hopeful to think that maybe, after all, this man could be beaten.

Haruka arrived with Michiru at the park, Setsuna was already there studying the situation from afar. Minutes later, Makoto, Minako, and Ami arrived. Setsuna closed her eyes and smiled sadly for a minute "It is time for us to reclaim our power and rise again as Senshi," she turned to Minako "And you as the Princess' guardian."

Minako felt a pinch in her chest as she looked at Setsuna because she knew exactly what she meant. All girls tried to follow their path as normal people, have normal lives but the truth was that beyond that, they served a cause and they were warriors of the universe, bond to protect the carrier of the sacred Silver Crystal—their Princess.

Bound to their fate, Minako nodded claimed her post as leader of the Inner Senshi again and raised her hand holding her pen in the air. _"Venus Crystal Power—Make Up!"_ Ami and Makoto followed

 _"Mercury Crystal Power—Make Up!"_

 _"Jupiter Crystal Power—Make Up!"_

Haruka smiled at Michiru and kissed her hand "I guess they miss us too much, and we cannot let them have all the fun, don't you think so?" Michiru smiled "My, you look enthusiastic." Haruka chuckled, "When it comes to fighting alongside you—it's always exciting." she raised her hand

" _Uranus Crystal Power—Make Up!"_

 _"Neptune Crystal Power—Make Up!"_

Setsuna smiled sadly and summoned her garnet rod, knowing this was the start of a new battle, a new era. _"Pluto Crystal Power—Make Up!"_

Each girl was surrounded by their given, stronger power once again transforming them into the soldiers they were always meant to be. Each and one of them realizing they had more to just one simple life; they had a destiny. They were the chosen ones by the heavenly gods and planets.

Mars widened her eyes when she realized there was much more needed to control the tar pouring from the bodies. Now taking shape of long distorted figures "Dammit..." she cursed under her breath as she summoned her power again, _"Burning—Mandala!"_ her sacred fire passed through the shadows coming closer to her, Mars turned to Megumi who was still curled up behind a tree, frozen in her own fear. "Megumi! Get out of their way!"

 _"Venus Crescent Boomerang!"_

A golden light pierced through the shadows, destroying the closest to Mars and Megumi. Mars turned to see Venus and the rest of the girls standing next to her "Venus..." Venus shrugged her shoulders and gave her friend and comrade a soft smile, "Like you said—it's a calling."

Mars frowned "Well—you took an awful lot of time to get here!" she sighed with relief, "But I am glad you are alright."

Athamas face darkened, it was not only the soldier of fire who managed to survive but all of the Inner Senshi as well and now they were accompanied by three more, three he had never seen before. Uranus rested a hand on her waist and looked at the man upon the light pole and pointed a finger at him, "So you are the one who has been causing havoc around—interesting."

Venus looked up and frowned "What the hell are those?"

Athamas growled angrily, "All of you survived—"

"There is no time to figure out who the hell you are..." Jupiter said bluntly and brought her hands together _"_ _Jupiter my guardian plant, bring forth the clouds, summon a storm, and bring down the thunder!"_ Her tiara began to crack and shine with thunder as she gathered the energy from the clouds in the sky _"Supreme Thunder!"_ lighting began engulfing the shadows but no matter how much energy they threw into them, every time they were destroyed, they came back multiplied. Jupiter widened her eyes with horror, "It's not working..." she muttered.

Mercury summoned her power and extended her hands _"Shine Snow Illusion!"_

The tar-like substance slowed and so did the creatures, "It will not give us much time!" Mercury turned to Venus, Uranus smirked and cracked her fists, "I'll handle this once and for all..." she extended her hand up in the air to summon her power _"World—"_ she leaned down and blasted her energy at the ground _"—Shaking!"_

The tar shadows disintegrated, surprising Athamas "It doesn't matter how much you try to show me your powers—" he raised his hand again and summoned ordered the shadows to rise again "A whole army is under my command; your power does not match mine!" Uranus narrowed her eyes "What do you want in this place!?"

Athamas looked at the soldier of the skies and growled, "I do not have to explain myself to you..." he raised his hand again, summoning more dark power and raising more shadows to attack "I want them eliminated!"

Megumi widened her eyes and ran from her previous spot, catching the General's attention "You—" he jumped from his post towards her "Give me the—"

 _"Tuxedo La Smoking Bomber!"_

An intense blast of energy burned between the girl and the general giving the girl the opportunity to run away as it burned the shadows crowding her path. Athamas looked at his hand and up at the next opponent, his green eyes widened in shock "W-What..." Tuxedo Kamen looked at him with daring eyes "Don't you dare to lay a finger on that girl..."

Athamas recognized the voice, his blood froze in his veins surprised to see the man before him "You..." He growled with anger; Megumi turned and widened her eyes in surprise, joining the General in his disbelief. She recognized that attire, it was the same he wore the night they arrived at the Moon and when he went in search for the Lunar Princess. She saw the locket he used to wear all the time with his uniform and her eyes began to tear with deep emotion "Prince..." she whispered, still in shock to see him there.

The general looked at the man in front of him with hatred, his jaw clenched and began to lose his cool and stoic demeanor, "How the hell did _you_ survive?!" Tuxedo Kamen frowned and took position to attack him again "What the hell are you talking about?"

Athamas jumped from his spot on the light pole and narrowed his eyes, "So you have been hiding here all this time, like the rat you are." He turned over his shoulder and raised his hand again "I will make sure they are entertained so we can have our moment—alone."

The shadows multiplied again, Venus frowned and twirled her chain again, slicing them but no matter how much they attack their power kept growing and it was starting to get out of their control "We have to suppress this! Whatever they are cannot leave the perimeter!"

Neptune summoned her mirror and widened her eyes in horror "They cannot be defeated—they are made of a strong energy— _Deep Reflection!_ "

Uranus widened her eyes "What?!"

"He is too strong..." Neptune turned to Uranus "And it's innocent people being possessed. If we kill these things, we will kill all these people."

"So what then!?" Makoto turned frantic as she kicked and sent another creature away with a blast of electric energy, "We are supposed to let them multiply!?" she widened her eyes when noticed at her Senshi comrade standing next to her "Innocent people..." she muttered with a deeper meaning to her soft voice, hurt was written all over her beautiful face. Sailor Moon tilted her head and looked at her with a sad smile, "I guess I will not be able to eat that delicious cake, after all." she raised her hand and summoned her lunar rod _"Silver Moon..."_ she looked up at her silver scepter shining proudly with the sacred light of her crystal, _"...Therapy Kiss!"_

Athamas froze in place, he heard it—that voice. He recognized that voice; slowly, he turned to look over his shoulder and saw a woman with pale blonde hair summoning an intense amount of power. He recognized that figure, the posture and the light coming from her. His green eyes widened in shock as he remembered the once Lunar Princess grab a sword and stab herself in the heart, "No..."

* * *

 _Liked it? Leave me a comment below and help keep the good vibes flowing!_


	23. Chapter 23

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Twenty-three

 _AN: Yes, that's right... two chapters in a week, like in the old times._

 _I wish I knew how many people are reading or if my efforts on finishing my story are not in vain. I am grateful for those who send me their good wishes and good vibes... this is my way to thank you. Also, I want to give notice that this will take place for this next week's chapter since I have to be out of town for **two** **weeks** but I will be back, don't worry. There are just some things I need to attend to; I hope you enjoy this chapter and again, thank you to those who send me your good vibes and thoughts chapter after chapter. SerenityMorrison and kera69love, this is for you..._

* * *

 _The Moon Princess lowered her head and saw Endymion's sword in its sheath close to his waist and curled her fingers around the handgrip and pulled it out in one swift move making a soft echoing sound as the blade cut through the air in a hypnotizing flair and remembered how many times she watched the Prince clean and polish the weapon with incredible care. She looked at her tear stained reflection on the pale gold blade for a few seconds and grabbed the blade not minding of how it cut her fingers in the process._

 _Serenity watched a fine line of her blood trickle down the sharp blade and positioned its tip right where her heart was still pounding inside her chest; the Princess took a few heavy breaths with determination and let go of her own life._

 _"Endymion… please, find me… wherever you are… find me… wait for me… I'm coming…"_

 _Athamas shook his head after he battled the mortal Prince he managed to still stand up and leaned on a fallen pillar, with wide eyes, he looked with horror at the white Princess holding a sword with bloodied hands "No... Serenity..."_

 _Serenity pressed her lips tight in a fine line and looked up at the stormy sky for a fraction of a second and then at the dead Prince on her lap with endearment, "Wait for me Endymion…" she tightened her grip on the blade with the last remains of her will and let it go through all the way into her chest piercing all its way through her back an gasped for air one last time before she closed her eyes and fell over Endymion's lifeless body, drenching him with her warm blood._

 _"Endymion… you are my first love, my only love… even if we are reborn in another life, we will find each other… and then, we will fall in love again…"_ _Serenity's voice came out in a soft whisper and let herself go._

* * *

Sailor Moon raised her rod higher and allowed the silver light engulf the possessed bodies and purify them from the dark matter possessing them. The warm, soothing light soon after sedated and the lunar soldier turned to look over her shoulder to the man in front of Tuxedo Kamen "Threatening innocent people's lives is something I will never forgive," she pointed her lunar staff at him "I will punish you, in the name of the Moon."

Athamas narrowed his eyes with anger and turned to look at Tuxedo Kamen, his shocked expression was still marked on his face when seeing the woman in the white fuku "You... you died..." he growled at Mamoru, " _You_ died!" he brought his hands to his head and screamed in frustration and anger, letting his deep and darkest emotions take over him as he remembered the night the woman he wanted for himself took her life for the man he made an oath to kill. "You held that sword and killed yourself..." Athamas growled at Sailor Moon while his eyes were still fixed on Tuxedo Kamen, " _That_ sword!" he narrowed his eyes " _You_ killed her..." summoning his power, he drew out his weapon and pointed it at the man in the black tuxedo, " _You_ — you have always been a damn shadow to me... _you_ destroyed everything I had built! You took her from me!"

Tuxedo Kamen frowned and took a step back, "Your words mean nothing to me. I don't know who you are," Sailor Moon widened her eyes "Tuxedo Kamen!"

Athamas growled louder and raised his sword up in the sky, "Lend me your power... to kill them all!" the weapon responded to his command and flashed with dark energy allowing the shadows to rise again on their own from every corner "Kill them all," The General muttered angrily.

All senshi widened their eyes in shock "No... it can't be!" Setsuna said and raised her rod "They have the strength to move on their own without the use of a host!?" Neptune frowned "I won't let that happen," she raised her mirror talisman and called for its power _"_ _Deep Reflection!_ "

Mars hissed as she kicked a dark body away from her, "None of us will, even if I have to burn them to ashes..." she brought her hands together to summon a stronger attack and shouted " _Mars—_ " a ball of fire soon was modified by her hands into flaming bow aiming at the enemy and released the burning arrow " _Flame Sniper!_ "

Jupiter manipulated the lighting crashing in between her hands and threw the strong attack to the opponents surrounding her " _Sparkling Wide Pressure!_ "

Pluto twirled her rod and summoned for the blessing from the lord of time " _Chronos Typhoon!_ "

Uranus ran around the park as she constantly continued blasting her strong energy at the shadows coming after her and raised her hand to call for her sword. The shining object soon materialized in her hand reacting to her command _"World Shaking!"_

Venus followed Uranus' strategy, realizing the strength and malice coming from the enemy. She closed her eyes and asked for the holy permission to use it once again, soon materializing surrounded by silver light in her hand. She looked at the distorted figure in front of her and called for its power _"Venus—Wink Chain Sword!"_

Mercury put her special goggles to study the enemy, frustrated by not finding any weak point to attack. She ran close to Venus as the blonde attacked the upcoming new wave of shadows and blasted another attack _"Mercury—Aqua Rhapsody!"_

Megumi watched surprised and horrified by the scenes happening before her, she ran to the closest tree to hide unaware that she was being observed and under threat. Sailor Moon turned and saw in horror as another figure moved close to her at an impressive and subhuman speed "Megumi..." she widened her eyes and ran towards her, leaving her position and catching the General's attention in the process. He disappeared into thin air before Tuxedo Kamen and appeared in front of the Lunar Senshi and the girl, "No, no, no, Princess—that girl is mine now." He said and clicked his tongue. His sarcasm shone through as he arched his brow and looked at her with disdain and bitterness, "So you managed to fulfill that stupid dream of yours... or at least you think you did." He hissed and tried to get a hold of her, but Usagi managed to move away "I don't know who you are..." she narrowed her blue eyes and pointed at him "But I demand you to leave this place at once!"

Athamas arched his brow "You are in no position to demand anything from me Serenity, not after everything you caused to your own Kingdom." Sailor Moon widened her eyes "H-How do you know that name?" Athamas smirked at the Lunar Princess' oblivious knowledge of him and shook his head "How clever of you... choosing not to remember," he chuckled and turned to look over his shoulder at Megumi "That girl belongs to me—" his eyes darkened when he spotted the clothed object pressed close against her chest "And so is that sword..." his eyes turned dark, "Et gladius meus..."

"Megumi, run!" Sailor Moon yelled, Megumi widened her eyes and tried to run but she was already surrounded by the army of shadows called by Athamas, so was she and so was the rest of the Senshi. Athamas chuckled "It's useless—whatever you do, whatever you try—I am to take from where I left off and there is nothing that will stop me this time—not even _you_."

Tuxedo Kamen looked at Megumi being strangled by one of the shadows and ran over to save her, Athamas caught him on time and threw him a blast of energy sending him several feet away from the girl and Sailor Moon. "Mamo-chan!" she screamed at the verge of tears.

Athamas turned on his heel and raised the strength of the army attacking the girls while he walked towards Tuxedo Kamen. Sailor Moon tried to run after him but soon was stopped too with a blast of energy coming from the General. Athamas crouched in front of the man in black and grabbed a handful of Mamoru's hair and pulled his head back so he could look down at his maskless face, "The Lunar Queen protected you since the moment Serenity laid eyes on you—I cannot stand to see you alive... I cannot stand to know you exist!" he punched him on Mamoru's jaw with rage and force, breaking his lip. "Prince!" Megumi exclaimed, with a face of horror at the image of the once strong prince, spitting his own blood, defeated.

The sky began to rumble, a storm was approaching making it the perfect scenario to the Andromedian's intentions; Athamas laughed, "Prince?!" he looked down at the bleeding man on the ground, "This man is no Royal..." he kicked Mamoru in the ribs, rolling him over further away "WHY DIDN'T YOU DIE LIKE YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO!?" he blasted a ball of dark energy at him, hitting him again, "YOU ARE ALWAYS IN MY WAY!" then blasted him again, each attack more brutal than the last one. Mamoru wiped the blood pooling from his lip and coughed some more while he tried to stand up, "I don't..." he flinched with obvious pain, and tried to use the remains of his strength to stand but the man's attacks were coming one after the other, giving him little to no time to recover or to even speak.

Athamas attacked him again, proving the force within him was much more superior than any of the Senshi gathered "What is the matter with you mortal? Are you not supposed to be an assassin?! What happened to all those threats you blurted at me that night?" he laughed and kicked him again in the stomach and raised his blade above his head and narrowed his eyes with pleasure, "At last... your head is mine..."

Sailor Moon looked at Athamas ready to pierce his sword on her beloved and tried to break free from the shadows trying to suffocate her, her heart felt like it was pounding its way out of her chest with desperation, "No! Mamo-chan!" Not too far away from Sailor Moon, Venus turned as soon as she heard her Princess strained cry and widened her eyes in horror at the scene between Tuxedo Kamen and the Andromedian General and tried to catch up with them, "No... no, no, no!"

It took a moment before Tuxedo Kamen could raise his head and look up at the man threatening to kill him and widened his eyes when he heard the same voice that had been calling for him over and over again.

 _"Wake up..."_

Tuxedo Kamen flinched in pain and hung his head low as he tried to grasp more air into his lungs, "I don't... I can't..." he mumbled with frustration between hoarse breaths and widened his eyes when a vague, distant memory flashed through his mind.

 _"Wake up Endymion,"_

* * *

 _"Come, sit here next to me… let me look at you… my, look how much you have grown," A woman with long dark hair caressed his face and sighed, deep inside she felt she needed to let her son be what he was destined to be, she knew he felt a strong bond with_ _Earth._

 _"I have something for you…" Gaia smiled and walked back to her bed and pulled a large black case from under it. With a curious look on his face, Endymion soon joined her and watched the black case with awe. It was a long dark box that appeared to be made of pure black onyx. "What is it?" he asked softly and looked at the Terran Queen. Gaia opened the case and revealed a beautiful long sword resting inside a black and gold sheath with a detachable smaller blade resting next to it, also made of pure black onyx and gold. The slick, golden blade was so clear and polished it looked like if it was made of crystal the minute it caught the light in the room._

 _"This sword has gone from generation to generation… it was your great grandfather's, your grandfather's and then, it was mine…" Gaia smiled proudly, "When I was little, my father told me this sword was handcrafted by Gods with special powers who lived up in the heavens making it only worthy for a true warrior. He told me only true warriors could truly unleash its power." Gaia looked at him and handed the weapon to her son with a warm smile on her face, "So, this sword belongs to you now."_

* * *

Megumi felt the object in her chest becoming warmer and started to glow with a soft golden light, unaware of the man standing just a few feet away from her pleading with desperation in his voice, "The sword! Give him the sword!" Megumi widened her eyes and gasped with surprise when she saw Ares blocking the shadows away from her, "Do it, _now_!"

Athamas widened his eyes and groaned with rage "You again—stop meddling in my business!" he blasted a shock of energy at the God of War, but Ares managed to take the blast and block it from Megumi, giving her a short window to run and follow his command. Megumi didn't hesitate and or felt surer of what she was about to do and ripped the dirty cloth from the object as she ran towards Tuxedo Kamen revealing the onyx and gold sheath. She widened her eyes when she felt the hilt of the weapon was feeling warmer and active to the energy around it, "It's awakening..." she mumbled with amazement, "It is finally awakening!"

Athamas peered the girl running by his side and grabbed her by her neck, "You are not going to give anything to anyone—but me," he looked down at the sword and tried to grab it but Megumi felt determined to fulfill her mission, for the first time in centuries she was not afraid, she couldn't be afraid—not anymore. With the force she had left in her, she managed to throw the sword away from them making it land at a short distance away from a very weak, almost unconscious Mamoru. The General growled and threw Megumi to the ground with brutal force and ran to try to get a hold of the weapon and be done with everyone once and for all.

 _"Wake up Endymion, wake up!"_

Mamoru looked up and felt a strange strong connection with the weapon. Extending his arm, he crawled on the ground and wrapped his hand around the weapon's hilt activating its power. Mamoru widened his eyes when he felt the strong energy burst in ribbons of golden fire from the sword and went through him revitalizing his strength as it flashed many scenes of his past like a crash course of his life.

He slowly stood up and unsheathed the sword revealing an intense golden light, fusing with him. Mamoru looked at the sword in his hand and felt like if a bandage was ripped from covering his eyes and looked up; his eyes slowly started to turn into different shades of blue, from sapphire to Prussian and then to cerulean as he watched the many scenes of his previous life playing in front of his eyes like a short movie; his childhood, his family, his training, his battles, the romance with Serenity, the battle with Beryl... the moment he prayed and sealed Earth from Metallias' destruction, his final battle with the Shitennou and his death.

Mamoru turned to look at the man in front of him, his eyes glaring with anger and a thirst for blood—his blood and felt disgusted by the contamination around them, caused by him. He narrowed his now dark eyes when the smell of sulfur and decoy reached his nose and immediately brought him back to the night he confronted Metallia; it was the same smell of death and rottenness—the same that contaminated his world and killed everything he held dear. His mind was still swirling into his past, his body still going through the strong burning feeling and the changes that came with his awakening, his heart was beating strong in his chest, pulsating with hurt and anger. He glared down at the sword gripped in his hand tightly and called for its power to manifest.

Athamas widened his eyes with shock and raised his own blade to protect himself and counteract the blast from the Terran Prince "I won't let you get away with it again... _not_ again!" Sailor Uranus' widened her eyes in shock as she saw the golden light pulsing coming from Tuxedo Kamen's body, "What the..."

Megumi looked at the scene in shock from the place Athamas threw her, the Prince's reaction was different from what she saw years ago, "No..." she whispered and turned to Sailor Moon who was trying to reach for her lover with all her might, her crystal blue eyes burned with the tears pooling from her eyes without control, "No... Mamo-chan! NOOOOOOOOO!"

"The Prince is still in a trance, he won't be able to counter attack that man's attack! We must get to him!" Sailor Pluto turned to Neptune and Uranus and tried block Athamas' attack with the power from her Garnet Rod. The Inner Senshi turned desperate to hear the cry of their Princess. Sailor Venus kicked another shadow grabbing her leg and tried to run towards her "Sailor Moon!"

"DIE!" Athamas blasted Tuxedo Kamen with a stronger attack and it rumbled and crashed causing a loud explosion blinding everyone for a minute with the aftershock caused by the dark energy hitting the golden barrier protecting the Prince. Sailor Uranus frowned and raised her hand to protect her eyes from the blinding light "What the hell is going on?!" she yelled frantically.

The piercing light soon died down, allowing Sailor Venus to move her hand away from her eyes and looked at awe and shock when she recognized the power that was protecting the Terran Prince.

Kunzite, Nephrite, Zoisite, and Jadeite stood in front of Tuxedo Kamen with their arms extended, blocking the attack from Athamas. Kunzite turned to look over his shoulder at Mamoru, who was still trying to get used to this new wave of power within him and raised his brow, "It is time for you to come back, wake up Endymion."

Mamoru looked at the white-haired General with wide eyes and let the soldier within him began to wake from its deep sleep. His tuxedo burned into golden flames revealing his royal dark armor as he remembered his life as Commander to the Royal Army of Elysion. He looked at the General with a frown and then at the shadows attacking the Senshi and Megumi. Rage began to curl in his chest when he saw Sailor Moon being restrained by Athamas' pawns and tightened the grip on his sword and sprint towards them viciously and released the power boiling inside him and began slaying every shadow creature with a murderous expression on his handsome face, the merciless act surprising the Senshi in the process since it was something none of them was expecting or imagined to see from him. Like a vicious beast hunting its prey, he evaded and turned to decapitate each and one of the corpses and stood in the middle of a pool of poisonous tar. Endymion slowly turned to Athamas with a murderous glare and wiped the thick dark substance on his blade with a strong swing and dig it on the ground and chanted the sacred words to unleash his power.

 _"_ _Potestas vocat Terra ignibus sacris invocamus malum de terra! Rogo uti potestate Aurei Crystalli prodire me venire eamque relegant malo! Ego præcipio tibi, ut ostenderet tibi, Terra sancta est, et terebrare in episcopum tenebris lux tua astringens!_ _"_

 _(I summon for the power of Earth and call upon the sacred fire to burn the evil from this land! I call upon the power of the Golden Crystal to come forward and use me as its conduct to come through and banish evil. I command you to manifest yourself, Holy Guardian of Earth and pierce the darkness with your binding light!)_

Athamas widened his eyes and jumped to the light pole again when he felt the ground shake and crack beneath his feet and turned to Ares and the Shitennou with his jaw clenched with anger and unspoken fear. His eyes darkened and clouded any trace of green until they were pitch black and saw every shadow and its remains disintegrate into the strong golden fire coming from Endymion. The Senshi were released from the enemy's grasp and watched in awe at the power coming from the Prince; Sailor Moon soon began to feel a warmth in her chest and looked down at her brooch with wide eyes "Endymion..." she mumbled with nostalgia.

Ares looked at the Prince and tilted his head forward with pride and honest relief to finally being able to see the strength from his dynasty shine through him, like he wanted to be "I have done it, Helios..." he muttered with a smirk on his face and turned to look up at Athamas, still standing on a light pole, "It is done, it is over—"

Athamas narrowed his dark eyes as looked at the man in dark armor and then back at Ares and smirked devilishly, "Is that what you think God of War? This is far from being over... I am not done, not yet."

Endymion followed suit and tilted his head up to look at Athamas with a deadly glare, "Then why are you about to run away?" His voice was uncharacteristically cold and demandant to all Senshi, including Sailor Moon. Athamas arched his brow and chuckled. His eyes at this point had lost any trace of light becoming a void of pure malice and darkness "Et venit—nihil potestis facere, et illud per circuitum."

 _**He is coming and there is nothing you can do about it._

"What are you talking about?!" Sailor Uranus demanded at him an answer and pointed her Talisman sword at him "Who the hell are you!? What do you want?!"

Endymion's frown deepened, and so did his angry glare on him, "Bonum. Et stabis."

 _**Good. I will be waiting._

Athamas smirk didn't fade and his eyes didn't leave the Prince's either, "I have an intriguing question for you, Sailor Senshi—" he looked at the girls and then at Sailor Moon, "Who's side are you going to take now?" he tilted his head low and grinned, "The one from the heavens or the one from hell? Mark my words—you are going to wish to never have woken this beast from its slumber. You will not survive—not this time." he turned to Ares and shook his head "You will not either after he learns the truth... you just made this much easier for me to come through."

"You, poisonous demon—stop playing with other people's minds and be the warrior you claim to be!" Ares growled at him and pointed his sword at Athamas who in return just laughed and shook his head "There is no need..." he pointed his finger at Endymion, "He will do the work for me, in the end, we are the same—him and I, and you know it," he narrowed his black eyes, "Do not wish for things you might regret later... God of War." Athamas looked up at the warp hole formed in the sky and snapped his fingers before vanishing into thin air.

Ares' face darkened with anger "Coward." he muttered and turned to look at the Senshi who were running after Sailor Moon to check if she was alright but before they could come close to her, Sailor Moon turned and walked towards Endymion who was standing with his head low looking at the golden sword in his hand still pulsating its power through him in sync with his heartbeat. "Mamo-chan..." she called him softly but Endymion didn't move or react to her voice. He felt different, his senses intensified and could feel everything that happened around him; he could hear and feel the ground pulsating beneath his feet, the grass moving, the cold breeze with scents of the ocean from miles away, the deafening sound coming from the city, the sound and smell of the of the rain that was about to fall from the dark clouds in the sky, the endless murmurs and prayers of the people and their anxious need to be listened and saved.

He could feel everything around him but he could not move his body, it was as if Earth itself was demanding for his full attention and letting him know everything that has happened during his slumber as if the planet was finally acknowledging and embracing him as its rightful protector. Endymion felt Sailor Moon's hands cupping his face and without speaking a single word, he allowed the same energy that was flowing through him go through her as well, making her Silver Crystal react to his and morphed her Senshi uniform into her ivory Princess gown along with hundreds of emotions, "Endymion..." she whispered as she looked up into his prismatic blue eyes.

The same golden light, made the crystals on the Inner Senshi's uniforms react the same way it happened with Sailor Moon, making them revive a part of their previous lives they completely ignored in front of their eyes. It was as if a bandage was taken of their eyes, it was different from what happened when the Silver Crystal reacted, this time they could remember everything as if they were never reborn into a new era. Everything was so vivid like if it happened yesterday, the General's aggressive approach to them, his plans, their suspicions towards him, their need to protect the Princess, their trips to the Terran planet and their secret meetings with the Shitennou. Megumi looked at the Royal couple she so much longed to see, the same she remembered with so much love and a wave of emotions soon took over her and smiled with relief.

"You finally awakened," Ares' deep voice startled the Senshi and the Royal couple; Sailor Uranus frowned, "This makes less sense every time a stranger appears out of thin air." Ares turned to the soldier of the skies and arched his brow, "As impatient as always, Sailor Uranus—just like your Father."

"Why...?" Sailor Mercury asked softly. The man in golden armor turned to Pluto and gave her a small smile "It is good to see you have crossed to this realm, Pluto."

Pluto looked at him and bowed her head in respect, "God Ares..."

"God Ares..." Jupiter widened her eyes, still trying to adjust to the rush of emotions and memories slowly flowing inside of her, "The God of War?" she looked at him dumbfounded "B-But... the Soldier of War is..." she turned to Mars, who had the same surprised look on her face. "It's you..." Mars whispered with awe, realizing he was the same man she spoke to the other day, "You were at the shrine..." Ares gave Mars a sad smile and nodded, "My dear daughter, oh how I missed you."

"Daughter..." Mars widened her eyes in surprise, then everything made sense as she remembered him in her life at the Moon Palace "I see... it was you. You were the one who was giving me those warnings and premonitions."

Ares nodded and turned to the Terran Prince, "I came here with one mission," then turned at the Shitennou "But I believe you were being protected by others too..."

Venus parted her gaze from the man in golden armor to the leader of the Shitennou who was standing feet away from her, "Kunzite..." his name escaped from her lips in the softest of whispers, still in disbelief. Sailor Uranus frowned with more confusion, "Who are _you_? Why are you here?" Kunzite turned to Uranus and narrowed his grey eyes, "We are the ones chosen to protect the Prince of Earth."

"What?" Sailor Uranus muttered with surprise, "But... the ones destined to protect this planet—we are..."

"Clearly, there is much to be explained," Ares interrupted Sailor Uranus, then turned to Endymion, "Especially to you."

Mercury went to check on the people that were taken by the shadows as hosts and sighed with relief, "They still a have a pulse but they must be taken to get medical attention right away." Sailor Neptune nodded and looked down into her mirror, "Help is on the way, such commotion could not be ignored—we must leave before they arrive and get involved with their rescue."

Ares kept his gaze fixed on the Terran Prince who didn't avert his piercing gaze from him, "Why are you here?" Endymion asked, the tone in his voice could not be taken as a simple question, it sounded more like a demand—an angry one and the God of War understood why. Ares was mentally fighting the decision he was about to make because he was not sure just how it would impact not just the Prince at this point but the Princess and the Senshi. "I am here to bring you back Prince of Earth—it is time for you to know the truth and claim what is rightfully yours."

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

Athamas appeared in his dark remote hiding in a star of the Alpha Galaxy and cursed under his breath for the previous events on Earth. He punched the wall of the empty temple with a loud angry growl for his failure, "I should have killed you then and there when I had the opportunity," He narrowed his green eyes when his mind drifted to the image of the Lunar Princess wearing a Sailor Senshi uniform "Serenity..."

"Deep down all that malice and ambition—you still hold a heart that longs for the White Princess."

Athamas widened his eyes and turned, "Who is there?"

A female voice echoed through the vacant and hollow hallways of the temple he now claimed as his home, "It is so sad to see you, once a soldier, once a General to be reduced to these conditions." A soft chuckle came the same way as it vanished "Oh, how much trust the White Queen put in your hands... but they all do that—God. They make you believe things and then take everything away without a single notice."

Athamas frowned "The same goes for you, who lurks into other people's personal spaces."

Eris appeared from behind a pillar, her dark hair floated around her like silk dancing in the air, her dark burgundy gown moved with grace, clinging to every curve as it followed her every move. Her dark eyes looked at the man struggling with his defeat and smiled "How much damage my husband has made over the years..."

Athamas frowned "Husband?"

Eris widened her eyes "Oh? You don't know? My—that is strange. A Soldier like you should be aware of every relation from Olympus." she looked away as she pressed her back against the cold pillar and crossed her arms, "I am Eris, Goddess of Discord and the God of War's wife."

Athamas frowned "What do you want? Why are you here?"

"Because I know what you are doing Adromedian Soldier, I have been informed of your plans," Eris arched her brow "I know what you are trying to do, possessing bodies to add them to your army—that is something I have heard and seen before," She chuckled "Or better said, I know whose idea is that—I know who grants you that permission."

"I don't know what you are talking about," Athamas snarled. Eris pursed her lips and turned on her heel "Hmm... you know? I have heard that voice too."

The blonde general widened his eyes, giving the cue to Eris to continue, "All you have been doing—for a cause. That voice only reaches for those who want to hear, those who want to be blessed with power." she came close to the blonde soldier and looked into his eyes "You have been in the Underworld and somehow you managed to find your way back, just who do you think allowed you to do such thing?"

Athamas widened his eyes "H-How?"

"Do I know?" Eris smiled and looked away "Well—I am a Goddess. I see things not everybody can; I was blessed with the power of clairvoyance and I can see deep into your soul."

"Why are you here?"

"I came here as a favor, to lend you my powers to you..." Eris looked at him and studied his troubled aura "But I can see right now your mind is occupied with something or better said, somebody else,"

"Don't make foolish assumptions," Athamas turned on his heel "Leave this place, leave me alone."

"You still cannot understand how the Princess managed to survive the tragedy that happened at the Moon Kingdom all those years ago, and you wonder how the mortal creature survived as well—I can tell you." Her words caught Athamas' attention completely. Smiling she traced his jawline with her long nail, "It was the Lunar Queen's last wish—you see, she always had a soft spot for that young man, he is after all her darling friend's offspring."

"W-What?" Athamas widened his eyes with shock, Eris nodded and sighed with clear annoyance, "Serenity was too innocent, she always believed in the goodness in everyone but this realm holds no sympathy—you better than anyone knows that. I am surprised Selene wanted her to become a Queen in the first place, but the timing worked in her favor when the political tensions between the Moon and Andromeda intensified, marrying her precious daughter to the Commander of the Andromedian Army to solve such issues." Eris' voice held bitterness as she remembered the White Queen and her friend "Her friend on the other side was more of a rebellious Goddess but somehow, they were close—very close." The Goddess of Discord rolled her eyes, "Serenity used the power of the sacred Silver Crystal to grant her daughter, the senshi and mortal lover a second chance to live—she sent them to Earth to live their lives as mortals but as you could see they awakened somehow."

"How come I never heard of this?" Athamas frowned and shook his head, "How come I never learned about them being revived, after all these years?"

"Because Ares has been behind it all this time," Eris arched a brow, "He somehow got brainwashed by Serenity's charms and has been protecting them without anyone knowing."

Athamas remembered Ares protecting Megumi when she went to take the Prince's sword before running away. He was the one who told her to keep the sacred item safe from evil forces, it is when he fully realized there was something else within him, asking him to get the key to release its full power. "Why are you helping me instead of him? He is your husband."

Eris made a smirk of disgust, "Because I want to wake him from this dream of his... he is not seeing straight. And besides, I never agreed to his way of thinking and I also want that mortal dead," Eris' last words pleased the Andromedian, making him smile, "So basically..."

"I want Ares to be defeated, you want the mortal dead—we both win," Eris smiled with triumph, "I can join your cause and help you gather that army you so desperately want."

"How?" Athamas narrowed his eyes, Eris chuckled "You keep doing what you are doing, let me handle the rest. To get things done, you must do it in proper time, not in the rush you have been working recently. You want to do so much in such little time—that is not how it works."

"What then?"

"Patience..." Eris said softly, Athamas frowned "Haven't I had enough?"

"No," Eris frowned, "What do you expect to do on your own? To have a good army you need good soldiers—and I can help you achieve that."

"What do you mean?"

"Not all the Gods in this realm like the way the Higher Gods deal with things, they have become predictive and boring. There are Gods who want to rebel against them and even stronger beings, those are the allies you need and I know where to find them." she spotted a figure standing in the dark, the sound of heavy chains echoed proudly as it stared at them in the distance. Her eyes quickly landed on the Andromedian again and extended her hand, "Do we have a deal?"

Athamas looked at her delicate hand and shook it in agreement. Eris smiled widely and with a flick of her wrist suspended Athamas into a deep slumber. "Satisfied?"

"Very well Eris..." The voice in the shadows echoed in the vacant room "I am surprised by your quick intermission."

Eris arched her brow, "How long have you been here?"

"Enough to know the truth behind your powers—it is good to see you claimed back your realm here in the Underworld." The shadow figure finally stepped into the light, revealing a woman in a black catsuit with attached chains all over, "How long is he going to stay like that?"

"Enough to keep our conversation private—what do you want, Asteria?" Eris arched her brow, "Did Hades send you to welcome me or what?"

"Living in Olympus' realm sure change anyone's soul, you used to be much more welcoming... but, no." Asteria shrugged her shoulder with disinterest, you said you wanted revenge, did you not? To achieve that—I need that one intact,"

"Is that why you wanted me to lure this man in and out of the Underworld? I have kept him safe and allowed him to walk out of here without a single scratch."

"I know, which is why you were allowed to return here," Asteria crossed her arms, "You better than anyone knows how to make a good deal, we made one and you delivered... take it as a token of my gratitude for keeping this one safe. Come on Eris, for good old's sake, let us play with them—you know you want it to happen too. Imagine how your husband would react—he is already burning all of his bridges towards salvation."

Eris narrowed her eyes and smiled, "Now I am intrigued..." she did not need to think too much of what she wanted, she turned to look at the man unconscious on the ground and then at the dark woman in front of her, clearly aware of her power and nodded, "One way or another, I will make you pay for all the damage you have caused... Gaia."

* * *

O—o—o—o—O

"I think it will be better if we all go somewhere private so we can talk," Pluto said, looking at the God of War. Mars was the first one to undo her transformation, returning to her priestess clothes and nodded, "We can meet at the shrine, we will have the privacy we need there."

Mamoru, still in his armor turned to look at the Shitennou and his eyes could not hide the nostalgia that has been secretly nested in his heart, "Kunzite, Zoisite, Nephrite, Jadeite..." his eyes finally landed on Megumi, who was standing next to Ares, "Megumi..." she recognized the familiarity of his voice, it was completely different from the previous days. Kunzite took a step forward and bowed his head to show his deep respect "It has been a long time... Master."

Minako felt chills down her spine as she looked at the Shitennou standing so close to them and could not ignore the feeling of longing in her heart. She couldn't believe they were there, she couldn't assimilate the fact that he, the man she thought to have lost was there—alive. It had been so many years now since she last saw Kunzite in person just to know that this meeting was not to kill each other again was too much for her, she didn't even know how to act or what to say.

"Minako-chan..." she felt Ami's hand on her arm, calling to her "We should go... you need to undo your transformation."

A very confused and dumbfounded Minako turned to her blue-haired friend and nodded and followed the girls' in undoing her transformation, including Usagi who was still standing next to a very confused, very silent Prince. "We should go to Rei-chan's..." she slowly held his hand and squeezed it softly, "Mamo-chan?" Mamoru blinked his eyes, snapping out of his thoughts. She waited for a response from him, some verbal mumble that could tell her that he was there since his face was still hidden under his dark hair while having his head low. Usagi took a deep breath of relief when she felt his grip on her hand tighten, giving her some comfort and assurance that her voice still reached him.

"We will follow you, Master," Nephrite said as he walked closer to the Prince, "We know our way."

Haruka and Michiru turned to Setsuna with a confused stare "You know what is going on,"

"Are you asking me?" Setsuna arched a brow while she looked into the blonde's deep blue eyes, Haruka sighed "No, I am affirming it, you have always been one step ahead of everyone—I hate that."

"I guess it's part of my duty as Senshi of Time and Space," Setsuna sighed, "I can't help it."

Haruka sighed and shook her head, "We better get to the shrine, this cannot be a mystery any longer. Now that all of us, included new people are involved." she turned to Michiru and kissed her hand softly, "I will go pick up Hotaru and bring her with us—she probably knows what is going on by now."

Minako turned to Rei and the girls and sighed "I will go and see if Artemis and Luna are at my apartment. They have to know what happened and come to the meeting too—maybe they too remembered something and can help us figure things out." Makoto nodded and patted her blonde friend's shoulder, "I will go with you." Ami bit her lip and nodded, "Me too..." The bluenette turned to see Mamoru still standing in silence with his head low and Usagi standing next to him and sighed heavily, "I am worried about them..." her attention drifted from the couple to the Shitennou standing close to the now civilian dressed Prince and sighed softly with a heavy feeling in her heart.

O—o—O

After some time, Rei finally got to the shrine and made sure her grandfather already had dinner and was resting in his room. At this moment she was truly grateful to Yuuichiro for being there to help her when she had to be out just like it happened that day. Yuiichiru noticed her presence and looked at her from the other room, one close to her grandfather's "Rei..." his voice showed genuine concern for her. Rei stopped, looked at him and shook her head "Don't—not now, I'm fine. I will be busy; the girls are here and I need to check something for the wedding."

"I was worried about you—something seemed to have happened in the city a while ago. It's all over the news."

Rei felt a cold chill down her spine, "So I heard—but I am okay, I wasn't close to that area." Rei reassured him and turned to walk away, "Thank you," she stopped and looked at him over her shoulder, "For looking after Ojisan," Yuiichiru found odd that she wasn't showing any signs of anger towards him like she usually would, instead, her voice was calm, almost as if she was pleading him for some peace tonight. He had no other option but to comply and nodded, "I will look out for him, you go—do your thing. I won't be in your way."

Rei turned on her heel and walked to one of the adjacent praying cottages away from the temple where she knew they would all fit comfortably and have enough privacy to speak of this serious matter. She lit the fire in the hearth and the other lanterns on the walls and waited for everyone to arrive sitting in front of the fire with a worried look on her beautiful face and sighed, hoping for the best.

Minutes later the girls arrived, Minako, Makoto, and Ami sat next to the raven-haired Priestess with Luna and Artemis sitting on the other side. Haruka walked inside holding Michiru's hand with Setsuna and Hotaru behind and sat at the opposite side of the girls. Without any notice, the Shitennou walked inside and stood in the far back in silence, soon after Mamoru walked in with Usagi and Megumi behind. Usagi closed the door behind them and sat next to Mamoru and held his hand, still hoping for him to break his chilling silence. Since they left the park he didn't say a word or glanced at anybody, not even Megumi and it started to worry her. He was not acting cold or angry towards any of them but it was obvious that he was going through something serious.

Rei sighed, breaking the awkward silence between everyone in the room "It is all over the news—what happened." Minako pursed her lips and exhaled heavily, trying her best to completely ignore that Kunzite was there with his piercing eyes on her, "I guess I will have a lot to do tomorrow at work—it's time for damage control."

"I am not surprised," Setsuna said softly as she looked at Rei, "It was difficult to ignore and considering that it has been long since—" she paused and looked at Usagi who had her gaze down "Well since something like this happened."

Haruka looked at the blonde man, who no longer was wearing his golden armor to be able to blend easily into this world. If nobody knew he was actually the mythical God of War, he would easily be confused with a civilian—a very handsome one must be added. His blonde wavy hair was tied in his usual low ponytail, similar to Zoisite's and his clothes were casual, just a plain shirt and pants. The Shitennou, on the other hand, were wearing their military uniform, not really minding anything else but the situation unfolding before them.

Ares sighed, "I never imagined I would be in this place, once again." his grey eyes looked at the fire flickering in its entrancing dance, "The last time I was here was for another series of events, and after that..." he turned to meet his daughter's amethyst eyes, "I never allowed myself to return—until now." He looked at Usagi and gave her a soft, genuine smile, "It truly makes my heart warm to know your mother's wishes came true, Serenity. You had a second chance to live the life you wanted and surrounded by the people you care and the man you love."

Usagi felt her heart skip a beat in her chest at the mention of the Lunar Queen, "My mother..." she whispered and looked up at Ares with wide eyes. Ares nodded "She was a very dear friend of mine, you probably remember by now," he turned to Minako, Makoto, Ami and lastly, at the Outer Senshi. "I know all of them—" his gaze stopped at Rei and softened at the sight of his daughter "You are correct, Mars, I sent a message to you. I was trying to warn you and this was the only way I knew you would listen to me without thinking of me as an enemy."

"Why until now?" Rei asked softly and shook her head, "Why to wait so long?"

"Because—it still was not the time for me to be here, talking to you."

"It's so strange to be talking to a God—and after all this time... it's strange..." Ami said softly looking at the blonde man. With a soft, nostalgic smile he nodded, "Apparently we are now just a myth that only exists in fairy tales."

"You said something about a truth..." Haruka interrupted him, "What were you talking about?"

Ares sighed and crossed his arms over his chest and turned to Usagi, completely ignoring Haruka's blunt approach, "Do you remember that night Princess Serenity?" he asked softly, Usagi looked at him with a serious face and hesitated to respond for a minute. Ares tilted his head forward "Do you remember what happened days before that night?"

"I—I was..." Usagi frowned and widened her eyes when her memory began bringing the images of being in a ball. Ares looked at her, "What just happened is that memories that were still hidden in your subconscious are starting to flow in your memory and they are coming back. You are beginning to remember."

"We already knew our past lives." Makoto shook her head, still confused "We were guardians to Princess Serenity back then and we still are. We fought the Dark Kingdom and its..." she froze in her seat when she remembered, they were not completely alone, and turned to the Shitennou, standing in the back in complete silence. "...Minions."

"Serenity—well, Queen Serenity held the power of the Silver Crystal at that time, when she summoned for its power to seal Metallia and you were sent away it was still power coming from her through the Crystal. When you found the Crystal here, in this era, what you remembered was what she witnessed," Ares turned to Usagi "When you took hold of that Crystal as its successor you fused your memories and helped the others regain theirs but they were still not complete." he sighed, "That is why you did not remember the man that attacked you."

Usagi frowned and shook her head "I don—"

"The Andromedian soldier." All eyes were now on Mamoru, who finally decided to break the silence. His blue eyes looked straight into Ares' grey ones "Yes, the Adromedian." the blonde God nodded.

"What does it mean? Why is he attacking us?" Michiru asked, Ares pressed his lips and took a deep breath "To answer that question, I must go back in time and break a promise I made to somebody—somebody very important to me," he turned to look at Mamoru and narrowed his eyes, "You may wonder Prince of Earth, why you did not remember as much as Princess Serenity or the other Senshi about your past."

Mamoru stayed silent, Ares looked at him taking it as his cue to continue "You asked something very similar—two thousand years ago. You wanted answers to questions you seemed to encounter every day of your life. Now, after what happened earlier, your memories are slowly coming back—I know. You are finally remembering who you were, your young years at the Terran Palace, your family, the Holy Priest—your mother."

Usagi widened her eyes and turned to Mamoru who still remained silent. Everything Ares was saying made perfect sense to him, like missing pieces of a puzzle slowly starting to fall in place. He was right, memories of his childhood slowly flashed through his mind, memories of his days training with the Royal Army and many other things and events that happened through those years. Everything was slowly coming back at him but he did not know how to express it, he didn't know how to process all the information that was pouring into him without his control and his emotions. Ares leaned his back on the wall and pressed his lips together "You woke up to the last moment you were sent to be reborn on this planet once again—right before you died. Right now, it is like time never passed."

"That still doesn't answer why this man attacked us? Why he is declaring war on us." Haruka frowned.

Ares sighed "Athamas like the Terran Prince just said, was a General of the Army of Andromeda who later took the title of Commander of the Lunar Army, you probably remember this now, Artemis." He turned to the white cat and arched his brow. Artemis widened his green eyes and nodded, "Athamas... yes—I remember now..."

"He was once engaged to Serenity because he was supposed to follow your father's steps, King Athan, who was also from a General from Andromeda. The Queen considered him to be the next King and your future husband—despite her true wishes." The blonde God looked at Usagi, then sighed "Later on, we discovered he committed treason with the only purpose to become a Polemarchos and gain the respect of the High Gods of Olympus," His grey eyes landed on Mamoru again, "He wanted to gain power by fighting you and taking control of Earth."

"You never gave me a clear answer as to why, even then, when we met you didn't give me a solid reason for what he did to my Kingdom, to my fellow soldiers," Mamoru looked at the God of War with anger, "Why did he send all those soldiers to kill me?"

"And he almost got his way," Ares frowned "Everything happened at the same time Metallia attacked this planet."

"Why does everybody comes to attack us?" Mamoru frowned "What do they want from this planet!?"

Ares sighed and closed his eyes, mentally bracing himself for he was about to say and its consequences. "Terran Prince, you hold power nobody else in the immortal realm has but yet desire. When your Kingdom was destroyed, you put this planet to sleep. You sent it to oblivion so there would be no more suffering and damage and traveled to the Moon to alert Serenity—to alert us." He opened his eyes and looked at him, "The reason to that, the reason why you were able to cross to our realm and communicate with us is due to your nature, because you are not a regular mortal being like you were believed to be since your birth."

Mamoru frowned, still incredulous, "What?"

Ares narrowed his and took a deep breath, "There is known in our realm of a legendary family of warriors, descendants of Helios, the God of the Sun or better said, the Titan of the Sun. He had a daughter, born as the Goddess of the Skies—Nut, and she married the God of Land—Geb, together, they brought to our world two children, one of them, was your mother—Gaia."

Mamoru opened his eyes wide with shock, "M-My mother?"

Ares continued with the story "Gaia, was a very strong-willed, a beautiful rebel Goddess. Every God wanted to marry her, every Goddess wanted to be her. From a very young age, she was chosen to be the carrier of the sacred Golden Crystal and took her position as the Titan Goddess of Earth. She later was trained to become a soldier and was the first Sailor Senshi to earn the title of a Polemarchos."

At this point, all eyes were wide in shock, just the mention that Earth once had a Sailor Senshi and that it turned out to be Mamoru's mother was incredible. "A Sailor Senshi..." Makoto mumbled, surprised. Even Haruka was dumbfounded and looked down at Mamoru then back at Ares, knowing what the title meant "But a Polemarchos..."

Ares nodded, "Polemarchos is a lineage of warriors that undergo a very strict regimen and training and are chosen by their special abilities to protect the universe and just like all Sailor Senshi are chosen female, Polemarchos are chosen male, their strength, and way of fighting is much more aggressive and straightforward than Sailor Senshi since they are trained to annihilate when the universe is under threat. Gaia was the first to be accepted and gained both titles due to her duty as Guardian of the Golden Crystal—she earned that position and was a superb warrior." he smiled sadly "I trained her, I taught her how to hold a sword— _that_ sword." he looked at Mamoru, "I taught her how to fight, the same way she later taught you."

Mamoru remembered that day when his mother taught him the basics on how to hold a sword for the very first time, how to study his surroundings and how to memorize his opponent's routines. Ares exhaled softly, "Since you were very young, you started your training as Polemarchos without you knowing it, despite her desire for her long desire for you to live a normal life. All the training you were given, it is something I taught her to do first."

"Why do I feel there is more to all of this?" Mamoru asked, hesitant. Ares pursed his lips, "Like I said, your mother was very strong-willed," he turned to Usagi and smiled "There is no surprise that she was very close to your mother. They were like sisters, so different yet both believed in the goodwill of people. They found beauty where there was hardly any." he lowered his gaze "Earth was part of our realm a long time ago, it was part of an Alliance with Olympus and she, as its Goddess protected it—until one day, when she was in one of her missions, she met a mortal Prince and eventually, the two fell in love."

Mamoru's eyes began to gleam with tears at the mention of his father, the kind-hearted and just King of Elysion, Eros. Ares noticed his gaze changed from a dark stormy blue color to a more cerulean shade, "There has always been a rule, do not speak to mortals. We, as divine entities who looked out for them, the law forbid us to have any sort of personal contact with them, but your mother was too in love with the Terran Prince and went against that rule, and went against the laws of our nature. The immortal world is a different place where you don't find love or honesty very often. It is a rare gift, and just like there were good spirits, there were also bad spirits. Metallia, being one of them."

The five Inner Senshi widened their eyes in surprise "Metallia... the witch that corrupted Beryl," Minako muttered dryly at the mention of the dark, evil witch.

Ares nodded "Yes Venus. Metallia's doings go back in time, she was once a witch who had the ability to cross realms but she was never considered a Goddess. She lurked in the darkness and the hallways of Purgatorio; the hatred towards your mother was because she was infatuated with her brother; but since he did not reciprocate her feelings she became bitter and soon after she discovered Gaia's romance with the Terran Prince, she went to the High Gods and exposed her, creating a great disbalance between both realms." He looked at Mamoru with shame and pain in his eyes, "Gaia was condemned and stripped of her titles as Goddess of Earth and Sailor Senshi and was exiled from Olympus. The Higher Gods took her power and turned her human and was given a sentence by Hades..." Ares peered at Hotaru who had been remaining silent the whole time and then turned his attention back to Mamoru as he continued, "She resigned to everything she knew so she could be with her Prince, whom she later married. But things were not easy for them after she left; Earth had no protector—Gaia was no longer a Goddess, but without us knowing she took the Golden Crystal with her and after many fights against us—and Metallia, she sealed her away and created Elysion, the Kingdom you knew as your home and became the first Royals of Earth."

Mamoru could not hold the tears pooling in his eyes and let them fall silently, never in his life, he imagined his mother would go through such havoc and so much suffering to be with his father. He remembered his time with them, the many nights he saw them laughing or dancing, they were happy but to be happy they had to overcome a war—a war he never knew of. To him, they were the epiphany of love, and the example he followed when looking for the person to share his life with. He believed in the sentiment because of them, and he was witness to such magnificent force every single day until death parted them so tragically. He hung his head low and closed his eyes, to learn such dark past and all the things his parents had to endure just to be together was too much, it was too painful for him to know that his mother always lived with that dark cloud over her head and that he, as her son who swore to protect her couldn't do anything about it because of his ignorance on the matter. How many times he questioned and never fully understood, how many times they argued over false truths, Mamoru felt heartbroken.

Ares crossed his arms and shook his head, much to Mamoru's surprise, the story was not over. "We never saw Gaia again after that; after the incident Geb and Nut they became a laughingstock in Olympus and decided to live in exile far away in the Omega Galaxy living with the eternal pain of having lost their precious daughter and not being able to see her again. When Queen Serenity ascended the throne, she tried to plead for them, for Earth, for Gaia, and for the safety of this planet but the High Gods forbid any contact between Earth and any divine being, making contact between Earth and Moon prohibited. Serenity secret meetings with Gaia after the incident had to stop due to the Silver Alliance King Athan was planning to put into action and if caught, it would put it in jeopardy." Ares closed his eyes, "Years later, what we thought to be impossible happened, your mother became pregnant... with you, and with your birth, along came many speculations in Olympus because it was impossible for a mortal to conceive a child with a divine being."

All eyes were on Mamoru, who remained in silence and with his head low. Usagi looked at him with teary eyes, wanting with all her heart to do something to comfort him, to take away the pain she was sure he was carrying deep inside his chest. He did not need to say or do much for her to know he was broken inside by knowing the truth about his family. Her eyes burned with tears as she looked at his hand, feeling impotent and angry at the Gods for being so unfair. She looked up at Ares and narrowed her eyes, "But... she was mortal, the Gods..."

"They stripped her of her powers..." Michiru added, "How is that possible?"

Ares nodded "Gaia was not completely a mortal being because she still carried the power of the Golden Crystal—despite the Gods wishes and sentence, she was still being chosen Guardian. Things changed, when the Terran Prince was born, the Crystal reacted and chose him as the new protector of Earth, conceding Gaia her mortality."

There it was, the answer to his never-ending question and torment: his mother's disease, why his mother was so weak and tired and why he wasn't able to do anything for her. Mamoru opened his eyes with realization and looked at Ares, who nodded in response. "Your mother wanted to keep you away from all harm and as far from the life she once lived. She knew that you, as the new carrier of that Crystal would endanger your life and start another war. Her way to protect you was by keeping the truth from you and by teaching you how to channel its energy with the help of Obelix who taught you how to suppress your power, how to pray and how to eventually summon the power within you to save the planet when Metallia was freed from her seal."

Mamoru shook his head, "Then the sword—she told me it was forged by divine beings, that..."

"That sword belonged to her, to your grandfather Geb and to Helios your great-grandfather. When you claimed your position as the new Crystal's Guardian the most natural thing for her was to give it to you." he sighed heavily, "Endymion—she did not mean to keep you away from the truth, she was just trying to keep you safe and as far from this turbulent, yet divine world. When she was younger, she used to carry four stones with her—there were four talismans she considered where responsible for her safety and luck on Earth and whom she later gave away to those she thought would give birth to those who would become your guardians in the future," Mamoru turned to look over his shoulder at the Shitennou, Kunzite lowered his head and sighed "When we were chosen to be your Shitennou, we made a bow to Queen Gaia to never reveal this information to you—and swore our loyalty to always protect and advice you."

Mamoru shook his head, still in disbelief of everything he was listening about his mother, "I am part of the reason why the contact between Earth and Moon was forbidden then," Mamoru looked at the God of War and frowned "You created a stigma around me like if I was just some kind of monster for no apparent reason... and condemned my family with your vile ideas."

Ares pursed his lips, he felt guilty to be part of those Gods who once opposed to the idea of Earth being taken into the Silver Alliance again, for many years he fought against it, and went against Serenity and Chronos, but eventually realized that what Gaia had done was not a sin but just an act of pure love. A feeling he knew perfectly well by holding her hear in his heart. Usagi widened her eyes, remembering the word monster when she was on the Moon, "Monster... you were talking about Mamo-chan..." she could felt a sharp sting in her chest and tears burning her eyes again, this time full of anger, "That is so cruel..."

"Two children..." Mamoru muttered and looked up at Ares, "When you said my mother was one of those two children... the other one, what happened to the other child?"

Ares sighed heavily "The other child..." he paused and looked at the fire, taking a moment to think of the words to say since it was a delicate matter and to how it had become a taboo to even mention his name in the divine world. "Your mother's brother—he also grew out to be a superb warrior, trained by me and Zeus and also, a Polemarchos. He earned a high rank and became one of a kind in his class. He had the charisma and the ability but despite being very strong and very capable and agile with a sword he was not chosen by Helios to protect and carry Golden Crystal and he resented it, with time his anger turned to madness and his madness into malice and became a very vicious treat in the divine realm. He killed his own kind and sent many souls to the Underworld; but his fury and hatred grew when he learned that Gaia had inherited the power he claimed as his, by the time we tried to stop him—he was already too strong and out of control."

Rei widened her eyes, having an eerie feeling where this conversation was leading them, "What happened to him?"

"Zeus, Chronos, Hades and myself fought him into what became a gruesome war; and Gaia being the being the chosen one to guard the crystal, cast a seal on him to keep him away. Due to his evil nature, Hades later imprisoned him in Tartarus for the rest of eternity."

Hotaru widened her eyes, remembering the many times she heard about Tartarus "The deepest part of hell..." she muttered, "Not even I can cross to that realm... it hosts pure evil."

"A place in hell to keep one God away from the rest?" Haruka widened her eyes "Is that even possible to have that kind of strength?"

"The dangerous part of all this is that this... creature, has the power to manipulate weak minds and has managed to create war and suffering among this and the divine realm." He looked at Mamoru and narrowed his eyes, "That sword could be a key to break the seal of Tartarus where he is captured and what worries us now is that the seal has become weak with the passing of time and it could eventually break."

"That is why Athamas wanted the sword," Usagi said and turned to Megumi then back at Ares "He knows about this and wants to break the seal, that is why he was after Megumi..." Ares nodded, "The Andromedian is being manipulated by this evil force and I would not be surprised that his dark behavior in the past was for the same reason. He was a simple soldier who suddenly became a high ranking General from the Andromedian Army, nobody knew about him until he crossed paths with Queen Serenity." he frowned and turned to Megumi, "That night, when the Moon Kingdom was destroyed, this girl was one of the few still standing. My one and only reaction after seeing all the tragedy unfold before I was to protect that weapon so it could be delivered to its rightful owner. That is why I asked the young maiden to take it with her and run away—I could not do it myself because it would cause another unnecessary war and I wanted to investigate and take matters first... I wanted to avenge what was caused on Earth..."

All girls looked at Megumi who fell deeply asleep on the soft carpet without nobody realizing, Minako shook her head and sighed softly, fully understanding her long carried mission, "That is why you couldn't talk to us—you were waiting for God Ares... not even you knew the truth..."

"You summoned the Prince's Guardians too then," Michiru asked softly but Ares shook his head, "I do not have the power to summon any power related to the Crystal." He looked at the sleeping girl.

"We suppose it was her who called for us." All eyes were now on Kunzite, who was close to the door with his arms crossed "With the power of that sword we think she managed to communicate with us without even knowing, Helios, Elysion's High Priest opened the path for us—hence why we are here now."

Usagi looked at Megumi and felt a great respect for the girl, she had no right to be mad at her, to begin with; this girl had traveled for years with the only mission of saving the future of her Prince. She risked her own life to protect the sacred sword from Athamas and evil forces hunting her like a prey.

Mamoru felt it too, and great admiration for her bravery. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as tears kept falling from his eyes silently with everything he had learned in just one day. His past slowly connected to his present but still, "Why did Megumi could not find us sooner? Why keep wandering in the universe alone all this time?"

Ares bit his lower lip "Serenity and I did what your mother would have done... when Serenity unleashed the power of the Silver Crystal she blocked that part of your memory in order to keep you away from their sight and attention—but eventually those attempts were futile. Your tragedy as a child in this era, I had to use it to divert the attention of the High Gods and make them think that you had lost your powers but after what I saw earlier today... you have learned how to use some of your energy."

"You caused that accident..." Mamoru muttered with anger and looked at the God of War with disbelief, "You killed my family in this time so you could hide me from them? Do you have any idea of what you have done!?"

Ares sighed and closed his eyes, "That accident happened on its own, Terran Prince—sadly, I used it as an opportunity to cover the truth about you and say that you no longer had that power within you."

"What is his name?" Mamoru asked bluntly.

Ares widened his eyes "W-What..."

"I want to know his name."

"His name is not to be mentioned in this or any realm. He became a taboo and I do not know if I should say at this point," Mamoru looked at him with raw anger, "You don't know if you should say it at this point?! After everything that happened with my mother and father, with my family—Elysion, and now with this man, you still think I don't have the right to know about this person?! If I am related to whoever this is, at least I should know its name."

The Lord of War closed his eyes and exhaled heavily, defeated and with nothing else to lose at this point. Mamoru was right, he deserved and needed to know. No more lies—he thought to himself. No more lies. "Geb and Nut had two children, Gaia and—Chaos."

Usagi gasped and covered her mouth with horror, all the girls widened their eyes in shock and shook their head in disbelief, "W-What?!" Haruka, Michiru and even Hotaru exclaimed "Chaos?!"

Mamoru looked at Ares with denial and pain written all over his face, "No, no... that can't be..." he frowned and shook his head, "We fought Chaos... the Cauldron... Galaxia..."

"Like I said, he possesses the minds of those who are weak—he is a mastermind, a perfect strategist. Even when he is imprisoned, whenever there is some troubled soul he feeds from it and turns it into malice."

Usagi shook her head "But the Cauldron... I threw Chaos into that Cauldron."

"Chaos manipulates everything that is around him. What you have seen have only been possessed beings by him—the Cauldron, you sent Galaxia there, not him. Chaos' physical body is in Tartarus and he communicates and manipulates through the weakness of those who carry even the slightest amount of ambition in their hearts."

"He is filtering his way into this planet, once again." Rei said softly, "I heard him when I was reading the fire—he is finding his way to break the seal. He is the one who attacked me then..."

"The seal can be broken by the sword or the blood of those touched by the Sun." Ares said, "Now that that sword has gone back to its rightful owner, the Andromedian will look for other ways to break it."

Mamoru sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, feeling completely dismantled at this point. He felt embarrassed, angry, disappointed. He shook his head and let go of Usagi's hand, "I'm sorry Usa," Usagi looked at him startled as he stood up, "Mamo-chan? What?"

He walked towards Ares and looked him in the eye "All this time... every battle, every threat—it has been a way for him to get here, to get to me." he motioned his hand at Megumi, "You let her wander alone with a dangerous weapon in her care and this is when you decide to come and tell me all this?! You put her life in danger for centuries! What the fuck is wrong with you!?" he shook his head and bent down to carry Megumi in his arms, "Endymion..." Ares looked at him with a concerned expression, startling the rest of the group in the process "I-I... no, I need to get out of here..." he said dryly "This..." he shook his head again as he walked his way out of the cottage, "This cannot be happening... I can't... I need to be alone," he trailed off and walked away from the door with the sleeping girl in his arms, Ares sighed heavily and followed him towards the door, "Endymion..."

Mamoru's reaction was like gasoline was thrown into a blazing fire, and as soon as he heard his royal name and turned to glare at him enraged, "Don't call me that!" he frowned, clenching his jaw and blaming himself for losing all composure, "Do _not_ call me that." He turned to the door but was met with Kunzite blocking his way, "Master..."

Mamoru hung his head low and shook his head "Not now Kunzite, step aside." The authoritative tone of his voice was enough for the first in command of the Shitennou to understand and obey the Prince's request. Stepping aside, he let Mamoru walk away leaving everyone startled, especially Usagi, who felt her heart heavy with sadness and pain. Desperation followed suit and immediately stood up with all the intention of going after him but was soon stopped by Haruka's hand on her arm, "No—give him time."

"B-But..." Usagi's eyes began to burn with tears "I can't leave him alone... not right now... not when he knows this..."

"Haruka is right, Usagi-chan." Luna walked towards her, "He needs to process everything he just learned about his family, about him..."

"But I'm worried about him! Can't you understand?! He's..." Usagi broke into tears, enough reason to give Kunzite his cue to intervene, "We will take care of this matter Princess," all girls turned to him with a startled look on their faces, "Now that we are here, we cannot leave him alone, he is our Master. But it is true, he needs some time to himself... right now, it is not the best time to approach him."

Ares looked down at both feline advisors and smiled sadly "It is strange seeing you in this form, I must admit. Back then, you served Serenity as humans but I am glad to see you are doing alright and that you are safe." Artemis sighed and nodded sadly, "Thank you, Lord Ares. Our appearance's a law from Mau, and Earth does not hold the energy to keep us in our human form."

Haruka raised her brow "Well, apparently now it has," Michiru frowned and nudged her ribs with her elbow, "Haruka..."

"It's true—now what is going to happen?" she pointed at the door with her thumb, "Now that we are clearly linked to pure evil and—"

"Haruka!" Setsuna stopped her from commenting any further, knowing it would only make things worse and affect Usagi even worse. Minako could not watch her in the condition she was now in and went to wrap her arms around her tightly, allowing her to cry on her shoulder "It's okay Usa... everything is going to be okay. Let it out, let it all out—I'm here."

Kunzite smiled softly at the image of the once stubborn Senshi taking a role as a friend to her Princess like he constantly used to remind her in the past. He remembered the many times they spoke about it and how he always said that she had to be there more than just a guardian to her and now, he was pleased to witness how she followed the advice. "Come on, I will take you home..." Minako said softly and tried to pull Usagi up with her from the floor, but Usagi shook her head "No..."

"Usagi-chan..." Ami said softly "I won't leave him alone! No matter what you say! I know him and he needs me! We are getting married... I don't care..." she pulled back from Minako's hug and looked at her friends, then at Haruka with a daring glare, "I don't care at this point what you might think—but it would be stupid for you to believe he is a bad person just because you heard that story," she turned to Minako and the others, then at Luna and kneeled in front of the black cat "Luna... I have to go to him... I'm sorry."

"You don't know how is he going to react—didn't you see his face!? He's angry!" Haruka's natural blunt and almost brusque personality came to show again, but her words were not appreciated by the Shitennou "Are you suggesting my Master is a vile man and that he will hurt the Princess?" Zoisite narrowed his green eyes "I recommend to keep your thoughts and words to yourself, Sailor Senshi." Haruka frowned and turned to look at them, "Who do you think you are to talk to me like that?"

"Sailor Uranus, I know you are only trying to protect the Princess but—they are right." Ares said softly and shook his head, "I did not come here to cause more havoc than what already is happening," he looked at Haruka, then at all the girls "Right now, I need to gather as many soldiers as possible to fight Chaos, this is a war we cannot let him win, Prince Endymion right now is the best chance we have because he comes from that same dynasty." His grey eyes looked into Haruka's blue ones, "And I am here because of that same reason," he turned to look at Usagi, "When you were born, your Father's wish was to marry you to a man worthy of your love, the strongest to protect his precious daughter—your Mother carried that wish with her as well and she always knew Gaia's son was the one. She wished for you to meet and be together... little did she know that fate had it all planned from the very beginning." Usagi sobbed at the mention of her father, this was probably one of the few times she heard stories about him. She remembered her mother always kept much information about him a secret, but she always mentioned how much he adored her since she was born and now to know her mother always thought of Mamoru as the perfect companion for her, she thought how different things would have been if were not for those stupid divine laws.

Haruka sighed heavily and closed her eyes with defeat, "I will drive her there," Usagi widened her eyes, surprised by her sudden change in demeanor, Haruka looked at her "I can't let anything happen to you at this hour."

Minako wiped the tears off Usagi's face with the hack of her hand in the most gentle manner and smiled at her "Usagi-chan, call me if you need anything." Usagi looked at her friend and nodded. She stood up and followed Haruka, Setsuna, Michiru, and Hotaru but before walking out of the room she turned to Kunzite and gave him a soft smile of gratitude. "I know what you're going to say..." she whispered at him, "But I love him too much, and you know it..." Kunzite crossed his arms and nodded, "Yes, Princess... I know."

"Then you have to understand me," Usagi put her hand on his arm, "Please," Kunzite bowed his head at her in respect and nodded, giving his silent approval. Makoto sighed, "Well, I suppose it would be best if we all go and try to have some rest... It has been... quite the day."

Ami nodded, "After today—we can pretty much expect anything."

Minako bit her lower lip as she looked down, her eyes burned with unshed tears "This is so unfair..." she whispered, catching the girls'' attention "Minako-chan?" Ami blinked, surprised. Minako shook her head and could not fight her tears and sobs any longer "Usagi-chan was so excited about the wedding..."

Kunzite widened his eyes in surprise "Wedding?" he muttered to himself but he was loud enough for the blonde to hear, she looked up at him, "They were getting married this weekend." The Shitennou looked at the girls with wide eyes, Jadeite frowned and shook his head, slightly confused "And they are not anymore because...?"

Minako sniffed and wiped her tears brusquely "Well, would you? With all this load of information—who knows what is going to happen now... What if he lea—" she trailed off immediately regretting her words. Jadeite frowned and crossed his arms in front of his chest "And knowing this... load of information, is it enough to cancel all plans? Is it fair to judge our Prince this way and think the worst of him?"

"If you learn such things about your past, wouldn't you cancel all plans to protect your significant other?" Rei frowned, Jadeite shrugged his shoulders, "I do not know—if I have fought for the love of a wonderful woman for two thousand years—I do not think I would stop my plans of being with her for the rest of eternity."

Zoisite sighed, "We should just wait to see what happens, and if there is some sort of problem—that is why we are here."

Rei exhaled heavily, exhaustion was beginning to show in her beautiful face "Well—I suppose you don't have a place to stay, I don't think it would be the best idea if you go to your Prince's apartment right now. You can stay here, nobody will bother you." she turned to Ares and blushed softly, "You too—can stay here."

Ares gave his daughter a sad smile and shook his head "It has been so long that it is perfectly natural for you to feel strange to call me father—you were reborn in a world with a new father and mother. And at to some point, it is better that way," he sighed and pushed himself off the wall where he was leaning on, "I cannot stay here Mars, I have to go back—my absence cannot be for too long and I still need to call for other Polemarchos."

"Are the other Gods..." Ami looked at Ares "Do they agree with what you have done? Does this mean the law that prohibits divine from getting any contact with earthlings has been dissolved?"

Ares shook his head "No, and they do not know everything. They were not very much enthusiastic about me calling for the Terran Prince, but I will take my chances. If you are trying to ask me is if a marriage between your Princess and the Terran Prince would be accepted in Olympus, no. It is not." Rei frowned, not pleased with his answer, "Then why coming all the way here to confess him the truth?"

"Like I said, the Prince being related to Chaos gives us an advantage."

"At the cost of our Prince's life," Nephrite frowned, "Is it not selfish of you? To need and borrow the strength of somebody and then discard that person to the God's lack of mercy. Is it not what you want to do to my Master?"

Ares frowned and turned to the Shitennou "There are risks, yes, but there is also a bigger threat coming ahead and he has to fully become what he was trained to be." he lowered his gaze "If this was not so serious, I would not have broken his mother's wish, a secret you also swore to keep from him." He turned to the girls and bowed his head and walked towards the door. "I know what you all might be thinking, this is unfair... the law of the Gods... but, this is also an opportunity for him to lift the shadow Chaos cast over Helios' legacy. He can make a difference... and I believe he is strong enough to achieve it," he looked at his daughter and gave her a sad smile before turning, "Please my daughter, be safe—be by your Princess' side." And with those final words, Ares left the room and disappeared into thin air just seconds after, leaving everyone thinking of what the future might become from now on.

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 _Liked it? Leave me a comment below!_

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	24. Chapter 24

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Twenty Four.

 _AN: I feel like I've been gone forever. Is it time for me to be back on schedule? I think so._

 _Thank you for reviewing, I am glad and happy to read how much you liked it. I know, it was a packed chapter... there was a lot to process and while some of you were expecting it to happen, others were still shocked and that was awesome. Thank you for leaving a note, it means a lot... it's the fuel to my motivation, so thank you. Have a lovely weekend and let's keep the good vibes flowing!_

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After a dead silent drive that felt like hours, Usagi finally stepped out of Haruka's car and closed the door behind her and looked up; they had finally parked in front of Mamoru's apartment building. Usagi knew this new rush of information would put the outer senshi on an edge and that would even make a plan on their own to counteract any after effect in order to protect her, especially Haruka.

During the whole ride, she thought about that word— _protect_. She thought about its meaning and how they took the word between them and now, it was taking another turn. Usagi felt Hotaru's hand holding hers softly as if she was asking for some sort of forgiveness for Haruka's sudden overprotective and brash behavior. The young girl looked at her and leaned her head on Usagi's shoulder, a gesture the blonde could not ignore and gave the girl a smile before looking at the rear-view mirror into Haruka's eyes.

Usagi knew Haruka would do nothing else but keep her from any harm, it was in her nature. It was a part of her, even if meant keeping her away from the man she has loved all of her life. That was the difference between the inner senshi and the outer senshi; despite all caring for her and having a common interest in saving the world, the inner senshi understood her and supported her ideals, they were witness to their past and they lived it with her unlike the outer senshi who had to stay away in their posts and just see it happen from a distance.

"Are you going to be okay?" asked a very worried Michiru who was leaning on the window and looked at Usagi with a pleading stare, almost begging her to step back into the car. "We can drive you here tomorrow, once things have cooled down."

Usagi shook her head and turned to look at her "No. I'll be fine."

"You don't know how is he going to—" Michiru widened her eyes at Usagi who was giving her a very determinant glare, once that she has not seen in a very long time and immediately felt urged to concede to her wishes. The violinist took a deep breath and nodded. "Please call us if there is anything you need," she looked at Usagi and pulled back in her seat. There was nothing else she could do but to support her blonde friend and leader; the situation was complicated, this was not about a man that was 'threatening' to change the future, this was not a wicked man obsessed with the Lunar Princess, this was not a crazy Queen threatening to kill her; this was her lover and Prince. The same man that has been protecting her for a millennium and the same man that has died for her and sacrificed his own power for her to continue living despite being suppressed by the power he was meant to have.

Usagi nodded and turned on her heel and walked into the building without looking back at the girls waiting in the car. She made her way to the elevator as she looked for her set of keys inside her pale pink purse. Once the doors of the elevator opened she walked out and felt as if the hallway had suddenly become longer and darker, making it feel endless. With her keys in hand, she finally reached for the door and opened the door slowly to walk inside; as she passed the foyer she turned to the kitchen and noticed the little stove light he always left on every night was turned on, meaning he was somewhere in the apartment.

After taking off her heels, she walked inside and saw the rest of the lights were off and the curtains shut closed, almost as if Mamoru was prohibiting the light from the city at night filter its way to bother his mood. Usagi began feeling the stress of the situation and what she was doing as she walked down the hallway but her thoughts and urge to be there for Mamoru was what helped her feel grounded. She stopped outside of Megumi's room and opened the door. Peeking inside, she noticed the girl was deep asleep and tucked in her bed alone and closed the door carefully so she wouldn't wake her up and walked towards the door at the end of the hall and repeated the action by opening the door as careful and silent as possible.

The ambient was as somber and heavy as it was in the living room, no lights on, no music, no sound, not even his phone flickered with the constant alerts from incoming messages that became something natural for her to see. Her eyes finally landed on him standing in front of the large window, staring absently at the night sky.

There was something in the way he was standing in silence that she could not describe but it was different, it felt different—he was different, she thought. "Mamo-chan..." she called out to him softly to let him know she was there. Mamoru kept staring out the window for a minute before reacting to the sound of her voice "Usa..." he answered the same way but didn't make any attempts to look at her. Without saying anything else, Usagi walked into the room and turned to put her purse on a wooden shelf and walked towards him.

"Why are you here?"

The cold tone in his voice made her stop in her tracks and shook her head, confused by his strange and hostile reaction. "I was worried about you," she saw Mamoru hung his head low in response and again, avoided any contact with her as if he was trying to keep things from getting worse. It was typical of him, to swallow his feelings to keep them under control. "Mamo-chan..." her tone was soft and moved closer to him, making him react defensively in return. "Don't..." Mamoru raised his hand, motioning her to stop. "You need to leave."

His response was enough reason for Usagi to ignore whatever shell he was trying to build around him and walked to him without caring of what might happen and stood next to him. She looked down and silently thanked the full moon hanging in the sky for giving her enough light to look for his hand but as soon as her fingers touched his, Mamoru pulled it away with rejection, "I said... _don't._ " his voice fell another decibel, like a warning for her to stay away.

"Mamo-chan..."

"Don't..." Mamoru leaned his head on the cold window and closed his eyes, "I want you to leave, Usagi."

Usagi frowned at the sound of her whole name, it felt foreign and unnatural; coming from him, it was unacceptable. They have spent so much time together to keep any formalities between them, plus, she didn't like it when he called her that. They barely ever fought, sure, like any couple, they had arguments and differences but they always came through and solved them. That was the beauty of their love—she thought; they knew each other so well that they knew how to make things work, time after time.

But even then, Usagi couldn't help thinking that every time Mamoru was upset, he would warn her of his mood in advance by putting any nicknames aside and call her by her name, and right now, he was giving her that warning. She knew he was angry but she also knew he was in deep pain and confusion and she couldn't leave him alone; not when she knew he was broken inside, she was his family and he was hers, Chaos or no Chaos involved, period.

Usagi ignored the warning in the cold tone of his voice and reached for his hand again and took control by intertwining her fingers with his, startling him in the process. The gesture was enough to stir his emotions and turned to look at her, instantly reminding himself why she had his heart in her hands. Since he laid eyes on her, in this or his previous life there was something in her that always complimented him; her laughter was always contagious, her bubbly personality, being ditzy and distracted but also passionate, kind-hearted, innocent and brave—very brave.

Usagi widened her eyes when she saw tears rolling down his cheeks and catching the light coming from the Moon outside and felt her heart break into hundreds of pieces; Mamoru felt exposed and immediately turned to look out the window again and sighed, trying to keep his emotion at bay, "I want you to leave Us—" his eyes widened when he felt Usagi wrapping her arms around his waist tightly and pressed her face against his chest. Her fingers curled tight on his shirt, hanging on to him to dear life. "No. I won't go away." she shook her head.

Usagi felt her world was slowly crumbling right in front of her eyes, first peace was disturbed and now the man she loved was trying to push her away, slowly letting her own frustrations and fears sink in and take over her. She was scared of losing the man that always kept her with her feet on the ground, the man that despite everything, always made her feel safe and very much loved. Mamoru meant more to her then he knew, more than he ever imagined and she couldn't let him step away from her life, not after everything they have been through. "Can't you see?" she mumbled against his shirt, "Can't you see I love you? That I can't be away from you? No matter how much you try to push me away... I won't leave—don't push me away..."

Mamoru looked down at her and shook his head, "Usagi," his mind told him to be away from her because he was disgusted with himself, but his heart wanted to hold her the closest possible to him and never let her go. "No!" Usagi shook her head more effusively this time and tightened her grip on his shirt, "I know what you are trying to do! I know you too well but I won't let you—not now, not ever! Do you hear me?! I won't let you lose yourself in this madness!"

"Usagi, let go of me!" Mamoru tried to free himself from her grasp and with every pull, his patience began to run thin, "You need to go—let go of me! Let go of me Serenity!" he raised his voice with anger. "No!" Usagi yelled louder and looked up at him, "Do not push me away! Do not push me away Endymion!" Mamoru widened his eyes with surprise by her determination. Usagi looked at him with tears streaming down her crystal blue eyes and shook her head, "Do not push me away—not me. Why do you want me to go? What have I done to you to reject me like this? We promised to stay together no matter what... you are my rock and I am yours... You said that we were going to find our way to be together... this is it... don't..." she shook her head, "Endymion I can't see my life without you in it!"

Mamoru closed his eyes and kept her at arm's length and shook his head, "You don't understand..."

Usagi frowned between sniffs, "I don't understand? What's to understand!? We are here alive! We were given another chance to be together! That's all I need to understand—that's all I know!"

"Can't you see I am the reason why we couldn't be together in the first place?!" Mamoru snapped, his patience was gone at this point, "I am the reason the Silver Millennium went to ruin, I am the reason _he_ was always threatening your life—your life has always been threatened because of me! Because I am tied to that damn dynasty!"

Usagi shook her head, her body already missing his warmth, "No, I don't see any of that." she walked close to him again and reached up to comb his midnight hair away from his eyes, "All I see is the man I have loved all my life," she cupped her hands on each side of his face, "You can't seriously think that—you are speaking out of anger and frustration." She shook her head, "Back then, we couldn't be together because they couldn't deal with the fact that a strong warrior like your mother chose her heart over power and divinity and was be able to find happiness. There was too much jealousy around us... the Silver Millennium fell to its demise because of the ambition of a woman manipulated by a jealous spirit—it has nothing to do with you."

"Usagi—I'm linked to Chaos," Mamoru closed his eyes and frowned with disgust while growling with frustration "I have the same blood that demon has. Do you even know what that means?!"

Usagi shook her head, "I don't care what it means! You are different! You are the son of a warrior who believed in good, in her people, who believed in love—you can't possibly think that you are evil just because he is part of that dynasty... that doesn't make you his shadow. _You_ are _not_ him!"

"Don't say stupid things, open your eyes, you are being blinded by love—you are not seeing things straight." Mamoru narrowed his eyes and moved away from her and paced around the room. Usagi frowned with pain as she saw Mamoru struggling to embrace his nature, it was like seeing two different people fighting to come through and earn a place in this world. They have talked about this several times, and while he knew he was a Prince in the past he never felt like one because there was nothing for him to make him welcome that part of him; he didn't remember anything or anyone from that life but now, not only he remembered, but he learned there was much more to know and realized there was much more to him than just a mortal Prince in a castle.

"I feel disgusted Serenity, I'm angry because I was kept from knowing all this for too long, I am part of a family that it is considered a curse among the divine world and that will be hunted down until it goes extinct." He growled with anger, "All those years I lived in that Palace—it didn't matter if I went to war, if I trained, if I bleed, if I was scared—I lived in a fucking bubble and oblivious to who or what I really was. I always felt there was more to know about her—Gaia. I always knew there was something wrong with me but—this..." he ran his hands through his hair and sighed with exasperation as he continued to pace around the room, hoping the movement would bring some order to his disturbed mind, "I could have done more! —I could have saved them!" his patience reached its peak when he stopped in front of his drawer and grabbed a bottle of cologne and threw it with force against the wall, smashing it into hundreds of pieces startling Usagi by his sudden outburst. "All this time they kept an eye on me, thinking of ways to kill me and I was—" he sat on the bed on the verge of a nervous breakdown and took several harsh breaths, his always stoic and persona trying to resurface and fight the fresh batch of tears pooling in his eyes from falling. "I could have done something to defend you from that bastard. How many nights I felt frustrated and cursed my damn mortality, for not being good enough. Well, obviously I am not good enough—I am Chaos' nephew for fucking's sake..."

Usagi looked at him with teary eyes, the pain and the anger were evident. He was disappointed and he felt guilty for everything that happened to them in the past. He now carried a heavier weight on his shoulders than he did back then and it made her feel helpless; because she wanted to help and she didn't know how. It angered her just to know that all those years back and even now, he was constantly seen as a useless object, a target that needed to be destroyed, someone easy to manipulate—an obstacle in her life when he was clearly so much more and now it made perfect sense why they went after him as well, every enemy was aware of his heritage and knew he was in his most weak state to be attacked.

The moment he woke up as Endymion, new memories as Serenity awoken along with him and could see flashes of the many nights they spent together talking and laughing. The time he taught her how to defend herself with the same sword she used to take her life, their first night together, the times they danced to their own imaginary music. Everything slowly came back to her, making her feel even more against the idea that he was like the Gods claimed he was. "Is this how you been feeling all this time, an obstacle?" she finally had the courage to ask and turned the switch on the lamp on his nightstand and kneeled in front of him while holding his hands. "You are _not_ useless—you were _not_ useless," she said softly and looked into his eyes, "Can't you see? _You_ made me who I am _now_ — _you_ and your strong desire to always be fair and good." she wiped the tears rolling down his cheeks with the back of her hand, thinking how strange it was to see him in this state, helpless, broken and disappointed. Mamoru was not the man who cried easily and when he felt like he needed to vent, he always had other ways to do it, so for Usagi to see him cry even if he did it quietly, it was strange and heartbreaking.

"You inspired me to become a soldier of justice— _you_ were the first and only one who saw me as a woman rather than a silly, pretty Princess. You saw beyond all of that. _You_ believed in me and gave me the courage to believe in myself and fight for a good cause—to fight for us, the same way you did." Usagi sobbed and pulled his hands closer to her chest trying to make him react and break free from the dark place he was deeply trapped, "You didn't put my life in danger— _you_ made me want to defend myself and this world with you by my side. You helped me break the mold and be free without caring about other people expectations."

Mamoru looked at her and sighed heavily between his silent cry. He slowly slid down from the bed to the floor and kneeled in front of Usagi, completely dismantled, "I don't know who the hell I am anymore Usa..."

Usagi put her hands on his face again and smiled softly at him, her teary icy blue eyes never leaving his prismatic darker ones "You— _you_ are a man who believes in good. A man who fights for justice. You are a man who had a hard childhood in this time and that had to mature ahead of his time in his previous one to protect his family and Kingdom." she sniffed softly and moved closer to him, her nose almost touching his, "You are my protector and also the love of my life, _my_ soulmate, my best friend—the only man I'll have eyes for in this or _any_ era." she shook her head and leaned her forehead on his, "I don't care if that evil creature is your mother's brother. I don't care—I don't care about him and I would fight him again and again—but with you by my side. You are nothing like him or any God in the sky." Her hands slowly began combing his hair back, allowing see into his deep colored eyes "I love you, Chiba Mamoru—I love you, Endymion. To me, you are the same—you have always been, don't try to fight it."

Mamoru widened his eyes and felt moved by her words. It was funny to see how the tables had turned with him being the vulnerable one and she was the one keeping him afloat in a sea of madness and dark thoughts. There was no doubt about the strength and determination inside the petite woman's heart, there was no doubt she was the light to the darkness nested in his heart. No doubt in his mind that she is her fated opposite, like day to night. Like the Moon and the Sun.

Her words made sense, the word _same_ brought some calmness to his demons of self-doubt and confusion. He was the same and the woman before him loved him unconditionally despite the background and circumstances that made him who he was. For a minute he felt like of his soul was finally attached to his body once again and let out a heavy sigh with guilt, "I'm sorry..." he slowly wrapped his arms around his Princess and rested his head on the nook between her head and shoulder, "I'm so sorry—Luna Bunny."

Usagi shook her head with relief and widened her eyes when she heard the nickname and blinked surprised as it came back to her and pulled back to look at him, "You remember..." she blushed. Mamoru leaned back and rested his head on the bed and closed his eyes, starting to feel the strain of been crying for a long period of time, "I remember everything—I can feel everything."

Usagi noticed his whole aura and demeanor had changed and while it was not entirely back to normality, it no longer held any hostility like when she walked into the bedroom; the overprotective shell he had created to prevent him to explode was slowly crumbling and revealed a very vulnerable man, the one side only she got to see. After a minute of silence, she crawled to sit next to him and wrapped an arm over his chest and leaned her head on his shoulder, "You really can feel everything?"

Mamoru opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, "The ground pulsing like a heartbeat. The rain that it's about to pour, the wind up on the mountains, the waves crashing on the shore—your heart beating." He sighed softly and closed his eyes again for a minute. "I hear the whispers of people praying... it's like I have taken a cloth that was keeping me numb, I don't know how to explain it but everything is so vivid, so intense. This is what it meant—for me to wake up."

"You felt this, you know... back then?" Usagi blinked and looked up at him, trying to learn and understand more to what has happened to him with his awakening and also to distract him from the other matter, "Is this why you always said you were tired?" she saw Mamoru nod and widened her eyes in awe, "You never told me you could hear people's prayers... you never told me any of this,"

"I didn't want you to know I was weird," Mamoru mumbled as he rubbed the bridge of his nose, "I grew up feeling like I was a freak of nature."

"I am glad you got your memories back," Usagi whispered and patted his flat stomach in a playful manner, trying to lighten the mood, noticing she was slowly making progress by bringing him back. "Why?" Mamoru opened his eyes and looked down at her giving him the warmest smile she could muster, "Because you get to remember your family. Now you know you belong somewhere and no longer feel like a leaf all lost in a stormy ocean. You have a reason to fight for their legacy—the one that truly matters."

Mamoru finally managed to smile and caressed her swollen cheek with the back of his hand, "You are unbelievable," Usagi blinked, surprised "What do you mean?"

"You, talking to me like this—scolding me, that is _my_ thing." Mamoru sighed softly and brought her hand to his lips and kissed it softly, "You are a very strong woman, you know that, right?"

Usagi blushed and shrugged her shoulders, "Well—I don't know about that, but I had to do something to bring you back from that somber place you were stuck in." Mamoru leaned down and graced her lips with his and looked at her with love and gratefulness, "I am so proud of you... my Warrior Princess." Usagi widened her eyes and felt fresh tears started to pool on them, "Really?"

Mamoru wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer, still with a soft smile on his face "You were the only one who was never afraid of me—the only one who despite having all the divine world against you, still came to see me. I know you heard the term _monster_ up there one too many times, and now I know they were talking about me."

"Earth never had a monster to me, you proved it yourself, remember? When we met," Usagi said softly, "You are nothing like that to me and I am sure it goes the same with your family, the Shitennou or Megumi." Mamoru sighed heavily, "It breaks my heart to know all the things she had to go through to keep that sword safe."

Usagi tightened her lips and nodded, feeling bad for being upset with her for appearing at this particular time. The poor girl had gone through hell and nightmares all to keep the sacred weapon safe from the enemy. Her being a mortal girl with no power or knowledge how to wield a sword that heavy and powerful, managed to survive all those years to protect the memory of her fallen Kingdom and her beloved Terran Prince. No cake or wedding could be more important than what was happening now. "I don't think she will appreciate seeing you all moody and depressed," she looked up at him, "If you keep blaming yourself for whatever happened way before you were even born, all of her efforts will go to waste."

Mamoru widened his eyes and looked down at her. She had a point, a very valuable point, "Usa, seriously—stop it."

Usagi chuckled "What?!"

"Stop being me—I am supposed to be the reasonable one." Mamoru frowned making the blonde laugh softly "Well somebody had to be reasonable under these circumstances. But now that you mention it, I think I hang out with you way too much—we need to start seeing other people."

Mamoru wrapped both arms around her waist tightly and pulled her close to him, "No—you are mine and mine alone. I'm sorry for being so stupid." Usagi smiled in his arms and shook her head, "You are not stupid, just a little silly... _and_ stubborn." she looked up at him and kissed him fully on the lips, "But in the end, you are _my_ silly and that is all that matters to me."

Mamoru arched his brow, "Yours alone... I hope you can handle it." Usagi smirked proudly and did Rosie the riveter's pose, "Bring it, Your Highness."

After a soft chuckle, Mamoru turned to look where he smashed the glass bottle of cologne and sighed, "I better clean that up before either of us get hurt with a shard of glass." Usagi looked at the pieces of glass over the wooden floor and shaggy carpet and sighed with sadness; this was the first time he saw him lose his cool and react the way he did by throwing something in raw anger. This was probably the first time he lost control over his emotions and thought how since she met him no matter how upset he was, he would always keep composure and think with a cold head. It startled her to even see him cry, never in her life, she had heard him sob and sweat-dropped when she realized that even then, he kept it classy, unlike her who always ended up a freaking mess, runny mascara and all.

"A cologne bottle, really Mamo-chan?" she said, trying to lighten the mood and dismiss his guilt by mocking the result of his rage. She did not blame him, in fact, she didn't know how would she feel or react if she learned all that load of heavy information about her and her past. Everything happened too quickly, and it was a lot to process and she knows, that even when he is calmer and more like himself, he still was trying to understand it and accept it all. But again, that is why she wanted to be there, despite everything and anyone's opinion because it was her time to step up and take control of offering him the comfort and support he has given her since he stepped into her life. Usagi pursed her lips, "You could have better used—I don't know, a brush or something." Mamoru sighed with regret, "It was the only thing close enough for me to throw. Now the room reeks of cologne, I should have known better."

"Well, at least it smells nice."

"I'm already getting tired of it and now that I think about it, it doesn't smell _that_ great," Mamoru grimaced with disgust, "And I just bought the damn thing—and to make things worse, it was the larger size so there is more than an average amount spilled on the floor and this shaggy white carpet you so much insisted on buying."

"Don't mess with the rug, it's pretty!" Usagi smiled and ran her hand over the shaggy carpet, "It looks like there was a massacre of stuffed animals," Mamoru rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to fight the nauseous feeling caused by the overwhelming scent impregnated in the room. Usagi laughed at his comment soon after infecting Mamoru with it "Why did you buy the bigger size?" she asked between laughs. Mamoru wiped his tears with his hand and shrugged his shoulders "According to you, it was on sale," he frowned and looked at her "Hey! You made me buy that thing in the first place! I didn't want it." His rant made Usagi laugh louder, "Well—it was the newest version of that label. I thought it would smell nice on you, plus, you needed to change it up a bit—but now that you mention it, it's starting to smell a little funky."

Mamoru sweat-dropped "A little?" he rolled on his side and stood up with a light groan, "I hope my little tantrum didn't wake Megumi." he walked into the adjacent bathroom to get a towel and start cleaning the mess he made, "Yeah, this doesn't smell good at all, ugh... it's beginning to smell like fermented beets," he made a face of disgust when he began to pick the glass shards from the wooden floor. Usagi laughed, "Are you saying you didn't even like it even when you put it on the first time?"

"I never got to use it. I was still using my trusty old one—my _good_ one. The one that _never_ fails. Remember you dragged me into that new perfume store and said I should get it because you made the advertising..." Mamoru threw the pieces into a nearby trash can and sighed with displeasure, "Yeah, this will permeate on the carpet and floor for the next thousand years,"

"Light a candle," Usagi looked for her trusty pomegranate scented candle on her nightstand but Mamoru bit his lower lip, "Yeah no... I wouldn't risk it."

"Why?"

"Because this thing is loaded with alcohol, it's too strong—the candle will only make it worse. I don't think mixing fermented beets and pomegranate would make a nice combination... I don't want the room to smell like a red district joint." Mamoru walked into the bathroom again to wash his hands, Usagi fell on her back and started laughing again "This is what happens when you get tricked by marketing!"

Mamoru came out of the bathroom, trying to wipe the odor off his hands with a wet wipe and frowned at the heavy scent impregnated in his skin, "Oh my god... this is awful." he looked at her and chuckled "What did you say? That I was tricked by marketing? No, I was tricked by _you_! _You_ made me buy it..." he narrowed his sapphire colored eyes, "Now that I think about it, you are the worst person to make a deal with."

"Ah, what deal?" Usagi looked at him from the floor where she was laying on the fuzzy carpet. Mamoru threw the wet wipe in the trash and arched a brow at her, "Similar to the one we made when you promised to clean the vacuum filter..." Usagi pressed her lips tight and blushed, "Oh, _those_ deals..." she pointed an accusing finger at him, "Hey! I kept my side of that deal intact!"

"Well, the one we did when you made me spend a ridiculous amount of money for this stinky cologne was never fulfilled." Mamoru frowned, Usagi bit her lower lip with mischief, "You know we can solve that pretty easy..." Mamoru narrowed his eyes and shook his head, "You are unbelievable,"

Usagi rolled on the carpet laughing at how the situation dramatically switched from a very serious matter to a very expensive but awful smelling cologne and naughty displays of affection. Mamoru walked to his drawer and grabbed a clean light grey t-shirt and handed it to the silver blonde "Yeah, you keep laughing at me but that stinky cologne will stay with you forever if you don't get up from that carpet." he frowned and rubbed the bridge of his nose "God... seriously, what is in that thing?!"

Usagi stopped and widened her eyes, in a flash she jumped back up and tried pulled her blouse to smell it "No, no! This is my favorite blouse!" Mamoru shrugged his shoulders, "Sorry." Usagi got startled when she saw him grabbing the pillows from his bed, "Mamo-chan?"

"You are not expecting us to sleep in this stench, or do you?" Mamoru arched his brow and looked at her "Let's go to the living room, come on."

"B-But..." Usagi pointed the bed and pouted her lips, "The bed is so comfy..."

Mamoru looked at her "You want to sleep in here?" he chuckled when pointed the spot where the bottle broke "Alright, be my guest, but I'm warning you—it will eventually feel like it's burning every cell in your brain."

Usagi sighed and rolled her eyes, "I will take my chances... I don't have super keen senses like you do. I don't smell the rain or the ocean, I don't hear people's wishes like a genie... I think I'll be fine." Mamoru opened the door, "Alright, but don't get mad at me when I say I told you so."

Usagi widened her eyes when she saw he was serious about his intentions as he walked out of the room, "Wait, are you really going to leave me here alone?!"

"Yes!" she heard him say from the living room; Usagi sighed and began to undress and put the large t-shirt on, "Fine—I will enjoy the whole bed for myself! Enjoy your stiff and uncomfortable couch!"

"Good night!" he heard him say from the couch. Usagi hopped on the bed and snuggled with the comforter with a nostalgic smile on her face, "I'm glad you're back," and slowly drifted herself to sleep.

O—o—O

Inside her room, Megumi snapped her eyes open when she heard Mamoru raised his voice. She rolled on the bed and turned to look at the door and could clearly hear Mamoru's voice arguing with someone else, "Prince..." she mumbled groggily. She remembered she had fallen asleep at the temple and that for a moment she woke up when they were driving back to the apartment. She remembers opening her eyes, still heavy with sleep and looked out the window to the city lights moving fast, she slightly turned her head and saw Mamoru sitting next to her, steering the wheel in his hands. His face was serious but she could tell he was struggling with his own thoughts as he drove back home. She saw a gleam in his eyes, one she later recognized as tears and felt guilty for the pain her presence in this world had caused him. Exhaustion began to claim her again and slowly drifted back to sleep not realizing when did they got home or when he put her to rest on the bed.

She sat and walked to the door and opened it _"No!"_ she heard a woman's voice inside the room arguing with Mamoru. Megumi widened her eyes as she continued listening to the discussion occurring inside the bedroom.

 _"Do not push me away! Do not push me away Endymion!"_

Megumi blinked surprised "Princess Serenity?" she whispered when recognized the female voice, "The Princess is here... but..." she frowned not fully remembering if she was with them on their way back. She was sure it was only him and her in the car.

 _"Can't you see I am the reason why we couldn't be together in the first place?! I am the reason the Silver Millennium went to ruin, I am the reason he was always threatening your life—Your life has always been threatened because of me!"_

Megumi hung her head low when she heard the distress in Mamoru's voice and remembered Ares telling the story of his true nature, a truth, not even she was aware of. Megumi remembered the strong presence the Prince had anytime he walked inside a room; there was an air of authority and security in him that she always admired. Despite being the strong Prince she knew he was, he had a gentle, caring heart and never treated her like a servant. He never lost his temper, he barely ever raised his voice to make a point or to make himself heard. This was the first time he could hear desperation and confusion in his voice; the hurt was evident and the anger too, and it was all too raw for her to witness.

 _"Usa—I'm related to Chaos. I have the same blood that demon has. Do you even know what that means?!"_

 _"I don't care what it means!"_

 _"All those years I lived in that Palace—it didn't matter if I went to war, if I trained, if I bleed, if I was scared—I lived in a fucking bubble. I was oblivious to who I really was, I always felt like there was more to know about her—Gaia, I always knew there was something wrong with me but—this..."_

Megumi's eyes widened when she heard the sound of glass breaking, startled and with worry she walked towards the Prince's room but stopped when she realized they were still talking _"All this time, they have kept an eye on me, thinking of ways to kill me and I was—"_ she heard him say and felt her eyes burn with tears of her own. To even think that he would be related to something so evil was puzzling to her, she shook her head not accepting what Mamoru was saying. The Terran Queen never showed any signs of being malicious, she remembered as a beautiful woman with a kind heart. None of the Royals acted out of malice, now why was the Prince talking like if he was a bad person? —She thought. Silently, she leaned closer to the door and listened to a few more minutes before everything went silent, thinking that maybe they had fallen asleep. Sighing softly, she turned on her heel and walked back to her room and closed the door behind her.

She sat on the bed and could not help the tears pooling in her eyes roll down her cheeks slowly. She stayed in silence, thinking of Mamoru's words and Usagi's constant repel against his allegations. Minutes passed and she heard no more noise coming from the room, that until an unexpected laughter caught her off guard, surprising her.

With wide eyes, she heard Usagi's soft laughter soon followed by Mamoru's warm voice. Megumi blinked, still in amaze by the sudden change from the argument they were entranced into to the jokes and the laughter. She was soon surprised by the sound of his voice coming down the small corridor.

 _"Alright, but don't get mad at me when I say I told you so."_

Megumi blinked and tilted her head, startled "What is happening?" she muttered. _"Wait, are you really going to leave me here alone?!"_ she heard the princess exclaim from the bedroom.

 _"Yes!"_ Mamoru's voice came from the living room, making this the most strange argument in the world, the maid thought _"Fine—I will enjoy the whole bed for myself! Enjoy your stiff and uncomfortable couch!"_

There was no door slam, no more noise coming from either side and apparently, they had finally gone asleep. She never thought the couple ever argued, every time she saw Serenity visiting Endymion, they were always happy. Megumi went back to her bed and pulled back the thick covers, slowly falling asleep once again and hoping for a better day tomorrow.

O—o—O

Back in the bedroom, Usagi opened her eyes and rolled to her opposite side on the bed. She rubbed her eyes and searched for a watch or something that could tell her the time; after several attempts she finally found Mamoru's phone and frowned when she realized it was still dark outside but late enough to know it had been a while since they went to sleep, "2:33 a.m." she mumbled and looked to the other side and found it empty slowly recalling why he was not there next to her. Rubbing her eyes, she squinted her face in annoyance and grabbed her pillow before walking out of the bedroom. No matter how much she tried, it was no longer possible to sleep without him lying next to her.

She stood in front of the couch and saw Mamoru sound asleep with his arm lazily over his eyes. For a minute she was annoyed to see him sleep so peacefully when she had been having a crappy night thanks to the heavy smell impregnated on the floor and carpet, "Hate to say I told you so..." he mumbled groggily. Usagi widened her eyes at Mamoru's sudden comment and frowned, "Yeah well—the stench of rotten beets in your room just intensified. My head hurts..."

"Mhmm..." he hummed, "I told you..."

"So, where am I supposed to sleep?" Usagi pouted her lips and stomped her foot on the floor when she didn't hear a clear answer from him, "Mamo-chan!"

Mamoru did not answer to Usagi's little tantrum, instead, he lifted his blanket he took with him, allowing her to snuggle with him on the same couch turning this a deal Usagi could not let pass. Silently, she cuddled in his chest and wrapped one leg around his waist to secure her place on the couch and waited for him to put the blanket over them again, "Hmm..." he muttered again, "You're right..."

"What?" Usagi mumbled softly.

"You stink like rotten beets."

"Shut up and hug me,"

O—o—O

Soon after morning came, and Megumi was the first to wake up. The sun filtered its rays through the curtains in her room, slowly bringing her back to reality. She blinked several times before finally deciding to get up from the bed.

Walking towards the window, she looked outside and noticed the once dark grey clouds were supplanted by big fluffy white clouds that looked like a cotton field across the sky. Considering the events that happened the day before, it was as if the storm never happened with a view this pretty.

She looked over her shoulder and heard no sound coming from outside, Megumi walked out of her room and saw Mamoru's bedroom door slightly open but the living room still dark. By this time, every curtain and blind would be open allowing the place being basked with warm sunshine and the welcoming smell of coffee would be lingering in the air. Megumi turned to her left and walked towards the living room to open the curtains, imagining that by this time they were already gone without saying a single word but soon was surprised to see them snuggled in one of the sofas, deeply asleep. She widened her eyes and tried to go back to her room to give them privacy but hit a lamp inadvertently, making a sound. Mamoru opened one eye and was surprised to see her standing there "M-Megumi..." he said softly, his voice still hazy from his sleep.

"Please forgive my intrusion, I-I thought..." Megumi pointed at the door then blinked not sure of what to say or how to justify her presence. Mamoru frowned and tried to turn on the couch but Usagi's leg was securely wrapped around his waist making it impossible for him to move. With a sigh, he tried to find the clock and blinked when he noticed it was later than he thought "9?" he muttered. Megumi looked at him and nodded "I am sorry—I will go back to..."

"No... No," Mamoru shook his head and slowly tried to move Usagi's leg to free himself from her strong grip, "I was already awake but as you can see—" he pulled the cover away, showing the princess snuggled close to him, "I can't move." After a couple of attempts, he finally managed to move away and let her take full ownership of the couch and covered her again with the light blanket. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to at least look less like a mess and more like himself but at this point and after everything that happened, he knew it was futile. He turned to look at the girl who was trying her best to be invisible and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in a loving brotherly hug, forgetting about all stupid protocol as he kissed her on the top of her head, "Thank you Megumi, for all you have done, for me—for my family."

Megumi's eyes widened her eyes and felt startled by his sudden action. The way he was speaking to her was different from before, she felt it more intimate and he was acting more like a friend; the friend she remembered she had in him. As an immediate reaction to his action and words, she responded to the hug and took a deep breath "I will always serve my Prince and Kingdom." Mamoru smiled and looked down at her, Megumi immediate noticed the change in his eyes and blushed when she saw they were back, those enchanting prismatic blue eyes.

"I'm sorry—for not remembering," Mamoru sighed softly and shook his head, "For not remembering you..."

Megumi shook her head and smiled widely, finally freeing herself from the silent, heavy shell she created to protect herself. "I understand Your Highness—but, you do now and you remember your family and that is all that matters." The words family somehow tasted bitter in his mouth, but tried to dismiss it at least for now, "Come, help me make breakfast." Megumi nodded happy to see him in a much better mood than the day before and followed him to the kitchen, "Your Highness—why did you sleep here instead of your bedchambers?"

The question made Mamoru crack a soft chuckle as he looked for a bowl, "My bedchambers?" he shook his head and chuckled more, "Oh no Megumi, my room is very far from being a royal chamber." He turned and grabbed a pan and put it to heat on the stove "Could you please pass me the eggs, butter, and milk from the fridge?"

Megumi nodded and turned to get the items and put them on the counter seconds after and saw him whisking them with flour and other dry ingredients making her look with awe, "Your Highness... what are you making?"

Mamoru smiled "Mamoru, Megumi—call me Mamoru," he looked at her "It's been a long time since I was referred to as Highness or Prince... or Endymion."

"You do not like your name anymore, Your Highness?"

Mamoru froze and stopped whisking for a second, thinking what would be the best answer to give the young maiden. Despite having talked to Usagi, he still felt weird to be two identities at the same time, "I—I..." he pursed his lips and continued whisking, "It's not that I don't like it... it's just that... I suppose I lost custom, it's been a long time since somebody called me that."

Megumi blushed and bit her lip, realizing that she had touched the subject a little too soon. "I could never allow myself to disrespect you, Your Highness," her eyes were fixed in his movements Mamoru noticed as he greased the pan with some butter and put some batter to cook slowly in it, "They're called pancakes," he tried to lighten the mood again by putting the topic aside, "It's a very western breakfast. I learned how to make them when I studied medicine in America and soon became _Her Highness'_ favorite thing to eat every morning... though, it's been a while since I made a batch." He followed Megumi's example by referring to Usagi with a royal title. Megumi widened her eyes as she saw him flip the perfectly round pancake on the pan without any utensils and let it cook on its other side, "But she is still asleep..."

"Oh, just give her a minute," Mamoru turned to put the coffee machine to work and waited for the classic and familiar scent impregnate the kitchen and living room. Like magic, and as he predicted, the silver blonde soon began to react to the smell coming from the kitchen "Are those pancakes I am smelling?!" she asked from under the cover, startling the young maid. Mamoru arched a brow and smiled at Megumi, "See?" he put a stack of three on a plate and put it on the counter "I don't know—maybe." he answered her.

Usagi pushed the cover away and jumped from the couch like a jolly bunny and went to open the curtains and blinds to let the sunlight filter through the large windows and walked back to the counter with a smile when she saw Megumi standing next to Mamoru. Before sitting she leaned closer and gave her a quick, loving hug, "Good morning Megumi," Megumi blushed and smiled softly, "G-Good morning, Your Highness,"

Usagi looked down at her plate and blinked, still trying to adjust her eyes to the light "What time is it?"

"Nine-ish," Mamoru said softly as he flipped another perfectly rounded pancake. Usagi growled as she sat on the wooden stool behind the counter, "Ugh, Maya is going to kill me."

"Why?" she heard Mamoru asking from the kitchen but preferred to ignore the question, instead, she patted the stool next to her, motioning Megumi to sit and gave her the plate with warm pancakes, "Have you ever tried these?" she asked softly, Megumi shook her head making Usagi smile as she poured some syrup over them, "I have a feeling that you are going to like them,"

"B-But... these, His Highness..."

"His Highness over there can make more, don't worry," Usagi said in a playful tone and waved her hand, mocking Mamoru. She looked at Megumi and winked an eye at her "He's the pancake master," she stood up and walked to the kitchen, "Besides... after what he made me go through last night, I think it's fair."

"You still reek, by the way," Mamoru made a face of slight disgust, making Usagi giggle " _You_ broke the bottle." Usagi walked towards Mamoru and hugged him from behind "As your punishment, you will have to cook attached to a stinky Luna Bunny."

Megumi smiled while seeing them joking on each other, the scene was too sweet for her to ignore. But the question still lingered in her mind, what happened the night before and why did they sleep on the couch? She was about to ask when the scent Usagi was referring to soon caught her nostrils, Usagi noticed and chuckled, "Stinks, huh?"

"W-What is that?" Megumi made a funny face that made both Usagi and Mamoru laugh out loud. "His Highness broke a bottle of cologne and the scent is impregnated in the bedroom making it unbearable to sleep in there and as you can tell, it smells horrible—that's why we had to sleep on the couch." she walked back to her seat, Mamoru put another plate with a stack of pancakes in front of Usagi "You made me buy it that thing, I didn't need it in the first place..."

Usagi laughed, "It did on the sample that came in the magazine! And yes, you needed a new one!"

Mamoru poured a cup of coffee and waited for his English muffin to be done in the toaster, he took a sip and put two cups in front of each lady and poured the coffee into both cups, "Why is Maya going to kill you? I noticed what you tried to do a while ago—stop avoiding the question."

"Hmm... I tend to forget you know me well, too," Usagi pouted her lips and sighed as she charged her coffee with a good amount of sugar and milk, "Because I didn't go to work." Mamoru arched his brow and looked at her as he took a sip of his coffee and leaned on the counter, "You are not going?"

Usagi shook her head and exhaled as she took a sip of her coffee and cut another bite piece of pancake "Nope," she swallowed, "I don't feel like it," she frowned "Wait a minute—I should be the one asking you the same thing. Why aren't _you_ at work?"

Mamoru grabbed the muffins from the toaster and spread some butter on them. It has been a very intense week, with everything that happened the day before he forgot for a minute about the whole situation with the board, something, at this point he preferred to keep to himself. Mamoru had too much drama for now, he didn't want or needed to add more to the mix of emotions still brewing inside him. "I don't have to go today—which reminds me... excuse me," he walked to his bedroom, leaving the two women startled in the kitchen. Usagi blinked surprised, it was strange to hear him say that he was not going to the hospital on a weekday but considering the events of the day before it was understandable, he was probably exhausted and with a fair reason. She turned to Megumi who was finishing her breakfast and smiled, "Those things are good, right?"

Megumi widened her eyes and turned to Usagi with a smile as she cleaned the syrup off the corner of her lip, "Very much." Usagi giggled and took a sip of her coffee, "Ever since Mamo-chan made me those, I ask of nothing else... he has a gift for cooking. He is better than I will ever be."

"Mamo-chan..." Megumi mumbled the nickname with wonder, "Why do you call His Highness by that name?"

Usagi smiled as she swallowed another bite. It was nice to see Megumi more open to talk and more relaxed when around them; finally, the invisible barrier between them was finally down making the ambient much lighter. "I call him that, because that's the name he was given by his parents in this era. I met him before we all found out about our true selves... as Mamoru," she looked at her "Just like he met me as Usagi," she took another sip of her incredibly sweet coffee and looked at Megumi biting her lower lip in thought, "But you call him differently than the rest..."

Usagi smiled "Oh, Mamo-chan? That is a way to show my endearment to him. It's a custom here and I have been calling him that for so many years now that it got stuck." tilting her head she looked at her "But also, you might find interesting that his given name actually suits who he is,"

"What do you mean?" Megumi blinked surprised, Usagi pointed her finger up and smiled, "Funny enough, his name, Chiba Mamoru translates as Earth Protector."

Megumi's eyes widened in surprise, Usagi giggled and nodded "See? That is why it doesn't matter if his _real_ name is Endymion, Mamoru still suits him. Makes sense, no? But, between us two..." She leaned closer to her "Though, I do like Endymion a _lot._ " Usagi winked an eye at her, making Megumi smile with fascination by the many little details that permeated with them through time, "Does your name also has a meaning, Your Highness?"Usagi giggled and nodded, "Actually... it does, mine translates as Moon Bunny." she gave the young maid a peace sign, as if he was making bunny ears making Megumi giggle with endearment.

Mamoru came back just minutes after looking down at his phone for messages and quickly dialed a number, "Hey—listen, I won't be going in today," he turned to pour himself more coffee and frowned, "Have you heard anything from—you know?"

—o—

Motoki shifted his phone to his other ear as he walked away from the nurse's station and sighed, "Nothing new to what we already know but I guess your case will be put to rest—at least for a while. I don't know if you are aware of this but something happened yesterday and several victims are being treated here."

Mamoru sighed as he poured the freshly brewed coffee in his favorite black mug "I am aware of what happened."

 _"Where you there?"_ he heard Motoki ask from the other end as he took a sip of his coffee. Mamoru looked at Usagi cheerfully talking to Megumi and bit his lower lip, "You—could say that."

 _"Are you guys back at it?"_

"You could say that," Mamoru looked down at the steaming mug in his hand, "How bad is it? How are they?"

"For what I heard, they're weak. Some are still in Intensive Care but they are expected to be fully recovered and released in a few more days." Motoki frowned, "Mamoru, what happened? Ami-chan also didn't come to work today—is this serious?"

Mamoru trusted his friend but he did not want to make him worried, he did not know how to explain all that happened because at to some point he did not know how much he would understand. Motoki was not a man that judged people, neither less judge them for being who they were but just as he did, Motoki was happy with his life as it was and Mamoru did not want to take that away from him, "All I can say is that we will do something about it."

 _"You okay?"_ Motoki asked Mamoru who frowned puzzled by the question "Yes, why?"

"I don't know—you sound different. I mean, not like it's bad or anything but... you sound like, less troubled for this whole ordeal with the med board."

Mamoru took a sip of his coffee and turned to look at Usagi and Megumi still talking like long lost friends and sighed softly, "Let's say... there are other matters occupying my mind,"

 _"Something I can do to help?"_

"I will alright Motoki... it's just... there are things I need to put in order," Mamoru took another sip of his coffee and looked at Usagi, "For our sake..."

* * *

 _Liked it, leave a comment below!_

 _I do not own Sailor Moon just this plot and some of the characters._


	25. Chapter 25

Divinity: fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Twenty-Five

 _AN: Reviews are my fuel and my motivation to keep going... thank you so much for your support. It really means a lot to me to know how much you are enjoying the story. It's awesome!_

* * *

Rei woke up early the next morning to begin on her shores at the shrine before it opened to the public. Religiously, and like every morning, she delivered her grandfather his usual breakfast and tea and stayed with him for a while to talk about what was up for the day. She enjoyed her mornings with him, she enjoyed to pray alongside him and talking with him about everything and anything all at the same time. He was probably the only man she really loved, the only one that has never let her down or broke her heart and now, she was afraid for his health which was becoming weaker with the passing of time.

She walked out of the main temple and towards one of the small cottages in the back and knocked on the door, before walking inside. Her eyes widened when she looked at the four men sitting in a circle, already awake and what appeared to be meditating. Nephrite sensed a new presence in the room and opened one eye to confirm his suspicions "Good Morning Sailor Senshi." his warm, deep voice startled the priestess "G-Good morning."

She looked surprised at the four heavenly kings as they slowly came back from their meditating state and all turned to look at her. She had to admit, their presence was intimidating; they all had a serious expression and well, she knew they could match them in terms of skill and strength but there was something that made her feel at peace. After everything that has happened, she never imagined she could be standing in front of them again and not being concerned about her life or the life of others. She walked back to the door and grabbed a tray with a pot and cups she had left outside and put it in front of the generals "I brought you some tea, to start your morning," she pressed her lips together and finally looked up at them, "Breakfast should be ready any time now."

Zoisite looked at her and gave her a soft smile full of thankfulness, "We very much appreciate your hospitality, Sailor Mars."

"Rei—Rei is alright." The priestess tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear, "Nobody here knows me by that name." she sat in traditional Japanese style in front of them, resting her knees on her legs and looked at them with curious eyes, "Did you sleep alright?" As soon as she asked, she felt her question fell flat when she looked around the room and noticed it lacked some maintenance, she sighed and shook her head, "I'm sorry... we don't use this place as much as we used to..."

"You do not need to worry, it is alright—Rei." Kunzite looked at her, "We do not need much space to do our daily meditation and to have some rest."

"Still, you are Prince Endymion's Shitennou... you are probably used to something more..." Rei waved her hand, trying to come up with the word, "—elegant." she said, slightly embarrassed. Jadeite was sitting across from her, next to Zoisite and crossed his arms and arched his brow with amusement, "We are not high maintenance if that is what worries you. We grew up on a training field and slept in stiff cots—this is more than we could ever ask for."

"I see..." Rei lowered her gaze, "Well then, you are welcome to stay here as much as you need to."

"You are worried," Nephrite said softly, startling the priestess "W-What?" she asked softly. The shitennou looked at her and slightly shook his head, "Your eyes show concern."

Rei pursed her lips and exhaled a puff of air, "Well, considering what happened yesterday—I am worried about Usagi."

All four Shitennou frowned; Zoisite took the lead, "Because of what the Lord of War confessed to Endymion," the blonde sighed softly and shook his head, "Our Prince would never hurt your Princess—I think we have that clear by now. He will not leave her, that, I am certain."

"Aren't you worried about your Prince?" Rei frowned, "You were left here without any indication if he would be talking to you again."

"He will come around to his senses," Kunzite said looking at her and crossed his arms, "Endymion may be strong-willed and stubborn but he is not a rancorous man." Rei tilted her head and narrowed her eyes with curiosity, now that it was only them she felt free to finally ask more than they were granted on knowing back then, "Did you know? Everything Ar—he said?"

Kunzite sighed and lowered his gaze for a moment, then locked his grey eyes with her amethyst ones and nodded, "Her Majesty the Queen told us the story of the Protector of Earth. We learned that by decree of both, hers and His Majesty the King, her identity as Goddess was never to be mentioned again, turning the story into a myth. We were informed about Prince Endymion's true identity and powers when we came back from our training and were chosen as his Shitennou. We swore our loyalty to her in keeping the information secret but we did not know she was part of a dynasty that strong—we are as shocked as you are, we did not know the extent of their power. Now that we do, I can understand Queen Gaia as to why she wanted their nature and identity to be concealed from her son."

"Knowing that is what made us so overprotective of him when Princess Serenity crossed paths with Endymion," Zoisite said softly "It was not because we did not think she was a marvelous Lady for him but because we knew the relationship would cause havoc between the two realms. Queen Gaia not only wanted to protect him—she was trying to avoid another celestial war by not confessing the truth."

"Countless times we were close to broke our vow," Nephrite joined the conversation right after, and smiled sadly; "It was truly a shame how things happened... the Prince grew impatient with time, this was inevitable, one way or another he would have found out."

Rei looked down and sighed sadly "I am afraid he will want to push Usagi away... because of this truth." She shook her head, trying to fight her tears, "I am afraid he will walk away as a way to protect her..."

"Like I said, Endymion is not a rancorous man," Kunzite leaned his back on the wall, "And he would never leave her, not even after this."

"How do you know? He was very upset last night."

"Would you not?" Jadeite arched his brow, "Anyone who would have taken all that information in just one day would be upset. He was upset, yes, but he is the most sensible of us all. This is a man that fought his own kind to keep her safe, he saw his Kingdom fall right in front of his eyes—he saw us die and still stood by the Princess side until the very end. Do you really think he will give up on her just because of this?" He chuckled and crossed his arms "Come on Sailor Mars—have a little more faith in _us_ mortals." Jadeite's words made sense to Rei; behind every fight where Usagi risked her life, Mamoru was right behind her supporting her. Every battle, every argument, every hardship they were always together.

Like a premonition, the door behind her slid open showing Mamoru on the other side minutes after, Rei widened her eyes surprised to see him there, at that precise moment. Kunzite closed his eyes and gave the priestess a knowing smile "I told you he would come around." Rei blinked, still surprised to see him there, "Mamoru,"

Mamoru walked in and closed the door behind him "Good morning Rei," his eyes then stared at the four men sitting behind her and sighed softly, "I hope this is not a bad time."

"We just finished our daily meditations—you know, to keep our sanity in check." Jadeite arched his brow and tapped his temple "If there is any left in us." Zoisite frowned and turned to look at him, "Are you listening to yourself?"

"I am Zoisite, I am." Jadeite crossed his arms proudly. Zoisite rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed "Heavens, have some mercy with this man,"

"Timing is never bad for us, Your Highness." Nephrite looked at him with reassurance, "Circumstances are the ones that keep putting our patience to the test."

Rei looked at Mamoru with close attention and just like it happened with the heavenly kings, she felt intimidated by the prince in front of her; there was something different in him she could not quite place. His appearance was the same, his voice the same, even the way he spoke was still the same but she felt a new energy coming from him, a stronger aura and then she noticed it: his eyes; his blue eyes slowly changed in color, from prussian to azure and to cobalt; from sapphire to cerulean and ultramarine, to name a few. They held knowledge and determination, they showed authority and compassion all at the same time as they slowly changed into different shades, like a prism moving in the light. Without thinking it twice, she stood up and walked over to him and looked at him with worry lurking in her beautiful eyes, "Usagi-chan?" her natural guardian instinct flourished quickly, Mamoru looked down at her and smiled softly "She's at Juuban," Rei looked at him puzzled and shook her head, "W-What?"

"She wanted to buy some things—I just dropped her there with Megumi on my way here."

"Huh?" Rei frowned, still confused.

Mamoru noticed there was still doubt in Rei's eyes and sighed softly "She is a very strong woman, you know this well—when she makes up her mind about something, she is a force to be reckoned with." His words made perfect sense to Rei and made her smile, finally ditching the heavy layer of worry on her shoulders, "Of course... and you don't know just how glad I am, her stubbornness served a purpose."

"That it did, thank you Rei." Mamoru patted her shoulder in a brotherly manner and walked over to the Shitennou and sat in front of them. Rei looked over her shoulder at the four generals paying their most high respect to the Prince and widened her eyes in awe, "I will give you some privacy, if you need anything please let me know," turning on her heel she left the cottage, knowing they needed their time to clear things between them. Kunzite's lips curved into a faint smile while crossing his arms once the priestess left them alone, "She was deeply concerned about you two," he looked at him, "She was worried that you were going to leave Princess Serenity."

"I thought about it—I tried," Mamoru looked at the General and longtime friend and sighed, "I thought it was best for her to be away from a descendant of evil."

"But you—" Jadeite tried to interrupt him but Mamoru lifted his hand to stop him, "But... she helped me think that there is much more to this dynasty than just Chaos."

"That is exactly what I was going to say," Jadeite argued and shrugged his shoulder, Mamoru arched his brow, "Yes, of course, you were."

"So, you have finally understood things then," Kunzite ignored Jadeite and continued his talk with the prince "You understand you are not linked to that being."

"Oh no, I _am_ linked to evil," Mamoru said, changing his sitting position to Buddha style, imitating the one from the shitennou. "I am still raging inside, I'm mad, I'm hurt and confused... I still have so many questions pulsing in my mind," he sighed and shook his head, "I cannot change the fact that he is related to my mother... to us, and it disgusts me but, I was raised by Gaia and grew up with other ideals—her ideals, not his." he looked down and shrugged his shoulder, "I still feel like I am two people at the same time, I still feel disturbed by all this. Am I mad about not knowing this up until now? Yes— because I could have done more to protect Elysion when I had the chance. I had the power to protect my family, to protect Serenity and I couldn't do anything because I didn't know any of this. I could have avoided the tragedy on the Moon and the oblivious state I left this planet when you were captured by Beryl." he looked up at Kunzite, "When you asked me what would I do if I could fight the Gods, it's because you knew about this all along."

Kunzite sighed, "We swore our loyalty to Her Majesty, Endymion. We were bound to be silent about the matter, no matter what—our lips were sealed the moment we took our oath to become Shitennou."

"We did not know this much about the Queen's past, we only learned the legend of the Goddess was real and that the Protector actually existed." Nephrite seconded Kunzite. "We did not even know we were chosen by Queen Gaia herself to be your Guardians way ahead of our time," Zoisite said with genuine surprise, "It was all well planned."

"Yes, but it almost did not happen," Jadeite looked at both Kunzite and Prince "You two hated each other,"

"What did the Princess do to make you change your mind?" Zoisite asked, completely ignoring Jadeite's sarcastic intermission, "You left very upset last night... normally, it would have taken you days to process all this,"

"I still am Zoisite," Mamoru ran a hand through his hair, "Every battle we faced I felt like I didn't do enough to help her, no matter how much I fought. She had to carry this heavy weight on her shoulders all this time. Mortality has always been the label put on me and every enemy made sure to make it clear. The enemy always knew this weakness—that is what infuriates me." Mamoru sighed "But she did say something with much sense and truth—I was raised under another type of faith."

Nephrite lowered his gaze "We did not mean to cause you harm, Master."

"I know Nephrite," Mamoru looked at him then at the rest "You did everything in your power to help me until it was no longer possible."

"We did not even know it was possible for us to cross to this realm," Zoisite said still surprised, "I thought we were dead and that every time we communicated with you through the stones, it was just our spirit."

"Helios, the Priest, rescued our souls when we fell by Metallia's hand," Kunzite said, "He kept us in Elysion but he did not have enough power to send us back... he said he got special aid to prevent us from going to the land of the dead."

"How did the girl..." Jadeite frowned and shook his head, "That girl was a maid at the Palace, right?"

"Aurea assigned her to assist me," Mamoru said softly "She was the only survivor left when Beryl invaded Elysion—the real Elysion." he sighed softly and furrowed his brows when the image of that horrible night played in his head like a vivid film, making him relive all those emotions and that hopeless sense that invaded him during that time. "The night I returned to Elysion, I found Obelix under a pile of rubble and debris on the verge of dying and asked me to pray to the Gods—that is how I managed to open a portal through time and space. That is how I got to the Moon... all the prayers and chants he taught me had a purpose."

"So, the sword..." Kunzite frowned, "Where is it now?"

Mamoru extended his hand and made the sword appear secured in its onyx and gold sheath and surrounded by a faint golden energy flowing around it like silk ribbons; he looked at the weapon and narrowed his midnight blue eyes, "My first guess would be to think that when I died, some of the energy from the golden crystal nested in this sword went through her and granted her a longer lifespan. She was protected by it—but that doesn't mean she didn't suffer all this time."

"You can now summon your powers just like that?" Jadeite asked, surprised. Mamoru shrugged his shoulders with and snapped his fingers, making the sword disappear into thin air "I suppose, yes," he looked at the gold sparks left floating in the air "Like I told Serenity yesterday—I can feel everything, I can hear everything. It's all too fresh in my mind, my senses are very keen."

"What is going to happen now?" Jadeite asked, "I suppose that man will return more insane that he did before."

"I don't know what will happen next Jadeite, but whatever it is—I have to fight against it," he looked at his Generals with determination, "But I can't do it alone—if he finds a way to break that seal like Ares warned us, I have to be prepared, they will not come for Serenity, they will come after me. He said it."

"Who?" Kunzite frowned.

"The Andromedian," Mamoru's voice fell a decibel at the mention of Athamas and frowned, "The man that died on my watch at the hospital—they are connected. They were all trying to challenge me."

"What did he say?" Nephrite frowned, concerned. Mamoru's jaw clenched "Venit et de eo nihil potestis facere," he looked at the Generals, Nephrite pursed his lips for a minute and frowned, "He is coming and there is nothing you can do about it."

"There had been other incidents then," Kunzite narrowed his grey eyes, "What happened yesterday is not the first attempt."

"We didn't have a lead or anything. The girls found Megumi wandering in the city but it took them days to find out she was looking for me. Still, after Serenity brought her to my apartment, Megumi wouldn't say much, she didn't even mention the sword was the object she had been carrying in that cloth."

"Why?" Jadeite shook his head confused, "She had found you—what was stopping her?"

"You weren't the Endymion she remembered," Nephrite said softly, "She was waiting for the right time,"

"I couldn't remember her," Mamoru nodded softly and frowned, "I couldn't remember anything, I was only given the basics, what eventually came obvious and clear once we found the Silver Imperial Crystal—Serenity's crystal." He lowered his gaze "I know there is more to know about all this. I know Ares kept things to himself but I will wait for the right time to ask him."

"Such as?" Zoisite frowned softly, "What happened to my mo—Gaia and to the rest of my family." Mamoru looked at the blonde, "He said they condemned her like a criminal, but I was never given a resolve as to what happened to her. She might be in hell like they wanted all this time... I don't know." he closed his eyes and shook his head, "I have more than just one purpose now and I cannot let them get away with it."

Kunzite arched his brow in admiration "You sound more convinced and determined that you did all those years ago,"

"If I am granted this sort of power then I have to do something about it," Mamoru looked at Kunzite with a challenging glare, "I could not fight enough for this planet back then, but now I can and I will."

"Well, it is settled then," Kunzite showed his pride for the prince's words with a half-smile, "That girl had so much hope in her heart that she somehow gave the Priest enough power to send us back. Now, we cannot let you do all the work."

"Yes, but what now?" Jadeite snorted "Are we going to stay locked in here in the meantime?"

Zoisite exhaled heavily, "Two thousand years were not enough for you to change," he looked at him slightly annoyed "You have no shame."

"Things would not be the same without me, admit it, Zoisite." Jadeite joked making the blonde roll his eyes "My, my—no, of course not." Zoisite exhaled, "They would be so much calmer." Zoisite rubbed his temples, Jadeite's triumphant smile vanished and turned his blonde comrade with wide eyes, "Oi!"

Mamoru smiled and shook his head, he had to admit that he missed them greatly and he was glad that after all that time, after battling to death they were granted another chance to do good. He stood up, startling the four men in front of him "Master?" Zoisite asked confused.

"Master, Highness or Prince are not titles that will work on this era, you have to call me by my name," Mamoru shook his head, "I told Megumi the same, but she is against the idea."

"She is not that crazy," Zoisite said softly. Kunzite arched his brow, "We were friends before Guardians—your royal title is something you never appreciated us using when alone. You may be called different in this era but to me, or to any of us you are Endymion." Mamoru smiled and put up his arms defensively "Alright, alright. Call me whatever you want," he sighed with defeat and pointed his finger at the shitennou's uniforms, "But you certainly cannot go around the city wearing that uniform—come on." he looked for his car keys in his pants' pocket.

All four men widened their eyes "W-Where?" Kunzite frowned, puzzled. Mamoru exhaled heavily and shook his head, "I'm not much of a shopping kind of man, but you need new clothes, so, come on—the girls are waiting."

All four generals stayed petrified on the floor "The girls?" Mamoru quirked a brow, "What? Don't tell me you are expecting me to choose clothes for you?" he waved his hand, "Come on, I took the day off from work and they are waiting, Serenity told me the girls could find something else for you to wear and the sooner we get there, the sooner we can be done with it."

"Do not tell me that angry Senshi will be there too—because if she is..." Kunzite's frown deepened, Mamoru chuckled "Haruka? No, she won't be there _—trust me._ " Sighing, he ran his hand through his hair again, "That is another issue I have to handle at a later time. Come on—we have to go," he pointed at Kunzite's cape "Take that off."

"What!?" Kunzite widened his eyes "Are you insane!? This is part of my regal uniform—it is like if I asked you to give up your medals, it is what gives me the—what are you doing?" He turned to Zoisite, Jadeite, and Nephrite who stood up and took their capes off without complaint, then walked out the door with Mamoru "What the hell are you are doing?!"

Jadeite looked over his shoulder at Kunzite, "The cape is heavy—snap out of it." Kunzite blinked surprised at the blonde's reaction, "Wait, are you ignoring my rant?"

"That is exactly what we are doing." Jadeite said and turned to Rei, who was helping a girl bless a charm she just bought. There was something about her that made him wonder if she had changed as well, she was too calm, too silent, a complete opposite to whom he remembered as Mars.

The priestess gave the girl the charm and bid her farewell then walked towards the five men and smiled softly at Mamoru "I got a call from Usagi-chan. You were right, she's at the Juuban, unbelievable." she turned to the four generals and chuckled, "I see there is a purpose to that," Mamoru smiled, "She went to look for a dress for Megumi, then came up with that idea," he pointed at them with his thumb, "And they, well... they need more than that." Jadeite widened his eyes in pure shock and turned to look at him, "Oi!" he snapped, "What is that supposed to mean!?"

Rei chuckled and nodded, "Minako will be picking me up soon, she said she had some things to find first so I guess I will see you all there in a while." Mamoru nodded and frowned slightly with concern, "You okay?" the question caught the priestess off guard "Yes, why?"

The Prince looked up and saw Yuiichiro standing close to the Chōzuya, where the visitors would wash their hands and mouth and raised a brow "Ah, I see..." he gave the priestess a knowing look "Rei-chan..." Rei sighed softly and nodded several times, "I know, I know—but like I told the girls, more than wanting him to stay here because I have feelings for him it's more because he helps me keep the shrine working," she looked at him slightly blushed "I know—I am a Miko and my actions are of pure selfishness—I'm horrible. I'll go to hell."

"You are not horrible and you are not going to hell, plus, I am no one to judge," Mamoru said softly "I am just worried about you. In the long run this could hurt you," he sweatdropped "—More." she turned and followed Mamoru's stare and spotted Yuiichiro standing near the temple looking back at them without even pretending to be doing something else, "He is dying to know who they are and what _we_ are talking about," she chuckled "That will keep me entertained for a while."

Mamoru shook his head and smiled, joining the cause of making the man feel uncomfortable with his presence and by talking to Rei with such casualty and closeness, "He deserves it, that and more—he may be helpful but he's a parasite." Rei chuckled and nodded, "Yes, that he is..." she turned and saw another group of girls were gathered near the shop and smiled, "I will see you then in a little while? They all look like they want a love charm."

"Alright then, don't make them wait," Mamoru smiled and started to walk the long trail of steps to go down. Jadeite turned and saw Rei talking to the girls with an elegant smile and could not help feeling a warm feeling in his chest; his green eyes soon landed on the man a few feet away still staring back at him with blunt jealousy and narrowed his eyes, wondering about what was beyond this simple relationship between priestess and assistant.

O—o—O

All five men finally got to Juuban's shopping district, immediately catching the attention of all the girls walking around. Kunzite frowned with discomfort, clearly feeling outside of his element "What is this?" Mamoru sighed softly, thankful he had sunglasses on to avoid any eye contact with his friend or any of the gaping girls, A shopping district,"

Kunzite frowned, "I feel overwhelmed—I do not like it. How can you be alright being in such place like this?" Mamoru chuckled "Yeah, well—it can be overwhelming." he looked down at his phone and saw an incoming text from Usagi "They're close to the food court."

"Why are we here again?" Kunzite hissed, Nephrite patted his friend on the back "Now, now—you cannot be frustrated about this all the time. We have been in these sort of places before."

" _You_ probably may have—I was doing my job," Kunzite muttered dryly. Jadeite sweatdropped, "By helping that crazy woman? How marvelous example you have given..."

"Be quiet Jadeite, you did it too." Kunzite's face darkened, Mamoru tried his best not to pay much attention to Kunzite's sudden rant and continued walking until they reached the specific area slightly private where Usagi was waiting for them. Minutes after, he saw her sitting on a round table under a big red umbrella with Megumi, Ami and Makoto sitting all around "There you are!" Usagi waved her hand, "I was beginning to worry—since you are usually on time."

"Yes—I was on time, but they were reluctant to come, well, Kunzite was... as expected." Mamoru sighed and looked at the frappuccino the silver blonde had in front of her on the table and took a sip, consequently making a grimace and stuck his tongue out, "What is _this_?!"

"A double fudge espresso frappuccino with a caramel swirl and extra chocolate sprinkles," Usagi smiled as she twirled her finger in the air "Good, huh?"

"Are you telling me there's coffee in here?!" Mamoru looked at the large transparent cup and frowned, Usagi tilted her head "Yes, it has espresso... it's iced coffee."

"Usa, seriously—this isn't coffee," Mamoru gave her the cup back "It's loaded with sugar."

"Thank you!" Ami raised her hand, "I was just saying that."

Mamoru smiled at the bluenette as a silent greeting, "The sprinkles are not even necessary, I am surprised she can even finish these things, they're impossible to swallow." Usagi pouted her lips "You are going all doctor mode on me and I don't appreciate it. Besides, Megumi liked it too, so I'm not the only one," she looked at her beverage and took another guilt-free sip, "You know what's worse? Your hideous black coffee. There is no flavor in that, it's bitter and boring."

"That is what coffee is supposed to—alright, this could go on forever so," he sighed softly and waved his hand, "Here they are, what are we supposed to do now?" Usagi widened her eyes and blinked "Mamo-chan?"

"Mmm?"

"What's the matter with Kunzite?" she looked at the poor man who was obviously suffering from all the staring from the people passing by. Mamoru took a seat next to her on the table and grabbed the cup again and took another sip "He is hating the attention," he frowned and put the beverage aside again, "Seriously Usa—" he turned to Megumi as he put the condensed cup on the table again, "Don't let her corrupt you with these bombs of sugar." Megumi giggled and blushed.

"Why did you take another sip if you didn't like it in the first place?!" Usagi sweatdropped, "Because I need the boost of sugar to keep my patience at bay," Mamoru muttered, "I can wait for you here—going in and out of stores has never been my thing."

Usagi blinked "No, no, no... why? —I want you to come with me... please?" she tapped her fingers on the table playfully and nudged his arm with her elbow. She knew he was still struggling with many things in his mind, but her mind was set on helping him on every step of the way to make him feel better. She had to be strong for the two of them and she was on a mission to accomplish it. "You know what we could look for? A new cologne." Mamoru sweatdropped, "I will keep using my trusty old one, thank you."

"I can offer you a good deal if we go and take a look," Usagi wiggled her brows with mischief, Mamoru arched his with interest, "Sounds tempting... but no dear, thank you." Usagi widened her eyes, "Oh, come on!"

Nephrite watched closely at the couple talking and turned to Makoto who was taking a sip of her iced tea and smiled at her softly, trying to break the awkwardness of the silence between them, "Are they always like this?" Makoto smiled in return and scooted on the bench around the table to make room for him to sit, "All the time. They know how to press each other's buttons—it's adorable," chuckling she slid down her sunglasses again and looked at him, "I am glad what happened yesterday didn't affect their relationship, I was worried."

"Endymion isn't rancorous," Nephrite said softly "He is angry but not at her, or any of you. There are bigger issues around this whole situation that he is slowly trying to process and come to terms with them—he needs time and he needs her. I must say, she is doing a marvelous job at keeping him distracted," He turned to look at the couple teasing each other again and smiled, "He loves her, he loves her deeply."

Makoto smiled and nodded, "There is no question about that. I could say the same about her, she's crazy about him." she turned to look at him and arched her brow, "So, I've been told you guys need some help finding appropriate clothes for this era."

Nephrite chuckled and nodded, "Apparently royal military uniforms from two thousand years ago are not in fashion, anymore," he turned and saw a very serious and very uncomfortable Kunzite still bickering with Jadeite and Zoisite, "I don't mind, really, but he is going to be a challenge to deal with—he is set in his ways, you know what they say: you cannot teach an old dog, new tricks."

Makoto chuckled "Well—we shall see. He will have to learn the tricks if he wants to keep up with the pace of this time," Nephrite widened his eyes and sighed, hoping for the best. Minutes after, they all turned their eyes to Minako and Rei who had their arms wrapped two large plastic bags. Mamoru tilted his face down, his blue eyes peeked from above his dark shades and arched his brow, "Should we be worried?" Usagi chuckled and took another sip of her sugary drink, "No, I sent those bags to her office—I know what's inside." Mamoru looked at her "You didn't go to work today."

"I have influences," Usagi chuckled, mentally thanking Mika for the favor. Minako finally caught up with them and put the bags on the table and smiled widely and with much relief at Usagi and her fiancé sitting next to her "Oh, thank goodness, you're together!" she greeted with glee. Usagi nodded with a smile and wrapped her arm around Mamoru's shoulders and turned to kiss his cheek with endearment. Rei soon caught up and put the other bag over the table "Well, this isn't heavy but it sure is a lot."

"What's in there?" Makoto tried to peek inside the bags with curiosity, Minako pushed back her cat-eye shaped sunglasses and opened a bag, "Usa-chan sent these to my office, they're clothes. _Male_ clothes." Usagi nodded to Mamoru, "Maya wanted to get rid of them because that is who she is so, I asked one of my co-workers to send it to Minako-chan's office and see if they fitted the Shitennou."

"Wouldn't have been easier to send all these to the apartment?" Mamoru frowned and peeked inside the bag "Why did you make Minako carry all these clothes around?"

"Because they still need stuff," Usagi said softly and turned to the four men "And they can't wear that on a daily basis." Minako blew her bangs and turned to Kunzite but unlike Makoto who easily started a friendly conversation with Nephrite, she better decided on focus on the bags in front of her and ignored the white-haired man looking at her, "Uh... I think now it's a good time for them to go and try these, they can't go around wearing that." Kunzite arched his brow and turned to Mamoru who shrugged his shoulders in response, "I told you—don't give me that glare."

"But—" Kunzite tried to argue but sighed in defeat. Minako pointed the door to her left, "You can go and get changed there," she turned to Usagi and high fived her "Way to go Usa-chan, you found the most deserted area in this mall." Usagi wiggled her brows and smiled with pride, "I'm a badass—I know."

The four shitennou had no other option but to go to get changed, leaving the six girls and Mamoru alone at the table. Minako sighed and sat next to Ami, "So, am I the only one that actually went to work?" Usagi chuckled, "Apparently—how responsible of you,"

"Did you, really?" Rei frowned and turned to a very casually dressed Minako waving her hand, "Pff no... I just picked the bags at the station's reception but I must say... Ami-chan—you skipping work?" Then she turned to Mamoru "And y _ou?_ Now _, that's_ new."

Mamoru smiled but preferred not to say anything about it, Ami widened her eyes once she realized why he was there and how he probably hasn't mentioned anything about the investigation with the medical board to Usagi. She figured that after what happened the day before, it was the last thing on his mind or at least something he felt like doing, add another dilemma to his already complicated situation. "Nobody seemed to be in the mood, I guess." The bluenette said softly. "Yeah, you're right Ami-chan." Minako smiled and turned to Mamoru with a worried look on her face, "On a more serious note, how are you?"

Mamoru sighed and shrugged his shoulders "It's hard to explain... overwhelmed would be a good word to use,"

Minako shook her head and exhaled softly, "I can't imagine how you must be feeling right now... with everything that happened yesterday... we were worried about you after you left."

"Is there any way we can help?" Makoto asked with concern. With years all of them became very close, they became their own family and when one was feeling down, the rest was always going to be there showing their support. Mamoru smiled with gratitude and appreciation and shook his head, "Thanks, Mako, it's still too much for me to process but... I have to get through this, one way or another."

"You know you are not alone in this, we are a family—we can deal with this and more." Rei said softly; Minako nodded "Yes, we are in this together."

Ami gave him a warm smile, "We're here for you both,"

Mamoru looked up at them and for a minute was very glad to be wearing very dark shades to cover the tears pooling in his deep blue eyes. He wanted to say something in return, something that would express his deep gratitude for their support and understanding but the tight lump in his throat would break his very hard attempts on keeping his composure. Usagi knew this, after their conversation the night before, she knew he was still feeling raw and exposed. Despite his calm appearance, she knew his emotions were still a mess, but like she always said, she was the only one who got to see the vulnerable side of Chiba Mamoru and she was on a mission to pull him out of his emotional bump.

Makoto smiled and leaned forward to pat his arm softly to show her support then leaned back, "So, here's another interesting question: Have anybody spoken to Haruka, Michiru or Setsuna?" she turned to look at Minako and the others around the table. "To be honest, I'm not sure if I am ready for it just yet," Minako said softly "After what happened yesterday—they could go all defensive again and we don't need that."

"That is a possibility," Rei sighed and sat between Minako and Makoto "But it's pointless to try to do something we don't want to do and they will have to come to terms with it."

"Like what?" Makoto frowned.

"Like splitting them apart," Minako pointed her thumb at the couple next to her "Rei-chan's right but also, Haruka is very stubborn."

"That is something I have to deal with later on," Mamoru sighed "Haruka is overprotective and after what happened, she has reasons to become aggressive,"

"Yeah, but you agree that if she goes against you she would be hurting Usa-chan in the end," Minako said softly "They have to understand, I am putting my trust in Michiru, she is good at calming her rage." The blonde smiled, "I am just glad to see you together, that is what matters," Usagi smiled at her friend "Thank you, Minako-chan."

"Maybe this is not the perfect place and time to talk about what Ares told us yesterday—everything is still fresh, you need time to process all this." Minako turned to Mamoru, "With your awakening, another part of our lives came clear to us too—we remember things we didn't back when the silver crystal appeared."

Makoto nodded, "There are so many things that make sense now, like pieces of a puzzle finally falling into place—I remember you." Rei frowned and turned to Makoto, "You didn't remember him?"

"I did... I-I don't know how to put it... I knew he was the Prince, I knew he was with Princess Serenity but I couldn't actually remember him being Prince... am I making any sense?"

"In a very weird way, you are Mako-chan," Mamoru smiled softly, "The same happened to me... I knew who I was but I couldn't remember anything from my life, nothing..." he turned to Megumi, "Not remembering you, was the worst... after everything you have done for me and my family," Mamoru sighed and tilted his head low, "You are right Minako, it's hard for me to talk about it all... I am still reluctant to believe what I learned about me and my family, it's something I must work on my own..." he looked up, still with his shades on "I was very upset last night and I was going to make the biggest mistake of my life... gladly, I have a strong warrior by my side to help me stay grounded."

The comment made the girls smile, Minako especially since she was sure Usagi was going to be the one to keep him close. It was obvious that despite their closeness the only one who knew Mamoru like an open book was Usagi, and being the determinant woman, she knew she was, she was hopeful her friend and Princess would take matters into her own hands and deal with the situation the best way she could—and she did.

Ami frowned, finally realizing something, "Hey... where are Luna and Artemis?" she turned to Minako, "They haven't been around much lately, are they okay?"

Minako sighed, "They are still at it,"

"They're still at it? What are you talking about?" Usagi and Mamoru frowned, "Did something happen?" he asked with surprise. Minako sighed heavily, "They have this drama going on," the blonde pursed her lips, "I think they're mad at each other."

"Artemis could never be mad at Luna, he adores her." Mamoru frowned, intrigued. Minako exhaled deeply "I thought that too—but something really bad must have happened between them because he is very distant and she is being uncharacteristically silent, it's strange to see them like that. Yesterday, they were together for the sake of the situation unfolding but when we were back at home, they didn't talk to each other and it's mostly coming from Artemis' end."

"Has Artemis has said anything to you?" Usagi frowned, Minako shook her head "No, he is barely around."

"This isn't good," Makoto pouted her lips, "They are always together—they are meant to be together."

"That is why she wanted me to go home with her last night," Usagi said softly, "I will see if she mentions something tonight."

"So—have you packed everything already?" Minako smiled winking her eye at her silver-haired friend, "The wedding is in two days."

Mamoru crossed his arms and exhaled, waiting to hear Usagi's response. The blonde blushed and waved her hand "I have everything under control—don't worry." she turned to Mamoru and smiled, "Really, I do..."

"That only means you haven't packed a single pin." Rei narrowed her eyes at her, Usagi sweat dropped "I do—I started packing the other day but—"

"But?" Makoto asked Usagi "Well—things have been crazy at work lately..." the silver blonde sighed with defeat.

"I bet," Minako leaned her head on her hand and sighed "Look at you, all busy at work right now."

"I'll be done before the weekend gets here, I promise," Usagi raised her hands defensively "I'll bring Megumi with me to help me with the boxes, right Megumi?" Megumi widened her eyes and nodded "Y-Yes of course, Your Highness." Mamoru shook his head and looked at the young maiden, "I must warn you Megumi, she has so many things... it's going to be quite the challenge."

Usagi smiled and turned to Mamoru, "The challenge will be to put all my things in the apartment,"

"Yes, that I already know," Mamoru crossed his arms and shook his head. Minako smiled at the couple and turned when she saw the four shitennou walking out of the bathroom and carrying the plastic bags with them; her blue eyes widened when she saw Kunzite wearing a crisp white t-shirt and a pair of distressed jeans "Wow, they look— _normal._ " she cleared her throat. The blonde was giving herself a moment to admire Kunzite's handsomeness and obviously well-toned and tall physique. Since the moment they appeared to help Mamoru in battle, her mind began drifting back to the memories she had of him and with him while her heart constantly skipped a beat, longing to connect with his. She was aware of those feelings but her pride was bigger than her emotions, and after all, she struggled to find love, she was decided not to give in so easily, not even for the man she dearly held close to her heart those years ago. She had already lost him three times, that a fourth time would end up breaking her completely and permanently.

"I look like a criminal." Kunzite mumbled and turned to Mamoru, "And I just realized we are wearing similar clothing." Mamoru looked down at his tee and arched his brow, "Mine's blue and—thank you?"

"The pants are almost similar."

"Mine aren't torn," Mamoru pointed at the small hole in Kunzite's knee and frowned "And I don't dress like a criminal, just to clarify."

"These are actually not that bad," Jadeite said with a smile as he looked down at his red and black, light flannel shirt "I like the squares and it's comfortable." He looked at his matching dark jeans and shoes. Mamoru pointed his thumb at him and turned to Kunzite "See? He likes it." Kunzite frowned "Jadeite could wear a paper bag over his head and be happy with it."

"It is called being positive," Jadeite pulled his collar up proudly, "You could use some of that."

Zoisite stood next to his blonde comrade and put one of the plastic bags on the table "This is not as a bad as I thought it would be." He was wearing a denim shirt with grey colored pants and dark grey casual shoes. Nephrite stood next to the blonde and smiled, "I agree, I actually have a good feeling about this." The always so polite general wore a deep green light sweater with the same style of jeans Kunzite was wearing and casual dark chocolate boots.

"I'll go put these bags in the car—" Mamoru stood up and grabbed the bags with clothes, "It's so weird to see you wearing those clothes... you look normal,"

Kunzite narrowed his eyes, "Look who's talking..."

Mamoru chuckled and grabbed the bags with clothes and began walking back to the car. Jadeite flashed a smile and chuckled "See, even the Prince approves."

"He is right though," Minako said softly "It's weird to see you wear those clothes."

"Yeah, we got used to see you being all evil with your uniforms," Makoto joked and turned to Megumi with a smile, "We are like this all the time, we joke _a lot_ , _all_ of us including the Prince as you can see—we are this one big family," she chuckled, "You'll get used to it."

"I'll easily get used to that as well." Jadeite chuckled. Megumi smile widely, she could learn how to live this way, she thought. She loved this new phase they were all living because despite being aware of their descendance it was nothing to how she remembered things were at the palace. It was refreshing to see the Prince joking with the Princess and vice versa, it was endearing to see them together and free of any repercussion. It was fun to see the girls interact with each other with no title boundaries or protocols, they all acted like a big family that seemed to be growing with time and Megumi felt lucky and blessed to be part of it now, she felt happy—she felt like one of them. Like she finally had found her place in the universe.

At this point, none of them knew how much longer this peaceful era would last, things had drastically changed in a matter of weeks but they tried to make the best of it, one minute at a time and Megumi, well, she was happy to join the cause and battle as well.

It was long before Mamoru returned from the car and sighed with slight defeat, "Okay, let's go."

Usagi smiled with excitement and stood up grabbing her melted frappuccino and she took a large sip only to flinch in pain seconds after, startling Mamoru "Are you okay?"

Usagi nodded and rubbed her temple, "Brain freeze."

"It's the freaking sugar in that thing," Mamoru frowned and took the cup from Usagi's hands "Hey!" she snorted "That's mine!"

"Usa..." Mamoru laughed, "This is all melted, it doesn't even taste what it is supposed to taste anymore,"

"It's still delicious to me!" Usagi snatched the cup again from Mamoru and took another sip, Mamoru sighed and shook his head. Minako giggled and patted his arm "Allow me," she cleared her throat "Usa-chan, you _do_ realize that you won't fit in your dress if you keep drinking that thing, right?"

Usagi froze and stopped in her tracks "What?"

Minako turned and pointed the frappuccino cup, "There is nothing worse for a bride than not fitting in her wedding gown. Trust me, I've seen my share. I've been in a lot of weddings." She turned to Usagi who had widened her eyes and turned to Ami by her side, the bluenette shrugged her shoulders "It's true... Usa-chan,"

"No... No..." Usagi looked at them horrified "No, chocolate is my friend—sprinkles are my friends!"

Rei turned with a devilish smile on her face, "Friends with your hips and thighs, that is."

"Whaaat?!" she turned and threw the cup into the trash and continued walking in silence still with the image of her wedding dress being ripped apart because she could not fit in it. Mamoru looked at Minako with a shocked expression, "You are a wizard." Minako chuckled and patted his back, "You're welcome."

"We should go inside this store and see what we can find." Makoto suggested "Megumi-san still needs to find a dress for the wedding..." she peered at the men walking behind and blushed softly, still in disbelief to see the men hanging out with them so casually and with very fashionable clothes.

"You are right." Minako said and walked inside, pulling Ami's and Megumi's arms with her, "Come on, we will find something cute for Megumi to wear!" Usagi looked at the girls talking to the Shitennou and could not help to smile, "They missed them," she said softly, Mamoru nodded "Yeah..."

"Do you think they will—you know, resume what they had back then?" Usagi wrapped her arm around his and looked up with hopeful eyes, Mamoru sighed and pursed his lips in thought "I don't know Usako, we would have to wait and see what happens,"

"That would be so great," Usagi smiled widely "They would finally get a second chance—they deserve it."

"They do." Mamoru smiled at her and intertwined his fingers with hers, Usagi looked at him with loving eyes "If only I could see those pretty eyes of yours—" she frowned and pouted her lips "But you always cover them with those dark sunglasses." Mamoru leaned down to comply with her fiancés wishes and slid his shades up before he gave her a peck on the lips and wink an eye at her; Usagi blushed "Ah, that's more like it," she cupped his cheek and smiled, "I missed to look into them, so deep... like the color of this planet."

Mamoru smiled then pulled back when he noticed Usagi diverted her gaze and fixed it on something else, "Usa?"

"Let's go there!" Usagi pointed a small shop in the distance; Mamoru turned to look over his shoulder and sweatdropped when he saw what shop it was and slid his dark shades over his eyes again "No—I don't want to go in there."

"Why? Come on it'll be fun!" Usagi pulled his arm as she walked towards the store, "I promise this time it _will_ be fun," she turned to Mamoru with a smile "Come on, I saw this new ad on a magazine and—"

"I wonder what kind of stench this one will have..." Mamoru muttered with sarcasm, "Love, I don't need a new one, I already have one... I trust this one, really..."

Usagi stopped and looked at him, "Okay Your Highness, _who_ told you that one smelled good?"

Mamoru arched his brow, "Uh, _you_ did? You bought it for me for our anniversary... or did you already forget?"

Usagi smiled, "Okay, okay but... see? You need to trust me on this one."

Mamoru exhaled in defeat "Fine. No matter how much I try—my faith is in your hands,"

Usagi giggled and wrapped her arm around his waist "I know—it's the best," she looked up "And I love you for that."

"I am helpless when it comes to you Luna Bunny... if you want me to smell like chlorine, fine, I will smell like a toilet cleaner if that is going to make you happy..." Mamoru mumbled as they walked to the store. Usagi stopped and tug his arm, making him stop as well and looked up him, "I love you Endymion,"

Mamoru cupped her cheek with his hand and leaned down until his forehead rested on hers, and rubbed her nose with his, "*Te amo quoque mea, mea Luna Bunny."

"I promise this one will smell nice..."

"Oh, Usako..."

"What?"

"Don't ever change,"

* * *

 _Liked it? Leave a comment below!_

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _*I love you too my love, my Luna Bunny._


	26. Chapter 26

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Twenty-six

 _AN:_ _I sincerely apologize for not keeping my usual posting schedule, I fell under the weather and I am feeling like I was hit with a golf club-yeah, I'm down. It's been going on for a while now despite me having gone to the doctor and taken medicines I'm still beaten and tied to my bed like a hermit. I took a moment to take a final look at this chapter before posting, so here goes... I hope it goes well, and I hope you like it. Until next time._

* * *

Haruka opened the door of her house and heard Michiru was playing her violin. She walked inside the living room and stood close to the window and stared at the afternoon sun slowly go down "The Golden Crystal..." she muttered and narrowed her deep blue eyes as she remembered the conversation they had with Ares the previous night. Sighing, she closed her eyes and thought about the situation slowly developing in front of them "Odango..." she said softly and shook her head "You just can't seem to catch a break."

"Haruka?" Michiru said, surprising her. The blonde turned to look over her shoulder and smiled at her "When did you stop playing?" Michiru walked inside and put her violin aside on the dining table "Just a while ago."

Haruka hummed and closed her eyes, remembering the sweet melody Michiru was playing when she got home "That melody, I have never heard it before," she opened her eyes "Are you working on new material?"

Michiru smiled "I composed it for the wedding—it's my gift to the couple."

Haruka's face stiffened and bit her lower lip, Michiru noticed her sudden change and stood next to her at the window "I know what you are thinking," Haruka sighed with annoyance, "Do you?"

"You're worried about her,"

"Aren't you?"

Michiru took a deep breath, thinking her words carefully and nodded "I am yes, but not for the same reasons you are." Haruka widened her eyes, Michiru looked at her with a soft smile on her glossy lips "You know you can't separate them. The gods couldn't do it back then—what makes you think you can in this time and era?"

"You sound careless," Haruka muttered and looked away. Michiru crossed her arms "Maybe, but I am realistic." she turned on her heel and sat on the couch, "I understand how you feel, believe me, I do, but you have to admit that knowing about the Prince's past won't change his feelings towards her or her feelings towards him,"

"He is linked to evil, Michiru." Haruka frowned with disgust, "He is relative to every enemy we had encountered in the past." she let out a soft frustrated growl "Am I too crazy for being the only one to see this?"

"He may be linked to _evil_ like you say but he also fights against it," Michiru retorted, "He has since we can remember. There is a reason why Queen Serenity granted him another opportunity to live beside her daughter and why the Terran Queen also kept that information from him. She was trying to protect him not only from the gods but also from judgment," The aquamarine haired beauty leaned back on the sofa, "Think about it."

"Michiru..." Haruka turned to look at her, there was some sort of warning in her voice. It was only a few times they did not agree on things, and she knew she never won against Michiru's reasoning. "You are being one of those gods Haruka," Michiru shook her head with disapproval, "The mirror never lies."

Haruka closed her eyes and hung her head down "I love that Princess more than you can ever imagine... I care for her greatly,"

"I know," Michiru smiled, "I love her too, we all do very much—but he loves her the most. We've all been witness of that love... you can't ignore the way he looks at her and the attention he puts into every little thing she does," she leaned forward and looked down at the golden mirror in her hands, "When he grabbed that sword, the mirror reacted—there was a very heavy charge of power coming from him but even with all that strength there was no threat... he became aggressive when Sailor Moon was in danger." Haruka turned surprised at Michiru who had a knowing smile "Do you remember back then when the word _monster_ echoed between the halls of Olympus? It was in everyone's mouth but at the same time, the marvel held in their voices was unmistakable. They all secretly admired what the Terran Goddess had brought to life." she looked down with melancholy "Father once confessed that we were creating more ripples in the water than necessary regarding this matter," she looked at the blonde, "Just imagine you one day discovering all the life you thought you had was somehow a lie... imagine that you weren't born to be a Senshi but your Father forced you to do his dirty work, like Hades has done with Saturn."

Haruka tightened her lips, the more Michiru spoke, the more she realized she was creating more chaos than it already was around them "But I was born to be a Senshi."

"I know— and Hotaru was born to be the Senshi of Silence but we don't want him to destroy her," Michiru blushed when she heard her words. Haruka tilted her face forward "We once tried..."

"And we realized it was a mistake, now, she is with us and we love her to pieces. It is not her fault being Hades' daughter." Michiru regained the lead in the conversation, "The Prince was born in a family surrounded by mysticism and power—it's not his fault being related to Chaos."

Haruka went to sit next to Michiru and held her hand "I suppose you are right—but, I can't help it, it still echoes in my mind how this could have happened."

"Of course, I am right you dummy," she smiled and ruffled the blonde's hair playfully "Please, I beg of you, don't ruin their wedding day with those stubborn thoughts of yours. The best thing we can do is to let her make her own decisions... she's an adult _and_ she is a Senshi too—she earned that title."

Haruka sighed and combed her hair back with her fingers, then sighed part relieved and part in defeat "I suppose I owe her an apology..." Michiru arched her brows in surprise "You? Apologizing?"

"What?" Haruka arched hers "Is not like I don't do it."

"Well—I do agree that you should apologize to Usagi-chan. She's the one who had to deal with your frustration and yelling." Michiru smiled and caressed her lover's face "Deep, deep, deep, _deep_ down that stoic personality of yours... there is one amazing woman I love."

"You could just have stopped at the first deep." Haruka sweatdropped, Michiru chuckled "Besides, we should be all happy they are finally getting married. Honey, I think they have struggled enough. I know what you are thinking, I know what you are feeling... but do it for her." Haruka sighed softly "I guess you are right," she turned and wrapped an arm around her and kissed her forehead "I don't like it when we don't agree on something."

Michiru giggled "Oh? I think what you don't like is to be beaten in an argument."

"That too." Haruka smiled, "That too..."

O—o—o—o—O

Usagi walked inside her house with some shopping bags on her hand, she took her shoes off and walked inside the living room where she knew her parents would be having tea at this time, "I'm home." she said softly to her parents who were watching t.v.

"Usagi, hi," her mother smiled, "How was work today, dear?" Usagi smiled nervously, thinking it was best to let her think her mother that she, in fact, went to work. "Good, good." Kenji turned and looked at her and frowned, "Did you come to sleep last night, Usagi?"

The silver blonde blinked and shook her head, "No, I stayed at Mako-chan's last night. She is baking the cake for the wedding so I stayed to help her... in any way I could..." Usagi mentally cursed she had to lie to her parents especially being so close to the wedding, but her father was still as overprotective as if she was still 10 years old if she ever told him she spent the night with Mamoru it would literally break his heart. Ikuko's smile widened and looked at her shopping bags, "What did you buy honey?"

"Oh," Usagi looked down at her bags and smiled, "Some last-minute stuff I needed for the wedding."

Kenji turned to volume down and looked at his daughter, his eyes held all the nostalgia of a father who was about to give his daughter away to another man. One he learned to care for and respect with time, but he had to admit to himself that he gave Mamoru a very hard time the first years of their relationship "How is Mamoru, Usagi?"

Usagi blinked with utter surprise, "Huh?"

"I heard there is a strange virus in the air and some of the victims have been treated in the hospital he works at..." Kenji sighed and shook his head, "They still haven't found a cure." Ikuko blushed and frowned, "Why do you have to become so somber when you are being nostalgic, Kenji Papa?"

The man widened his eyes and shook his head "I am just asking—I haven't seen him around much lately." his face darkened a little, "And he is taking my little girl to live with him."

Usagi sweat dropped "Um, Papa?" she bit her lower lip and sighed softly, "Yes, he's been busy at the hospital—that virus you mention, he's been treating a patient with that strange disease," she went to sit next to her father and put the shopping bags aside, "Papa, are you okay?" Kenji nodded but stayed silent; Usagi put her hand on top of his and looked into his eyes "Papa?" she asked softly.

Ikuko smiled, knowing to perfection what was going on with her husband. She never had any problems when her daughter brought Mamoru home for the first time as her boyfriend, she loved the boy and grew to love and care for him like a son but Kenji always had contradicting feelings toward the whole situation. He was feeling his precious daughter was being stolen from him by a thief. "I will go make some tea." she stood up and walked out of the room, giving her husband some privacy with his daughter.

"Papa," Usagi looked at him worried that something bad had happened during her absence "Papa, what's wrong?"

Kenji shook his head softly and looked at her with teary eyes "I just..." he smiled softly, "It's just that I am going to miss you very much." Usagi widened her blue eyes "Is this why you have been acting so strange these past few days?"

"Since you were born I promised myself that I would never let you go out of my sight, not for a single minute," Kenji said with nostalgia, "I promised you that I would always look out for you and that I would give you everything so you wouldn't need anything else. You are my baby girl and now—I have to give you away."

"Papa..." Usagi patted his hand, "You know—"

"I know dear," he nodded and put his left hand on top of his daughter's and caressed it tenderly "I knew you were going to grow up, find a man to marry and leave... it's just—I didn't expect it to happen so soon."

The blonde wrapped her arms around her father and smiled "Papa... Mamo-chan is not stealing me away from you," she leaned her head on his shoulder "He is not a bad person."

"I know that dear," Kenji said, surprising his daughter "Your mother welcomed him into this family since the very beginning but to me he was a thief. I admit that at first, I thought that relationship wouldn't last more than a few months, with him being older than you—I thought he would get distracted by other things and leave you without notice..." he sighed, "And when he decided to study abroad I thought: this man will never come back for her—he will break her heart... I was afraid of that moment..." he turned to look at Usagi and caressed her face with his hand "But he did come back, and not only that, once he returned, he asked for my blessing to marry my most precious treasure, my little girl."

Usagi's eyes gleamed with unshed tears at the story. She never knew Mamoru had come to talk to her father, he never said a word and she didn't even think of asking him anything; she was just happy to know she was marrying the man of her dreams. His actions gave a whole new meaning and had a new admiration for her lover because despite being constantly questioned and sometimes mistreated by her father, he still considered him and asked for his blessing "Mamo-chan did that?" Kenji nodded with a tender smile, "Remember that summer vacation when you couldn't go pick him at the airport because he said his flight got delayed until further notice?" Usagi nodded surprised; Kenji continued with a proud look on his face "Well, he told you that because your mother and I had already made plans to meet with him without you knowing. He called from America the night before his flight and asked me if we could meet him at a very nice place for lunch, near the airport and so, we did."

Usagi widened her eyes, immersed in the story "It may have passed a couple of years after that day but I suppose it was the way destiny wanted it to happen. Of course, I was hesitant, but we talked and later learned that he helped you study when you applied at the university," Kenji looked into his daughter's eyes "I was hesitant, but then he said those words that made me change my mind immediately, he said to me: _I swear my life to always look after her, there is nothing she will not have, there is nothing she will ever need and there is nothing I won't do for her. I have prepared myself to give her the best life possible because she is and always will be, my treasure._ " The older man smiled softly "He promised the same thing I promised you when you were born."

Usagi could not hold her tears and hugged her father tightly, "I love you, Papa..."

"I love you too my little bunny," Kenji patted her hand and sighed heavy with resignation, "Your mother always knew he was going to take you away."

"Papa..." Usagi looked at Kenji with one brow arched, "You have to stop saying that Mamo-chan is taking me away, I will come and see you—we'll be here all the time, so much you will wish for us to actually leave."

Ikuko walked inside with a tray with cups and a teapot "Who wants tea?" she smiled then looked at her daughter and husband crying "W-What happened? Why are you crying?"

Usagi sighed and closed her eyes, "Because Papa is certain that Mamo-chan is stealing me and that I will never, ever come back."

Ikuko rolled her eyes "Ugh, Kenji Papa—why do you have to be so somber when you are melancholic?" she sighed and poured a cup of tea for her daughter, "He is _not_ stealing her away, if any case, you stole me from my Papa too,"

Kenji sweatdropped, "Easy for you to say—you loved him since he stepped foot into this house." Kenji frowned when he noticed Ikuko had only poured a cup of tea for her and her daughter, "What? No tea for me?"

Ikuko sighed and gave him the cup of tea she had prepared for herself, "I welcomed him because he loves my daughter, you don't see that gleam in somebody's eyes very often. He is a good man and you know it, he's polite, educated and prepared," she turned to her daughter and arched her brow, "You better be here often because I know how much he loves my plum tart,"

Usagi chuckled "I Promise."

Ikuko took a sip of her tea and sighed softly, "It's true, this house will feel a lot lonelier. Shingo is studying very hard at this very demanding and high-end University, he is barely at home,"

"I know, Mamo-chan wrote a letter of recommendation for him." Usagi said softly and took a sip of her tea, "Shingo went to visit him one day and asked him personally for the favor and also some tutoring to apply and do the exam."

Ikuko widened her eyes "H-He did what? Shingo too?" she turned to her husband and frowned "And you still can't love him?! Look what he did for your son too!"

Kenji sighed, "I knew he was asking for help, but I didn't know who he was asking. I'm proud of Shingo—he's always been very studious, very academic. I knew he admired Mamoru but I didn't know to what extent."

"You kidding me?" Usagi chuckled, "He's like..." she frowned and sweatdropped, "…The brother he never had."

"He never mentioned anything when he came to visit, he never said he was tutoring Shingo. He never mentioned he helped you too." Kenji frowned, still surprised by this new information. Usagi smiled and tilted her head, "And he never will, he will never brag. Besides, he helped me because I just couldn't understand a single thing that was coming in the exam and I was driving him insane because I couldn't stop moping about it. With Shingo it was a lot easier, he has a way with words and numbers... just like Mamo-chan,"

"What about me?" The young man startled everyone in the room. Usagi sighed softly and put her empty tea cup on the coffee table, "Papa didn't know Mamo-chan helped you with your entrance exams for Tech-U."

Shingo widened his eyes "Oh, yeah—I needed several letters of recommendation from professionals, explaining why I qualified to get in and he wrote one for me, he helped me study too—those tests are hard!" he blinked and sat in front of the table "Hey, is this tea?" Usagi nodded and handed him her cup "Here, you can use mine."

"Uh—no. I don't want your germs, thank you."

Usagi arched her brow, "You share your germs with your girlfriend with all the kissing you do but you can share a cup of tea with your sister?" she frowned "Don't go all preppy on me just because you are an elite college student." Shingo laughed and pointed at her "Exactly, that's why! I don't want you to infect me your clumsiness..." He blushed, "And I don't do a lot of kissing..."

"Shingo," Ikuko slapped his hand softly "Usagi did very good at her University—she wasn't that good in junior high or high school but—" Usagi sweatdropped, "I did fine!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Honestly, what does Mamoru sees in you?" Shingo teased his sister and got up to go and get a cup for himself. "See? The house won't feel that lonely," Usagi turned to her father and chuckled, "He's a handful and for what I've witnessed, his girlfriend too."

"Yes well—let's see how long his relationship with that girl lasts." Kenji said dryly, "She is too young to have a boyfriend and he needs to focus on his studies."

Usagi chuckled "Papa, she is his same age—I think. You will never change," she leaned and gave him a peck on his cheek "I will go to my room. I need to start packing," sighing she grabbed the bags from the floor "Thanks for the tea Mama."

Ikuko smiled, "You know you should have everything packed by now, right?"

Usagi hung her head low and walked out of the room "Yes... yes... I know... I will be done by tonight! It's easy!"

 _*An hour later in her room*_

"This isn't easy! Where did all these things come from!?" A very exasperated Usagi said when noticed the piles of clothes, makeup, perfume bottles and personal items she had scattered around on the floor, "Like— _how?_ " she sighed and went to open another cardboard box.

"You said you would be done with this weeks ago."

Usagi turned to her window and saw Luna sitting on the rail "Luna!" she said happily and went to hug the black cat, startling her longtime mentor in the process "Yes?"

"How is my favorite kitty of all time?"

"Usagi-chan?"

Usagi giggled and cleared her bed, throwing her winter clothes to the floor and patted the comforter effusively, "Come, sit. It's cold outside, you'll get sick."

"Are you alright?" Luna frowned.

"Great!" Usagi exclaimed, ignoring the giant mess behind her "Perfect, or better said, purrrrrfect." she winked her eye at the black cat and tapped her head with her finger and laughed out loud, "Man... I'm so funny." Luna exhaled heavily, "Minako told you about Artemis and I, didn't she?" Usagi's smile died seconds after and sat on a pile of clothing on the floor, "Yes... she did," Luna nodded and went to sit on the bed, "I figured, you have never been so creepy." Usagi blinked, "I wasn't trying to be creepy—I was being funny. Was I too creepy?"

"When you are trying to tell a lie yes, you are." Luna looked at her. Usagi blew her bangs "So, that's how everyone knows I am lying..."

"Usagi-chan, you are a terrible, _terrible_ liar." Luna shook her head, "Terrible, terrible..."

Usagi frowned, "Alright, I understand." She sighed, with a more serious look in her eyes, "So, how long have you been mad at Artemis and pretending everything is alright?" Luna laid on the bed while trying to avoid eye contact with the blonde's icy blue ones, "I am not mad at him,"

"Then what is it?" Usagi frowned, "Is he mad at you?"

"You could say that... I don't know—it's complicated." Luna said softly, startling Usagi "Luna, what happened?" her voice had finally shown the serious side of Usagi, clearly showing much concern about the situation and her mentor and friend. Luna looked up at her pupil with teary eyes, finally admitting her troubled feelings, "We had an argument that turned ugly—I think I broke his heart and I am certain that he doesn't love me anymore."

Usagi's eyes widened and leaned closer to Luna, "That's impossible... why do you say that?"

"He hasn't spoken to me ever since," Luna sniffed, "He is avoiding me—even yesterday, when we were at the temple, he didn't look at me, he didn't speak to me..."

The blonde looked at Luna with the saddest eyes and grabbed her, wrapping her arms around in a tight embrace "There is no way he couldn't love you anymore—there's no way." she said softly, "I'm so sorry for not being here yesterday... if I only knew." Luna shook her head and sniffed once more "It's alright—I really didn't want to tell anybody about this and you had other matters to take care of, " she widened her burgundy eyes realizing the situation, "Mamoru—what happened?"

Usagi sighed and put the cat on the bed again, "We are okay," she looked at her mentor and gave her a sad smile, "But you should have seen him, Luna, he looked so lost. He was angry, vulnerable... and he still is, I know he is just trying to be okay to keep things under control but I've never seen him like this before... it's heartbreaking." Luna blinked and shook her head "I only can imagine, none of us expected any of this... much less him."

"Luna..." Usagi frowned and crawled to sit in front of her bed "Did Queen Serenity never mention anything? Like, never ever? For what God Ares said—it was a big taboo."

Luna sighed softly "Queen Serenity knew about it, of course. I knew Goddess Gaia was a very close friend of hers and I remember her mentioning how much she missed her very often but she never went deeper into the matter. She was aware of the problem and she constantly tried to make the High Gods understand that Earth and its inhabitants were not a threat, but it never happened. It only ignited their anger even more... she was tied in the end; the faith of the Silver Alliance was at stake and if they knew about her intentions that would only have made things worse."

Usagi sighed heavily and shook her head, "If only they could have understood back then—it's so sad."

"Are things really okay?" Luna looked at Usagi with hopeful eyes, "Are you still together?" Usagi nodded in reassurance, "I was scared Luna, very scared... I thought he was going to leave—he was so hostile at first, so angry... he wanted me to leave at any cost but how could I do such thing, Luna? How could I leave him when Chaos' name echoed in both of our minds? It rumbled, like a thunder between us but I just wanted him to understand that _he_ doesn't define who he is."

"So what did you do to make him understand?" Luna asked; Usagi looked at her and smiled softly "I hugged him for a long period of time—what else could I do? I hoped for the best and held to dear life until I broke his protective shell,"

"Haruka was very worried."

Usagi sighed and nodded "I know. She didn't want me to go see him—she thought he was going to hurt me."

"Not in a million years." Luna muttered, "Everyone knows that, even her."

"I know, I understand but that is how she is," Usagi petted Luna behind her ear "The same goes for Artemis, he would never hurt you or leave you—not in a million years."

Luna sighed "I said terrible things to him Usagi—I wasn't thinking. Megumi-san had just appeared, nobody knew what was happening, there was no trace of anything I got frustrated and I took it out on him."

"Have you tried apologizing?" Usagi leaned closer to the beautiful black cat, Luna nodded sadly "Yes, but like I said... he is avoiding me."

Usagi bit her lower lip "Give him time, he'll come around... you two are meant for each other."

"What if we are not? I don't know Usagi-chan—I don't know anymore." Luna leaned her head on Usagi's shoulder and started to sob "I don't know anymore..."

"Luna..." Usagi said softly and hugged her again, "Cry my little friend, let it out... I'm here for you."

"But you have to pack..." Luna said between sobs, Usagi closed her eyes and tightened her arms around her furry friend, "You are far more important than anything, I can do that any other time—you come first, I want to be here for you... so just, let everything you've been keeping to yourself out, you need it."

"Thank you, Usagi-chan..."

"Anytime my dear Luna, anytime."

O—o—o—o—O

Mamoru was back in his apartment, after their afternoon with the girls he left Kunzite, Jadeite, Zoisite, and Nephrite at the shrine as they asked to give the prince time he didn't think he needed alone. Megumi was already asleep in her room, after the busy day they had it was only natural that she felt exhausted leaving him alone and with no other option but to occupy himself with something—anything that could keep him busy and away of any thought about his past and current confusing life.

After reading for most of the afternoon, he then went to clear the kitchen from the pans, bowls, and plates he used for the pancake feast he gave Usagi and Megumi earlier that morning, Mamoru went to his bedroom to start organizing what would become his space once Usagi settled in. He started taking some of the clothes he was no longer going to use out of the walk-in closet to leave room for Usagi's massive load of things he was sure she had and started to put them in plastic bags when his attention was soon caught by the doorbell ringing two times. Startled, Mamoru looked down at his watch and frowned with puzzlement, thinking who that might be since it was almost eleven in the evening.

He walked to his door and opened it, but he was surprised to see nobody was on the other side, "Down here." Artemis' voice startled him "Artemis!" Mamoru widened his eyes, "Are you okay? Has something happened?"

The white cat shook his head "No, no—everything is fine, at least for now."

"Please, come in," Mamoru stepped aside, allowing the white feline walk inside the apartment. The prince closed the door behind him and went to the kitchen to pour some water on a plate he had for when Luna and he visited. Artemis smiled softly at the gesture "Thank you."

Mamoru put the stainless-steel plate on the coffee table in the living room and sat on a couch, "I'm surprised to see you here, it's been a while since we talked..." Artemis nodded nervously, "I—I was hesitant to come, to be honest... with everything that has been happening, I did not want to barge," his green eyes looked into Mamoru's blue ones with concern, "But I needed to know how you were doing,"

"I appreciate your concern," Mamoru tried his best again to show at least one smile of gratitude but nothing really could match what he was feeling inside, instead, all he could come up with was a soft shrug with his shoulder, "If you want an honest answer—I am frustrated and angry." he slouched back on the couch and sighed, "It was not easy to listen to Ares say all those things, not while I was still remembering things... but it wouldn't be fair for Usagi to see me struggle with all this, so I have to do my best attempt to be okay... for our sake."

"Our main concern was what would happen to you two, what would you do with all that information in your hands,"

"My main concern is Usagi, but she is too strong... I can't just push her away. She said things to me that made sense and well, I am slowly digesting everything but I have to admit that it's been more difficult than I thought."

"You left so distressedly yesterday, I was worried... we all were." Artemis's worried stare didn't budge, nor the nervous undertone in his voice; Mamoru noticed. "I'm sorry—never in a million years I thought all that has happened to us is somehow linked to my..." Mamoru paused and clenched his jaw for a minute, "—Family."

"I know it's not information easy to digest, but I knew you would come to your senses." Artemis said softly and sighed, Mamoru smiled softly, "I appreciate your support Artemis, I really do and I thank you." He narrowed his blue eyes, "But I am sensing there is more to that worried look in your eyes than just coming here to check how I was doing,"

"I did want to know." Artemis said in a serious tone, "But you are right, I also came here to talk to you about something else because I know you can understand..." he frowned, "Wait, how did you know?" Mamoru waved his hand around Artemis face, "It's all over your face,"

"But, I am an expert at making a poker face," Artemis's frown deepened, Mamoru arched his brow, "I'm an expert at decoding poker faces."

Artemis sighed heavily, "Ah... I forgot about your keen training as a military strategist..."

"It's about Luna, right?" Mamoru leaned back more casually, putting the matter aside. Artemis widened his eyes "H-How..." he frowned and narrowed his green eyes, "Wait, Minako say something to you, right?"

Mamoru crossed his arms and nodded, "She did." he frowned softly, "Artemis, what is going on between you two?" Artemis looked at Mamoru for a minute, thinking his next words. He meant it when he said Mamoru was the only one that truly understood him since he was the only male in the group beside him and even when the prince could not remember a single thing about his past, he still had the principles and had very similar opinions and a way of thinking to his. Artemis wished he had more time back then, to actually speak and learn more about the Terran Prince's discipline and why the Lunar Princess was so inspired by him to pursue a path as Sailor Senshi; the present was now a good start—he thought to himself. "Mamoru, can I ask you something, now that you can remember your life as Endymion?"

"Sure." Mamoru blinked, surprised. Artemis jumped from the coffee table to the couch and sat next to Mamoru and took a deep breath; this was the first time he allowed himself to talk about his life with somebody else, "Did you ever question your relationship with Princess Serenity?"

"What do you mean, exactly?" Mamoru frowned, "Are you asking me if I ever had second thoughts about being with her?" Artemis nodded with a serious but worried glare, Mamoru shook his head "No."

The white mauian cat widened his eyes, "Not even when you knew you were mortal and that you were going against the laws of nature?"

"Not even then." Mamoru noticed the white mauian's internal struggle, this was obviously the answer Artemis was not expecting and he did not even know how to process it resulting in a confusing frown, "What made you so sure about your decision then? Where you not aware of the situation you were in?"

"Yes, of course I was aware, I knew my limitations and deficiencies but... she was all worth it," Mamoru leaned closer to the white advisor, "Artemis," he looked at his feline friend and gave him a sad smile "Instead of asking if I could continue my relationship with her, I rather asked myself how _I_ could be worthy of being with her. In my case, I knew I had limitations—my mortality, for example, now, there are obviously other reasons." he sighed softly, "I knew it was not going to be easy, I was aware of what I was getting myself into—once they found out, all Olympus would come to rip my soul off of my body, spit on it, and send it to the underworld but I didn't care—I still don't care because I love her... I know I wanted to stay away, with everything that just happened, but the truth is... it would be too stupid of me to throw away all that we have built together."

Artemis sighed, "So, what did you do when you could not see each other often? Wasn't it hard for you not being able to be together?"

"It drove me insane—really," Mamoru nodded, "But your Princess has a strong will and she was brave—very brave. We managed, now, I won't say it was easy _or_ the right thing to do—we sneaked behind everyone's back, we lied, we disappeared constantly but it was because we really couldn't be apart. We found things in us nobody else saw; since I met her, it was like if I had found my other half, the one I didn't know I was hoping to find, and I held on to that feeling and so did she—the rest is history." he frowned with concern, "Now, do I dare ask? Are _you_ questioning your relationship with Luna?"

Artemis widened his eyes and hung his head low with slight deception, "Maybe," he sighed tiredly, "I don't know," he shook his head, "I don't know if what we have is strong enough to survive the strains of time."

Mamoru leaned back on the sofa and exhaled softly, analyzing what's behind Artemis' cryptic words. "Interesting choice of words." He turned his head to look at his fellow friend, "Artemis, if I may ask, what happened between you two?

Artemis smiled sadly, "What hasn't..." he looked up at Mamoru and took a deep breath before continuing, "I have always admired your relationship with the Princess... since the moment I found out she escaped to Earth to see you, I thought that if you, being from different worlds could be together then it shouldn't be impossible for me to be with Luna," he shook his head, "But even when we are from the same realm, there is still a huge wall that keeps separating us."

"I see..." Mamoru sighed, finally understanding what this is all about, "Social class."

Artemis nodded, his stoic expression slowly turned into one with melancholy, "Back in Mau, my family is known for being at the service of many royal houses from all over the universe. They are well positioned, they are noble blood and I was born into that world—I didn't choose to be who I am, I had the same education my ancestors did and became of service to Queen Serenity, but Luna... she doesn't see it that way, she did not have a simple, easy life and somehow she has this idea that I did. She struggled and she had to make an extra effort to achieve her position in Queen Serenity's court—that has always been a smoke curtain between us two. She has always been upset that I do things differently and immediately blames my noble background while I don't think about that, ever, because, to me, that is not important." he sighed tiredly, "When Megumi-san appeared, she was very upset and worried about Usagi because she knew it could affect her but... she didn't like my reaction towards the situation and brought this issue back again to stomp over us all over again."

Mamoru arched his brow in thought, "So, this is why you said that I was the only one that could understand..." Artemis was right, Mamoru could understand him and not just because of his newfound truth but because he knew what it was like to live under a certain shadow, an image that didn't entirely show who he truly was. He remembered the many times he complied to his grandmother's wishes and attended many of her famous social gatherings with the court, he remembered being always under the microscope and just being admired by his status and title. They all wanted the crown, the title, the luxury of living in the Golden Palace and claim his bed as their own. With a heavy sigh, Mamoru nodded, "When you are born with certain privileges you have to follow certain rules and you have to comply whether you like it or not, you have to keep a certain image about you to others in order to gain your weight in the world. Being born in a family like that comes with great responsibility because you have to live up to that image and keep the lineage intact. I do understand, I was misjudged constantly, first for wanting to become a warrior and then, for being a royal who made decisions, but it's something that comes attached—with both position and title. You are born with many privileges but with that comes specific obligations; you are constantly observed and they have a very different concept about you than who you actually are."

"That is why I am here, you, as the Prince of Earth, have more responsibilities, obligations and misleading concepts about yourself than just an advisor would, you better than anyone would understand how I feel about this." As he looked into Mamoru's eyes, he shed the stiffness of his position as advisor and finally came forward as a friend seeking another friend for moral support and advice and the gesture could not make Mamoru feel more welcomed, despite his current situation. The dark-haired man pursed his lips and nodded in agreement, "Well yes, it's true... I often found myself frustrated because I had to earn my right to speak and be respected. Artemis, it's important to keep in mind that you have to set some boundaries and think you have the right to choose what you want for yourself and how do you want to live your life without others blocking your way, you have to be decisive on your mission and you have to be certain of what you want."

Artemis looked at Mamoru with high regard, while he was still the same centered, calm young man he could notice the weight of his presence, it was different—it was truly regal and imposing despite his approachable character. The white cat exhaled heavily, "I wanted nothing more than to live my life with her, I care for her very much but it kills me not to be able to give her what she wants—whatever that is. It kills me not being strong enough to be in my human form to protect her like she deserves, to not being able to hold her hand or not being able to hold her in my arms."

Mamoru felt bad for the mauian man sitting next to him, the anger he had been nesting inside him was not towards her but to him. He was punishing himself by being away from the one he has loved for so many years. He blamed himself for not being the man he is supposed to be; Artemis was right, he did understand how he was feeling because he has felt the same vulnerability. He too has been inside that deep dark hole of negativity and he too understands how hard it was to pull yourself back together—whatever the cost or result. Mamoru stretched his arm and gave Artemis a brotherly pat on his back in support, "You are being too hard on yourself, Artemis."

"Am I?" Artemis asked frustrated, "Because, it doesn't matter what I do or how much, nothing is good enough."

"If you keep thinking that way, those thoughts are going to eat you alive," Mamoru gave him a knowing glare, "You need to talk to her."

"I have in the past..." Artemis growled softly and shook his head with frustration, "I—I don't know what to say anymore."

"Yes, you do, of course, you do," Mamoru patted him again, "You love her, don't you?"

"Very much," Artemis hung his head low, "Everything I told you, she already knows it."

"Well, you will have to tell her again, and as many times necessary," Mamoru leaned forward, "When you are angry you say many things you don't really mean and you also can't listen to any reason. When you are angry, you are angry—period. There's no more to it and I know you don't really want to be away from her... you just, got very upset and at that moment you didn't want to continue with the discussion so you preferred to step away,"

Artemis frowned with puzzlement, "Wait, have this happened to you? Have you walked out in the middle of a discussion?" Mamoru blinked, "If you are asking me as Endymion, yes... unfortunately, I have."

"With the Princess?"

"No... other... people..." Mamoru sighed heavily, not really wanting to go into much detail about it since he now remembered the bitter moments in his past. "But we are not talking about me—tell me, do you want to be away from her?"

"I don't—I want to be with her." Artemis frowned, "I really want to be with her,"

"Well, for starters, avoiding any contact with her will not help to solve this situation anytime soon," Mamoru tapped Artemis' head softly, "You feel limited because you see yourself as a cat but you are much more than that—you both are."

Artemis felt the honesty coming from Mamoru's words and felt grateful to have him as a friend. He gave the Prince a hopeful smile filled with gratitude, "You think so?" Mamoru nodded, "Of course I think so, you have been with us along the way, Usa would not be Sailor Moon if it wasn't for you two."

"Well, Usagi _is_ Sailor Moon because of _you_." Artemis sweatdropped, "She was fascinated with everything that had to do with a warrior's discipline and we later learned it was because you were inspiring her to become one."

Mamoru crossed his arms over his chest, "Serenity got fascinated with it, Usa is the one who became Sailor Moon in this time and era— our roles were different back then, now it's a different story." he arched his brow, "But, do you remember how she was when she started? If it wasn't for you and your constant support, she wouldn't be the soldier she is now. She has always been brave but she needed guidance, Luna needs to remember that too," Mamoru smiled softly, "When you love somebody, you have to fight for that person and it goes both ways meaning she also has to fight for you, but it has to be something you both want and you will not know it if you don't go and talk to her."

"I don't know where she is." Artemis frowned.

"She is with Usa," Mamoru looked at him "She's been staying there since _that_ fight happened."

Artemis sighed, "Well, I guess that conversation will have to wait until tomorrow because it is a little late, they're probably sleeping." Mamoru let out a soft chuckle as he leaned back on the couch and propped one leg on the coffee table lazily, "Oh, I hardly think they are sleeping." The white cat frowned with curiosity, "How do you know for sure?"

"Because Usa is supposed to be packing and she has way too many things," Mamoru crossed his arms, "At this point she will take any help she can gather to put everything into boxes before the weekend arrives," he smiled, "You are always more than welcome to stay here you know that, but don't let this argument settle any longer—talk to her."

Artemis smiled and nodded, "I will... thank you, Mamoru."

Mamoru returned the smile, "Hey if I can be of any help... you are more than welcome. But I must admit, it is a little ironic that you have come and talked to me about something like this, given the situation I am currently in..."

Artemis sat straight and shook his head, "I suppose you have answered the question more than enough... that is why I haven't gone too in depth, but we are all worried about you. I am terribly sorry for the way you had to learn all of this... I wish I remembered more, I feel I could have done something more to help and make this a little less painful or traumatic." Mamoru shrugged his shoulder casually, "Traumatic, that's an interesting word to use in this context..." he pursed his lips and propped his left leg on top of his right one already resting on the table and sighed as curiosity lurked in his mind like a mischievous ghost, "Did you get to meet her Artemis—Gaia?"

Artemis shook his head, "No... by the time I took my place as Queen Serenity's political advisor Goddess Gaia was already an unspoken myth,"

"Unspoken myth..." Mamoru mumbled and chuckled dryly, "An unspoken myth that none of the gods wanted to put to rest... I am sure you heard the word _monster_ one too many times up there, right? I have been more of a piece of entertainment, something to keep them occupied for too long now—it's annoying." He turned to Artemis and saw him frowning and not very sure of what to say in response that wouldn't make him look like he was one of those gods, "I don't blame you if you ever believed in those _myths_..." Mamoru quirked his brow, "I was no saint, I still ain't one—clearly, my hands will forever be tainted and my nature will forever be an aberration."

"The gods may have thought many things... but Queen Serenity was not one of them... she never agreed." Artemis turned to look at Mamoru, "She always thought highly of the Terran family," the white cat patted Mamoru's arm with his paw and sighed, "Yes, I heard that word many times while on duty but I always thought it as an infatuation from the gods... I never understood where that term came from, why were you called that way,"

Mamoru smiled sarcastically, "Because I am the result of the union between a goddess and a mortal, Artemis." Mamoru tilted his head back, "That is reasoning enough for me to be considered heresy to them, but to make things more complicated I was trained to kill—yes, I agree it was a choice I made for myself when I was very young, but still... I was not too forgiving or merciful..."

"But—you did it because you had no other choice," Artemis frowned, "It was your duty as a warrior..."

"As bitter and horrible as it might sound, I did it because to me, it was a way to cut the root of many problems without wasting much of my time," Mamoru muttered dryly and peered at Artemis, "I did it because I wanted to feel connected to this planet somehow, I wanted to protect it, and, I wanted to protect her then—Gaia. I wanted to become somebody of service, someone aside from the image of a man with a royal heritage; I wanted to make of this planet a safe place for everyone," he sighed heavily, "But everything comes with a price Artemis, everything—even if it is meant to do good, in the end, you have to do terrible things to bring good to the surface." Mamoru smiled sadly and looked out the window from his place on the couch, "That is why I didn't want Serenity to hold a sword—no matter how much she asked. Her strong desire to learn was something special and great to see but I couldn't allow her to go down that same path... I always believed there were other ways for her to fight and succeed without actually having to take a murderous weapon, she doesn't need that and I still stand by those beliefs."

Artemis looked at Mamoru with eyes of admiration; the mauian always knew Mamoru was well educated and strong-willed despite his deficiencies, but this was a totally different side of him that completely changed the good image he already had of him. The man speaking next to him was no longer the aid of the Sailor Senshi, the man who stood in the shadows, this were words from a man who had experienced war first hand and who had many encounters with death in the past. The way he spoke so eloquently and regal showed the real sentiment behind his awakening, and maybe because he understood his words. Artemis could see the aftermath of his long experience and knowledge as a trained warrior in his deep colored eyes and the tone of his voice. The more Artemis looked at him, the more he realized that the man sitting next to him was no longer just Chiba Mamoru, the civilian with an alter ego but Endymion, the rightful Prince of Earth and it was something really great to witness and look forward in the future if he'd take his place as King.

Artemis remembered clearly the night he showed up before Queen Serenity, the moment when Athamas had captured him and everything was revealed. Deep down, while everyone was in shock, he wanted to learn more about him, what discipline and education he had considering the lack of such things with the commander they had guarding the Moon at that time. He wished to have more time to work with him and see just how different he was from the rest of the soldiers he had met in the past; but it never came—that moment, because Beryl's invasion happened too soon.

Now he had that opportunity to know and learn more about that man the princess held so close to her heart and that secretly inspired her to become a soldier for justice. This is what it meant for him to be awakened, Artemis thought, and it impressed him because as Tuxedo Kamen he learned from being a common thief to actually find and manipulate some of his inner power and become an ally to the Sailor Senshi but now, things were different, Prince Endymion was in another level of strength, skill and power; he was no longer an aid or someone who would create an alibi to give the girls time to attack, no, the man sitting next to him was a living weapon, a military trained commander that wanted things done fast and with precision, the Terran Prince was his own kind—a force to be reckoned with. Artemis could feel the strong energy flowing inside him and he could see the slight changes his awakening brought to his physique, starting for his prismatic blue eyes. Not that they were drastic or obvious, the changes in the prince were more internal than physical. Artemis noticed them in the way he expressed himself, in the way his voice had a warmer undertone making it sound slightly deeper than before and showing more authority; the elegant way he spoke and modulated his voice depending on the seriousness of the matter, his regal posture and imposing presence. This was the image of a prince waiting in line to be king, no question about it—Artemis thought proudly.

"I never considered you a threat," Artemis shook his head, "Athamas was more of that threat with everything he was doing on the side and behind everyone's back."

Mamoru sighed, "Gods have a very miserable way to insert ideas into people's minds," he rolled his head to the side and looked at Artemis, "The Andromedian harvested an unhealthy obsession with power that eventually made him commit all those atrocities—but he made three great mistakes that condemned him," the prince raised one finger, "One: He put Serenity's life in danger," he raised another finger, "Two: He wanted to bite off more than he could and, three," he raised his third finger, "He crossed to the wrong realm to do so,"

Artemis nodded, "The more I looked for his background, there was nothing I could find..."

"That man made a pact—he sold his soul for power, the same way Beryl did," Mamoru turned to look out the window again with evident disgust in his voice and narrowed his sapphire colored eyes, "And considering how things are developing now, I wouldn't be surprised if the owner of that soul is Chaos' himself." Artemis widened his green eyes with surprise at the mention of the prince's unwanted relative, but Mamoru gave him a side glare and smiled sadly, "Come on Artemis, let's take things the way they are,"

"He wanted to kill you to earn the rank of Polemarchos," Artemis sighed, Mamoru's chuckles were wrapped in sarcasm, "Of course, what else? My head was one hell of a prize... I believe it still is,"

"I'm sorry..." Artemis shook his head in embarrassment, taking Mamoru aback "Why are you apologizing?"

"The more I chew this situation and think about everything that happened with Athamas, the more responsible I feel for not taking a more straightforward or aggressive approach with the Queen concerning him." Mamoru pursed his lips and shook his head, "The Andromedian is not who I am concerned about Artemis—it's who is lurking inside him, the one playing with his mind."

"And here I am... a mere cat," Artemis huffed with annoyance, Mamoru turned and arched his brow, "You are not a mere cat, you are a royal advisor and a strategist—give yourself the credit you deserve, Artemis." his hand ruffled the fur in his head, "Cheer up, my friend," Mamoru smiled softly, "Things will change,"

Artemis tilted his head, "What do you mean?" He saw Mamoru sat straight and gave him a serious glare, "What you want... what you ask for, is not a crazy ideal."

"How can you be so sure about it?" Artemis frowned; Mamoru gave the mauian a knowing smile "I just do, you can call it a hunch or a premonition... whatever you like. Things aren't happening the way they were supposed to—the way Pluto predicted. That being said, it gives us one good lead because it means we have the power to change things the way we think it's best for us and actually make a difference regardless of the cost."

Artemis felt a rush of hope lifting the heavy fog that was making him feel miserable; Mamoru's determinant words made sense to the mauian advisor, he had the power to choose, he had the power to decide to either continue following a line that was predestined for him or actually take the risk and fight to change things. Artemis felt revived by Mamoru's support and complicity and that was all he needed to remain faithful to his beliefs and to his eternal love for his beloved Luna. Things were clear, he wanted Luna and he was going to continue fighting until he crumbles that invisible wall between them; he now understood what Mamoru was trying to say with his words of encouragement: everybody can be his own kind of warrior and fight for good and happiness and that is exactly what he was going to do—in his own way.

* * *

 _Liked it? Leave me a comment below and help keep the good vibes flowing._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	27. Chapter 27

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Twenty-seven

* * *

The next morning Usagi got earlier than usual to be at work before anyone would arrive to get ahead with her pending work. Since she had asked for her vacation leave to use as some sort of honeymoon break, she wanted to get things done before Maya could use that against her and ruin her plans—something she could not risk at this particular moment.

Mika arrived half an hour later and widened her eyes when she saw the blonde working on her station, very much concentrated doing her thing while listening to music with her earphones on, smiling, she waved her hand startling the blonde "Good morning you," Mika greeted "Long time no see."

Usagi took her earphones off and smiled "Morning—long time? I just didn't come in yesterday!" she chuckled. Mika walked around her desk and turned her computer on then walked back to Usagi's desk "So, how was your day off? Did you get the rest you needed?" Usagi blew her long bangs from her face and pouted her lips, "I never get enough sleep," she let out a graceful chuckle as she tucked a piece of her long, wispy fringe behind her ear, "I wished I had more free time. I spent all night packing, I barely had any sleep but—I am so ready to do this."

"A bride must have tons of beauty sleep, you must not stay up until very late," Mika smiled and took a chair in front of Usagi's desk, "Are you nervous?" Usagi bit her lower lip when she felt her cheeks flush with slight shyness, "A little, but not in a bad way... it's just the fact of stepping into something completely different, you know?"

Mika nodded and leaned on Usagi's fancy white desk, "Oh well, I guess that's normal—it's a new phase in your life, no matter how much you know someone, living together is a whole different thing. I have to say there is a learning curve when living with somebody but... it's worth it—every second of it," Mika gave her co-worker and friend a more supporting smile, "I am very happy for you Usagi, I wish all the happiness in the world for you and your fiancé."

Usagi smiled and leaned forward to pat Mika's hand, "Thank you Mika-chan," she raised a brow quizzingly, "You are coming tomorrow, right?" Mika's smile widened, "Of course I am, dummy! Wouldn't miss it for the world. I want to see your boyfriend's face when you walk down the aisle; that's the rawest, most honest and beautiful moment in a wedding. The groom's face when he sees his bride walking down the aisle, wearing her fluffy white dress and ethereal veil—ugh, it's so, so beautiful..."

Usagi smiled softly, the way Mika spoke about the wedding made her feel she was feeling nostalgic about the whole idea of getting married. She felt guilty for being that happy when she knew her friend has had rough times with her previous relationship, "Mika-chan—I know this whole wedding thing must be a lot to you... I'm so sorry..."

Mika arched her brow "Why?" she waved her hand dismissively, "Oh, don't worry about it Usagi, if you must know, I happen to love weddings—I am a sucker for those events. It is the purest declaration of love," she smiled at the blonde "I may have had some missteps in the past but that doesn't mean I will give up on finding the right one for me. Maybe I won't have a fancy wedding, maybe I won't even get married but—I know I will find the right person. He's out there—I know it."

Usagi was about to say something when she saw Yuki walk inside the office with her overwhelming amount of fancy expensive perfume, her designer bag hanging from one arm and her tall fancy brand latte on her left hand, "Morning," the obnoxious flair in her voice made Mika roll her eyes, already knowing this was going to be one of those days. She didn't know how she could tell, she just did; she turned on her chair to look at the woman over her shoulder and sighed, "Morning." then turned to Usagi and made an annoyed grimace before walking back to her desk.

"So, you didn't come yesterday," Yuki turned to Usagi, "Maya asked for the designs for the latest campaign but you weren't here so—who knows what she is going to say or do." Usagi sighed, this was something she didn't need to start her day, but it seemed to be something inevitable. "Can't you just be on our side for once?" she kept her gaze fixed on her sleek screen while she looked through her email and turned her monitor for Yuki to see, "I sent the file to the printing department the day before yesterday, Maya probably has it on her desk by now. Why do you have to make a fuss all the time? I don't get it." she frowned and turned her monitor back to her and puffed with annoyance.

Yuki crossed her arms and stayed silent, she actually didn't know why she had to be so mean to her. She knew both were a hundred degrees of separation in terms of duties and responsibilities in this particular job, so she really couldn't understand why she did have to feel intimidated by the blonde and it kept her wondering. The red-haired woman huffed and turned back to sit on her desk in silence, "Don't go all snob with me, I know exactly what you want." Usagi widened her eyes and turned, "Oh wow, you do? And what is that?"

"Yeah Yuki, enlighten us." Mika joined the conversation, Yuki huffed and shrugged her shoulders while logging herself into the system, "You want my job, you want to be Maya's assistant and head of this department." Usagi arched her brow and looked at Mika who had the same astounded expression, she couldn't believe she was actually hearing those words and couldn't help the red-head's absurdity making her crack a chuckle and shook her head with disbelief, "What? Uh—sorry, but no, I don't want your job."

Yuki looked at the blonde and narrowed her eyes, showing her annoyance, "Of course you do."

Usagi shook her head and took a sip of her sweet coffee, "No," she turned to look at her monitor to continue sketching a new design for an ad with her digital pen, "I really don't—I like my job, _this_ job."

"Wow—getting married sure puts you in a bitchy mood," Yuki muttered, Mika blinked surprised "What did you just say?"

Usagi frowned and closed her agenda but reserved the right to go all frantic on her, instead, she did what Mamoru would have suggested her to do if he heard Yuki's words. She could hear his warm voice in her head, like a charming echo,

 _"Take the high road, Usa."_

"You are very rude Yuki-san," she said softly and as polite as ever, "But it's okay," she turned to look at her and gave the woman a soft smile, "You don't have to like me and I don't have to like you. We don't have to be friends, we don't have to get along when we're alone but we do need to keep things professional." Usagi sighed and continued working, "I really don't have the time to get upset and follow your bickering... I have things to do—important things. So, if you excuse me," she put her headphones on, "I'll get back to work—call me if there is something important, something work-related."

Yuki widened her eyes in surprise, it was rare to see the always sweet and friendly Usagi being this stoic and determinant, sarcastic even. Now that she thought about it, there was something different about her, something she could not quite place. Was the way she styled her hair? Was the defiant and secure tone in her voice? Her posture? The way she handled her intimidating taunting and how she didn't break or show any signs of distress? What happened to her? she thought with wonder, she noticed there was a stronger vibe around her—somehow. Mika noticed the internal battle Yuki was having with her thoughts and could not help to chuckle as she turned to look at her with pride, "Touché."

The light mockery in Mika's voice made Yuki blink out of her thoughts and huffed with annoyance at her before fixing her attention to her pending emails, "Shut up, Mika."

O—o—o—o—O

Later that morning, Luna was sitting on Usagi's balcony looking outside. Her mind was still troubled for what has been happening between her and Artemis, thinking this was probably the first time they spent so much time without speaking to each other and it was beginning to mortify her. Normally, things would have softened by now and he would be back to his old self but there was something in the way he looked at her that night that changed the situation. She thought about going to see him, but wondered if he would want to speak to her? The black cat let out a loud, heavy sigh and shook her head, "Silly Luna, of course not..." she muttered to herself and turned to go back inside when a familiar voice caught her by surprise.

"Good morning."

Luna's burgundy eyes widened and turned to see Artemis on a tree, close to the balcony doors, "A-Artemis..."

Artemis jumped from the tree and stood in front of her still with an unreadable expression on his face, "Good morning," she looked at him, still surprised to see him there. The white cat looked at her "Well, this is odd," he looked away with shame. For the first time, he did not know what to say, it was odd indeed since they had known each other for a long time that it was surprising to see he still had trouble expressing his feelings towards her.

"It is indeed odd," Luna said softly, "What can I do for you Artemis?"

"I came..." Artemis trailed off and frowned, but before he would sabotage his own intentions, he remembered his previous conversation with Mamoru and armed himself with courage and followed the prince's advice,

 _'Fight for her Artemis, if you love her—fight for her.'_

"I thought of many ways to come close to you and talk about what happened that night, but I just could not find the right words to say, I did not know how to talk to you, how to make myself be understood."

"Artemis, I—" Luna hung her head low and took a deep shaky breath, "I have wanted to apologize so many times for my behavior, I never meant to—" she widened her eyes when she saw the white cat walk towards her, "We both said things we did not want to say, Luna." he sighed softly, "We both were upset and we were both worried but—we happen to react to situations very differently."

"But I—"

"Luna," Artemis interrupted her, "This is stupid, what are we doing? Why are we suffering when we clearly have feelings for each other?" Luna looked at him sadly, "Because Artemis—we come—"

"Don't say we come from different worlds," Artemis shook his head "We both come from the same place,"

"But we lived different lives."

Artemis sighed and shook his head, "Does it even matter in this time and era Luna?" he frowned, "Who is here to judge? The way we lived back then... does not have to define how we decide to live our lives now. You do not know how my life truly was when I was in Mau... you only had an idea but it always falls in misconception. You know what is like to live under others expectations, I was taught to be reserved and to think with a cold head because of my jurisdiction, but it doesn't mean I looked down on you. I would never do such thing."

It was like a new revelation to hear those things from him; it was the first time Luna heard Artemis talk about his life as an aristocrat with such melancholy, with such heaviness and bitterness in his voice. He was right, she always had a different perspective of how he lived in Mau. It was no secret to anyone that his family was well positioned and that they lived with luxury and comfort but since he was always so private about his life, she never thought that he lived his own kind of turmoil; living under a shadow was not exactly a walk in the park, she knew it well and if Queen Serenity hadn't granted her an opportunity to work as her advisor, she probably would have already died to try to prove her worth. But the truth was, that Luna has always cared for Artemis since the moment she met him; she always felt attracted to his elegance and sharpness and obvious beauty; she remembered his elegant face and even when they were cats in this era, she could still see that handsomeness and beauty in his deep green eyes.

Not sure why, Luna always felt like she didn't match him, she never saw herself as his equal not even when they worked together as advisors to the Lunar Queen and it broke her spirit, it broke her heart because like he said, there was always an invisible wall between them, a wall, she didn't know how to tear down. "You want to be with me because I am the only one of your kind... I am your last resort."

"I want to be with you because I love you." Artemis came closer, "I have loved you since you were introduced as Queen Serenity's court lady when she was still a Princess and stepped foot on the Moon Palace for the very first time."

Luna's eyes widened with shock, "A-Artemis..."

"It is easy to judge but nobody knows our true feelings. What are you so afraid of? Why do you always put this unnecessary weight on your back, why do you punish yourself for being different? There is no wrong in that, I just want to be with you." Artemis tilted his head, "I have been thinking about it all this time, I have been troubled because this is an issue that has always been between us and I am tired of it—I am tired to be away from you despite being so close for something so stupid like Mauian social rules,"

Luna felt her eyes burn with tears and looked down, "I am afraid you realize one day that I am not good enough,"

"What?" Artemis frowned, "Are you being serious? Luna—you are the most precious being to me. The strongest Mauian I have ever met, why do you even think that?"

"I know the standards in your family." Luna said dryly, Artemis shook his head, "I am not my family Luna, I am my own person—cat, and I love you."

"Artemis..." Luna broke into tears, "But—"

"Luna, I was educated and trained to deal with problems differently than you do. I was never good enough to my mentors, to my family—you have no idea how much I struggled to be worthy of their appreciation and respect. It is something all of us have to go through to earn a position and fulfill our family's wishes and expectations."

Luna looked at him, that was something she never knew or imagined ever happened to the always so poised Artemis. She never thought about the many trial and error he must have to go through to become a political advisor to a royal; that was her problem. That has always been her problem since day one; she immediately put the tag on his forehead and thought that he did not work hard to get to where he is now. They had been long gone from Mau for centuries now, his family probably wasn't alive anymore or maybe, they thought they died when the Silver Millennium came to its tragic end but he stayed with her, through good and bad times, always supporting her, always by her side and now there he was, exposing his heart out to her once again.

"I just want to know one thing Luna, and whatever the answer is I will respect it and never bother you with it again," he looked at her in the eye, "Do you care for me enough to fight for this love?"

Luna looked at him for a minute in silence, thinking of what to say. Considering it was time to put those negative thoughts aside and to just look forward. She has seen a possible future with him by her side as a partner. She has seen what it would like to be to have a family with him and she liked it, it made her feel happy and complete. Whatever they had to overcome to be who they are had to be left in the past if she wanted a new and brighter future and that future was happening at that precise moment. She took a step closer and rubbed her face against his, purring with adoration, "Yes Artemis—I do."

Artemis widened his green eyes, surprised by her sudden answer and loving gesture. Luna looked at him in the eyes and smiled "I love you."

Artemis rubbed his face against hers again, "I know I am a cat, I know I cannot hold your hand like I wished I could back then but I will do whatever I can to make you feel loved, to make you feel special and valued." Luna looked at him lovingly, "I am sorry for everything I said."

Artemis purred in her ear "Now it is not the time to be apart, I love you. We have to be united to support Usagi and Mamoru and for what might be coming their way. Things have been surprisingly peaceful like nothing happened, and that worries me." Luna sighed and sat next to Artemis, "It worries me too. Athamas seemed to have vanished and there haven't been any other incidents. Do you think he just decided to go away?"

"If he is still how I remember, I do not believe he has, much less now that he knows the Princess is alive and living a happy life with the Terran Prince." Artemis sighed heavily, "That is why we have to stay alert..." he turned to look back inside of Usagi's room and frowned, "What happened in there?!"

Luna sighed, "Oh—that. Well, she is supposed to be packing her things to move in with Mamoru but—I don't see that happening anytime soon. She has so many things, we stayed up until very late trying to categorize what's important for her to take and what not but we eventually gave in and fell asleep."

"Poor Mamoru, I wonder if he has enough space in the bedroom for all that." Artemis sweatdropped, knowing for a fact that the prince was much organized than their beautiful but very messy Princess. Luna chuckled, "Well, I don't think there is enough space in any room for all of her belongings. She will have to give some things away, but she is being stubborn—she puts an emotional value on everything."

Artemis turned to look at her and curled his tail around hers, "Stay with me tonight." Luna felt a rush of happiness all over her and smiled at his gesture, "How about forever?" Artemis blinked with surprise at her comment and smiled "That sounds perfect to me."

O—o—o—o—O

Rei woke to follow her daily chores at the shrine. After taking her grandfather's breakfast, she went to clean inside the temple, did her daily meditations while constantly avoiding Yuiichiro. It was no longer news for him that she had taken guests and that she personally assisted them with anything they needed, which was too strange for him since he had never seen them in his life and she acted like if she did and very well.

The miko walked towards the cottage and knocked the wooden door frame to let the shitennou know she was there and just like the day before, they were sitting in a circle meditating in silence. Nephrite opened one eye and looked at her "Good morning—Rei." Rei slid the door open and smiled, "Good morning, how did you sleep?"

"Very well, thank you." The northern general answered for everyone, "And you?" Rei was gladly surprised by his friendly behavior "Uh—um, good. We did walk a lot yesterday—I am really not sure when I fell asleep, I was very tired."

"My feet still hurt," Jadeite muttered and finally opened his eyes and turned to look at her, "Good morning."

Rei smiled and nodded, the rest followed with their greetings. "Breakfast should be here any minute now, I asked Jun, a family friend who gives us a hand with all the cooking here at the temple to bring it personally," Kunzite smiled at the kind gesture and took the tray with cups and teapot from Rei's hands, "Allow me to be of service, at least with this."

"Oh," Rei blinked surprised, "Thank you, Kunzite," she chuckled softly, "I see you are wearing your new clothes."

"Yes well—we kind of have to... there is not much I can do to prevent it," Kunzite muttered and let out a soft sigh, "I suppose I have to admit they are not as bad as I thought." Rei chuckled, "No, they're not bad. I know it's not something you are used to but they're certainly not bad."

"Busy day?" Zoisite asked politely while serving himself a cup of tea. Rei shrugged her shoulders, "The usual, it is never too crowded, only during festivals but we haven't done one since my grandfather fell ill."

"I am sorry to hear that. If there is anything we can be of service, please let us know." Zoisite looked at her with interest as he took a sip of his hot beverage. "I will, thank you," Rei felt more at ease around them now that they looked more like human beings and less like stoic, killing soldiers with their military uniforms; Nephrite followed in pouring himself a cup of tea and looked at her "So, are there any plans for today?"

Rei tilted her head and nodded, "Yes, well, just with the girls—since it is officially Usagi's last day as a single lady. We are going to hang out and celebrate but not until too late because she has to get up very early tomorrow and she is not much of a morning person."

"Ah yes—their last day as single people," Jadeite said softly with a soft grin in his boyish and handsome face, a charm only he could pull due to his witty personality. "It is strange to realize they are actually getting married." Zoisite closed his eyes and blew the steam from his teacup, like the gentleman and constant analyzer of Jadeite's words, always so polite and meticulous, his calmer personality was always mirrored in the delicate features of his face, and also, paired well with Jadeites' playful character, "I hope you are going somewhere with that comment."

"We tried so much to keep them apart and now—well now, they are finally going to be together." Jadeite's warm voice was full of enthusiasm, "They succeeded, against all odds. See? I was getting somewhere."

Kunzite frowned and took a sip of his tea, trying to ignore the brotherly but constant bickering between his two blonde soul brothers and peered at his other comrade, "It is not a bad idea," he heard Nephrite join the conversation, "We should celebrate with him."

Jadeite rubbed his hands with pure cheerfulness, "Oh, yes, yes... like in the old days. Remember when we went to that small pub at one of the villages close to the training camp?"

"Yes, just do not go all mental again," Zoisite said in his always tranquil, monotone voice. Jadeite blinked and blushed, peering the martian soldier and sighed, "Oi Zoisite—manners, please."

Rei chuckled, "Sounds good, I am sure Mamoru would very much appreciate it, you're his longtime friends, I think it's fair." she stood up and turned to walk to the door, "Well, I feel like I have taken much of your time, I will leave you to continue with your daily meditations," she turned on her heel, "If there is anything else you need, just ask,"

"Where are you going?" Jadeite asked with slight anxiety in his voice, startling the other generals. Zoisite looked at him surprised by his sudden change and blinked a couple of times, realizing in silence what was happening with his fellow friend. Rei smiled and looked over her shoulder at him, "I need to do some chores before my mid-day prayers."

Nephrite elbowed Zoisite, who nodded in agreement to what they were witnessing. This was too entertaining and interesting to see and they didn't want to lose any small detail they could use to their advantage in the future. They may be royal guards and strong soldiers, but deep down they were a bunch of guys who liked to mock each other like the brothers they are.

"Do you need any help?" Jadeite's interest made Rei blink with puzzlement by his approach, finding it adorable. "It's alright, it's no big deal—it's something I very much do every day," she waved her hands nervously and giggled, "But, thank you for your offer."

"It is the least we can do since you are allowing us to stay here...cost-free." Jadeite said politely. Rei tilted her head and smiled, "It's not a problem, but if it makes you feel better—I will let you know if I need help with something in the future." Jadeite smiled in return and nodded as he watched the priestess walked out the door and close it behind her, to give the men some privacy. Zoisite took the moment as his cue and chuckled, breaking Jadeite's chain of thought, "What?" the short-haired blonde asked, half annoyed and half confused. The relatively younger blonde smiled, "What was that?"

"What?" Jadeite raised his hands up in the air with exasperation, "I was trying to be polite."

"It looked to me like you were trying to woo her," Zoisite smiled and poured himself another cup of tea, "Which is surprising because you do not believe in love and all those sorts of things." Jadeite sighed and shook his head, "So, are we going to celebrate Endymion's marriage with the Princess or what?"

"That sounds like a plan to me," Zoisite looked at his older blonde brother, "It is certainly not difficult to find him. His aura is quite strong, I can sense it from here." he turned and arched his brow when he saw Kunzite with his head low, "Kunzite, are you alright?" The white-haired general frowned and crossed his arms, "I find it strange that we are still here, that is all."

Three pairs of eyes peered at their comrade and leader with a strange look on their faces. Kunzite was aware of the tumult he was about to bring abroad with his comments but it was no surprise, coming from him. "What do you mean?" Zoisite frowned as he put his cup down, Kunzite turned to Nephrite and narrowed his cold grey eyes, "Have the stars spoken to you?"

Both blondes now turned to Nephrite who was looking back at the white-haired general with the same intensity he was staring back at him, "They have been silent," he lowered his moss-colored eyes and shook his head, "But—there is something."

"Why are you asking this, Kunzite?" Zoisite asked again, Kunzite stayed silent for a moment before inhaling deeply "It does not matter how many eras we cross, our vow still goes strong. Our mission is to aid Endymion and look out for him as his guardians; nothing has really happened after that day but we are still here."

"I do not understand where you are trying to go with this," Zoisite frowned "You sound like if you were against the idea of being here."

"When Endymion is in danger, we are always summoned to assist him," Kunzite looked at him, his grey eyes now showing equal parts of concern and confusion "But in the end, we are always pulled back. Since Beryl, we never got to cross to the physical world again, it was like if we had stayed in Limbo, between worlds and without really belonging anywhere, anymore."

"But the Priest—Helios, he kept us in Elysion," Jadeite said confused "You speak of Limbo like if we were actually dead and paying for our sins."

"In some way, we are," Kunzite looked at the fourth in command with shame, "I do not understand how our whole selves managed to cross here and actually live like rightful inhabitants of this world."

"You think we are here only to accomplish a mission and then get pulled back to Elysion," Zoisite said with disappointment. Kunzite shrugged his shoulders "It is not Elysion, that land is not what we used to remember as our home—I just... I do not understand anything that is happening."

"Is this why you have been reluctant to everything?" Nephrite raised his brow and crossed his arms, "Why you have been so distant towards the Prince?"

"We grew up together, we spent half of our lives together—all of us." Kunzite sighed, "But the circumstances separated us, we tried to kill the one we swore to protect."

"But that is in the past," Jadeite frowned, confused and reluctant to Kunzite's reasoning. The white-haired general looked at Jadeite with slight hurt in his eyes, "We represent the past Jadeite—we are part of Endymion's past. Do we really have a place in his present and future?"

Jadeite sighed softly, he knew where this conversation was going and he was not liking the gloomy turn it was taking. "You think our time here is limited." Nephrite startled Kunzite, being the second one to have a deep tone of voice it was hard to ignore whenever the always reserved and thoughtful general would give his two cents in a conversation. "You want to find a wider explanation for our presence here since what we were supposed to do, has been done. That is why you are asking me if the celestial creatures have spoken to me,"

Kunzite nodded and turned startled by the proximity coming from Zoisite, who patted him on his shoulder with empathy, like one brother to another, "If our time here is limited, we might as well enjoy it and spend it with our friend—it has been long since we last saw him," Kunzite widened his eyes "Zoisite..."

"If we cannot fight against heaven's will, if we—like you say, are condemned to return to Limbo, we have to at least enjoy and take advantage of the time we were given to spend here; that is how I see it."

Jadeite lowered his gaze and tried his best not to feel so blue about the whole situation. It did not make sense until Kunzite put the words out there, what was their mission then? What was the reason for their presence in the living world? He thought. "Are we—are we really dead?"

Zoisite blinked with surprised by Jadeite's sudden and unusual serious tone in his voice. Nephrite shook his head softly, "We are not dead Jadeite, we just belong to another realm—to another time." he looked at the blonde and tilted his face forward, "We were granted another opportunity to live and serve our Prince and Kingdom but we are not part of this era. But also, it makes me think that just as we were forgiven and released from Beryl's curse and were allowed to live in what we see as Elysion all this time, we might now be granted to live here."

"Nothing good will come up if we continue questioning our fate in this world, Kunzite," Zoisite patted the silver-haired man and stood up, "I know you hate uncertainty but... this is how we have lived our lives ever since Beryl."

Kunzite stayed silent, thinking about what Zoisite just said and it made perfect sense. Their lives have been uncertain since they were captured by Beryl, living between guilt and duty. Between the living and the spirit world. Unlike Serenity's guardians, they did not get another chance; they were indeed reborn but everything came to waste when they were found once again by the dark witch, stripping any remaining opportunity to reunite with the prince and the girls. _"Venus..."_ he thought sadly.

Maybe the other part of the deal came to close any gaps and unfinished business. Maybe they were brought back to do what they were meant to do from the very beginning. This was their third chance to make things right and they had to make it worth. "So, a celebration, eh?" he finally managed to say in a more hopeful tone as he looked up at his comrades with a familiar snicker brightening his handsome face, "Let us remind His Royal Highness how we used to celebrate back then,"

Jadeite gave his older brother a toothy grin and stretched with glee and excitement, "Coming from you, I will take it as a good omen," Kunzite smiled as he looked at his fellow brothers talk with much more lightness in their voices, leaving their troubled thoughts behind, at least for this moment. He looked down at the cup of tea still steaming in his hands and closed his eyes for a minute, allowing the image of the girl with golden hair come to his mind.

 _"I do not want to waste any more time..."_

O—o—o—o—O

Motoki walked down the hallway reading some papers in his hands, he was so deep in thought that he completely ignored Ami was at the nurse's station giving the status of a patient to one of the nurses to add to their medical history. She turned and smiled, "A penny for your thoughts?" Motoki blinked and turned to see Ami waving at him, always so sweet. Sweet, sweet Ami. "Hey," the blonde smiled softly, "How long have you been here?" he showed her the papers in his hand and chuckled "I'm sorry—I was too into these documents."

"What are those?" Ami frowned and pointed the papers, "A new medical case, possibly," Motoki said softly, the answer did not sound very convincing to Ami, making her quirk a brow with puzzlement, "Possibly?"

Motoki sighed softly and turned both sides to make sure there were no people snooping around, "I need Mamoru for this, he is the one I trust to run all the tests and give the proper treatment needed for this patient."

"Okay...?" Ami frowned but immediately widened her eyes realizing what the blonde meant by the tone in his voice, "Oh."

"Exactly." Motoki tapped her forehead with his pen in a playful manner. Ami blinked and turned to look for the dark-haired man, "Where is he, by the way? Did he take another day off?"

"Ami, he is not taking days off—he is under investigation." Motoki tapped her head again with his pen "But no, he is here actually—I just saw him a while ago."

"What is going on with the board?" Ami leaned closer to make the conversation even more private, "Are there any more news?"

"Ah—you don't know the whole thing," Motoki muttered and pursed his lips, "You haven't spoken to him, huh?" Ami nodded softly, "I saw him yesterday but he didn't mention anything... that's why I figured he was taking days off."

"Was Usa-chan there?" Motoki raised his brow, Ami nodded "Yes..."

"There you go," Motoki motioned her to follow him to one of his consultations, "He doesn't want her to know—not yet at least. He hopes this whole deal clears by the time he returns from his honeymoon."

"Motoki... how bad is it?"Ami looked at her fellow friend with worry, Motoki sighed and shook his head, "I am not going to lie Ami-chan, things are more complicated than even he expected them to be. He has proof of everything, but this issue has had an unexpected turn—a more personal one."

Ami frowned, "What do you mean?"

"There are some people conspiring against him. There are people who are trying to pressure him to give his resignation," Motoki sighed, startling Ami "B-But who would do such thing?! He is a good doctor in this hospital, he even got here with enough merits to shorten his internship—what the hell is going on?"

"Jealousy Ami-chan, pure jealousy and lack of professionalism that is. I don't want to go into much detail because it's Mamoru's decision to tell the whole shebang and well, it's his battle to fight and win but—it's not too hard to imagine who is behind all this." Motoki opened the door and greeted his patient, realizing there was somebody already there waiting for him "Satomura-san," he blinked surprised to see the young intern there, "Dr. Furuhata, I was assigned to work with you today," he spotted Ami standing behind him and smiled "Dr. Mizuno, good afternoon."

She noticed there was a different vibe coming from the young doctor, he looked more confident, more relaxed—more in his zone. The way he stood next to Motoki and how he addressed the patient gave her a hint of what was going on. Her sharp intuition suddenly stated the obvious, clearing the mystery behind Motoki's voice and cryptic words, "Akashi..." she muttered low enough for anyone to let it pass. Motoki soon realized what was happening and looked at her face of slight disgust towards Akashi, "Dr. Mizuno, could you do me a favor and call Dr. Seta for me, please?"

Ami felt it strange to hear Motoki ask for another doctor rather than his friend to assist him with any medical case. They were known to be the perfect dynamic duo, and it made it nearly unbearable to even think how one person could be manipulating an entire medical board to ruin someone's career, just because he felt like it, just because of jealousy. There was more to this issue, she was sure about it, and to know the guy she once cared for was involved in it was igniting an anger she didn't know she could bottle up in her heart.

Turning on her heel she exited the room and went to look for the person she was asked while quietly thinking of the many ways she could express her anger towards Satomura Akashi. It infuriated her, it made her feel helpless because she was witness to Mamoru's efforts to succeed in his dream to become a doctor. All those days she remembered Usagi breaking into tears when he was studying abroad and she missed him terribly. All those many efforts both made to make their relationship work; those nights when Usagi stayed up until too late keeping him company while he studied for his specialization and the many short dates they had because of his on and off hectic schedule that demanded more time that he had when he was an intern. Everything Mamoru did, every sacrifice, every sleepless night, every drop of sweat and effort it was for their sake, to have something good and stable to put on the table and offer Usagi once they decided to go on with their wedding plans. The field he chose, while still very demanding, gave him the liberty to have more time with her and compensate for all those days they stayed apart, she knew it, because she witnessed it. She comforted her friend many times in the past, and now that they were finally where they planned to be, this intern showed up acting like a spoiled kid and causing a ruckus to make him lose everything her friend had built with hard work and dedication.

The hallway seemed endless to her no matter how much she walked. She finally stopped at the nurse's station and asked them to monitor and call the doctor Motoki asked her to call; she knew deep down that Motoki did it to keep her away from Akashi, now that he was supposed to assist him in this particular case. With a heavy sigh, she leaned her head down on her arms that were lazily resting on the large, circular desk, completely unaware that she was no longer alone, "Ami?"

Ami widened her eyes and turned surprised to see Mamoru looking at her with a worried look "Mamoru," she said softly. Mamoru gave the nurse a binder and signed some papers for her, "Are you okay?" Ami felt a rush of melancholy, like if she hadn't seen him in a very long time—her friend and mentor. Mamoru sighed softly and looked at her with resignation, "He told you."

"He didn't have to, he just gave me the clue and I solved the riddle." Ami muttered and frowned, she knew he was talking about Motoki "Akashi-san, really?" Mamoru turned to the nurse as he signed another form, "Thank you Ika-san." he turned to the bluenette "Walk with me," Ami nodded and followed, "How serious is this, Mamoru?"

Mamoru closed the door to one of the medical offices they used for meetings and conferences and sat behind the desk. It was then, when Motoki's words fell into place when she noticed Mamoru was not wearing either his white coat or any formal clothing, but instead a pair of dark grey casual pants and a plain white button shirt with its sleeves rolled up to his forearms, "There is a whole wave of speculation Ami-chan, it's not just Satomura-san. It's how they can't grasp the idea of a man dying under such brutal circumstances."

"But _he_ is involved!"

"He is just working as a spy."

"What?" Ami widened her eyes with confusion, "Who's spy?"

"Dr. Osuna," Mamoru's tone felt dry and distant, showing his obvious discomfort towards this situation, "Since I started to work here he has been reluctant to my methods and work ethics. Not that they are different from any others but—he has always had the idea that I take a very much modern and alternative approach to diagnose and do my job—whatever that means. He doesn't think I am as traditional as he is and that is something he does not approve."

"That is what being up to date with medical research, medications and technique means—it's obvious." Ami frowned, "Hasn't he taken any certification courses lately?"

"He doesn't see it that way Ami, and he didn't say anything before because well, there was no reason, he had no material to work on—until now." Mamoru leaned forward, resting his arms on the impeccable white desk, "Look, I am not here to complain, if he thinks his approach is better than mine, that's fine, I have proven my innocence—the board has all the results from every test I ran, they have the complete report of what happened—whatever it is happening is just a tantrum from this man and even that has to calm down eventually."

"But Motoki said you were under investigation, what does that mean? That you can't practice until further notice?"

Sighing, Mamoru shrugged his shoulders softly "That is something I can't avoid—it's true. I am not allowed to take any new cases until they make their final decision—I am just delegating my work and patients to other fellow internists and just giving my final consultations for those I started treating before all this happened. I haven't lost my job if that is what you are asking—but I am on hold."

"But,"

"Ami," Mamoru looked at her with endearment, his azure eyes soon changed to a deep prussian blue shade, "Don't say anything to Usa, I am asking you as a friend."

"She will find out, two thousand years together and you still haven't learned." Ami sighed and crossed her arms, "She is like a bloodhound when it comes to finding out about anyone's secrets—it's like she can smell them."

"I know, but at least I want to wait until the wedding is over," Mamoru leaned back in his chair and sighed softly, "I don't want her to be worried about this too, enough has been happening with me to drag her into this as well. I will not give my resignation because I earned my position in this hospital. That is what Osuna wants, but I trust everything will be cleared soon enough and things will go back to normal."

"Speaking of normal, I checked on some of the victims that were involved in _that_ incident, most of them have already left the hospital fully recovered." Ami said softly and frowned "But—I still feel uneasy."

"Me too Ami," Mamoru narrowed his eyes, "But, at this current time, I don't sense any threat."

"That is why you didn't say anything yesterday—you didn't want to worry her more," Ami looked at his friend with empathy, "Even if it is mortifying you inside."

"I don't want to ruin the moment Ami," Mamoru smiled softly, "I have made Usa wait for too long now, it was either my studies or hers, the time wasn't right for us to marry but this is and I cannot give those people the pleasure of seeing me mortified."

Ami blinked, surprised by his determination. It came as no surprise, Mamoru has always been very straightforward and he has always had very clear what his goals are but this time there was something else; he did not show any weakness or uncertainty, he was not afraid of any outcome, instead, he challenged those who were blaming and judging him to realize that he has done nothing wrong. He was not just Chiba Mamoru the civilian anymore, that she realized; he was acting like a true royal, speaking fairly and fighting for a just cause. Smiling, he combed his hair back with his fingers and looked at her, "Are you girls doing something later today?"

Ami blinked, "Huh?"

Mamoru chuckled, "I am just trying to lighten the mood—there's no point in me giving Osuna-san and Satomura-san more of my interest and time."

"Oh," Ami nodded with a big smile on her face, "Minako pulled some strings and used her status at the station and made reservations at this nice restaurant and later we are hanging out at Usagi-chan's house," with the last part of the plan, Mamoru sweatdropped, "You are going to help her pack, right?" Ami hung her head low and nodded, "Yeah..."

Mamoru chuckled softly, "Of course,"

"I was actually going to ask you if Megumi-san could join us, I mean, she is a girl and it's a girls' night out... so..." Ami blushed, "Unless you are planning on taking her out somewhere?"

"I have nothing planned Ami-chan," Mamoru smiled, "You know Usa constantly says I'm a boring person—and she's not wrong. This is the perfect example. It's actually a nice gesture from you girls to consider Megumi to join you. I will take her to Usa's house in a while, I just got a text from her asking me for the favor."

"She is very nice," Ami smiled softly, "And she deserves to have some fun too. It's not her fault anything that happened."

Mamoru enjoyed having her around at the hospital. Ami's kind nature had this calm and soothing effect Motoki's character did not offer on a daily basis and he was glad to have her on his side. "No, it's not," Mamoru smiled sadly, "It's mine, it's Beryl's—the Andromedian's and even Ares'."

"You seriously can't be blaming yourself for that..." Ami frowned and shook her head, "Ami," Mamoru looked at her "Don't lie to me, I know all of you got worried about Usa when Ares told the truth about... that."

"Honestly? We were more worried you were going to leave her rather than you being a danger to her." Ami sighed and sat on the other side of the desk, across from Mamoru. "I am a danger to you all," Mamoru muttered bitterly, "Not because I'll go all violent mode on you but because of who I am related to, and the worst part is that I never knew... until now."

"Mamoru-kun," Ami looked at him with seriousness, "I am going to say this once because you probably have heard this a lot but—"

"I know Ami," he looked at her and exhaled heavily, "And I appreciate the support, really, it's just that—this was unexpected—I am still having flashbacks and getting used to all these new things happening to me right now," chuckling he looked down at his watch and stood up, "Hey, weren't you supposed to be free by now?"

Ami sighed and shrugged her shoulders "I'm leaving in an hour, but—I don't want to leave this room. I don't want to look at Akashi's face." Mamoru ruffled her hair in a brotherly manner, trying to lift the gloomy mood in the room, "Ami—don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

Ami looked up at him and narrowed her eyes, Ami looked up at him and narrowed her eyes, "Easy for you to say but unfortunately for you—you have become like a big brother to me, I can't just ignore what's happening to you and what's going through your mind." Mamoru smiled and leaned down to meet her eye to eye, "I know Ami, you're like a little sister to me too and I really value your words,"

Ami nodded, "Good because I mean it." Mamoru chuckled, "I know you do, you don't joke around," he pulled back and crossed his arms when he saw a curious look in Ami's eyes, "What?"

"By the way how are you going to keep this matter private from everyone, are you guys leaving for your honeymoon? Or are you coming back on Monday?"

Mamoru leaned on the door "We are leaving for a few days but since I have to be here for another set of meetings with the board I still don't know when we will have to return, they will let me know, but also because well—I don't know if the Andromedian will appear again."

"Maybe that was it," Ami said hopefully. Mamoru smiled but remained silent. He preferred to keep Athamas' threat to himself. The situation has been ringing in his mind since it happened, making it feel uneasy but for Usagi's sake, he preferred to keep it to himself, complying to anything she would suggest and do whatever he knew would make her happy. Being the trip to the mall the day before one of those secret concealing agreements.

Every time he felt fed up with hogging situations like these, he tried to keep his mind occupied with more positive thoughts. Right now, his wedding was what kept him hopeful for better days. He was excited to finally share his life with Usagi, to wake up next to her every morning and go to sleep with her by his side every night. All those nights when they promised themselves how they would find their way to be together finally we coming true. Their ever after was about to begin and he was going to make whatever was necessary to keep that life plan intact.

* * *

 _Liked it? Leave me a comment below and help keep the good vibes flowing._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon just this plot and some of the characters._


	28. Chapter 28

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter 28

 _A/N I want to say that I am thankful for every single one of you who are following me and reading this story Friday after Friday. Thank you for sticking with me on this, it means a lot. So, I know what you might be thinking: when is the wedding finally going to happen?! -Soon. There were things I needed to settle before jumping to the actual event... we're getting there, it's close, it's happening... don't worry._

* * *

Mamoru got home and saw the lights from the apartment were on and walked to Megumi's room and knocked on the door softly, "Megumi, are you here?" he opened the door and peeked inside. Megumi turned and smiled widely when she saw the prince had gotten home earlier than he usually was, "Y-Your Highness!"

Mamoru tilted his head and chuckled with endearment by her sweet reaction, "What are you doing?"

"Oh, I was looking at the dress Her Highness picked for me—for the wedding," her hand softly caressed the fine lace of her blush pink tea length gown with ¾ lace sleeves "The color is very pretty, it reminds me of the rose gardens Her Majesty, Queen Gaia used to love so much..."

Mamoru felt a tight compression in his chest at the mention of his royal mother but opted to ignore it, "May I come in?" Megumi nodded, stood up from her bed and bowed her head with respect, old habits never died—she thought. "Of course, Your Highness, please do."

Mamoru walked inside and sat on a lounge cushion chair across from her twin-size bed and sighed softly, "You're right—pink roses were her favorites." He began taking his things from his pockets, "Her Majesty always requested her tea had to be made out of pink rose petals," he leaned back and put his keys, wallet, and phone on the small wooden table next to him, making a clicking-metallic sound. Megumi noticed a distant flair in his voice, almost as if he really wanted to avoid mentioning anything that had to do with that part of his life at any cost. "So, I spoke to the bride earlier today... she is going out with the girls for the evening to celebrate and they would like you to join them—if you want to go, of course."

Megumi widened her eyes with surprise, "M-Me?"

"Yes, _you_." Mamoru smiled, "I think they are having dinner somewhere fancy—I don't know much of those places like they do... after having dinner they are going back to her house to help her finish packing—good luck with that."

Megumi's eyes gleamed with excitement since the trip to the mall she's been marveled by all the things this city had to offer. There was so much to see, so much to do but the most valuable thing for her was that she was living it with freedom and with all of them like one of them. She enjoyed the way they got along with each other, how they constantly made jokes on one another and the playful and loving way the lunar princess and the Terran prince talked to each other.

"I know things have been insane lately with everything that has happened but I think it would be good for you to go out with them, forget about it and just enjoy the evening." Mamoru crossed his leg over his knee and looked at her with a warm smile on his lips. Megumi blushed and looked down, "B-But—what about you, Your Highness?"

Mamoru chuckled, "What about me?"

"You are going to be left alone, I cannot do that to you—what if you need anything?" Megumi looked at him. Mamoru smiled, "Megumi, it's alright. I am used to be by myself—actually, I am going to take advantage of my solitude, read a book and go to bed early. That is why Usa says I am the most boring person, also, remember that you are not a maid anymore... you're family. If I need anything I can get it myself,"

"B-But how do I get there?" Megumi asked confused, Mamoru leaned forward, resting his arms on his crossed leg, "I will be driving you to Usa's house, of course."

Megumi bit her lower lip and looked down at her floral summer dress "I do not know if this is appropriate."

"You look more than appropriate Megumi," Mamoru tilted his head to the side curious boy, "Just smile—that's all you need." Megumi felt her cheeks flush and nodded with content, thinking no matter how much time it passed the prince still had that charm that made her feel helpless around him, she was very aware that what he felt for him wasn't something romantic but she could not deny that Prince Endymion was a very eloquent and beautiful man. Having settled things, Mamoru stood up and stuffed his pockets with his belongings again and walked towards the door, "Alright—let's go."

Megumi turned quickly to grab a pair of coral colored flats Usagi brought her to match with that dress and quickly went after Mamoru. Minutes after, they found themselves in the garage and got into his car; as soon as he turned the engine on he heard his phone ring a couple of times before answering "Hey Usa," he said softly as he arranged his rear-view mirror before taking off, "Yes, I am driving Megumi over to your house, we'll be there in 20 minutes or so."

Megumi was still amazed by the strange things that apparently were normal to the rest, like Mamoru's car. It amazed her to listen the smooth engine sound as he started it, the many buttons and lights on the dashboard, the music coming from the radio and it impressed her how he could control the vehicle's wheel with such ease. After a short conversation, she saw him hang up his phone and began driving out of the parking space and into the night city. Megumi looked through the window at the many lights that flashed in almost every corner, Mamoru peered quickly and saw the awe in Megumi's face and opened the window for her to feel the breeze and enjoy the ride a little better "You're getting used to this city, huh?" he asked softly. Megumi smiled and nodded, "There is something about the lights that makes it so magical."

"It's refreshing to see somebody admire this the way you do. We are so used to them that it's a normal thing for us to witness." Megumi turned with a curious look in her eyes and not really thinking twice what she was about to ask, "Do you like this era more than your previous Kingdom, Your Highness?"

Mamoru felt another tug in his chest and pursed his lips at the mention of Elysion, the land he now clearly remembered crumbling right in front of him with everything he cherished inside, "It's a little hard to say," he stopped at a red light and turned to her with an unreadable look in his face, "Both have their own kind of beauty. I remember those rose gardens you mentioned a while ago—I remember the scent that lingered once you stepped foot into them but, there are gardens here that give you that same feeling." Megumi noticed distant flair in his voice again and looked down at her hands curling into nervous fists in her lap, "It is so bad, Your Highness?"

Following her question, a heavy silence fell between them, she knew she was stepping into unstable ground asking something so personal knowing for a fact the prince was very hermetic when it came to his life but she wondered if he ever held those memories dear or if he rather preferred his life as a simple civilian, whether he enjoyed just being Chiba Mamoru instead of a Prince with a high royal title and rank. "Since you regained your memories, you barely mention anything about it, about them... I wonder... if you miss it... even a lit—"

"I do Megumi," he interrupted as he slowly drove through the residential area where Usagi's house was located. Minutes later he pulled over in front of Usagi's house and turned the engine off and took a deep breath, "I miss them," he turned to look at her "I have to admit that, yes, I wish they were here with me on a day as significant as tomorrow—since I remembered, I realized that I am not very different from how I was back then. I keep things to myself, it's who I am, maybe because I grew up as an orphan since very little in this era or maybe because it's something that came as a trade for being reborn—I don't know. But I can't lie to you," he gave her a sad smile "I miss them very much but all I can do now is to honor their memory the same way you honored mine."

Megumi blushed, "Y-Your Highness..."

"It breaks my heart to know everything you had to endure to be here right now and there are not enough words that can describe how grateful and how honored I am for everything you have done for me and for them." Mamoru put his hand on top of Megumi's and squeezed it softly, "I promise you—it won't happen again," his prismatic blue eyes looked into her chocolate ones with truth behind his piercing gaze, "I will do anything in my power to protect you, it's my turn and my duty."

Megumi could not help the tears pooling in her eyes and tilted her head, "There were times I was about to lose faith but my promise to you kept me going. Somehow you have protected me all this time without you knowing, Your Highness." Mamoru brought her hand to his lips and kissed it softly, "Sweet Megumi, I thank you for your words, I thank you for your faith in me when I was on the verge of giving up—it is because of you, that I am here today. You told me to fight for her and now I am finally fulfilling the promise I made to Serenity."

Megumi couldn't help it any longer and leaned closer to wrap her arms around her prince with endearment and the purest sentiment of gratitude and loyalty. "I will always believe in you, My Prince—even if the heavens do not agree," Mamoru closed his eyes and returned the embrace; since Ares appeared to tell him the truth about his family, they didn't have much time in private to talk and even when she didn't say much, he knew Megumi was giving him time and very much needed space to think and process everything. Her loyalty continued to amaze him up to this day and made him feel cared and supported even when he was not by her side all this time, making him think how much it meant when he said he was going to do anything in his power to keep her safe this time.

Mamoru pulled back and turned to his left with a soft smile and a soft blush on his cheeks, "Well, here we are." Megumi looked at the house with awe, taking in every little detail "It is so beautiful,"

"So different to where I live, right?" Mamoru chuckled and stepped out of the car and walked to her side to open Megumi's door. He offered his hand and helped her get out, like the gentleman he's always been, making the young maiden to blush again, "Usa lives with her parents and brother, you will get to know them—they are very nice people," once they walked to the neat porch, he pressed the doorbell and turned to Megumi "But please, I must ask you for a favor," Megumi nodded with curiosity, Mamoru leaned closer to her ear, "You have to refer to me as Mamoru when we're with them, they don't know me as Endymion, Prince or His Highness," he chuckled softly, "Alright?" Megumi widened her eyes and nodded, "Y-Yes."

"We will say you are my cousin," Mamoru smiled, "Which you are, technically."

Megumi blushed and turned surprised at the woman answering the door, "Mamoru dear," Ikuko smiled widely, "Come in!"

"Good evening, Mama-san," Mamoru bowed his head, Megumi noticed right away he had deep respect for the woman before them. As soon as they both walked inside the small foyer, Ikuko turned to look at the girl next to Mamoru and widened her eyes with delight, "What a lovely lady Mamoru, who is she?"

Mamoru smiled, "This is Megumi, my cousin." Megumi bowed her head in respect, "Nice to meet you, Miladi."

Ikuko blinked, startled "N-Nice to meet you, Megumi-san," she turned to Mamoru still a little surprised, "I didn't know you had any cousins Mamoru."

"She is daughter to one of my parent's closest friends, she recently moved to the city because she wants to get into school here,"

Ikuko smiled widely, "Ah, that's good!" she waved her hand and motioned them to come inside the living room "Come in, come in—Usagi is almost ready."

They both took their shoes off and walked into the living room where Kenji was inside watching t.v. "Good evening, Tsukino-san." Mamoru greeted politely, Kenji turned and looked at his future son in law and gave him a soft smile, "Ah, Mamoru—good evening."

"Dear, this is Megumi-san, Mamoru's cousin." Ikuko joined them and sat next to her husband. Kenji smiled at the young maiden and nodded his head "Nice to meet you, Megumi."

"Nice to meet you, Sir."

Mamoru sweatdropped, he completely forgot to tell her to choose other honorifics when talking to them, "Are you taking Usagi out?" Ikuko asked softly, Mamoru shook his head "No, she is going out with the girls tonight but they invited Megumi so, that's why we're here."

"Ahh, yes—well she should be here any minute, you know how she is. Please, take a seat dear," Ikuko smiled and turned to the girl sitting quietly next to her son in law, "So, how old are you Megumi-san?"

Mamoru and Megumi widened their eyes, an interesting question they both thought. Megumi blushed, thinking she could not tell them the truth and say that at this point she was more than a thousand years old. Her appearance stayed the same from when she lived in Elysion so she had to go with that option, "Eighteen years of age,"

"Oh, you are much younger than Usagi!" Ikuko said surprised, frowning she turned to Kenji who was too immersed in the news on the t.v. "Kenji Papa, we have company—could you please turn that off?"

"I am just waiting for this coverage they are doing on a couple of archaeologists," Kenji took a sip of his tea, "They have been talking a lot about them at the newspaper." His eyes widened like a child on Christmas when the news anchor began speaking about it.

 _"On another news, for those who are into the archaeological scene and history, this story might be of your catch your interest. Swedish based archaeologist_ _Ahlstrand Mikael_ _and Japanese native Casanova Akira have been rustling the waters of speculation and wonder through their breakthrough discovery."_

Mamoru turned to the t.v. and frowned, Kenji smiled with interest, "Ah, this is what I was talking about..." he grabbed the remote and turned the volume up to listen closely to the woman on television.

 _"They have been showing up some pieces of information throughout this past month that has been keeping everybody at the edge of their seats but now it seems both will be giving their side of the story since a close source has informed they have gone separate ways, being Casanova Akira the one with the strangest lead than her counterpart—more about this, after the break."_

Kenji readjusted his glasses and lowered the volume down "Ah, I thought they were going to talk more about the actual archaeological discovery than whatever it is going on between them."

 _"An archaeological discovery?"_ Mamoru thought and turned to his future father in law, "What kind of discovery Tsukino-san?"

"Ah, well—they seem to have found some ancient ruins deep underground or something like that, they haven't spoken much about it but the interesting part is how they claim it has to do with an ancient civilization, older than humanity itself." Mamoru narrowed his eyes with interest, "Ancient civilization?"

"Mamo-chan!" Usagi said gleefully as soon as she walked down the stairs, the beautiful bride to be was wearing a pale sky blue tulle skirt that reached below her knees and a cream colored blouse with a slim black ribbon tied around her neck. Her silver-blonde hair was up in a loose bun, making her look like a regal ballerina with her messy bangs swaying from one side to the other. Her perfectly nude lips matched the smoky look on her eyes, making her icy blue eyes look more enchanting and mystical than usual. She walked into the living room with a big smile on her face and wrapped her arms around her future husband "One more night," she whispered and gave him a peck on his cheek, in respect of her father who still was very emotional for her departure.

Mamoru smiled shyly, "Your parents are here," he whispered, Usagi giggled softly "Yes, so?"

"Your father is stabbing ice daggers on my back with his stare—I can feel it." Mamoru cleared his throat but before he could pull back, Usagi stood on her tiptoes and peeked through Mamoru's shoulder at her father doing exactly what Mamoru just said, his eyes were looking at him and his once smiling face had turned deadly serious; giggling she stepped away and patted Mamoru on his chest "Yeah—he is."

"Yeah," Mamoru mumbled and cleared his throat again, trying to shake the awkward feeling of being secretly devoured by his father in law. "Megumi's here—so I am going to leave now." Usagi turned to the girl sitting next to her mother and waved her hand with a big smile on her face but quickly turned to look at her fiancé, "Wait, what?"

"What?" Mamoru looked at her puzzled, Usagi pouted her lips in return "So soon? You just got here!"

"Usa..." Mamoru chuckled and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, "The girls will be here any minute."

"So?" The blonde shook her head, still not understanding his point; Mamoru arched his brow "So? Well, you are going out and I am not a girl so, I have to leave."

"Do _you_ have any plans?" Usagi looked at him with dubious eyes, and widened her eyes when she felt Mamoru pinching her nose with endearment, "I'm staying home—Motoki had to take the night shift today so I am going to read for a while and then go to sleep early."

Usagi snorted, "That is so—"

"Boring, I know. Yes, yes, I am a boring person... now, I'm off." Mamoru kissed her forehead and turned to excuse himself from her parents. Ikuko sighed slightly sad "Aw, you are leaving so soon dear?"

Mamoru smiled, silently thanking the woman for always being so sweet to him. Since the first moment Usagi brought him home, she greeted him with the most loving smile and the most delicious plum tart he had ever tried in his life, considering he was not much of a sweet tooth. He bent down letting Ikuko pat him on his cheek in a loving, motherly gesture and smiled, "Tomorrow is going to be a very hectic day, so you need—" she trailed off and widened her eyes, startling Mamoru "Mama-san?"

Ikuko blinked and rubbed her temples delicately and chuckled "Ah, nothing... I must be tired too, I thought I saw your eyes change to a different shade just now..."

Mamoru widened his eyes and blinked a little surprised, true, his eyes did change color but how could they ever explain that to the older couple. Their lives as soldiers of justice had to be put aside and be covered by a mountain of alibis and excuses that eventually became a truth to them as well—until now. Usagi giggled and waved her hand as she gave her mother just that, another alibi "Mama, you are watching too much television."

Mamoru sweat dropped and turned to look at Usagi, Ikuko on the other side chuckled in response to her daughter's allegation "Maybe I am," she smiled and gave Mamoru a peck on his cheek "I will see you tomorrow dear, go have plenty of rest."

Mamoru nodded and turned to Kenji who had a very different look on his face, opposite to his wife's, he was more serious and quieter when he was around. He was never disrespectful towards him but he was the man that was taking his daughter away after all and that was enough for him to be on the defensive side. He took his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose before putting them on again, "Don't stay up too late, you have to be at the church before the bride arrives." He turned to look at his future son in law and snickered shyly, a characteristic gesture when he wanted to show he was not as bad as he tried to portray himself to be but still wanting to show he was in control.

Mamoru bowed his head respectfully and returned the gesture. Turning on his heel he smiled at Megumi and waved his hand at her "Have fun," he said softly before walking out the room. Usagi giggled at the gesture and followed him to the porch and closed the door behind her, "Do you _really_ have to leave so soon? The girls won't be here for at least another 20 minutes..." Mamoru chuckled softly and turned to look at her, "Usa, it's your night with the girls—enjoy it." he bent down and rubbed his nose against hers "After tomorrow, you'll have me around _all_ day."

Usagi blushed " _All_ day?"

Mamoru nodded and brushed his lips against hers "All day _and_ night," he whispered lovingly while closing his eyes to seal the deal with a kiss. The silver-blonde wrapped her arms around his neck and responded to the sweet, loving gesture, parting only seconds after and sighed with content, "I like that idea..." Mamoru chuckled and opened his eyes "Let's see if you keep saying that after a year—or two."

Usagi parted her lips in shock and slapped his arm playfully, "You are so mean— _and_ boring."

Mamoru kissed her again and stepped back "And still you are marrying me tomorrow," he snickered, "Let me know where to pick Megumi, okay?"

"I can take her—don't worry."

Mamoru frowned "Sure, like if I am ever going to let you two walk around alone late at night."

"What? I remind you, _Your Highness,_ that _I_ am a soldier of justice—I can kick ass."

Mamoru sighed softly, "Usa..."

"Fine, fine," Usagi put her hands up in defeat, "I'll text you,"

Mamoru kissed her forehead "Don't stay up too late," smiling, he leaned his head to rest on hers "See you tomorrow." Usagi smiled and nodded, "See you tomorrow."

Mamoru turned on his heel and started walking towards his car "I am not even going to ask you if there are boxes I should take with me right now—I know you haven't packed a single pin."

Usagi blushed, "Uh, well—for your information..." she exhaled deeply "No, you're right—I haven't. It's just too much."

The silver blonde watched her prince wave his hand as he stepped into his car and drive away; she leaned her back on the door thinking about the day ahead of her. She was excited and terribly desperate to finally share her life with him. Usagi looked up and looked at the stars shining brightly in the dark sky and took a deep breath, "Please—let us be together... let us be at peace..." she whispered and walked back inside her house.

O—o—O

A while later, Mamoru parked his car in his usual spot and took the elevator that would lead him to his apartment's floor. After leaving Usagi's house he stopped at a convenience store to buy some beer, thinking he might not have much planned for his last night as a single man but at least he was going to try to relax while drinking a good and cold stout to put his mind at ease.

Once in the elevator, he pressed the button to his apartment floor and walked down the hallway while looking for his keys to open the door, his blue eyes widened when he saw four men sitting outside his door, Jadeite quickly turned and smiled widely, "Hey, so he was not here after all!"

"How did you—" Mamoru looked at them surprised, Kunzite stood up and sighed, "Your aura is everywhere, we can read it like a map—it is not so difficult to find you."

"Also, we have been here before, remember? Back then... when... we were—" Zoisite tapped Jadite's forehead once he stood up, "I think you do not have to remind him that, Jadeite." he sighed and turned to Mamoru, "Surprised?"

Mamoru smiled, "Very much, yes, I was a—" a blast of confetti soon showered the dark-haired man and turned to see Jadeite activated the party favor Rei gave him earlier that day, the blonde blushed when realizing what he had done "Ah—too soon eh?" Zoisite sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose "You had one job,"

"I did not know this was going to pop open so suddenly!" Jadeite looked at the party favor and sighed, "Well," he turned to Mamoru and shrugged his shoulders apologetically, "Congratulations."

Mamoru blinked, still surprised to see them there, "T-Thanks..."

"Before you ask how did Jadeite get hold of that, Mars gave it to us—as a celebration gift." Nephrite brushed the few confetti that landed on his grey shirt. Mamoru chuckled and brushed the confetti off his hair "Ah well—you accomplished your mission but I am most surprised to see _you_ here—you have been acting very strange these days."

"We wanted to give you some privacy," Kunzite said, "After what happened and well with—"

"What Kunzite is trying to say here is that we know you needed time to be on your own after our long, exhausting day yesterday, so we imagined you needed to rest," Zoisite said softly as he leaned on Kunzite's shoulder. Mamoru turned to open the door to his apartment and walked inside "Well yes but—you are my friends and... you have a totally different concept of privacy." he dropped his keys on the small table by the foyer and walked to the living room.

"Still, we have manners," Jadeite said as he walked inside, Kunzite closed the door behind him and walked inside, looking at every little detail in the apartment "It is strange to be here—physically."

Jadeite smiled and sat on the couch, "These are lovely chambers you have yourself here."

Mamoru turned the radio on and turned over his shoulder with a strange look on his face, "These are not chambers Jadeite, this is all my living space," he chuckled, "Megumi said the same thing..."

"You mean there is no more to it? This is all?" Jadeite blinked, surprised.

Mamoru nodded and put the remote down, "Yes, this is all—sorry to disappoint you."

Jadeite looked around and smiled, leaning his head on the couch "I could learn to live here—it is not a palace but, it sure is comfortable," Zoisite smacked the back of Jadeite's head, "Oi!" the sitting blonde exclaimed with annoyance, "What the hell was that about?!" Zoisite walked around the sofa and took a seat "You need to learn your boundaries."

Kunzite looked around, "The girl—where is she?"

Mamoru walked back to the kitchen "She is with Us—Serenity and the girls. They wanted her to join them for dinner."

"So, they are getting along well," Kunzite saw Mamoru walking back with a beer bottle and handed it to his friend, "Yes, you could say that, they have been very supportive," he walked to the living room and gave each of the generals one as well before taking a seat on the sofa across the one where Jadeite and Zoisite were sitting. Kunzite and Nephrite followed and sat each one next to Jadeite and Zoisite "And how is the girl taking it?"

"The same way you are," Mamoru looked at them "Their friendly approach has helped her feel more at home,"

"I find it so incredible that she survived all the madness." Zoisite said softly, "We, who were supposed to be trained for that obviously couldn't." Mamoru frowned and put his beer bottle on the coffee table with a sigh, "Are you blaming yourself for what happened?"

Four pairs of eyes looked at their prince with sudden astonishment, Jadeite's cynicism popped in response like a natural mechanism to lighten the mood, "No... _they_ do." Mamoru leaned back and crossed his arms, "Look," he tried to find the right words to allow them to understand. He was more than positive that their sudden, strange and distant behavior was because they were ashamed, they felt they had failed a promise they made a lifetime ago and Kunzite was the most affected by it because it did not just hurt his pride as a soldier it hurt his ego as well.

But the truth is, Mamoru missed them. He remembered him as the brothers he never had and had the chance to meet. Call it fate, call it predetermined—whatever happened; they grew up together and went on so many trials, putting their lives in danger in the process. _That_ friendship could not end just like that.

"This is getting old," he looked at them and shrugged his shoulders "You feel guilty—I feel guilty, we all feel guilty—it's a vicious circle that will never end if we continue well—feeling guilty. What's done is done, what happened back then—it's there, in the past."

Kunzite crossed his arms "It is easy for you to say—we failed—"

"Her Majesty the Queen—yes, I get it." Mamoru replied, interrupting him "And I am sure that if the Queen was here, she would be feeling guilty too because she never told me the truth. It's all a guilt ride and we're stuck on it." frowning he rubbed the back of his neck in frustration "I am getting sick of it—really," exasperated he stood up and roamed around the room "If you are here now, you might as well enjoy it."

"See—that is what I said!" Jadeite exclaimed, startling everyone, Mamoru included. Zoisite sweat dropped "No, it is what _I_ said."

"Alright so, if you are aware of it, why do you keep torturing yourselves with it?" Mamoru asked confused. Kunzite looked at him "Because—unlike _them_ , we do not know for how long we will be here."

The answer took Mamoru by surprise, "What?" he frowned, Kunzite sighed and put his beer bottle on the table. All this time he had been chugging down the cold beverage in order to gain the courage he needed to come forward and express what he really felt, "We do not know for how long we will be here."

"Here comes the Limbo thing again..." Jadeite sighed, Mamoru shook his head in more disbelief and confusion "Limbo? What the hell are you talking about?"

Kunzite stood up and looked at Mamoru with a challenging glare like in the old days "We have been part of the spirit world for years now. Unlike Princess Serenity's guardians we were not granted an opportunity to live here as normal civilians—we are here now because we were called upon, there is a mission behind it."

"So basically, you are not thinking about the outcome of you being here but just what brought you here, is that what you are telling me?" Mamoru crossed his arms, "You don't believe that you might actually be able to live here, instead, you prefer to walk down the guilt road—is that easier for you?"

"You are guilty too, you just said it!" Kunzite snapped.

"Yes Kunzite, I am—but I am still here to fight against it," Mamoru frowned, his once sapphire blue eyes turned darker "I can't change the facts now, it's too late. I can't go back in time and fix the mess Beryl and Metallia made, I can't bring anyone back—I can't cancel the fact that I am some sort of mythological hybrid, all I can do now is to fight and protect the future—my future with Serenity."

"Exactly!" Kunzite growled with frustration; Mamoru widened his blue eyes with realization, "Ah, I see... you are angry at me." Jadeite, Zoisite and Nephrite turned to a very upset Kunzite who in response frowned and waved his hand dismissively at the prince, "I am not angry at you." The first in command muttered with bitterness. "Yes, you are," Mamoru walked over to him "You have since you arrived," he turned to the other generals "They have been more open to the idea of living in this era than you."

"You do not understand," Kunzite muttered.

"You are angry that I got to live in this time and era and you didn't," Mamoru stood in front of the very tense general. Jadeite frowned "Are you really angry at him Kunzite?"

"I am not angry!" Kunzite snapped at Jadeite but his grey, cold eyes never left Mamoru's piercing blue ones. Both were challenging themselves, each one with their own justified reasons. "It has been _your_ decision to ignore her, you know?" Mamoru pointed his finger at him, "Don't take it on me."

"You do not understand!" Kunzite raised his voice. Jadeite frowned and turned to Nephrite and Zoisite, "Did I miss something?" Zoisite patted his friend's shoulder trying to listen to the argument since things were getting interesting "Shh—Shh..."

"I don't understand?!" It was Mamoru's turn to raise his voice, his patience now going thin "You don't even know what the hell happened to me after I was reborn here!"

"Well no—we were not here," Jadeite muttered.

"Exactly, you weren't here." Mamoru said ebulliently "You have no idea how much I fought to be where I am now. I just didn't reborn and found Serenity—I had my share of bad experiences and I had to live them alone. I have missed _all_ of you because I had to lose my friends not once but _three_ damn times. Me, just like you, grew mad at the idea of not having you around—the ones I grew up to care as my brothers, but now that you are around you are here on the night before my wedding taking your frustrations on me over something only _you_ can amend and control. I may not have remembered all of my life up until now but I did remember you and it made me feel like the worst person when I was not able to do anything to save you after Beryl was killed."

Kunzite felt the punch to his ego and hung his head low. The prince was right and he was hating every minute of it. The slight, very sneaky way Mamoru brought Minako to the conversation made him even angrier because it was true, he was avoiding her due to his own doubts and confusion. Dismantled and embarrassed, the general looked at his longtime friend and prince and sighed "I do not like you."

Mamoru looked at him query, "What?"

"I do not like you—this... when you are right," Kunzite grumbled. Mamoru arched his brow "You don't like to hear the truth? That's not new."

"Oi..." Kunzite frowned. Mamoru patted his friend's shoulder "Seriously, stop blaming yourself. You didn't fail me _or_ the Queen _or_ the King _or_ your Kingdom—you have said it so—you are here on a mission."

"And what if we have to leave again?" Kunzite said with a different tone, Mamoru knew he was talking about Minako "You don't know that, but if that time comes and we have to cross that bridge, we will think of something, until then, stop punishing yourself and stop being angry at the world—it's appalling."

"Alright—something is quite not right here," Jadeite stood up "What are you talking about?"

Mamoru blinked surprised and turned to Jadeite, "What? You don't know?" he turned to Kunzite again and crossed his arms, "They don't know?" Kunzite sighed heavily and shook his head, "No, they do not know."

"Really?" Mamoru frowned and turned to Nephrite, Zoisite, and a very curious Jadeite " _Really?_ It's very obvious."

"Wait, how do _you_ know?!" Kunzite looked at Mamoru with a pale face, like if he had seen a dead man. Mamoru scoffed, "I found out about it back then, the meetings—the ribbon." Kunzite widened his eyes with shock, "So, you _do_ know."

"Of course, I know." Mamoru shrugged his shoulders and nodded. "What is it that _you_ know and _we_ do not _know_ but we _want_ to _know_?" Jadeite frowned, the question made sense to Nephrite and widened his eyes, "Oh— _I_ know."

"What!?" Jadeite exclaimed, "Now you know now but I do not know?"

"Really?" Zoisite looked at Kunzite with surprise, joining the surprise, "Is that the reason why you have been all somber these days?"

"I do not know what you are talking about!" Jadeite threw his arms out in frustration, "What the hell are you talking about!?" Zoisite sighed and turned to slightly older brother, "What you have for the fire Senshi, he has it for the senshi of love. There, _now_ you know."

"What I have for the—oh," Jadeite widened his eyes then looked down at Zoisite "Oi, what I have for the fire Senshi? What is that supposed to mean?" Mamoru widened his eyes, "Wait, _you_ too?"

"No, no, me nothing!" Jadeite stood up and waved his hands defensively in front of him, Nephrite rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Of course you do."

"No!"

"Of course, you do." Zoisite said dryly, "It is all over your face,"

"No!"

Kunzite frowned and turned to Jadeite "Every time you say 'no' it is more obvious that you do."

"Oh, dear heavens," Mamoru closed his eyes and threw his head back while taking a deep breath, "You love Rei?"

"I do _not._ _love._ Rei _,_ " Jadeite hissed "I just—I have always thought she is lovelier than how she always portrays herself," he turned to Zoisite with a frown, "Just because I offered to help her today, does not mean I am madly in love with her—I was just being polite."

Zoisite sighed, "You just added the word madly to your rant, which confirms your feelings for her."

"Whatever, you love her." Mamoru laughed, "And you have done much more than Kunzite ever has done since he got here. Whoa, okay—I need something to drink and I don't have any more beer left." Mamoru ran his hand through his hair and turned to a very silent Nephrite and Zoisite "So what, are you going to tell me that you have a thing for Mako and you for Ami too?"

Nephrite was taken aback by the prince's comment and blushed, Zoisite bit his lower lip. Mamoru laughed louder "You hypocrites!" he turned on his heel and grabbed his keys, startling the four generals "Oi, Endymion—where are you going?!" Jadeite widened his eyes; Mamoru opened the door and turned to look at them over his shoulder, "There is a bar a couple blocks from here—I need something to drink to digest all this information, come on."

Jadeite's green eyes gleamed with excitement "Wait, is it like that pub we used to visit back then when we were at the training camp?"

"Something like that," Mamoru chuckled "And since you are so in love with Rei, we don't have to worry about you going all crazy and misogynist with every woman around."

All four broke into a fit of laughter that lasted a while at Jadeite's expense, "I do not go all—you are crazy." he frowned. Zoisite chuckled and ruffled Jadeite's blonde hair "Oi!" he exclaimed and turned to look at his laughing comrade, "You really are one of a kind." Zoisite chuckled.

Jadeite looked at him with wide eyes, chuckling he stood up and followed the rest "You all would be lost without me, you know?"

Zoisite looked at him leave the apartment and smiled, it was true—what he said. Things would not be the same with him around. Of all five, Jadeite has always been the one with the lighter sense of humor and never taking himself too seriously. He was the first one taken by Beryl, the first one who died—Zoisite remembered, and when they realized he was not coming back he was the first to become ballistic because after all like the prince said, he was a brother to him despite his constant nagging and scolding.

It did not matter if they went to roam in Limbo like Kunzite said, they had finally gotten another chance to live the life they wished they had since the very beginning, right next to their royal brother, the prince.

* * *

 _Liked it? Leave me a comment below and help keep the good vibes flowing!_

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	29. Chapter 29

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Twenty Nine

 _AN: It's coming. I promise._

 _Also, I've been having a lot of trouble with FF all day today, it's been giving me a difficult time when trying to upload the file. The chapter was intended to be published twelve hours ago... then, the exhausting process of decorating the house for the holidays at my house pulled me into this swirl of never-ending madness and well, here I am, still having trouble. *sigh*_

* * *

The girls had finally arrived at the restaurant, Minako was already waiting on a table at the terrace. She made sure to pick a place where they could have privacy despite being at a very hyped and popular place to dine, she had used her influences at the t.v. station to get them a reservation and a good spot to sit.

The blonde looked absolutely stunning in a deep orange mini shift dress with batwing sleeves and black and white striped sky-high heels. Her hair was braided all the way to her back, leaving her beautiful face exposed and only framed by her long side bangs. Her deep red lips smiled when she spotted Usagi walking with Megumi and waved her hand excitedly, "I love what you're wearing!" she wrapped her arms around her silver-haired blonde friend and then turned to Megumi with the same wide smile, "Yay! Megumi, you came! I am so glad you decided to join us!"

Megumi looked around at the crowded space and the modern decorations; the blown glass chandeliers in many shapes and colors and dimly lighted terrace, the greenery and flowers, the candles on every table, the fancy dining ware, the music—everything was new for her. "It is all so pretty..." she said with awe, Usagi nodded and leaned closer to her, "Right? I've never been here before. It's very difficult to get a reservation in this place... Minako-chan is a wizard to get us into these places."

Minutes after, Makoto arrived with Rei behind. Makoto had a more vintage approach with her high waisted, wide leg white trousers and her black silk thin strapped blouse, black heels and usual high and messy ponytail, "I'm here—bridesmaid #2!"

"Bridesmaid #3's is sorry for being late!" Rei raised her hand apologetically, her outfit, just like her personality was fierce. She wore a sleeveless deep red jumpsuit with leopard high heels, her hair was styled in a slick and polished low ponytail, also revealing her perfectly done makeup and deep burgundy lips. All girls turned to her with shock, "Rei-chan! You look amazing!" Usagi said; Minako blinked and nodded in approval, "No one could ever think you are actually a Shinto Priestess." Rei blushed and took a seat next to Makoto, "So, where's bridesmaid #4?"

"I'm here, I'm here!" she blew her bangs as she made her way to their table, "Oh dear, this place is crowded!" she smiled at the girls and waved at Megumi "Megumi-san! Hi!" The young doctor came in wearing a long, white tunic blouse with golden detailing on her sleeve cuffs and shoulders and faux leather leggings, matching them with black, strappy heels. Her usually perfectly combed hair had a messier, more rocker vibe to it, as she styled it all to the side.

"Look at you all chic," Minako smiled "There is nothing more for me to teach you—I'm so proud!"

"So much nagging had to come in handy someday," Rei giggled and turned to Megumi "Even Megumi-san came all fancy," she smiled, "How are you Megumi-san? I'm so glad you decided to come," Megumi blushed and nodded "Very well, thank you..." she blinked, not sure how to address her, "Rei," the priestess smiled "Call me Rei."

Megumi giggled "Rei."

"Oh, I bet it must be super hard for you to call Usagi or Mamoru by their names," Makoto looked at the girl sipping at her iced water "Well—to me, they will always be my Prince and Princess," Megumi smiled softly. Usagi smiled and nudged her playfully with her arm "You call us whatever you feel more comfortable—it's alright. I know Mamo-chan has given up in insisting you call him Mamoru."

"By the way, did he have anything planned for the night? Is the best man planning something for his friend?" Makoto asked, Usagi sweat dropped and shook her head as he put her drink down, "No, Furu-chan had to take the late shift tonight so he could have free tomorrow. So, he said he was going to sleep early tonight."

"Nope—not happening." All eyes were on Rei who was sipping her drink, "The Shitennou are probably with him as we speak."

"What!? Did they say something to you?" Makoto looked at her raven-haired friend, who chuckled in return, "I gave Jadeite this confetti popper—it was so funny, he had no clue what it was, I told him how to activate it as a celebration for Mamoru's wedding."

"A confetti popper?" Ami giggled, "Where did you get one?"

"Oh, I have a whole stash back at home for every birthday we had celebrated there over the years."

Rei looked down at her menu "Now, what should I order?"

"So you are getting along with them."

Rei blinked and turned to a monotone, slightly annoyed Minako. Rei knew the white-haired general was still the blonde's soft spot and kicked herself mentally for bringing them up to the conversation. Usagi was also aware of the feelings Venus once had for the general and even when time had passed and they had moved on with their lives, she knew it was still a sensitive nerve in Minako's heart. Sensing the tension, she tried to change the topic to avoid any collateral damages and turned to Megumi while holding the menu high up, "So, what are you going to order, Megumi? Everything looks so good, right?"

"It does, everything sounds very delicious..." Megumi nodded effusively, playing along with Usagi's plan as she looked through the many options.

"I mean, it's good you are getting along with them and all—it's cool." Minako shrugged her shoulders, "They are not evil after all... they were just—you know, brainwashed and tried to kill us and their own Prince but—whatever, the past is in the past." she muttered bitterly as she raised her hand to call for a waiter. Rei sighed and leaned back on her seat "Well, they are very nice and respectful, I mean, it's good to finally talk to them without feeling like I have to look over for my life—they're friendly." Minako sighed heavily, "Yes well—that friendliness could have been useful back then."

"Minako-chan..." Ami said softly "Why are you so upset?"

"I'm sorry—I'm sorry." Minako raised her hands defensively, "This night is not about them, is about my two best friends getting married tomorrow—finally!"

"That indeed is true."

All girls turned surprised to see Haruka and Michiru standing behind them, Haruka as always looking dashingly chic in her all so famous androgynous style of slacks and a blazer, contrasting Michiru's delicate deep purple organza mid length dress "Haruka-san! I thought—"

"We were not going to come?" The sandy blonde half smiled and wrapped her arm around the lunar princess' shoulders, startling her "And not celebrate with Odango-chan? Nah—not a chance." her playful tone was a drastic change from the last time they saw each other. Usagi was startled, she did not want to think it was an uncomfortable meeting but the way things were left after she dropped her at Mamoru's apartment made her think she was mad at her.

Minako sighed in relief, mentally thanking the couple for showing up. She knew Usagi could try and pretend that she was a tough woman but deep down, she was a girl with the kindest heart and wished Haruka wasn't so hard on her now when things were slightly different with everything they learned in the past couple of days. At this point, not even she knew how long this would last but they all had to make it work. Megumi and now the heavenly general's presence alerted her that something else might come their way, and they might have to fight but together as a team not like the outer senshi often worked.

"Where is Setsuna-san?" Minako looked around, Michiru tilted her head and smiled "She had to stay at home, she didn't want to leave Hotaru alone—you know how she is." she spotted Megumi sitting next to the princess and looked at her surprised "Ah, look at you—all different," she smiled "I knew there was a beautiful girl underneath all those dirty and ragged clothes." Usagi smiled "She was hesitant at first but had to trust me in the end, she looks lovely isn't she?"

Haruka tightened her arm around the blonde and leaned closer, startling her, "I'm sorry Odango-chan—for what I said, for how I reacted that night..." Usagi widened her eyes "Haruka-san.."

Haruka kissed the princess on her cheek and smiled "I am still going to keep a close eye on him, the moment he turns evil—I will not touch my heart to make him regret his decision."

Usagi finally managed to turn and looked at the blonde in the eye "You know that is not going to happen—right?"

Haruka sighed as charming as ever "You are my priority, I vowed myself to protect you and I love you very much, but like Michiru says—he loves you more and I want to stick to those words."

Usagi's eyes widened even more at hearing those words, "He loves me more..." she said breathlessly. Haruka chuckled and pulled back and took her seat between Michiru and Ami "So—you finally came out of your shell." she looked at Megumi, who was blushing at all the attention the girls were giving her. Michiru ordered for her and Haruka and nudged the blonde on her ribs "But look how beautiful she looks!"

Haruka snickered "Yes, yes, she does. If I hadn't a soft spot for Odango-chan here, I would totally pursue your interest."

Megumi blinked and flushed, Usagi chuckled and patted the maiden's shoulder "She is just joking, don't listen to her." Haruka smiled and raised her glass at the blonde, "For your happiness."

"For your happiness!" The girls raised their glasses to cheer for the soon to be a married couple. Usagi blushed and raised her glass in the end and took a sip thankful to have such wonderful friends in her life. This was the beginning of a new era, a new chapter in her life and for that, she was more than ready.

O—o—o—o—O

At the other side of town in a much less crowded and much more casual and relaxed place, Mamoru was drinking with his longtime friends like if time hadn't gone by. They all chose to stay at the bar due to the proximity and fastness their drinks always got served and also, to keep the feeling of being back in the old days alive—some things just never changed, no matter what. "I still can't believe this," Mamoru shook his head and took another drink of his beer, "All this happened while they came to 'keep the Princess in check'?" he air quoted his words with disbelief. Nephrite, being the politest of all five cleared his throat and sat straight on his stool "It is not like we planned it, they happened to be very polite, very nice."

"You—I can understand, you aren't as explosive as these two," he turned to Kunzite who was sitting next to the prince and Jadeite standing next to Zoisite "Oi, we are not explosive," Kunzite muttered and frowned, "I am still surprised you knew about this." Mamoru chuckled, "I am with Serenity, remember? She told me."

"Ah, so she spoke to your Princess—they like to gossip..." Kunzite took another chug of his beer "Interesting."

"Kunzite," Mamoru looked at him, "The way you two argued all the time—that pretty much gave it away. I found about it on my own, Serenity just confirmed it to me later."

"What?" Kunzite widened his eyes, Jadeite chuckled "Ahhh right... yes, you two wanted to rip yourselves apart."

"How is that going to be obvious?!" Kunzite frowned and looked at his empty beer mug, sighing "It makes no sense." Mamoru smiled, "It's like the little boy at school who likes a girl and doesn't know how to get her attention and starts to tease her just so she notices him..."

"What?" Kunzite frowned and shook his head confused; Mamoru finished his beer and asked for another two refills, one for him and the other for Kunzite, "You were that little boy teasing the girl you like to catch her attention."

The white-haired general shook his head still flabbergasted and annoyed, "That is..."

"Plain common behavior,"

"Stupid,"

Mamoru and Kunzite answered at the same time and frowned. The prince shrugged his shoulder, "You are as stubborn as ever... why are you so afraid of her?"

"I am not afraid of her,"

"So, when are you going to finally arm yourself with some courage and talk to her, eh Kunzite?" Jadeite joked, patting his friend's back; Kunzite turned to Zoisite hoping he might say something to the other blonde like he usually did but this time Zoisite just laughed it off, "No, sorry—I am actually with him on this one."

"Seriously, you need to do something if you ever want to at least count with her as a friend," Mamoru thanked the bartender and slid the refilled cold mug to Kunzite "And this goes to any of you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Jadeite frowned, "I said I do not love her."

"Yes, you do!" All four said out loud at the same time. Jadeite blinked and waved his hand in dismissal. "Bah! What do you know?" he looked at Mamoru and sighed, "Well not you, but them," Zoisite took another drink and sighed, "How do their lives have developed in this era?"

Mamoru pursed his lips, "I am not the right person to tell you what has been of their lives... they all have become a professional in their respective fields of interest, they are still very close friends and well..." he trailed off, startling the blonde "What?" Mamoru turned to look at him, "They all have gone out with people... you know, romantically."

All four men fell silent, "I see..." Zoisite muttered, "Are they with someone at the moment?"

"No," Mamoru put his mug down "Ami, especially."

"Ami?" Zoisite blinked, confused. Mamoru sighed softly, "Mercury,"

"Why do you say that?" Zoisite frowned, interested the information he could gather from the prince, who was giving his blonde friend a query glance, "I don't know if she is still interested in a certain person from our workplace."

"Workplace?" Jadeite frowned, Mamoru nodded "We work together, we are both doctors."

"Hey, you were always very interested in medicine!" The blonde said excitedly, "So, you became one!" Mamoru chuckled and nodded "I did."

"Is he a doctor too?" Zoisite cut through Jadeite's friendly vibe and turned to Mamoru, "Does this man work closely with her?"

"Sometimes," Mamoru put his mug away and leaned his back in the bar "Am—Mercury and this person are interns at the hospital, sometimes they share cases, sometimes they don't. Sometimes we work together, sometimes we don't."

"What do you do?" Jadeite asked, ignoring Zoisite's sudden behavior. Mamoru exhaled heavily, talking about him would mean to remember the reasons why he is in his current dilemma "I'm an Internist—that if I am still a resident. Sometimes they assist me in certain cases but I am not currently working—not with anyone."

Nephrite frowned "If you are still a resident?" he arched his brow, "Meaning?"

Mamoru nodded and tapped the bar with impatience, "Days before the incident at the park, a patient arrived at the hospital in deplorable conditions. He passed away while on my watch and I am being investigated by the medical board."

"People die." Kunzite said bitterly, "Sometimes not even physicians can help people who are meant to die."

"That was somber," Nephrite frowned, "Even for you."

"That's the thing, this person was not meant to die Kunzite. He was possessed by the same shadows we saw working for the Andromedian," Mamoru sighed, "This person died and the reasons are too strange to be real."

"What are those reasons? Nephrite asked; Mamoru lowered his gaze "Unlike the victims at the park, this man could not be saved and collapsed internally."

"I am confused—what does Mercury's love interest have to—" Jadeite turned to a shocked Zoisite "Oh, sorry..." then turned back to Mamoru and frowned, "What does he have to do in all this?"

"He put a complaint on me. The board is studying the case and judging my integrity as a doctor because he presented reasons to be looked at." All four men fell silent, "He can do something like that?" Jadeite asked surprised, Mamoru nodded and took another drink of his beer "Anyone can, when a patient's life is in danger,"

"But they have to understand it does not have to do with you." Kunzite frowned, Mamoru pursed his lips, "Well, yes... but it doesn't work that way... so, in the meantime, I am working just a few hours a day and the rest I am at meetings with the board trying to defend my honor." Kunzite sighed with annoyance, "It is difficult to see dealing with situations like these..."

"Why?" Mamoru arched his brow, Kunzite looked at him "Your integrity being questioned, really? If anybody did that back then he would have been beheaded by the King's court."

Mamoru widened his eyes and sweat dropped "Oi, Kunzite—what's with your somber attitude?"

"It is true and you know it."

Mamoru gave his friend a querying glare, "The King was not a tyrant." Kunzite frowned, "I am not saying it because King Eros was a tyrant, I am saying it because you were not just his son, you were his right hand. You knew your work and you excelled in it, so whenever someone questioned your integrity as a political advisor theirs was put under a serious judgment given you gave such positive results with your work." Kunzite sighed heavily and put his mug down with a loud thump on the bar, "This does not make any sense. What the hell happened to society?" The white-haired man shook his head in disbelief, "What the hell happened to you?"

Mamoru looked at his closest friend with a serious glare, but Kunzite decided to continue for him "You were a man with authority and sharp skills, if there was a problem it took you little to nothing to find a solution or to come with a strategy to tackle the problem from its root or prevent it from even starting—people in Elysion looked up to you with admiration and respect because you were a good example of work and dedication. The four cardinal points respected your word—you were a leader, nobody could bring you down. By saying that you were a man with authority I do not mean to say you were a tyrant but you were there to support the King and advised him to take action with a fair hand on every matter. It was the first time in history a Royal Prince became a military commander and a political advisor to a King... you were your own kind Endymion, and now... well... I do not understand. As your right hand and as one of the Generals that worked side by side with you, finding you in this position where you have to stay back and wait for others to take action is outrageous to me because I know for a fact that it is not who you are and that is another good reason as to why I have been so mad at this era you are stuck in... it is like the Prince I learned to respect and followed with pride died and never returned."

Mamoru felt like he had taken a blow with a cannonball and was left with no air in his lungs; Kunzite's words while somber were brutally true. Now that he started to remember all the things he did as a prince, he could see what his long-time friend was trying to say and he understood his frustration partly because he felt it too. As a child, Endymion would escape his bedchambers in the middle of the night while he knew everyone was sleeping and sneak into his father's private library to read the many books he had about the history of warriors; at the age of nine, the young prince read about politics and religion, sword fighting and combat skills because he wanted to become someone like those warriors so bravely described in those books he loved and inspired him so much; he wanted to have enough power to protect his loved ones and kingdom and in the future, earn a place in those books as the prince who fought for his people and inspire others who dreamt and desired to be more in life, just like him. He wanted to break the standards of royalty and become a prince reliable to his people, someone they could look up to and feel with enough confidence to approach and talk to him about their problems and after much work and dedication, he succeeded.

The path he chose in life wasn't the best and it didn't come easy but every speck of it was worth it. The respect he had gotten over the years was earned fair and square that not even a man as unbreakable as Kunzite who swore to never look up to him as his prince and leader could deny and now, none of that existed in this present era. Mamoru knew it and the more he remembered the more he understood Kunzite's frustration and while he never felt minimized by the girls who clearly had shown more power than him in the past, he did admit there were times when he felt more like an obstacle rather than an ally—especially to Usagi. Sometimes, as much as he hated to admit it, Mamoru didn't feel like he was worthy enough to be with someone like her and as a man, not being able to do much consumed his ego and pride along with his undying effort to earn his rightful place in the world.

"I don't know how to answer your question Kunzite... I know it is not about who has more control over whom but I can't say much about it. They wanted me hidden, Gaia wanted me to me invisible to them—so did Ares, that is all I can really say... about what happened to me, I didn't know what I do now, I didn't remember..." Mamoru shrugged his shoulders trying to shake the uncomfortable feeling of pity overtaking him, "I evolved and blended with the ways of modern society—with this new world."

The somber tone in Mamoru's voice was enough for Kunzite and the others to understand what he meant when he said he didn't have things easy after he was reborn in this era. He had to learn things the hard way with less than half of his memories and just a speck of the power they well knew he had. As soldiers and guardians, but mostly as soul brothers, they silently admitted that what was done to their prince was low and degrading. It was appalling to witness the lengths they went to keep him sedated from reality all these years just to degrade his value to the gods. It infuriated them to see how his talents wasted and how the strong and fearless warrior prince they so much admired by heart was minimized to be an alibi in battle rather than the leader they knew he was.

There was a little sadness behind Mamoru's smile, after taking another drink of his beer he put the mug behind him "Nothing is like you remember and I am not saying it like it's a bad thing, but those days don't exist anymore—time has changed, that civilization doesn't—" he widened his blue eyes and stopped, startling the rest. Kunzite arched his brow. "Endymion?"

"Everything alright?" Zoisite frowned with concern, Mamoru nodded and turned to the generals "There is something I need you to help me with..." Kunzite sighed and crossed his arms, "Do you even have to ask? What is it?"

"I will be away for a few days after the wedding so I won't have much time to look into it until my return."

"What is it?" Nephrite frowned, Mamoru bit his lower lip thinking about the reportage he heard about from Usagi's father and rubbed his chin in thought before continuing, "There are two archaeologists who are causing quite to commotion these days, apparently they made a huge discovery... I don't know why but... it peaks my attention."

"A discovery?" Zoisite arched his brow with curiosity, "What kind of discovery?"

"An ancient civilization." Mamoru said bluntly "In this day and age, for someone to claim they discovered the ruins of an entire ancient civilization that is older than humanity itself is strange."

"I see..." Nephrite rubbed his chin in the same way Mamoru did, "You want us to find out more about this?"

"Do you think it has to do with what has been happening lately?" Kunzite arched his brow, Mamoru shook his head "I am still not sure, but there is something about it that triggers my curiosity."

"We will look into it and try to find as much information as possible, leave it to us," Kunzite nodded, Mamoru looked at his friend, thankful that he was back to being his old self "Thank you," he grinned with mischief, "You know, you can ask the girls for some help—that would be a good way to continue where you left on."

"Wait, is this a plan of yours to bring us closer? I thought you were actually being serious... damn it, Endymion!" Kunzite frowned, Mamoru laughed "I am being serious! I do need help with this matter but you know—they are soldiers too, you have to give them the credit they deserve."

"What do you think it is about—all this?" Zoisite tilted his head, "Do you feel it has to do with us?"

Mamoru pursed his lips and combed the dark bangs covering his left eye with his fingers, "I haven't felt anything strange since that day. But at this point, anything can be related to us... I wouldn't be surprised if it is,"

"What does the Princess say?" Jadeite put his mug on the bar and leaned forward, Mamoru looked at him and clicked his tongue, "The last battle we had was eight years ago. We thought we had fought Chaos—now we know we didn't but since then, we hadn't had any strange or threatening situations that required our power and attention—until now. During that period of time, we grew fond of our normal lives and Serenity was no exception. A month ago, I started having these strange visions and hear strange voices when nobody was around but I didn't want to say anything to her, I didn't want to worry her. We then found out Rei had an encounter with an enemy, Minako found Megumi and well—the rest is history... it's been hard for everyone, especially Serenity."

"Endymion, I am sorry but I really have to ask... how did you manage to fight?" Kunzite frowned, "You know, with little to no power?" Mamoru arched his brow with sarcasm, "Why, thank you. You haven't lost your charm—I see."

Kunzite narrowed his eyes, "You are very welcome. I mean, before the girl appeared... you did not have that sword, you did not remember anything—how did you manage to fight?" Kunzite shook his head, "How did you learn to use that power we saw coming from you the other day?"

"Ah... that," Mamoru pursed his lips as he thought his words very carefully because he knew he could cause a commotion, "Alright, this will sound strange but—" he sighed, hoping for the best, "I was taught by King Endymion."

Four pairs of eyes widened, Jadeite started laughing startling Mamoru "What?"

" _You_ are King Endymion." Jadeite pointed his finger at him, Mamoru arched his brow "No... I am _Prince_ Endymion."

Jadeite blinked, dumbfounded by the statement "Wait... no... I-I don't understand."

"Who is this other Endymion then? I did not know your name was popular..." Zoisite frowned, also, very confused. Mamoru shook his head and sighed a little exasperated, "It's not... okay, see? I told you this was going to sound strange. There is no _other_ Endymion... this Endymion I am talking about is me but from the future."

"What?!" Kunzite snapped, Mamoru sighed heavily, "I told you... I didn't have it easy to be where I am now,"

"What are you talking about? Prince—King, present—future? You being you—what?!" Kunzite shook his head confused. Mamoru rubbed the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath, hoping to make some sense and nodded, "I once talked to my future self." he looked at his brothers, "I once crossed the Gates of Time and Space and went to a distant future with the help of Sailor Pluto so we could fight an enemy that was threatening this time continuum."

"What? When? How?" Jadeite shook his head in disbelief "What?!"

"You met your future self?!" Nephrite asked in shock "Is that even possible?"

"Well... no, it's not and it is not allowed either," Mamoru finished his beer and put the mug aside "But because my future self was not conscious—it didn't affect either of us... that much."

"Oi, this is getting too confusing," Jadeite huffed and puffed with exhaustion; Zoisite scratched the back of his head, still confused and very curious, "Alright, putting that aside—how did he teach you?"

"He told me what to do and how to channel my energy to attack an enemy," Mamoru said simply and frowned, "But he didn't tell me why I could do it, even him kept the truth a secret, bastard."

"That bastard is you..." Jadeite quirked a brow at Mamoru who was shrugging his shoulders in response, "I know, but still..."

"So, you will become King," Kunzite narrowed his eyes, "You will follow King Eros' steps and take the throne as rightful heir to the crown of Earth,"

"I don't know Kunzite, that was something Pluto told us it could happen years ago and also something even you told me it was going to happen," Mamoru sighed, "But talking about time and space is very complicated, what we saw back then of our future selves is just one of the many possibilities. The future is always changing and we weren't allowed to know what happened to take us to a point where I become King and Serenity Queen."

Jadeite scratched his nose "How do you know that for sure, that it is not what it is supposed to happen?"

"Serenity was supposed to become Queen by the age of 22—she's 24... among other things that didn't happen..." Mamoru said softly and looked away, opting not to mention the daughter they are supposed to have to avoid more confusion and questions. "I see—so this either can happen or not." Kunzite muttered; Mamoru nodded "Exactly. The point is, I did feel more like an obstacle than assistance at the beginning, I didn't know anything about me. I was this common thief lurking in the shadows, looking for a stone I didn't know what the hell it was or did—I had visions of Serenity and I didn't know it was her... it was all a big blur."

Jadeite chuckled "Alright let me get this straight... you are so strong you can make the future you help your past self to fight in the present?" he smiled with amazement "If that is not the power of a god, I don't know what the hell it is then," Mamoru widened his eyes startled and turned to look at him with a query glare, "I am not a god Jadeite."

"Yes, you are," Jadeite frowned "You are no hybrid; they may say you are a monster but now I see why they were so intimidated by your existence," he chuckled and shook his head "And to be one at your service, well—that is just amazing."

Mamoru looked at his friend and guardian with awe, he never thought about it. He never thought about the power that it is required to do what they did those years back and came to realize that it was him the only one who could detach from his body and contact them. Did the king from the 30th century had full control of the power Ares said he had? Was that kind of strength even possible? Not even Neo Queen Serenity could endure the battle, she, the Goddess of the Moon, the Monarch of the Lunar Kingdom and Heir to the powerful Silver Crystal. She was protected by it, yes, but she was unconscious while he on the other side remained suspended between two worlds—half awake, half asleep. He had that kind power.

Jadeite's words made him wonder that maybe there was still more for him to know that he already knew. There was a reason why he became King and not just because of a leap of destiny or because he was the Lunar Queen's husband. This was something else, it was the fate of the afterlife.

"Well, this is all too much to process in one take and I think it is time for you to go to sleep," Kunzite brought Mamoru back from his thoughts, "A very busy day is ahead of you and you must be fully prepared,"

"True, and you have to be on time—we cannot be the cause of your delay." Nephrite said softly as she stood up from his stool "You did it Endymion," he looked at his prince proudly "We all knew you would, one way or another." Mamoru smiled "Did you really?" he narrowed his deep blue eyes, "That is so kind of you..."

"Yes well—do not get too used to it." Kunzite nudged the prince's ribs with his elbow "We are not of those people who give compliments all the time." Mamoru chuckled and turned to grab his wallet, startling the white-haired general "What are you doing?"

"Okay—back then we didn't need to do it but in this era, when you go to an establishment, you have to pay for what you ordered." Mamoru said sarcastically but was soon surprised by Kunzite's hand pushing his wallet away "We got this."

"What?" Mamoru frowned, "You don't have any money."

Jadeite chuckled and turned to the bartender who was giving them their check, the blonde took it and waved his hand in front of him and a hint of energy sparked in his hand making the bartender look at them with a friendly smile "Thanks! Have a good night." Jadeite turned to Mamoru and wiggled his brows, "How do you think we lived in this world back then? Just how do you think we bought the attires for your wedding the other day?" he joked "And no, before you try to argue with me—it is not an abuse of power."

Mamoru looked at him wide-eyed "You just fooled the poor man!"

"No, I gave him money—in his head." Jadeite and tapped his forehead, "This is the way we can survive in this world if we ever plan to live in it... that until we find something else to do."

Mamoru shook his head and turned to walk away, "Wow..."

"I am with him in this one Endymion," Zoisite caught the prince's attention "We are not entirely human, at least not anymore—but we will find a better use for those powers."

"Please do, because it's unnerving to see you do things like this," Mamoru arched his brow and walked out of the bar. All five men walked in the direction of Mamoru's apartment "Are you going to stay at home or heading back to the shrine?"

"Well," Kunzite sighed, "Our belongings are at the Shrine so, I think we will have to go back but we will be here very early in the morning back at your place,"

"Is the girl staying with the Princess?" Nephrite asked, Mamoru looked for his phone and checked if he had any messages from her, since the music at the bar was a little loud and while it worked for them due the complexity of their conversation he could not hear his phone in case Usagi called or texted, "No, like you—her things are at my place."

O—o—O

After a short while, they finally got to Mamoru's apartment and walked inside "So... Endymion," Jadeite followed Mamoru to the kitchen while the rest went to lounge at the living room, already feeling more like back in the day. "Yes?" Mamoru said while getting a glass of water, Jadeite rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, "Who is the man that lives at the shrine with Mars?"

Mamoru closed the refrigerator door and turned to look at him while drinking his water in one large gulp "Are you finally admitting that you love her?" he grinned at Jadeite who was exhaling deeply, "I believe I am... but just to you."

Mamoru put the glass away and leaned on the counter, crossing his arms over his chest, "That man used to be Rei's lover—but he isn't anymore because he did something he shouldn't have done." The comment triggered Jadeite's both curiosity and protective character and widened his eyes "What did he do?"

"He was unfaithful to her, in the worst way possible," Mamoru looked at his friend and sighed, "I won't go into much detail because it is something that does not concerns me or you for that matter, it's her life, but he hurt her. The bastard broke her heart." Mamoru narrowed his sapphire colored eyes, "Jadeite, if you want to attempt anything with her, as her friend and yours—I will even pull out my royal credentials and talk to you as your Prince, your Commander or whatever... Do not hurt her, don't you even try because I will personally make you regret it so bad you are going to wish not having been brought back from Limbo or wherever you were lost in."

"I do not want to hurt her," Jadeite said in a more serious tone, putting all jokes aside; his eyes showed truth and determination. He wanted to know more about her and her current life and of course, the man that was obviously distressing her. "But it is just that she is always very gloomy when he is around, the tension between them is very obvious."

"It's much more complicated than you think, Jadeite." Mamoru pursed his lips "She cared for him, very much."

"Then why does he live there?"

"Like I said, it's much more complicated than you think." Mamoru shook his head, "Don't make any rash decisions, be considerate."

"Well, he is not happy to have us around, that is for sure..." Jadeite said bluntly "But I do not like him being there either, so..."

Mamoru chuckled "You're jealous—he's jealous. I get it. He's been trying to win her affection all over again but of course that is just but a pipe dream," he sighed, "Jadeite, please don't pressure her."

Jadeite smiled at him and shook his head "You all think I am this crazy man that just falls in love with random people but the truth is, Endymion, I did love that woman—you know, that one and I couldn't get over her, I suffered her betrayal but everything changed the minute I met this woman with the heart of fire. Even if things do not go as I would expect or want them to happen with her, at least I want to let her know that she is not alone—that I can be a friend to her."

Mamoru smiled and patted his friend's shoulder "You are not crazy Jadeite, sorry for giving you such a hard time."

"Nah—you are not perfect either—you have your sins too." Jadeite's grin widened "You did your share of crazy stupid things back in the day..." Mamoru blushed and turned to look away, "I-I don't know what you're talking about..."

Jadeite laughed, "Ah, sure you do! Just remember what happened when we all went to that pub on our first night in town..." Mamoru frowned and pointed an accusing finger at his friend, "Hey, you dragged me into that!"

"You got drunk first!" Jadeite raised his hands, "I just encouraged you a little—you didn't have to go all the way and stand on the bar and sing your lungs out to the ladies there... in the end, you got all the girls' attention and forgot we were even there. You sing pretty by the way... like an angel in heaven,"

"Jerk," Mamoru blushed with deep embarrassment, Jadeite patted his friend's arm, "Don't worry—I will not tell the Princess that you were quite the charmer, or that you sing..." Mamoru looked at him, "Thank you,"

"Now that I think about it, you used that pretty face of yours to your advantage very often and became quite the ladies' man once you understood what you could get in return..."

"Oi, Jadeite..." Mamoru's blush deepened, making the blonde crack a cheerful laugh. Not every day the stoic image of the terran prince could be faltered, so he was going to enjoy for as long as it could last. Kunzite leaned back on the couch and tried to get a glimpse of both men talking in the kitchen "What are you talking about over there?!"

Jadeite chuckled and shook his head "Nothing Kunzite, I am just making fun of Endymion. You know how crazy I am..."

Mamoru chuckled and shook his head. Jadeite's sudden confession was a different spin from his usual playful character; all those years they made fun of him because he was with an awful woman, a woman that never really cared for him and shred his heart until she was satisfied. They thought Jadeite was just being Jadeite by ignoring it but neither of them imagined he was indeed in love with her and that he indeed was heartbroken when she left him.

Jadeite was much more than the sarcastic funny man he always portrayed to be. He was the first to extend his hand to the prince and offer his friendship when he joined the army. The first who saw him like one of them and not a royal, he was an equal to him and he was fair. The terran queen did not choose him to be shitennou because he was funny; he chose him because he was strong-willed and had a kind heart and because he lived to serve to his purpose and when needed, he willingly risked it all. Maybe that is why he insisted him to protect Rei because deep down they both need each other and he knew he could make her happy. She needs to laugh again and he needs to feel secure and what better place to start fresh, than the future?

Love can be funny and smart like that.

* * *

 _AN2: I am thinking on taking a break for the holidays but I am still deciding whether I should stick to the normal publishing schedule every Friday or give you the whole wedding next week and then take the break-hmm... let's see..._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	30. Chapter 30

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Thirty

* * *

It was the first hours of a new day; the sun moved slowly from the horizon up to the sky bringing light to a fresh and breezy morning. Like warm ribbons of golden silk, its light filtered the thin slits from the shades and curtains from every window of the very crowded house.

An endless pattern of blurred lines moved slowly with the sun from the end of a bed to the face hiding under a fluffy pillow. As the warm light moved across the room like a magnificent morning dance and covered the body with its welcoming warmth, it was finally caught by a heart-shaped pink diamond making it sparkle in hundreds of tiny rainbows across her blush pink duvet.

Usagi turned her head and slowly, opened her clear blue eyes, and stared at the large balcony windows on her side while her hand lazily rested over her forehead. She took a deep breath and turned to her side, to face the light while exhaling with content. Her eyes stared at the clear blue sky while she let herself being embraced by the warmth coming from the sun shining brightly outside; she didn't need to look any further to know it was going to be a wonderful day.

With eyes full of emotion, Usagi looked at the ring on her hand and paid close attention to every little detail on it for the hundredth time since the previous night and smiled. It had been eight years since she got the first version of the ring she was now wearing. Since Mamoru returned from America and after he anchored a residence at the hospital, he insisted on changing it or at least give the ring some well-deserved and much-needed care maintenance to what she would always say it wasn't needed as long as he was with her, until he surprised her with a much-updated ring one Christmas morning, went on one knee, and gave her the most heartfelt proposal that finally made it official with that simple question that made any girl's heart explode with emotion.

It was no longer a promise, it was time—their time.

Usagi looked at the stunning stone gleaming on her finger and thought in how she had worn it every time like her most sacred of treasures from her happiest to her toughest times, new or old ring, it made her think it was because of what it represented that she could keep her sanity despite all the madness that happened all around her. Her eyes could feel the burn of some tears forming when she thought of the moment when she almost lost Mamoru and her friends because of Galaxia—because of Chaos. Usagi remembered the battle that happened later on and what she had to do to stop it. The battle to save the Earth and the universe from the grasp of evil and darkness. A battle they had won or at least she thought they had won.

Eight years can be said easily but to them and especially to her, it was probably the most significant thing to say ever. She had been on the brink of death too many times and risked her life to save her loved ones too many times. She had joined forces with powerful soldiers who was grateful to have as friends and have also met some of the darkest beings in the galaxy. She had cried, laughed, had reunited with her millenary lover, daydreamed and fought for love and justice and just to think how all started one fateful day when she met a cat with a band-aid on its forehead and as she stared at her ring, it made sense to her to believe that the ring summed it all.

Usagi smiled again at the memory of the gorgeous man looking at her with both emotion and nervousness while putting her promise ring on that day at the airport and later, the beautiful moment he went on one knee and sealed the promise with her new engagement ring. The man she had shared her dreams and fears since forever, the man that had died for her and found her again in another time. Her best friend, her accomplice, her lover—the man of her dreams.

With a slow and graceful movement, Usagi moved her hand away and heard the sound of footsteps going from one side to the other in the hallway outside her bedroom knocking on doors, opening windows and motioning people to rush until finally, those urgent feet stood outside of her bedroom door, "Usagi?" Her mother's warm voice called for her as she slowly opened the door and closed it behind her without knowing her daughter was already awake.

"Usagi, dear?" Ikuko walked closer to her daughter's bed and sat next to her, "It's time to get up."

Usagi smiled softly and turned to look at her mother over her shoulder, "I'm awake."

Ikuko blinked with surprise and smiled "Well, this is a first! Good morning dear," she went to open the curtains "Did you sleep well?" Usagi nodded and yawned softly, "Sleep has never been a problem for me, Mama."

Usagi's comment made Ikuko burst in laughter as she slowly held her daughter's hand and looked at her with emotion gleaming in her eyes, "Today is the day," she closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, "I must say, this house is going to feel very lonely without you here," she opened her dark eyes and looked at her daughter, "But I couldn't be happier for you two, I know for sure that you are going to be very happy."

Usagi smiled sat on her bed and tightened her grip on her mother's hand "Mama, thank you for all your support. I know Papa could have given Mamo-chan a harder time if he had the chance and if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be marrying at all in the first place,"

Ikuko giggled and shrugged her shoulders, "Your father was just worried this day would come. Since the moment Mamoru stepped foot in this house we both knew he was the man that was going to take you away with him." Usagi blushed and looked down at her pink comforter and bit her lip, "I'm worried that Papa will never accept him as his son in law."

Ikuko chuckled and waved her hand, startling Usagi, "Oh dear, that is not going to happen," she chuckled again and patted her hot rollers in place again with her hand, "Mamoru won your father's trust and respect a long time ago, but he is just too stubborn to admit it."

Usagi giggled and shook her head "He _is_ stubborn."

" _Very,_ " Ikuko sighed dreamily and caressed her daughter's face softly, "That young man adores you with all his heart, there is no question about that. It may have been a couple of years since he asked for our blessing but I believe it was the way destiny wanted it to happen. You both now have a career and you are ready to start a new life as a married couple; you will face your own challenges and live new experiences—it's very different to live with a husband than just date a boyfriend, but, I can tell you with certainty that it is very much worth it. There are still so many things you need to learn from one another, be patient, be communicative, and remember how you overcame many obstacles to stay together." Ikuko smiled and tucked a piece of hair behind her daughter's ear, "I couldn't be happier, to see my beautiful daughter marrying the man of her dreams—it just brings so much joy to my heart."

Usagi's eyes gleamed with tears in her eyes "Mama..."

Ikuko sniffled softly and wiped a tear threatening to fall, "Alright young lady, everything's ready for you to take a warm shower; the girls will be here soon to help you so you better start getting ready." Ikuko smiled and patted her daughter's hand. Usagi nodded and leaned closer, wrapping her arms around her mother in a warm embrace "We'll be here every Sunday for breakfast, lunch, or dinner."

Ikuko chuckled, "You better, those plum tarts won't eat by themselves,"

"Ah, yes... the plum tarts... he _really_ likes them, you know?"

"I know, why do you think I keep baking them?"

Usagi chuckled, "I don't know... maybe Papa likes them too? He never complains," Ikuko shook her head, "No dear, Papa doesn't like my plum tart, he doesn't complain because he knows I could go on cooking strike." She pulled back and tucked a strand of silver blonde hair behind her ear with a smile on her face, "Alright," she stood up and turned on her heel, "I have to wake your brother and the rest of the family downstairs..." she turned to look over her shoulder at her daughter, "Shower, _now._ "

Usagi chuckled and turned to see Luna coming into her room and climbed into the bed. "I'm glad you are finally awake," she looked at the door and lowered her voice "People outside are going from one place to another like crazy."

"Where were you?" Usagi frowned, "I thought you were asleep,"

Luna sat regally next to Usagi on the bed and looked out the window, "I went to take some fresh air," she sighed and turned to look at the blonde with teary eyes, "I am very happy for you Usagi-chan, I really am." Usagi widened her eyes "Luna…"

"You have matured so much since the day I found you, you became a strong warrior and have done so many wonderful things. I am very proud of you and I am very happy you and Mamoru are finally going to be together—you deserve to be happy, together." The feline watched the blonde with endearment and tilted her head to the side, "I'm going to miss you Usagi-chan."

Usagi felt her cheeks flush and her eyes burn with hot tears, she moved closer to the black cat and shook her head "I'm not going anywhere, Luna." The black feline purred and rubbed her head against Usagi's arm "You need to have your privacy, I cannot barge into your home like that."

"You won't be _barging,_ you are part of our family— _my_ family. I understand you don't want to stay with us all the time but there will always be going to be a place for you and Artemis at our home."

Luna cleared her throat and sat straight like the regal cat she is "As a matter of fact—I've been talking to Artemis and..."

"...And?"

"We are planning on living together, with Minako-chan."

Usagi widened her sparkling blue eyes and raised her hands with excitement "Oh my god! Oh my god!" She smiled widely, "Things finally settled—you made up!" she gasped with glee, "That is so wonderful! Do you know how much we all waited for this moment to happen, like, to really happen?!" She blinked and quickly changed her face to confused, at the silent, expressionless black cat "Luna?" Usagi blinked as she asked again as she turned her head and saw one of her cousins staring at her with a worried look on her face.

Usagi blinked and turned to Luna, then to the girl and blushed "I…" she trailed off, knowing it was practicable futile to try to defend her current position; what the girl had seen is what was really happening—she was talking to her cat. She cleared her throat and sat straight on the bed again, trying to regain some of that gracefulness to patch the awkwardness of this moment. "Yes, Izumi-chan?" She asked with a more serious tone in her voice. The light-haired girl pointed at the stairs and bit her lip, "Um... Aunt Ikuko says you _really_ need to go and take a shower before the stylist comes to do your hair and makeup."

"Oh," Usagi bit her lip and turned to see Luna who was nodding her head, and while she couldn't speak because there were more people in the room, she could almost hear the feline's motherly tone, scolding her on how she was going to be late for her own wedding if she did not hurry up and start getting ready. After she scratched Luna's ear for a few seconds, she stood up and went straight to the bathroom. The young girl stayed in Usagi's room while she was taking a shower and roamed around while staring at the many pictures of what seemed to be her cousin's friends and their many adventures together. One of them showed four girls, each very different from the other wearing ski gear and drinking hot cocoa at a cabin near a fireplace; another showed Usagi at the beach with other girls drinking margaritas and there were others with all eight girls reunited at different places.

Her light hazel eyes looked at each picture with detail, one after another, until they landed on a picture that caught her total attention. It was a picture showing Usagi and a dark-haired man in what appeared to be a fancy party; there was something about the picture that really made the young girl look at it with more attention; it looked personal, both were smiling widely just like someone would do when is having a good time. The lighting was not the best and the angle was a little crooked but it was the way they both looked so happy and enjoying the moment what made the picture:

"Perfect."

The girl widened her eyes and turned to look at Usagi who walked inside her bedroom and closed the door behind her "The picture, I think it's perfect." She went to sit on her vanity and scooped some rose scented body butter and started rubbing it on her arms and neck, "It's not the best picture of us; of all the ones we've taken over the years—this is probably the worst, but, I just love it. It's my favorite—it's from new year's."

"Why?" Asked the girl while looking at the picture again. Usagi smiled and tilted her head "Because he looks so happy... Mamo-chan smiles in pictures but not like that, it was spontaneous. He just took out his phone and took the picture because he knew it's exactly what I wanted at that precise moment, right before the countdown ended. The girl turned to Usagi and sat on the bed, "How long have you been together?" She asked with curiosity. Izumi was a girl in her early years, seventeen years old—Usagi came to remember. Ash brown hair and pale colored skin; she had big hazel eyes, so full of expression and clarity. Her face shared a similarity with Usagi's when it came to its delicate oval shape. She was close to Shingo despite the small age difference, and she used to come and visit very often when she was younger but it was because of Usagi's side job as a soldier of justice that kept her mostly out of the picture every time she wanted to spend quality time with her, growing a much stronger bond with her brother.

Usagi turned to grab a large-tooth comb and started to comb her damp hair while looking at her cousin reflected in her mirror and smiled softly, "More than you can imagine..."

Izumi smiled and looked at her cousin then at the sleeping cat on the bed "Do you always talk to your cat as if she was a person?" She began petting Luna softly and giggled, "She's very soft." Luna purred in her lap. Usagi blushed and saw Luna open one burgundy eye while still receiving her little massage, "Luna is very special to me, she has been with me when I have needed comfort the most," she smiled softly "She is family."

"Must be nice…" the young girl said softly and sighed, "Now that you are moving out, it is going to be hard to spend time together next time I come to visit." Usagi chuckled and turned to look at her, "I am not going to be far away and you can always come and visit me."

"Shingo says nothing but good things about your boyfriend," the girl said softly, "He says he's the coolest guy he's ever met," she giggled "And that he was very shocked when he learned you two were dating for real."

The silver blonde sighed softly, "Yeah..." she turned to look at the young girl and smiled after sitting next to her on the bed. "Hey," she held the teen's hands and looked at her in the eye "I know I wasn't around too much when you came to visit, but it's not because I didn't want to spend time with you, trust me, I had a lot going on, but I really enjoyed when you came here to spend your vacations with us. Maybe this could be a good start for us to bond again, if you come back again soon, we can go shopping and do stuff only girls like to do."

The young girl's eyes lit up with excitement "Really?"

"Sure thing!"

"That would be great!"

"Alright! So, it's a plan..." Usagi smiled and turned to the door where a young red-haired woman all dressed in black, stood next to her mother, "Dear, Yumiko-san, is here to start doing your hair and makeup."

O—o—o—o—O

The scent of freshly brewed coffee caught Megumi's attention as she walked out of her bedroom and found Mamoru sitting on the sofa and casually drinking from his favorite black mug, one Usagi gave him that had the constellation of Leo engraved in gold that curiously enough, matched her white one with the constellation of Cancer engraved in silver. *He remembered that day when she came to the apartment to wrap some Christmas presents she had bought for her friends and family and gave him the mug with a wide smile of accomplishment on Christmas day, the first one they had spent just the two of them. She loved it every time she found little things that hinted that secret part of their lives; she loved sharing little things like those with him, things that were not meant for everyone to understand, even if it came in the shape of matching mugs.

He was too immersed in the article he was reading in the paper as he took another long sip of his coffee completely unaware that he was no longer alone. "Your Highness!"

Mamoru choke on his hot drink while he jolted in his seat, trying not to spill the hot beverage all over him and the sofa and turned to see Megumi standing next to him still a little shook by her sudden apparition, "M-Megumi, I didn't see you there..." He quickly turned to look for a napkin to wipe the splashes of coffee off his chin. Megumi turned to the clock in one of the bookshelves and then at him and frowned, "What are you doing?"

"Uh..." Mamoru raised his mug and arched a brow as a sardonic gesture, "Drinking coffee..." he frowned softly, "What are _you_ doing up at this hour? You stayed up until very late last night with the girls _and_ you helped Usa pack... you can go back to sleep for another while until it's time to get ready,"

Megumi blinked, still very aghast, "It is still not the time?"

"No," Mamoru smiled and shook his head, "It's still very early... the wedding won't happen until the afternoon and it's nine in the morning,"

"B-But the girls said Her Highness had to be up very early to start getting ready," Megumi scratched her head showing confusion about the whole thing making Mamoru chuckle, "Well, that is because people from Usa's family are probably staying at her house and things must be a little hectic over there. She has to be up earlier than everyone else because she's the bride—she needs more time to get ready than I do." He patted a spot next to him on the sofa, "We, on the other hand, can keep it calm for a while,"

Megumi blushed but willingly went to take the offered seat next to him, "B-But it is your wedding day..."

Mamoru took another sip of his coffee and turned to look at her with a soft smile, "Yes, yes, it is, but, the bride is the center of attention, plus, Usa is not the most punctual person in the world so she needs to get up earlier than usual to be on time." He pinched Megumi's nose softly, "So, coffee? I made plenty..." the comment and the relaxed tone of his voice made Megumi feel less stressed, making her smile, "Alright, thank you, Your Highness,"

Mamoru nodded and went to the kitchen to refill his mug and fill one for Megumi. The young maiden looked at the paper Mamoru was reading and leaned forward to take a closer look and then turned to take the mug Mamoru was offering her and diverted her gaze at her hot beverage as she felt him sit next to her again, "Um... Your Highness... there is something I would like to consult with you..."

Mamoru took a sip of his coffee and turned the page of the paper to give it a quick glance before turning to Megumi, "Consult with me? That sounds... serious," he folded the paper on the coffee table and gave his full attention to the young maiden with a concerned look on his face, "Everything okay?"

Megumi bit her lower lip and nodded, "Yes... it is just... well... I have been thinking..."

"Yes?"

Megumi turned to look at her prince shyly, "How it would be a good idea to spend some time with Lady Uranus and Neptune at their home." The unexpected comment made Mamoru arch a brow in a sardonic manner, "Huh?"

"After you wed Her Highness, you will need your privacy and you will not get any of that if I am here," Megumi looked down at her mug again, "I know today it is not the best time to talk about it but it just came up yesterday during dinner and I think it is a fair offering for me to take,"

"Hm," Mamoru tightened his lips for a minute and took a sip of his coffee to study Megumi's words carefully, "Is it something _you_ want to do or is it something _they_ are asking you to do?"

Megumi widened her eyes, "Your Highness?"

"Megumi," Mamoru sighed softly and put his mug on the table and turned to hold her hand, "You are free to make whatever decision you think it's best for you. I appreciate that you had the confidence to reach out to me and talk to me about this but it has to be something _you_ want to do and not something somebody else told you it was the right thing for you to do. You know you are more than welcome to stay here, Usa has told you the same thing too; after the wedding, we will be away for a few days so for that you don't have to worry. This is why it has to be something you really want to do, for _you,_ not for anyone else, not even me."

"They did not pressure me or anything, Your Highness," Megumi shook her head and waved her hands apologetically in front of her, "I do not want you to think that I do not like living here with you because I do, very much, but I also do think it is a good idea to stay with them, at least until you come back and settle in,"

Mamoru sighed softly and granted her a smile at her with much more understanding, "Alright, if that is what you want to do, I respect your decision." He pinched her cheek softly and turned to grab his mug again and took a sip, "But I must say that I am surprised that you are staying with them instead of Minako or any of the other girls with whom you have been bonding much better."

"Yes, I understand your concern," Megumi nodded, "But, Lady Venus has a very strange and hectic schedule, Lady Mercury works up until very late at the hospital; Lady Jupiter too at the restaurant and Lady Mars is already giving the Shitennou a place to stay at the temple. Lady Uranus and Neptune are inviting me to stay at their home... I also thought it would be a good opportunity to smooth any ridges that might be left from that day; Lady Uranus seems to be more relaxed now and they have always been nice and polite to me, I know I can make her understand things,"

Mamoru felt moved by Megumi's words and cupped her cheek softly, "Look at you... you've become quite the strategist," Megumi giggled, "I learned that from you, Your Highness..."

Mamoru chuckled, "I'm very honored by your words, you are one brave lady Megumi," he took a sip of his coffee and put the mug on the table, "But, you really don't have to do such thing for me, that is something that I have to talk to them about in the near future... but I thank you—for staying by my side and for all of your support,"

"Always, My Prince, always." Megumi smiled and took a sip of her coffee and took and exhaled while enjoying the calmness around them, "Well, I must admit that it never crossed my mind that the day His Highness got married would be this calm..."

Mamoru chuckled and leaned to grab his mug again and the paper on the table and handed her the entertainment section for her to read, "I know, right? I am actually enjoying this low-key vibe, and as I said, the bride is the center of attention," he smiled at her and slouched back on the couch, "Megumi... always keep in mind that there is always going to be a place for you with us, here, alright?"

Megumi blinked and turned to look at him feeling her cheeks slowly blush. Feeling the melancholic undertone of his words she gave him a warm smile filled with gratitude and appreciation. She was moved by his brotherly approach to her while thinking how the terran prince has never treated her like a servant and how he never undervalued her but on the contrary, he always offered her his friendship and trust but there was a law that obliged her to keep a certain distance from him due to his high rank. But this time things were different, they felt different; while he still kept his high rank as the prince of earth, it was like if he had freed from the protocol he always complained about because of the strict isolation that came with it and that kept him apart from most everyone. While he was still her prince, she did feel him more like a member of her family than a royal master; he was her friend and a big brother, after so many years in complete solitude, she had found a family to look after and for that she was grateful.

Megumi smiled softly and nodded, "Yes, Your Highness."

O—o—o—o—O

A few hours later, Minako stepped out of her ride with Artemis resting on her shoulder and a large cloth bag that had her blush pink bridesmaid gown inside on the other; her hair was styled in a loose updo with thin gold leaves pins decorating the back of her head.

"I told you we were late," Artemis scolded the blonde and jumped off Minako's shoulder to the ground, startling her, "Hey! It wasn't my fault! The lady doing my hair was taking forever! I could not even get dressed in time, that's why I will have to do it here!" She turned to the driver who was staring at her with a strange look on his face and blushed, "Oh, I do this all the time," she giggled nervously "I tend to talk to my cat like if he could answer me back, cute, huh?"

The look on the driver's face was priceless, giving Minako little to nothing to work on a valuable excuse for her random act. She sighed heavily as she continued grabbing her things from the car and looked at him before closing the door "Look, I'm single, okay? Cope with me here."

The cab driver widened his eyes "Oh." He mumbled and waited for her to close the door before leaving. Annoyed and embarrassed, Minako walked away from the car and walked to the house's front door to press the doorbell and turned to the white cat with the deepest of frowns, "You always make me look like a crazy cat woman to others—I don't appreciate it."

"Oh, please," Artemis rolled his blue eyes "Don't blame me for your own distractions."

Minako narrowed her eyes "You always make me look crazy when I'm around someone—it's like if you enjoy it." Artemis looked at her and shook his head, "It is not my fault you are always so careless about the fact that I cannot speak in front of just anybody."

"Well, I think you should at least give me a sign! I always have to tell people I'm single as a justification of why I am talking to a cat and it's embarrassing, people don't need to know that!"

Artemis turned to look at her and narrowed his green eyes at her, "You don't have to tell people that, you could say anything else," he sat on the porch like the regal advisor he is and sighed with annoyance, "Come on push that button already! Let them know you are here... it is getting late."

Minako smiled wickedly and looked down at the white cat "Oh?" She giggled and put her hand in her mouth "Someone misses his _lover?_ " Artemis widened his green eyes and looked up "But then you ask me to help you not look like a crazy woman in front of others..."

"Ugh, where's your sense of humor?" Minako pushed the bell ring again, "You are such a killjoy."

Artemis purred and licked his paw as he continued to listen to a very flustered Minako shot angry comments at him completely unaware that there was someone at the door waiting for her to stop. Izumi stared at her with wide eyes and waited for her to finish her discussion with the white cat "Um... yes?" She asked softly, startling Minako who was blushing like a tomato in embarrassment.

— _Not again, not again, not again—_

"Hi! I'm Aino Minako, Usagi's best friend and maid of honor,"

The young girl nodded her head and stepped aside, letting both cat and girl walk inside the house, "She's upstairs getting her makeup done..."

"Awesome!" Minako waved her hand and walked up the stairs, "I'll go see her now." Izumi nodded and closed the door with a frown, "Where you talking to your ca—"

"No."

"But I—"

"No," Minako's face darkened "No, no—you heard wrong," she closed her eyes and sighed heavily again, feeling completely helpless, "Look, I'm single, okay? Cope with me."

"Oh." Izumi was all she could say in response. Minako wanted to cringe in embarrassment but decided to ignore the girl's comment and continued walking up the stairs towards her friend's room and knocked on the frame with a wide smile on her face, "Knock-knock!"

Usagi turned and grinned when she saw her soul sister standing by the door and waved her hands excitedly, "Minako-chan! Come in!" Minako walked inside and greeted the girl who was finishing doing Usagi's hair and took a moment to speak, "Oh my—" she sighed in awe,

"What do you think?" Usagi beamed a wide smile, "Do you like it?"

"Like it? I _love_ it! Look at you, so beautiful..." the blonde sighed dreamily and brought her hands to her chest with emotion, "You look like a princess..." Usagi blushed, "You look like a princess too—I love your hair and makeup, you look so beautiful," she widened her eyes when she saw Artemis standing by the door, "Artemis! Come in!"

The white cat walked inside and stood in front of Usagi, by now she was very aware it wasn't safe to have a conversation with him but she could see the deep emotion showing in his green eyes; the silver blonde smiled, silently thanking him for being there by scratching his ear gently.

Yumiko, one of the best stylists that worked with her for photoshoots at the magazine stepped aside and smiled, "Okay! This beautiful bride is ready to walk down the aisle!"

"I am?"

"You sure are!" She turned and handed Usagi a large hand-mirror so she could take a closer look at her hair and makeup. Her crystal blue eyes widened as if she did not recognize her own reflection and blushed, "Is this person really me?" She asked in complete awe as she moved her head from one side to the other to give a detailed look at her loose updo at the nape of her neck. She liked the way her hair looked so polished and elegant but yet, young and fresh with a few delicate pieces of hair peeking out and framing her face. Yumiko had put small crystal pins in the back, giving the perfect amount of sparkle without being too overwhelming; her makeup was natural and classic but accentuated her big clear blue eyes with a slim and elegant cat eye and shimmery champagne eyeshadows with a very subtle crease that stood out from behind her natural full and long dark lashes. Her cheeks had a pale peachy color with a subtle highlight on the highest point of her cheekbones and finished the whole look with a satin nude color on her lips.

"Yumiko..." Usagi smiled widely and tried her best to contain her tears of emotion "Oh my goodness... I love it so much... I—"

Minako wrapped her arms around her flushing friend and chuckled "Now, now, you are going to ruin your perfectly done makeup," she pulled back and cupped her cheeks softly, "You look like the princess you really are,"

Usagi chuckled and dried the tears that slowly started to pooled in her eyes with a soft tissue and sniffled softly, "Oh my god, I am so emotional... and the wedding hasn't even started yet!" She giggled and turned to Yumiko, "Thank you so, so much, Yumiko."

"Of course! When you asked me if I could do your hair and makeup, I couldn't say no!" Yumiko winked an eye at her and started packing her things, "Okay Sweetie, I still need to do your mother's hair makeup! You look beautiful Usagi, congratulations, I will see you later today, I want to see my bride shining like a star on her special day!" She smiled and exited the room, leaving the two girls and two cats alone. The blonde went to close the door quickly and sighed softly, "In case somebody wants to eavesdrop and think I am one crazy cat lady again." The slight bitterness in Minako's voice made Usagi break in chuckles as she went to look for the box where she kept the heels she was going to pair with her wedding gown, "What?"

Artemis cleared his throat, finally breaking his silence, "Minako always gets caught when talking to me—but it is because she is always so distracted."

"Excuse me?" Minako snapped with annoyance, "You should at least give me a sign!"

"Don't worry, Minako-chan," Usagi giggled and waved her hand "I got caught by my cousin while talking to Luna too."

"Ah, so I am not the only one," Minako sighed with relief, "We are two crazy cat ladies and not just me then—good."

"Anyways..." Artemis rolled his eyes and turned to the bride, "Usagi, I want to tell you that I am very happy for you and Mamoru," he preferred to ignore Minako's rant still happening in the background, "Queen Serenity would be so proud and happy to see you getting married to no other than her best friend's son."

Usagi smiled and tilted her head "Artemis, thank you, for everything." Leaning down, she petted him behind the ear and smiled softly, "Take good care of my Luna, alright?"

Artemis widened his eyes and soon after was distracted by a knocking on the door, "Usa-chan?" A fully dressed Ami showed up in her blush-pink chiffon dress with a flowing cascading skirt. Her deep blue hair was styled in a more vintage looking fashion with soft waves framing her heart-shaped face and a delicate golden hairpin on the side. As soon as she entered, her eyes widened in awe "Oh my goodness! You look so beautiful Usagi-chan!"

Makoto and Rei showed up seconds later, both wearing similar dresses in the same color, Makoto styled her hair in a high loose bun with delicate silk flower pins on one side with her usual messy bangs styled to one side, revealing her delicate makeup in earthy tones and soft rosewood touch of color on her lips.

Rei's midnight hair was styled in a messy but classy pull through braid with some loose strands framing her face and wore a more natural makeup with a peachy neutral tone on her lips and soft golden shadows that accentuated her amethyst eyes. As soon as they walked in, both had the same reaction Minako and Ami had the moment they saw Usagi "You look like a dream!" Makoto said softly, trying her best not to cry and ruin her own makeup.

"Usagi-chan!" Minako smiled, "You have us all in awe and you are not even wearing your gown yet!"

Rei turned and looked at the clock and went to Usagi's closet in silence and walked back with the gown in her hands "Well, I think it's time—wow us all!"

Usagi smiled widely and went to stand behind the changing screen she had to get dressed; Minako and Makoto helped her take off her robe with the care of not to ruin her makeup or hair while Ami helped Rei take the ethereal gown off the hanger. Luna and Artemis walked out of the room to give them a moment on their own; it was like if time never passed and they were still at the moon palace during the Silver Millennium helping their princess get ready for a ball.

"Just like when they all lived together," Artemis said softly as he walked out the door, Luna nodded and sniffed a little "Yes, it's like if time never flew by."

Rei helped Usagi get into her dress and Ami pulled the hidden zipper and did the long trail of small buttons on her back and worked on the final touches to adjust and comfortably secure the gown in place. The bluenette smiled and walked from behind the screen with teary eyes; Makoto smiled, "Alright, Usagi-chan, wow us!"

Seconds later, Usagi walked out wearing her ethereal white gown making the girls gasp with awe and surprise, "Oh god... I'm so ruined," Minako mumbled and went to look for a tissue to dry her tears. Rei nodded and turned to her blonde friend, "Take an extra one for me too,"

"Me too, please,"

"Yeah, me too."

"Guys?" Usagi blinked startled, "What's the matter?"

"Oh, Usagi..." Minako wept with emotion and twirled her finger, "You—You need to turn and see it for yourself,"

Usagi slowly turned to look at herself in the large mirror behind her and felt her heart stopped beating for a whole minute and widened her eyes. She didn't have the words to describe what she was feeling when she stared at her reflection wearing the gown that had a subtle resemblance to the famous one she wore as a princess because of the many fluffy and volatile layers of her skirt. The soft shimmers of her rose lotion had settled on her milky skin giving a beautiful satin sheen. Usagi took another moment to finally sink her mind to the idea that she was not dreaming, that this wasn't another impromptu model work she had to do for a special wedding shoot for the magazine but in fact, that she was wearing not just _any_ wedding gown but _her_ wedding gown and that this was her wedding day.

With trembling fingers, she traced the soft sheer fabric of her off-shoulder sleeves and the heart-shaped neckline that elegantly exposed her décolleté. She looked at the sheer and shimmery train of fabric falling gracefully from her back that looked like stardust following every step she took; the same soft fabric of her loosely gracing her shoulders. The soft silk and chiffon fabrics had a subtle pearled touch that gleamed with exquisite delicacy every time it shifted from one side to the other with her every move. The heart-shaped neckline was adorned with delicate lace that also went around the seam and down her waist until it reached the sparkly sash wrapped around at her waistline matching ethereal perfection. The look was completed with a delicate diamond bracelet and crystal moon shaped earrings, a special present from the girls as a wedding gift for her. Usagi looked at her friends' reflection on the mirror and turned over her shoulder to see Rei with teary eyes "Rei-chan…" she whispered on the verge of breaking into tears herself. Rei waved her hand and smiled, "I know, I know, it's so weird but you look so beautiful—I can't help it."

"You are going to leave Mamoru speechless," Minako fanned her face with her hand to dry the tears that were threatening her to fall, "Literally, his heart will literally skip a beat as soon as he sees you walk down the aisle."

Usagi blushed and chuckle, "You think so?"

"Yes!" All four girls exclaimed with excitement. Ami nodded with enthusiasm and used her tissue to wipe a tear threatening to fall from the corner of her eye, "You are going to take his breath away, _believe_ me."

"Oh, my…"

All eyes were now on Ikuko standing at the door with tears in her eyes, "Usagi…" she took a deep breath and brought her hands up to her chest with emotion, "You look so beautiful... you're an angel..."

"Mama..." Usagi breathed, trying her best not to cry. Ikuko walked into the room and greeted the girls, then took her daughter's hands into her own and took a step back, "Let me take a look at you…" the older woman smiled "You look like a regal Princess, so beautiful."

Minako walked behind them with the long mantilla veil lined with iridescent pearls and crystals and handed it to Ikuko with extreme care "A bride is never complete without her veil." She smiled and walked back, allowing the mother of the bride arrange the delicate veil over her daughter's head.

"Let's give them a moment in private," Ami suggested when she saw Kenji standing in the doorway; the girls agreed and walked out of the room in silence.

"My daughter is a Princess, no doubt about it."

Usagi turned to see her father standing by the door with tears in his eyes "Papa…"

Kenji walked in and held his daughter's hands as he looked into her eyes de smile, "It was only yesterday when I held you in my arms for the very first time, time goes by very fast," his voice quivered with emotion and nodded, finally admitting out loud a truth he had been keeping to himself for years, "Mamoru is a very lucky man Usagi, he knows it, and what makes me truly happy is that I know he will always be there for you; I know he will make you very happy."

Usagi giggled, "Papa... are you admitting Mamo-chan is a good man?" Kenji nodded and cupped his daughter's cheek, "Yes, dear, I do. I always have... he adores you and he has proved it without fail, I have not seen a man look at a woman the way he looks at you and that brings joy to my heart."

Usagi felt her eyes started to burn with tears, "I love you, Papa,"

"I love you too, my moon child."

Ikuko wrapped her arm around a very emotional Kenji and sniffled "Well, we better get going if we want to make it on time." She turned to Usagi and smiled "How are you feeling, dear?"

"Happy,"

"Are you ready?"

"Yes," Usagi nodded and leaned to kiss her mother a soft kiss on her cheek, "More than ready."

O—o—O

Outside the house, Haruka was waiting anxiously with Michiru for Usagi to appear. The door opened minutes after and both women gaped in astonishment when they saw the beautiful bride walking out the door. Rei, Minako, Ami, and Makoto followed behind each of them holding a little pink roses and peonies bouquet that matched their blush-pink empire cut dresses.

Haruka kept it a little androgynous as always with a pure silk pale pink shirt and cream-colored high waisted palazzo pants. Of course, she styled it up femininely with a pair of sparkly heels—Usagi's suggestion—and pearl earrings. Her sandy blonde hair was loosely styled back and kept a very natural makeup with taupe smoky shade contrasting her deep blue eyes and a touch of peachy gloss on her lips. Michiru wore a rosewood colored gown with nude colored heels; her hair was up in a loose French twist with some curls framing her delicate face and a golden pin adorning the hairstyle making her look as regal and artistic as always, like a sea nymph.

The tall blonde walked towards the bride and helped the girls and Ikuko hold Usagi's veil up while she walked to Haruka's fancy white CVU she offered to drive to the church. With a big smile on her face, Usagi looked at Haruka who in return shook her head in admiration and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "His heart will stop as soon as he sees you, you will take his breath away. He is one very lucky man, Princess, you are a true dream come true."

Usagi blushed and gave the tall blonde a quick hug before getting inside the car with Michiru's help, "Usagi-chan, be careful with the dress' tail!" Minako said as she sat next to her inside the car with Rei taking the other side, "Mako-chan has your bouquet; she'll give it to you at the church so the flowers won't stress and break with all the movement." The priestess reassured the nervous and excited bride.

"Wait!" Usagi looked at Haruka and Michiru "Where's Luna and Artemis?"

"We are taking them with us Usa-chan," Makoto said while pointing at the ride already waiting for them, "We will meet you at the church!"

Kenji and Ikuko stood on the porch with teary eyes, soon after the rest of the family including a fully suited and good-looking Shingo and his new girlfriend wearing a pale blue sleeveless long gown came out of the house, and arranged their seating in the car. "Oh my god... your sister looks so beautiful," she said in a dreamy tone. Shingo smirked, "Yeah, she really does. I can't wait to see Mamoru's face when she walks down the aisle,"

The girl blushed, "Oh, right!"

"He's taking a whirlpool to live with him, but, she's a very special kind of whirlpool."

"There goes my baby girl," Kenji said with a quivering voice as he watched the car driving away. Ikuko turned to look at him and wiped his tears with the back of her hand, "We are not losing our girl dear, we are adding another son to our family."

Kenji nodded and rearranged his glasses "That is true, Ikuko Mama, that is true," he smiled and nodded "Well then, let's go—I want to make sure he is already there waiting for my little girl!"

O—o—o—o—O

At the other side of town outside the church, Mamoru parked and stepped out of his black Audi wearing an impeccably tailored black suit and vest with a deep sleek grey tie and walked to the other side to help Megumi step out of the car with care so she wouldn't trip with her dress. His midnight hair was loosely combed back but some pieces would fall casually over his alluring blue eyes. Kunzite, Zoisite, Nephrite, and Jadeite, stepped out from the back seat fully dressed in matching dark grey suits and black ties Minako made sure they got delivered on time at Mamoru's apartment so they could get dressed once they went to make sure their prince had proper assistance in getting ready and later joined him on his ride to the church along with Megumi.

"Lovely place," Jadeite said softly with a smile on his face, "I would not imagine a better place for a Prince to marry his Princess." Zoisite smiled and nodded, "That is true,"

Mamoru walked towards the church and saw the guests arriving and waving their hand at him cheerfully and waved back, recognizing a few of them as Usagi's family members and others as friends from college; his heart skipped a beat when he spotted three familiar faces in the crowd and one of them beamed a wide smile and pointed at his direction, "There he is! There he is!"

Mamoru turned to the shitennou to excuse himself for a minute before walking to the girls running towards him with excitement. He opened his arms wide and welcomed both girls with endearment. Fifteen-year-old Mei, a girl with luscious brown hair that fell down her back in lose waves and big round eyes full of wonder. She was wearing a deep coral gown that only made her chubby cheeks blush even more with that adorable mischief that characterized her quirky personality. Tao, a year older than Mei, had long a more reddish-brown hair that fell down her back in tighter curls, compared to her sister's more relaxed tresses. She was wearing a lilac gown, very similar in style to that of her younger sister's but the grin and the wonder in her big green eyes were exactly the same.

"Mamoru-oniisan!" Both girls said with excitement as they wrapped their chubby arms around his waist with overjoy. Mamoru chuckled and bent his knees slightly to be somewhat at the same height as them and beamed them a wide smile, "Look at you two! You look beautiful,"

Tao giggled and flicked a piece of dark hair away from his eyes, "You too, Mamoru-oniisan,"

"Is she here!?" Mei turned both sides excitedly and then at Mamoru, "Is your girlfriend here?"

"Not that I know of, Mei-chan," Mamoru shook his head, "She will soon, though,"

"Mamoru-oniisan," Tao smiled widely and cupped his cheek lovingly, "Are you happy?"

"Very much, Tao-chan,"

Tao leaned closer to him and lifted his dark Ray-Bans to look into his blue eyes, "Are you nervous?" The familiar gesture made Mamoru crack a chuckle and winked an eye at her, "A little, but I only trust this secret to you,"

"Got it," Tao giggled and slid his sunglasses back down, "I know you will be alright, but, I can't wait to see your bride,"

"Me too, Tao-chan, me too."

"Well, this is one special day," A deep raspy voice but with a very Scottish accent caught all three by surprise; Mamoru looked up at Benjiro wearing a navy blue suit and smiled before going to give the older man a heartfelt handshake the man quickly turned into a bear hug, "Boy, it's so good to see you,"

"It's so good to see you too, Benjiro-san," Mamoru bowed his head with tremendous respect at the man in front of him, "I am very happy you're here,"

"Of course!" Benjiro let out a thundering laugh and patted Mamoru's shoulder, "We would not miss it for anything in the world," he smiled, "How are you feeling?"

"Good, good, Benjiro-san, thank you."

Benjiro smiled with more sentiment, "These events sure bring many good memories... my Mao, she loved weddings... I know she is watching this very special moment from wherever she is. I know she is very pleased to see the man you have become."

Mamoru felt a lump in the back of his throat and nodded with a smile, "Thank you for your words, Benjiro-san, they mean so much to me," he looked down at Mei and Tao hugging him again and his smile grew wider, "She's in their hearts, I feel the love." Benjiro nodded as he watched his daughters holding on to Mamoru with so much endearment, "You are a special part of their lives, thank you for not forgetting about them."

"No, I would never do such a thing."

The reddish-haired man sighed softly, "I also want to thank you for all the help you've been giving us, you know, with the store..."

"No, Benjiro-san, don't mention it." Mamoru shook his head, "It's a pleasure. You helped me so much and stayed by my side through some very tough times. Liquidating a mortgage and a loan to keep the store running was truly nothing compared to all the things you and Mao-san did for me."

"You are family to us, Mamoru-kun, you will always be." Benjiro patted Mamoru's shoulder again and looked at his daughters, "Alright, Tao, Mei—you need to let go of Mamoru-kun for now, he still needs to attend some things before his bride arrives and we need to find our seats,"

"Yes, Papa," Tao and Mei said in unison as they let go of Mamoru and looked up at him, "We will see you inside," Mei smiled; Mamoru pinched Mei's cheek gently and nodded, "Sure thing, Mei-chan," he looked at Benjiro, "You're joining us at the reception, right?"

"Of course," Benjiro let out a hearty chuckle, "We closed the store this day so we could spend the whole evening with you," he nodded, "We will see you there," Mamoru smiled and waved his hand at the girls walking alongside their father and walked back to where the shitennou and Megumi were waiting for him.

"Oi!"

Mamoru turned over his shoulder and saw Motoki's raised his arms from the other side and smiled widely the minute he spotted him, "Oi!"

Mamoru smiled in return and went to greet his friend and best man "Hey, I was beginning to wonder where the heck you've been." Motoki gave his friend a brotherly pat on his back and pulled back; Mamoru smiled again and shook his head, "There was too much traffic going on for some reason." He smiled at Reika who was walking towards them "Mamoru!" She smiled and wrapped her arms around him in a friendly hug. The brunette took a step back and blushed softly, "Well, look at you! You look _so_ handsome, oh my god!"

Mamoru blushed and gave the woman a shy grin, "Thank you, Reika," he turned "Oh, sorry... they are my friends, Kunzite, Zoisite, Nephrite, and Jadeite—we've known for a long time and they came from out of town for the wedding."

Both Motoki and Reika nodded their head, "It's very nice to meet you all," Mamoru turned to the shitennou and smiled, "This is Furuhata Motoki, we work together at the hospital; we've also been very close friends for years, and this lovely lady is Furuhata Reika—his wife."

Zoisite smiled politely, "Oh, I see..." The shitennou bowed their head with respect, "Likewise, it is a pleasure to meet you."

Reika blinked surprised and looked at the four handsome men "Wow, your names are like those of the precious minerals!"

Nephrite nodded and smiled "Indeed, call it a casualty, but, we're brothers, that is why we share names in common," Reika smiled and nodded, "I see—that is amazing! It is very nice to meet you all."

"Likewise,"

"And this is Megumi, daughter of one of my late parent's friends." Mamoru held Megumi's arm affectionately pulling her closer to him; Megumi blushed and nodded her head at the couple in front of her. Reika and Motoki smiled "Very nice to meet you, Megumi-san."

"Likewise." Megumi said softly and bowed her head, Mamoru turned to Motoki and smiled nervously "Is she here?"

"No, not yet, but she must be on her way." Reika smiled widely, Mamoru pressed his lips and looked at her, "It's good to see you too, how you've been? When was the last time we went to have lunch?"

"I know! It's been a long, _long_ time but you guys are always busy saving lives," Reika blew her bangs and flicked her reddish loose hair over her shoulder with one hand and chuckled, "And I've been very busy at the museum; we are actually preparing everything for a press conference and exhibition about a discovery found a few weeks ago."

The mention of such discovery caught the attention of the shitennou and Mamoru remembering Motoki mentioned the archaeologists before, the same archaeologists Kenji was talking about just the night before. "Yes, about that—" Mamoru frowned with curiosity, "Do you happen to know what discovery is what they are talking about?"

Reika looked both sides and leaned closer "I am not supposed to say much, _but,_ they found some ancient ruins underground somewhat close to Aomori. The rumor is that they were looking for something very different when they came across all this they found."

"I see..." Mamoru pursed his lips in thought, "That sounds very interesting, I very much want to know what happens, I would like to go and see this exhibition personally," Mamoru tilted his head and looked his watch with a worried frown, "Do you think something might have delayed them?"

"Wow…" Mamoru was distracted by Motoki's voice "What?"

"You are nervous," Motoki grinned widely and with much pleasure; Mamoru arched his brow and pushed his sunglasses from the center of his frame with his finger "No, I'm not." Reika smiled and clapped her hands excitedly, "Really? But it's so exciting!"

"All stoic and mysterious Chiba Mamoru nervous—who would have thought? I'm really enjoying this." Motoki chuckled with excitement. "That is something nobody gets to see," Reika narrowed her eyes and turned to her husband, "Says the man who was crying at his own wedding like if someone had died..."

"I wasn't crying!" Motoki frowned; Mamoru arched his brow and scoffed sardonically, "Yeah, right..."

"I didn't cry!"

"Right, you're right... you didn't cry, you sobbed," Mamoru chuckled "I remember that very clear,"

"You couldn't tell!" Motoki pointed an accusing finger at him; Mamoru narrowed his blue eyes, "Motoki, I was your best man—I even handed you a tissue Usa miraculously found in her purse, come on."

"Well, you have a point there but—" Motoki arched his brow and crossed his arms, "How do I know you are not crying now? I can't see what is happening behind those dark shades of yours—ah, I see what you're doing..." he tapped his temple, "You're so clever,"

"Don't try to justify that you bawled your eyes out," Mamoru joked between chuckles. Motoki chuckled and patted his friend's shoulder, "You are going to cry too, trust me— _it happens._ You don't know how or why but it happens. It happened to me and now it's going to happen to you and I am going to enjoy every second of it."

"Loving this pep talk—by the way," Mamoru crossed his arms, "You always have the right words for every occasion,"

"I know," Motoki grinned, "It's like a gift or something—what can I tell you?"

"You're so mean!" Reika laughed and smacked Motoki's arm, "Leave him alone," she turned and saw the guests walking towards the church's inner garden where the ceremony was going to be held and looked down at her watch, "Well, I guess it's almost time, I will go and find our seat. The ceremony is going to be held in the garden, right?"

Mamoru smiled and nodded. He remembered the first time Usagi came up with the suggestion of following her family's tradition and marry at a church just like her parents did. The first time they went to see the church, they both thought it was perfect in size and simplicity, in Usagi's words, the church was cute and romantic, perfect for a small and very intimate ceremony but her opinion soon changed as they made their way to the priest's office and saw the garden behind the actual chapel and immediately fell in love with it.

Mamoru didn't need any more words coming from her to explain how this was the perfect spot to have the ceremony. Her eyes lit up with excitement and amusement when she spotted the stone wall fountain in the back of the garden and the pergola with hundreds of flowers and leaves around and falling from it and he had to admit, it looked like it was straight out of a dream—and a gardening magazine. He liked the idea and thought it would give the ceremony a more intimate feeling with all the greenery around and its pebbled floors so as soon as they learned they could use it for the ceremony with the proper arrangements, the idea was sold.

"I've heard it's beautiful," Reika smiled and kissed Mamoru on the cheek, "I'm so happy for you two, you deserve it." She turned to Motoki "I will see you, two handsome guys, inside, okay? Good luck!"

"Alright hun," Motoki kissed his wife on the lips and turned to a very calm and quiet Mamoru "You sure you're okay? I was just joking back then…" Mamoru sighed and smiled "I know, but to tell you the truth, I am."

"Nervous?"

"Yeah…" Mamoru let out a shaky breath and turned to Kunzite, who was patting his shoulder in support, "We will go and find ourselves a seat as well, we will be escorting Megumi too." He leaned closer to him and arched his brow, "Is there anything you need before we go?" Mamoru smiled and shook his head, "I'm alright Kunzite, thank you." Kunzite chuckled and nodded, "Well then—we will see you inside. Excuse us," he nodded his head at both Mamoru and Motoki and turned to offer his arm to Megumi, which she took gracefully and walked inside the church grounds. Motoki smiled as he watched them walk away and turned to Mamoru with a curious look on his face, "Who are they, really?"

Mamoru turned to Motoki and took his dark shades off and put them in one of his hidden pockets inside his jacket and smiled, "They are very, _very_ old friends of mine."

Motoki nodded, quickly understanding they had to do with that secret part of his life, the one only he knew. Chuckling, he patted his friend's shoulder "There is nothing to be nervous about, bro, Usagi-chan loves you and her family does too—even her father." He chuckled lightly, "Come on, let's go inside. You are not supposed to be here when the bride arrives, girls say it's bad luck or something like that..."

O—o—O

Not long after, the Tsukino family arrived, followed by Haruka's car who parked right in front of the church. Usagi looked out the window and saw many guests were still arriving giving her a little more time to prepare for the emotional event. She could feel her heart beating faster and with so much force she could swear it could leave her body with one loud thud. Things finally fell into place, making her realize that the moment she waited for so many years was just minutes away from happening.

"Mamoru's here." Rei said softly as she pointed his shiny black car parked right in front of them, "He must be inside already, I don't see him anywhere." Minako held Usagi's hand and smiled at her "Nervous?"

"Yeah..." Usagi turned and smiled "A little."

"Everything is going to be fine, you both waited a long time for this moment and now it's finally here," Minako smiled widely, "Take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy it."

Makoto and Ami stepped out of their ride with Luna and Artemis in their arms and walked over to Haruka's car "Ready Usagi-chan? Let me help you get out of the car," the amazon girl said as she opened the door and handed the bluenette the cascade bouquet she made for the bride. Rei stepped out of the car first and offered her hand to her friend while Minako helped Usagi her with the long veil "Slowly—slowly."

"Usagi!"

The blonde turned and saw Naru walking with Umino holding hands. The couple had married just six months ago in a very private ceremony in Kyoto at Umino's grandparent's country house. The redhead smiled at her friend and gave her a quick hug, trying her best not to ruin her hair or makeup, "Oh my god. You look so, _so,_ beautiful!" She winked an eye at her and took a small box out of her purse "I got a surprise for you," she said while opening the long velvet box in her hand and showed the blonde a delicate golden chain with moon and star shaped crystals that she would use to put it over the couple as a symbol of their union while the priest gives his blessing during the ceremony, "It's a special delivery from the jewelry."

"Oh my..." Usagi looked at the chain and then at her friend with teary eyes "Naru-chan... it's so beautiful! Thank you so much! I really have no words... it's beautiful..." She spotted Umino smiling at her and nodded, "Hi, Umino,"

"Usagi-san, you look very pretty." Umino said softly as he pushed his thick glasses back "I just saw your future husband walk inside the church a few minutes ago, he looks very fine I must say."

Usagi blushed crimson red, not sure why. The sound of the words _'future husband'_ made her feel all giggly inside while repeating the word in her mind like a beautiful mantra, ' _husband'_ Mamoru was going to be her husband and he was there, waiting for her. She felt butterflies fluttering all over her stomach and instinctively her crystal blue eyes searched for him in the middle of the crowd, even when she knew he was not there.

"We better go inside and wait for the priest's call," Ami said and turned to Makoto, who was helping Usagi with her veil and handed her the bouquet she especially made for her. Usagi smiled in gratitude and walked to one of the private rooms inside the church to wait for the right time for her to come out; Haruka and Michiru walked all the way inside to the church's garden and spotted Setsuna seating next to Hotaru wearing their respective formal rosewood colored gowns and saving them a seat very close to where the couple would be exchanging their vows at the altar. Despite not being part of the actual court, Usagi wanted to include them in some way because they meant as much as the other girls did.

O—o—O

Inside the church, at one of the dressing rooms they offered to the bridal party, Mamoru was fixing his tie in front of the mirror while waiting for the sign for him to come out. There was still some time before the ceremony would start and for what Motoki told him, there were guests still arriving and finding a good seat in the garden.

He looked at his reflection in the mirror and took a deep breath, it was time. _Their_ time. After everything they had gone through they were finally going to fulfill a dream they have kept close to their hearts for more than two thousand years. With a heavy exhale, he sat on the small sofa in the room and rested his elbows on his knees and tilted his head low. Accompanied only by the sound of the ticking clock on the wall, Mamoru began to think about his life and how much it has changed over the years; he thought about his childhood and everything that consequently happened and the vague memory of the words _'Don't let go…'_

All of his life, Mamoru didn't really understand what that even meant and even when he didn't remember where those words came from, he never stopped thinking about them. Later on, when he got hold of the silver crystal and regained his memories as a kid and he discovered those were the words his mother gave him right before she passed away in that tragic car accident. He remembered being a confused six-year-old kid standing outside of a room that was meant to be his for the next decade or so with an uncertain future waiting ahead an uncertain future. His life at the orphanage was difficult and confusing; on one side he experimented solitude in all its glory and learned how to deal with it even with a broken heart and on the other, he felt something was missing and it was not related to his parents, he felt it was something else; he always felt there was something else.

He grew up with a cloud of mystery around him, not knowing where he came from or what happened to him. If the doctor hadn't shown him an ID with his face he wouldn't even believe for sure if his name was in fact, Chiba Mamoru, but probably the worst part for him was to know that everything had been a plan from his past, a past he just fully remembered and was still trying to adjust it into his present.

It might have been in his nature to try to survive such hard life that he focused all his strength in looking for a way to find his place in the world and to do that, the first thing he had to do was to get out of the orphanage because if there was something Mamoru hated the most was to be an object of pity to others, so when he was old enough to have a small job at a market nearby he took the opportunity and rented a small place in Azabu without the people at the orphanage know until right before he moved out. His life and faith changed the moment Shimuta Ikio, an old friend of his parents found him and told him about the inheritance that was left for him and the rest is history. But even with all that wealth inherited to him, he wanted to make a name for himself and grow on his own and not under his parent's invisible shadow and the strange feeling nesting in his heart.

Mamoru thought his life was already planned; he would continue his studies and live a life on his own without really worrying if he ever was destined to meet someone until a strange dream of a certain girl became more and more recurrent in his mind, asking him for a crystal that eventually would change his life for good and forever.

A soft knock startled him and turned to find an old family friend opening the door. Shimuta Ikio, the man that had taken care of his late parent's assets that later became his when they perished; the man that took his under his wing in the only ways he was allowed to be—according to the law. He was the first person to call Mamoru by his name when he opened his eyes at the hospital after he woke up from his coma, the first one to call himself a friend, a support, an ally in business and later a mentor. Shimuta Ikio taught him everything he needed to know about finances and trading, it was him who trained and prepared him to learn how to move around the merciless world of finances and work on his deals with other smart business men despite wanting to focus his career in medicine. Ikio always knew Mamoru was smart and he was surprised to see the young man could excel in both areas with his keen negotiating skills from a very young age which only solidified their relationship even more and took his rightful place as his legal and financial advisor.

There was no question the man had money and a high social status; wearing a perfectly tailored dark grey suit and deep purple tie, Ikio smiled at Mamoru, "Have a minute to spare?"

"Ikio," Mamoru quickly stood up from his seat and went to greet the man, "It's good to see you came,"

"Of course, I came." Ikio frowned as he closed the door behind him, "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because you're always traveling," Mamoru chuckled, "You're always busy and I mean, I understand, but... you know..."

"And miss this moment? Absolutely not," Ikio chuckled, "You're right, I am always with one foot at the airport, but, that doesn't mean I will miss important moments like these," he patted Mamoru's shoulder, "It's not just anyone's wedding—it's yours. I've known you for years and I am glad to see you happy. You deserve it—happiness."

"Thank you, Ikio," Mamoru smiled and motioned the man to sit across from him in another lounge chair, "Please,"

Ikio took the offered seat and crossed his leg over his knee, "Although, I do must apologize, since I won't be able to attend the reception. I have to catch a flight soon—I pushed my schedule as much as possible so I could be able to be at the ceremony,"

"That's alright, I understand. Is it a new deal?"

"The same one we've been working on for months," Ikio sighed softly, "We're almost there. I am literally working as an accountant of signatures."

"I read your email and I checked the status, it's good to go." Mamoru crossed his arms and smiled, "Thank you for coming, Ikio, I know this strains your usual hectic schedule. It means a lot."

Ikio smiled, "You are very much worth it, Mamoru. I am proud of you, you persevered and all I am left to say is that I wish you the best in your life as a married man. From what you've told me about your bride, I have no doubt that you are a happy man and very much in love."

"Yes," Mamoru blushed slightly, "She's the best,"

"The past is bitter, Mamoru—better set your eyes into what's ahead of you. In the life you are about to embark together as a married couple. Embrace the differences, embrace the challenges and let yourself be surprised if it's your birthday, no matter if it rains... always remember you were born—"

"—Born on a very sunny day, I know," Mamoru chuckled, "Thank you. I will take your words into valuable consideration."

"Please do, for the rest—well, things happened that way for a reason. Now, one must let it happen the way they're supposed to be." Ikio tilted his head, "You know what I mean,"

"I know,"

"Good."

Ikio sighed and looked at the clock on the wall, "Well, it's almost time for you to come out." He smirked, "Nervous?"

"I am excited," Mamoru smiled, "But, yeah... I am also nervous,"

Ikio arched a brow "You, nervous? My, that's new... but I guess there's a first for everything." He chuckled and stood up, "Take your time, you will be alright. You will do fine, Mamoru." The man came close and patted Mamoru's shoulder, "I will see you in a bit,"

"Sure, Ikio, thanks."

Mamoru watched Ikio walk out and closed his eyes as he leaned his back on his seat and took a deep breath; the clock kept tickling in the background in a harmonious sound, soothing his growing nerves. Without notice, the same feeling he had when he was a child possessed him; doubt and concern suddenly made their way to his mind and then he felt it, a strong tug in his chest.

"* _Hoc, quod tenes, quod meum est."_

He opened his eyes with unexpected shock and turned to look around and found nobody was there with him; he frowned when he turned to the clock on the wall and let out a heavy sigh. There was an unwelcoming and strange feeling clinging in his chest the moment he heard a voice talking to him just now—clear as the ticking sound of the clock. His brow knitted in thought and confusion and shook his head with unease and rubbed his chest, "It's you again," he muttered bitterly and took a deep breath.

A soft knock brought him back from his thoughts and turned to see a couple standing at the door. Mamoru widened his eyes and quickly stood up "Tsukino-san,"

"Are we interrupting your moment of peace?" Ikuko asked softly, Mamoru shook his head and immediately went to greet them at the door with a beaming smile, "No, not at all, I am just waiting for the priest to come and tell me when it's time."

"It should be any minute now," Kenji smiled at him and patted his shoulder, "Nervous?" Mamoru appreciated the fatherly gesture and smiled softly "A little,"

"Ah, there is nothing to be nervous about," Kenji patted Mamoru's shoulder again, "You are part of this family now. My little girl choose wisely and found a good man to share her life with," his expression soon died and turned into one more serious as he looked into his eyes, "Usagi is my life Mamoru, my little princess—please,"

"—Always, with my life." Mamoru nodded, "I swear I will do anything to make her happy, my vow to you stands forever. I keep your blessings close to my heart, Tsukino-san."

Ikuko walked over to him with a small box and took out a white rosebud and pinned it on the lapel of his suit, "You have been a part of our family for too many years now Mamoru. You have guided and protected our Usagi without question and for that, we will always be very grateful." She looked up into his eyes and cupped his cheek as she looked into his deep blue eyes, "I know you wished your Mama and Papa were here supporting you; I know you have had a very lonely life without a family but that is no more because to us you are our son."

Mamoru felt his eyes burn with tears and nodded with a wide smile on his face "Thank you, Mama-san," he bowed his head in respect and gratitude "Thank you for everything." Minutes later, Motoki knocked softly and opened the door interrupting their little family moment, "Hi, good evening," he turned to his best friend and nodded, "Mamoru—it's time."

"Well, then, let's take a final look here," Ikuko dried her tears with her silk handkerchief and fixed the groom's tie "It's a little crooked, there," she tried to justify her reason for being so sentimental and stepped aside "You're all set," Mamoru smiled and offered his arm, which Ikuko took gladly with a soft giggle as the three of them left the room in silence.

O—o—O

All guests were finally waiting anxiously for the ceremony to begin and admiring the precious, unique garden filled with the soft and sweet scent of the hundreds of jasmine flowers around. It wasn't too big but it was not that small either; it had a lovely pergola roof with a variety of greenery and flowering vines all over falling like a curtain to the sides. From each pergola white paper lanterns hung with a small candle lit inside giving a soft and romantic glow. The guests were strategically seated with a front view at a big stone waterfall fountain surrounded with rosebushes where the bride and groom would seal their love forever.

Mamoru couldn't help feeling a little overwhelmed by all the people who came, part of it because he was not used to be around too many people and the other maybe because he felt a little shy about the fact that he had just a few guests coming from his side compared it to the ones that came for Usagi. Thankfully, everyone took a random seating, disguising the truth a little bit. Haruka, Setsuna, and Hotaru waved at him while he waited for his bride and smiled in gratitude for being there. Minutes later, Michiru stood up from her seat close to the groom and best man and began playing the special melody she composed for the occasion, giving the cue that the bride was ready to meet with her groom.

Two antique filigree doors opened allowing the girls to walk out the rose petal covered aisle first with their small bouquets in hand—another Makoto's creation. As Minako walked to her place on the bride's side, she turned to Mamoru and winked a complicit eye at him, one he returned with a small and grateful smile. The blonde's little sweet moment soon stalled when she happened to turn to Kunzite's direction and found him sitting on the front row paying close attention to every move she made. Minako had no other option but to ignore the intense glare shot at her and turned to the door where Usagi was finally waiting with her father at the other end of the aisle. In this very moment, Mamoru felt his heart had stopped beating in his chest and his breath was completely taken away he couldn't think for how long. His eyes couldn't leave her and then, he felt it—the knot in his chest and throat. He felt it, and he could almost hear Motoki's voice in his head, reminding him how he was going to cry as soon as he saw her walk down the aisle looking like the most beautiful goddess in the universe.

Mamoru could not describe the emotions bottling up inside his chest, he felt an enormous amount of excitement and happiness to see the woman he has loved all of his life looking extraordinarily beautiful and ready to share her life with him. His heart was beating so fast in his chest that it almost felt like if it was going to escape his body if he didn't keep his emotions under control, this was it, this was their ever after.

As he watched her walking towards him with a smile on her beautiful face, he thought how Usagi was the only one that gave sense to his life; how she made his world spin in the right direction, how she had his heart in her hands. She was beautiful inside and out and she emanated a light that could warm even the hardest and coldest of hearts and now, that wonderful human being was going to share her life with him.

It felt as if they were back to where they left off two thousand years ago.

Once she reached the altar, Usagi turned and gave her father a peck on his cheek and took Mamoru's hand and stood next to him "Hi," she whispered and looked at him with a warm, nervous smile.

"Hi." Mamoru smiled and greeted her with a soft kiss in her hand. Usagi blushed and turned to the priest, who was ready to start the ceremony. By now, Michiru had stopped playing her melody and graciously had gone to take her seat next to her beloved Haruka.

"Good evening. On this lovely day, with the sun setting on the horizon before us, we are gathered here to celebrate the union of this young man and this young woman in holy matrimony." The older man raised his hands to chest high and looked at the crowd sitting behind the couple, "It is undeniable, when we witness the power of love and the blissful support behind this beautiful couple," he looked at the guests, "But as the person entrusted to bless this union, it is my duty to ask if this ceremony is happening under the consent of every person gathered here and if there is someone who opposes to the union between Tsukino Usagi and Chiba Mamoru, it is the moment to speak now, or, forever hold your words."

Minako looked at the crowd as if she challenged anyone to oppose the union of her friends and turned to the priest who continued sharing words of wisdom for the future married couple.

"This beautiful young lady and young man have not reached this place alone, each has been given life by their loved ones. These, who gave to them care and support through all these years, are and will be, a vital part in their continued lives. Their love has borne fruit in respect and for these will continue as they grow in this new life made possible by everyone here witnessing this joyful moment for no other human ties are more tender, no other vows are more sacred than these you are about to assume. You are entering into that holy estate which is the deepest mystery of experience, and which is the very sacrament of divine love." The priest looked at the couple again, "Now, this is when I ask you, Tsukino Usagi, Chiba Mamoru—if you are here with your consent to celebrate your union before the heavens above us,"

"Yes,"

"Very well," The priest smiled and turned to call Naru and Umino to walk to the aisle and asked them to put the delicate crystal and gold lasso over the couple as a symbol of stability and union and turned Usagi, a smile graced his features when she saw her holding her future husband's hand and nodded, "Tsukino Usagi, do you accept Chiba Mamoru as your lawfully wedded husband, will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him safe, forsaking all others, keep yourself only for him so long as you both shall live?"

Usagi turned and looked into Mamoru's ocean blue eyes and never felt so sure about something in her life as to share her life with the man in front of her, "Yes—I do." She answered on the verge of tears. The priest nodded and turned to Mamoru and asked the same question; "Chiba Mamoru, do you accept Tsukino Usagi, as your lawfully wedded wife, will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her safe, forsaking all others, keep yourself only for her so long as you both shall live?"

"Yes," Mamoru flashed her that perfect smile that made her feel like the only girl in the world, "I do."

The priest turned to Motoki and asked for the rings. Usagi took the sleek titanium band from the soft cushion inside the box and turned to look into Mamoru's alluring eyes with a soft smile, "Mamoru, before our family and friends, I vow my love to you and I promise to care for you for as long as we both shall live. I take you with all your faults and your strengths... I promise to always be there when you need help, to protect you from everything that could make you sad or harm you, I will be there to hold you when you feel down, to make you smile when you feel low; to laugh with you and cry with you, but most importantly, to never, _ever_ , make you feel alone in the world anymore. I promise to forever hold you dear to my heart, honor you, treasure you in sorrow and in joy; to stand by your side in the good times and bad times, in sickness and in health, and make you happy every day for the rest of my life."

Mamoru blushed and looked down as she carefully slid the ring on his finger making him feel complete and completely hers. Finally, he felt he belonged somewhere; like he had a place in a world— _her world,_ and that was all he needed. With a gentle squeeze on her hand, he turned to grab her ring from Minako and took a moment to put his thoughts and emotions in place before speaking.

This was probably the first time he felt so emotional in all his life, his eyes burned with tears as he waited for the lump clear in his throat and silently while cursing Motoki, who probably was rejoicing in silence by his premonition.

Mamoru took enough the courage to continue and looked at her with teary eyes, something that completely melted Usagi's heart, "We've come a long way…" he smiled and took a deep breath "…Since the very first day we met. You changed my life completely and gave me the family I never thought I could ever have. You gave me the courage to face the world with different eyes, gave me a smile when I needed it the most, comforted me when I felt my lowest; supported me and helped me get back on my feet when I felt I couldn't walk any further. You give me truth and you bring me peace, you bring me joy just by looking at that beautiful smile of yours. Usagi, you are my best friend, my other half, and the love of my life. In the presence of every soul watching us from heaven, our family and friends gathered here, I offer my solemn vow to be your faithful partner and walk beside you in this new life we are about to share together. I will be with you every day and night, in sickness and in health, in all times—good or bad; in joyful and sorrowful moments. I swear to love you unconditionally and support you in every single thing you decide to do, from this point on, I promise to make your dreams mine as well and do everything in my power to make them a reality and make sure nothing take away your happiness. There is nothing I won't do for you, there is nothing I would not give you, I swear to honor and respect you, to laugh with you, cry with you, and to cherish you for the rest of my life. I would go to the very end of this world just for you because you hold my fate and soul in your hands; I am forever yours Luna Bunny... we found our way."

There was something in his words that made Usagi feel that it was just not plain Mamoru speaking to her, no, the man speaking to her was Endymion, Tuxedo Kamen, and Chiba Mamoru all at the same time. Usagi felt her eyes fill with tears at the mention of the millenary promise he made to her, letting the ancient soul inside her shine with glee and happiness. It was his secret way to tell her that they had made it against everything, and everyone, that their love truly found a way.

A tear rolled down her cheeks as she watched him slid the wedding band on her finger with the same carefulness she put his ring minutes before. There was so much truth and devotion in his words that had everyone present silently sobbing with emotion. Minako turned to a crying Ami, Rei, and Makoto, and to a very emotional Ikuko crying next to an even more emotional Kenji drying his tears with his silk handkerchief, even Shingo and girlfriend got touched by their words.

The priest turned to Naru and Umino and asked them to take the lasso off the couple and raised his hands above the couple's heads, "With the power invested in me to bless your union, I now pronounce you husband and wife." With a smile, the old man looked at Mamoru and nodded, "You may now kiss your bride."

With all the joy curled up in his chest, Mamoru held her hands and pulled her closer to him and sealed the promise with the most heartwarming and emotional kiss. Usagi closed her eyes and gave in to the kiss, completely ignoring the claps and cheering happening in the background, this was their moment—their own little world, the one both of them promised to nurture and grow until the end of time. Seconds after, both parted and looked into each other's eyes, "Te amo, Endymion, to the Moon and back—" she whispered with tears in her eyes.

Mamoru caressed her cheek and leaned his forehead on hers, he took a deep breath like the man madly in love he was and smiled, "Te amo, Serenitati, back to the world we belong."

* * *

 _I do not own Sailor Moon,_ _just this plot and some of the characters._

 _The Divinity Series is rated M. Intimacy, cursing, and violence may occur._

 _AN: *You can find the references of Mamoru's guests in Shades of Blue: Midnight, Indigo, and Royal Blue from the collection of extra chapters "Divinity: A day in the life." Also, the reference of Usagi and Mamoru's astrological mugs is in "The secret is in the details." also from the collection of extra chapters._

 _*Everything you hold is mine._


	31. Chapter 31

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Thirty-One

* * *

Ares entered his office in Olympus and sat behind his intricate crafted, marble desk. His hands rested on his chin as he thought about his decision on waking the one being he was not supposed to acknowledge, the one that was not even supposed to exist; the son of his dear friend and platonic love—Gaia. Looking down, he thought about the many options he could have taken to approach the situation but why did he decide to break an oath?

Memories from their past slowly began to flow like a mad river spreading across the ground, making its own path as he remembered a specific moment in time.

O—o—O

 _ _"Saturn has used the power of the Underworld, the Moon Kingdom has fallen to its demise," Hades said as he put some parchments on the large desk in front of him for his two brothers to revise. "I will be taking care of the fallen souls from here—Serenity's first, of course."__

 _ _A very distressed looking Ares sat silently across the lord of the underworld in silence, his presence had been requested as soon as the news of the lunar queen's death echoed around all their realm, this is the part of his jurisdiction he hated so much and it pained him to even talk about it, much more because the lunar queen was his dear friend. His eyes were red from crying, and they were so filled with anger and frustration—of grief and horror. With a clenched jaw and a broken heart, he listened to the Higher God's dictum to what would happen next to the fates of those who fell under Saturn's power that night.__

 _ _"How many are we talking about?" Zeus' dry tone showed he was also feeling distressed by the whole situation. Nobody expected the always peaceful lunar goddess would fall into such disgrace and to such horrible causes. "She was a treasure to Olympus and the Universe, she was dear to everyone; there was nobody she could not charm with her beauty and kindness, nobody she could not help and support. In the end, her kind heart was what condemned her."__

 _ _"Enough to keep us occupied for days if not weeks," Hades said in a low tone and looked at his older brother, "But the Fates are still deciding where the Terran divines should rest. They did not die with the impact but their life is now hanging from their thread and it depends on the sentence—the question here is in what valley their souls shall be taken, I need to have a word with the Judges of the Underworld."__

 _ _Ares looked up but remained silent and let the truth unravel in front of him. He was too distracted grieving the loss of another dear friend to even look at the reports or to even make one. Zeus sighed, "It is hard for me to think they are responsible for what happened—but that family has brought and caused too much distress in this realm that I do not know what to do anymore."__

 _ _"There is something else we must address," Hades' cold stare turned to Ares for a moment, then at Zeus again "Serenity's actions."__

 _ _"What do you mean?" Zeus frowned.__

 _ _"She summoned the power of the crystal, souls have escaped Lethe's river."__

 _ _"Meaning?" The lord of thunder said in an aggravated tone "What are you saying Hades?"__

 _ _"Serenity did not die by Saturn's Silence Glaive. She sacrificed herself by granting life to others—her daughter, to be specific," Hades narrowed his gray eyes, "The interesting part of it all is that she sent her to the planet we cannot protect."__

 _ _"Earth?" Zeus narrowed his deep gray eyes, this time catching Ares' attention. "Why would she do such a stupid thing?!" Hades' eyes darkened and quirked a brow, "She also protected the souls of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter—and of the son of Gaia."__

 _ _Ares' eyes widened in shock and turned when he heard Zeus roaring with anger "What!?"__

 _ _"Serenity sent them to Earth and now, they will reborn in a new era—I do not know if she made a pact with Chronos to do such thing but given his disappearance, it is very likely, it is, after all, his jurisdiction." Hades sighed and leaned back in his gold chair, next to Ares. Zeus frowned and shook his head in disbelief, "No—this cannot continue. It is like a plague," he looked at Hades and to the rest of the High Gods who have been awfully silent during the meeting. Apollo finally broke his silence and looked at the parchments on the long marble table, "He will eventually regain his memories—it is impossible to hide a truth of such caliber, he will wake up and what will happen to this realm then? Must we expect war again?"__

 _ _"Why would you do that, Serenity? Why?" Zeus muttered angrily as he shook his head and turned to Hades, "Can something be done to avoid more collateral damage? To avoid the hybrid to awaken?"__

 _ _Hades looked at him with a cold, stern face "He still has not been granted a reincarnation, his soul still wanders somewhere among the stars and the corridors of the Time-Space Continuum—none of them have, I have no control over them as we speak, not until they are born and perish once again."__

 _ _Ares looked at the gods with shock thinking Serenity could have survived the fall of her empire but decided to give up all of her life force to her daughter and Gaia's son. This was too much to process, and it surprised him that even Chronos approved the white queen's decision by supporting her actions.__

 _ _"Once he is born, the Fates can look for his soul and take care of the string that ties his soul to his body. Until then, it is when I will be able to bring it to the Underworld and lock it where it belongs." Hades said dryly.__

 _ _"Have you found Gaia?" Zeus said, narrowing his dark gray colored eyes, "Have you found her soul yet?"__

 _ _Hades sighed heavily with both shame and disgust, "No—it is nowhere to be found in the Underworld. I still have shadows looking for her, Charon rummaging through the rivers and Asteria looking in the deepest parts of Inferno but still, nothing has come to any resolution."__

 _ _"The Goddess of Fates and Falling Stars," Ares muttered dryly. The only reason why she would be summoned to aid Hades with something was when he did not want to get his hands dirty but Asteria was a two-bladed sword, she was deadly accurate in her predictions, very strong and also could compete with a sailor senshi in terms of discipline and training; she was no ordinary goddess but also had her own motives to participate in every quest she has been part of. Her participation or aid was never a coincidence, and she was not known to be kind-hearted or one who knew the meaning of mercy.__

 _ _"Chronos is nowhere to be found either," Zeus frowned and threw a few parchments on the table with anger, "But that, I cannot control—the Gates of Time and Space are remained shut and are now protected by Pluto." he turned to Hades "We have to bring back the Golden Crystal before it is too late, before he awakens."__

 _ _Poseidon frowned and leaned forward on the desk, "What are you suggesting?"__

 _ _"Helios' as the Titan he was, created a dynasty as powerful as him," Zeus said with regret, "He earned a place in this table but as important and reliable it was to us in the past now it is corrupted, we cannot allow that dynasty to continue, not anymore, we must put an end to it—Hades,"__

 _ _"Yes, Brother?"__

 _ _Zeus frowned, "Cut the string of fate on Gaia's hybrid child, cut the root of the problem as soon as possible."__

 _ _Ares' eyes widened and turned to Zeus, "What?!" Zeus turned to Ares with concern, "Are you objecting, brother?"__

 _ _Ares looked at his oldest brother with shock and shook his head with disbelief, "You label them as a curse yet you have seen it is not the case. One cannot stain a whole family—you are being lunatic."__

 _ _"Lunatic?" Zeus growled, "Is it not enough that we have a rotten soul in the Underworld and a rebel mocking our laws by hiding somewhere under our noses? And not only mocking the law but challenging us! That hybrid creature dared to cross to our realm and look at what happened to the Silver Alliance. He destroys everything he touches, he touched Serenity's daughter and brought destruction to her as well—he, just like that whole family is corrupted with the curse of those with Titan blood, like a disease."__

 _ _"One blessed with some sort of power we yet do not have—that creature is destined to wake up eventually. Once he does, he will want revenge, that is who they are!" Poseidon said, convinced of Zeus' allegations.__

 _ _"Just like Chaos once did." Apollo said dryly and turned to Ares who exalted with frustration, "Chaos' rebellion and war has nothing to do with the son of Gaia."__

 _ _"They have the same power—can't you see Ares?!" Hades raised his voice, something he almost never did, "When you have that kind of power, you only need a hint of anger to turn your whole belief system around."__

 _ _Ares felt a new sense of duty. He could not accept the fates of those who did nothing but to survive in a world of threatening and challenging rules, as his daughter. The lord of war stood up and turned to leave, startling the others "Ares?" Zeus called to him but the blonde god continued walking in silence until he reached for the door and turned over his shoulder, "There are bigger problems approaching us with the fall of the Silver Alliance and Serenity's death. My duties are that and that only—I am not here for your selfish acts of revenge, I am here to protect those who need to be protected." with that, Ares turned and left the room without giving any of the high gods any opportunity to speak.__

 _ _As he walked down the long corridor, he felt a new sense and meaning to the words he just said: 'to protect those who need to be protected,' and remembered the many times he once was in the same position as Zeus when he challenged Chronos when he defended Gaia and her dynasty against their allegations once she left to live her life as a mortal woman. He once judged them with no remorse or mercy but in the end, he realized they were a family that no matter what, continued fighting to survive and that despite Gaia's lack of power she tried to nurture and maintain the good in her family.__

 _ _He realized the amount of ambition lurking in the immortal world and he did not want to participate any longer. Serenity's death opened his eyes and all he could do now was to protect her legacy in his own way.__

 _ _Years passed and Ares finally learned they all had reincarnated into a new era; Earth was a different place now and so were they and took the vow of looking over them in silence, aware that the higher gods were too but for different motives. Time was coming short and he had to do something since the order to exterminate what remained of the terran dynasty was given.__

 _ _Ares looked with horror as Hades' sent his minions to do the work and immediately traveled to Earth behind the gods' back. Now, it was up to him to do something to prevent more unjust atrocities so he waited for the time to come. The god of war immediately located Hades' pawns as he saw a dark blue car approaching in the distance—it was unmistakable, the energy of those blessed with ancestral power. He turned and saw one of Hades' shadows appeared from the underworld and began cracking the pavement to make it unstable for the man behind the wheel, controlling the vehicle. His brown eyes widened with horror and disbelief when he saw an unnatural creepy-looking figure in the middle of the road staring back at them with fiery eyes. "W-What..." the man muttered and pressed his arm against his wife sitting in the passenger's seat as a protective reflex.__

 _ _He brusquely turned the steering wheel to the opposite side to try to evade the demonic creature but one of the wheels exploded making them turn several times before falling off the high cliff. Ares ran towards the creatures and pierced his blade on the shadow creatures killing them instantly and looked down in horror at how the vehicle tossed among the rocks until it landed on the ground, completely destroyed. The god of war jumped down with frantic urgency and he could hear his heartbeat echoing in his mind one beat stronger than the last one for every second he came close to the wrecked vehicle on the ground.__

 _ _Ares stopped on the passenger's seat and saw the mother trying to reach for her crying son's hand "Don't let go—please... don't let go." she said between loud and desperate sobs, "Whatever happens—do not let go."__

 _ _The woman slowly began to lose consciousness and died minutes later, the father, who was behind the wheel, died instantly with the impact but the child was still alive. Ares turned when he heard him crying and trying to break free from his seat belt when he noticed the strong smell of gasoline coming from inside the vehicle warning both child and god that there was a leak and that it was just only a matter of seconds before the car could be caught in flames. The lord of war kneeled next to the child and punched the window next to him and pulled him out of the vehicle with cuts and bruises all over his face and body.__

 _ _Six-year-old Chiba Mamoru opened his blue eyes and looked at him with confusion; it was clear that the boy was not entirely conscious; he had a trail of blood running from his head all the way down his neck and the left side of his face was swollen from the impact with the window. He had scratches all over his body and a piece of glass impaled in one of his legs right below his left knee. His breathing was heavy and hoarse; he was trying to say something but his inability to move and his weak body was beginning to give in—the boy was dying.__

 _ _Ares held Mamoru in his arms and pulled him close to him in a protective embrace, "I will not let them have you—" he breathed in his hair as he tried to calm the boy's nerves, "I will not let them do such atrocious thing just to feed their ambition..." The lord of war closed his eyes and began summoning his inner power and slowly transmitted some of his energy to the almost lifeless body in his arms. He could feel Mamoru's warmth slowly return to his body and moved back, gray eyes met sapphire blue as he rested his hand on his forehead "Do not fear, I will protect you..."__

 _ _The sounds of sirens were heard close, Ares turned and saw the paramedics and police officers approach the vehicle and turned to the young man, who fell unconscious in his arms and combed some blooded pieces of hair away from his face with his fingers, "Even if it the last thing I do—I will protect you. You were reborn for a purpose and when the time is right... we will meet again... until then, do not let go. I believe in you, boy, do not let go." He heard one of the paramedics talking with urgency to another in the distance, "There is a wounded child in the scene!"__

 _ _Ares turned to see the paramedic coming closer and lay Mamoru on the ground and immediately went back to Olympus where he knew Hades was already giving his report to Zeus about the situation.__

O—o—O

Ares leaned back in his chair and sighed heavily as he rubbed the bridge of his nose while thinking how his reputation has been tainted ever since the moment he decided to help Serenity in her mission of bringing back the terran planet to the Alliance. As he expected, the High Gods were quickly informed that the child survived the planned attack but they could not do much once Ares gave his report on the matter when he was sent to witness it with his own eyes, unaware that he already had and that it was because of him that he survived.

 _ _\- O -__

 _ _"The son of Gaia has no recollection of his previous life. He was not born with the blessing of the Golden Crystal or Helios' heritage for that matter—he is no privileged child. His eyes hold no ancestral power; he was born a plain mortal child and as such, he is condemned to live as a mortal man for the remainder of his life."__

 _ _\- O -__

A knock distracted him from his thoughts and saw Goddess Hera standing at the door with a curious look on her face, the blonde widened his eyes and immediately stood up to welcome her, "Hera..."

"May I come in?" Her rich, warm voice echoed in his quiet study; Ares nodded and extended his hand with politeness, "Yes, please, of course..." he walked around his desk to welcome her and offered her a seat across from his, the elegant goddess in red robes smiled and shook her head with grace, "I am alright, I spend too much of my time sitting on a golden throne—I feel like I need the stretch."

Ares smiled softly but said nothing as he returned to his seat behind his desk. Hera was a kind-spirited goddess, a believer in love just like Aphrodite and Serenity, and because of that, they all shared a close friendship. With a nature so maternal and kind, it lifted many questions among the divine realm as to how a goddess like her could ever share her life with a man like Zeus who was so opposite in both character and beliefs but the truth was that Zeus loved her, he loved her deeply, and despite his often cold and authoritative portrayal to the rest, he was kind and lovable to her.

"What can I do for you, Hera?" Ares chuckled with slight sardonic hints, "Ah, I think I know—it has to do with my decision to awaken Gaia's son, is it not?" Hera looked at him surprised; her hazel eyes widened at the mention of the terran titaness' child, "Did you?"

"You do not know?" Ares quirked his brow with utter disbelief, "Your husband is enraged because of it."

"Your brother gets enraged for mostly anything," Hera sighed as she rested her arms on the chair offered to her, "His patience has become thinner over the years," she looked at him and decided it was best to take that offered seat in across from her brother in law, "But, why did you?" Ares gave her a complicit smile, "You know why."

"I better rephrase my question, dear brother—how could you?"

"I do not understand."

"You said he had with no privileges, no power—no blessing. Born a common mortal." Hera said softly and frowned with curiosity, "How did you manage to wake such power within him if he was supposed to be born with none?"

"You know more about this than you are trying to pretend, Hera, you know he awakened some of his power not too long ago—as to how that is still a question to me. But he did, somehow," Ares crossed his arms in front of his chest, "You must know by now that it was a decoy I made to let him live. He indeed was born with his ancestral heritage," Ares sighed, "But as to why I awakened him? Well, it was necessary."

"You have called for every Polemarchos in the universe and rebuilt the Celestial Army, why did you have to call him too?" Hera showed plain and honest confusion to her brother in law's antics, Ares leaned back in his chair, his grey eyes never leaving her warm hazel ones, "Because whether they like it or not, he too holds that rank and title."

"You just opened Pandora's box, Ares," Hera shook sighed softly as she leaned back in her seat and crossed her legs, "You may have awoken more than you asked for—how are you going to manage such power if it goes out of control? This is no ordinary family you can manipulate to meet the standards of our realm, dear brother, this is Helios' dynasty we are talking about—the one he perfectly crafted with pride and love and that somehow self-sabotaged itself with time until it was cursed with ambition and neglect,"

"That box was never fully closed, Hera." Ares sighed softly "I am aware of that, I just find it surprising how you are here talking to me about it instead of judging my actions with rage,"

"I never had anything against Gaia—in fact, I have always believed she lead a very unjust life," Hera said softly, "The girl was never given an opportunity to choose what to do with her life, she was asked to follow everyone's demands pushing her to the very limit. You turned that girl into a trained assassin that later on fed the stigma of her heritage; you put a great weight on her shoulders, Ares. I have tried to talk to Zeus about it but his duty as leader of Olympus always comes first," the goddess looked down sadly and shook her head, "She was a wonderful woman and I never thought of her as an evil creature nor her child."

"Then, why are you here?" Ares frowned with confusion, Hera smiled "Because they got married and I thought you would have liked to know,"

"Who did?" Ares's eyes narrowed. Hera gave Ares a kind and warm smile, "Gaia's son and Serenity's daughter, of course," Hera leaned forward and rested her elbows on the desk, "They asked for the blessing of marriage—which is my jurisdiction—and since you have shown great interest in them over the years, I thought you would like to know."

"So, he did not abandon her, that is good to hear," Ares said with relief as he remembered the young man's reaction when he learned the truth about him and his family. Hera arched a quizzical brow, "Excuse me?"

"Serenity always wanted her daughter to marry Gaia's son," Ares nodded his head and sighed softly, "And it would not surprise me that Gaia wished for the same thing,"

"Do not punish yourself so hard for this Ares," Hera smiled and extended her arm to pat his hand softly, "I know you want to preserve her dynasty because of that love you still have for her." Ares looked at Hera with wide eyes, Hera tilted her head and continued, "You cared for her since she was a child, you looked after her—trained her, helped her become a supreme warrior, this my dear Ares, goes far beyond common love. This is a silent promise you made to Helios as his apprentice, and also, as her mentor and friend. Whatever blossomed afterwards, well, that is something only you can understand, maybe it was just the sense of losing her… of knowing you were not going to see her, anymore."

"I took her for granted, Hera, that is what happened."

"Well, you are now atoning for those mistakes you made in the past by giving her son an opportunity to prove himself,"

"I now see through Serenity's perspective, Hera, I see there is malice wherever you want to find it. Evil beings walk among good ones, not all evil is trapped in Inferno or Tartarus like my brother so wishes to believe. They have focused so much of their time in trying to destroy a dynasty that can actually be an aid to us, that thirst for power has only nurtured their ambition and it will not stop until one of them gets destroyed." Ares shook his head, "I may call every polemarchos to fight Chaos if he ever escaped from that prison, but the only one who I believe can stop him, is one of his own kind and that is what frightens them the most—that is what lies behind their unbreakable desire of wanting him dead. They sealed Chaos with fear—even Gaia did. Her heart was confused because it was her brother and she loved him, she loved whatever good he once nested in him and she wished he had kept. But her son—he loves Serenity much more than his own nature, that is a fact, and to keep her safe he will fight any threat that comes near her, even if it comes from someone who carries the same blood in his veins."

"What you are trying to say is that you think Helios' dynasty can give a turn and become what once was and step out of Chaos' shadow, is that it?"

Ares nodded "Chronos thought so too, but I was too blind to understand it back then, but I do now." He smiled softly, "So tell me, sister, did you grant your blessing to that union?"

Hera looked at Ares and chuckled at the mention of being called sister. She had a soft spot for her little brother in law no matter how much Zeus stressed over his sometimes erratic and brash decisions, "Of course I did. Whenever I see love, I send a blessing." The goddess of marriage reached for the blonde's hand, "That is why I did not bless yours, there was no love in either of both parts."

Ares arched his brow, Hera leaned back and stood up "I saw her Ares, she is not in her best shape."

Ares frowned "What do you mean?"

"Her eyes hold anger and deception," Hera said softly "Be careful, there is no greater threat than one who holds revenge in their heart." Ares narrowed his eyes, "Where is she living now?"

"I do not know for sure, but her aura has darkened." The goddess in red and gold robes turned to look at him with a worried look, "If she wants revenge, it will not be long before she finds someone who can help her. Like you said, there are vicious spirits in this realm... not all of them are tied to the Underworld."

"Eris has always been like that, Hera, you know it. The thing is that it is up until now that we have gone our separate ways that you finally got no notice of it." Ares muttered, "But I appreciate your concern."

Hera walked back and cupped Ares' face in her hands, "You have sacrificed so much over the years for the sake of others, for the sake of your daughter."

"I have done my share of wrongdoings Hera, I am no saint, but my daughter is the only good part coming from me." Ares smiled sadly "I have kept contact with her through all these years, through Phobos and Deimos and other means—her existence is the only good and beautiful thing that came out of such horrible union."

Hera stepped back and turned on her heel, "I think the same of the Amazon girl," she turned to look over her shoulder at Ares, "I will not defend my husband's actions, Zeus has done horrible things in the past and abandoning that girl is one of those things I will ever forgive of him doing, but she grew up to be one fine lady and soldier. Do not be a stranger dear brother, I missed seeing that lovely face of yours..." turning on her heel, she exited the room leaving Ares alone.

The lord of war leaned back in his chair and smiled softly, "See Serenity? Your daughter married the best warrior for her—just like you always wanted. I hope you are happy, little flower... wherever you are," he closed his eyes, "I hope you are very happy with the news."

O—o—o—o—O

After the ceremony, came the photography session with the bridal court, friends, and family. In between many changes of poses and people for the portraits, Mamoru would give his wife loving glances and a few winks in between takes that surely made her feel like the only girl in the world. This was the happiest she's ever been, finally the first day of the rest of their lives came true and she couldn't wait was was to come next. Once the sessions were over and done; she looked up at him with a wide smile when she felt his fingers lacing with hers as they walked down the aisle towards the church's front gates. Usagi waved happily at the guests clapping and cheering as she walked out of the garden and smiled widely at Motoki who was walking behind them with Reika, Setsuna, Hotaru, Haruka, and Michiru.

Jadeite was the first to come close to the inner senshi and smiled proudly, "We finally witnessed what we never imagined we would." Rei turned surprised and smiled "Yes, it sure was something very special."

The blonde offered his arm to the priestess and grabbed her bouquet "Please, allow me to help you with that."

"T-Thank you," Rei blinked and blushed, surprising the other girls for their sudden and very friendly approach to each other. Zoisite crossed his arms and chuckled "Well, look at that," he clicked his tongue "He has proven to be braver than any of us."

Makoto smiled and waved her hand at Nephrite who quickly followed Jadeite's steps in helping her with her bouquet "You look very beautiful, I must say." He said in a charming tone, making Makoto blush "Thank you."

Zoisite was next in coming close to Ami but immediately noticed she had everything under control leaving him with zero excuses to start a conversation; Ami smiled softly and waved the bouquet in front of her, "I can handle the bouquet." She said softly, startling the blonde "I-I can see that," he scratched the back of his neck "Well, this is strange." Ami chuckled "Why?"

"I want to be useful, somehow," Zoisite looked at her, "I believe all I can offer you now, Milady, is this arm of mine for you to hold." Ami blushed, "That is all you can offer me, right?"

Zoisite looked at her puzzled "Y-Yes?"

"Well in that case—I'll take it." The bluenette giggled and grabbed his arm and walked down the aisle all the way back to the church's entrance, "Thank you."

Kunzite looked at his fellow friends and growled with frustration by how Minako managed to sneak out before he could even attempt to be a gentleman and offer her some help; the action caught Megumi's attention and turned to look at him with worry, "General Kunzite, are you alright?"

Kunzite's gray eyes were still fixed on Minako who walked from one side to the other, helping Usagi's mother, cousins, and talking to her friends __and__ his friends but for some reason, avoided all contact with him. "I am alright," he finally answered and turned to look at her "I believe it is just us two, then," he offered his arm again to the young maid, one she took with grace and walked out of the garden in silence. Megumi remembered the tension in the blonde's words when talking about the shitennou, especially the white-haired general but thought it was best to keep any comments to herself, at least for now.

O—o—O

Outside the church, Mamoru leaned down and kissed Usagi on the lips again and smiled, "Are you happy?" He asked softly while looking at her with the most endearing look in his azure eyes. Usagi nodded and caressed his cheek with her hand, "More than you can imagine. I can't believe this is happening."

"I can't ei—" Mamoru widened his eyes when their sweet moment was soon interrupted by an urgent Minako striding their way, "Okay, where to now?" She asked softly and took the bouquet from Usagi's hand to help her move with more ease before the crowd caught up to them and stall them with more greetings, thinking this was best to leave for the reception, but both bride and groom noticed there was an air of unsettling urgency in her voice. She turned and held Usagi's arm gently as they walked down the stairs all the way to the car, "Let's go down carefully—don't you trip on me Tsuki—oh, wait, you're Chiba Usagi now, you already signed the papers that confirms and makes your union official." She smiled and turned to a blushing Usagi, "I guess I am Chiba Usagi now, huh?"

"No turn back now," Mamoru said softly as he opened his car to help her get in, Minako giggled when she saw her friend struggle with the long veil "Let me help you get that off... I don't think you will want to walk around with that veil on your head all the time."

Usagi chuckled and leaned her head back to allow her maid of honor to take the veil away, "No... I could trip and fall and who wants that, really?"

"I will carry it around in case the photographer wants to take more portraits," Minako was taken by surprise when Usagi wrapped her arms around Minako and pulled her into an embrace and sighed happily, "I don't know what I would do without you—you could rule the world,"

Minako chuckled and shook her head, "Oh no sweetie, that's your thing..." she pulled away after a few minutes "Okay so, where to now?"

"The reception," Usagi said softly and widened her eyes "Oh wait, Megumi, where is she?"

"Here, here!" Megumi said softly as she waved her hand at the couple as she walked towards them with Kunzite walking behind. She looked at Usagi with teary eyes and smiled widely, "I am beyond happy for you, Your Highness,"

"Sweet Megumi, thank you," Usagi pulled her close in a loving embrace and looked at her with a knowing smile on her face once she pulled back, "Go hug him now, he's free."

Megumi blushed and nodded as she walked towards Mamoru with a big smile on her face, "Y-Your Highness..." she trailed off nervously "I-I just want to wish you all the very best—" before she could say anything else, Mamoru wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace full with gratitude "You being here means the world to me, Megumi, thank you." He whispered in her ear, making her blush and pulled back to give Kunzite a chance to congratulate the couple, "It is truly an honor to see you two finally achieving what you promised to yourselves all those years ago."

Mamoru smiled, "Thank you Kunzite." The white-haired general turned to Usagi and chuckled "Princess, I must say you got yourself a challenge with this man," Usagi widened her eyes and chuckled "Oh, I know."

"Thank you," Mamoru sweat dropped "How sweet of you two,"

"Okay so—you __need__ to go to the reception _now._ We will meet you there in a bit." Minako said, interrupting the conversation between Kunzite and Usagi and helped her get inside the car with the same unusual urgency than just minutes before, "Now, you don't want to be late for your own reception, it's your party!"

Usagi pulled Minako closer and frowned "Mina-chan, are you okay?" Minako nodded with excitement, "Of course! I am your Maid of Honor and my job is to make you be where you are supposed to be in time—now go!"

"B-But the girls..." Usagi said as Minako helped her with the trail of her dress, "I will handle it—leave it to me—go, go, _go._ " She closed the door and turned to Mamoru, "She's coming with me, you go before it gets too late!" She patted his arm and stepped aside and watched the newlywed couple driving away; she turned and took Megumi with her, again, completely ignoring Kunzite's existence. The white-haired general frowned when he realized his brothers had left with the other girls and sighed heavily already knowing this was probably just a lost cause.

"Traitors," Turning on his heel, Kunzite began to walk away until he was stopped by Haruka, "Oi, where are you going?" Kunzite frowned and looked at the blonde behind the wheel accompanied by Michiru, Hotaru, and Setsuna, "The reception,"

"Do you know where it is?"

"I was given directions, I will find my way,"

The sandy blonde looked at a very stressed out Minako and a very miserable Kunzite and arched her brow with a knowing smile, "Ah, I see," she smiled, "We are on our way there so you are more than welcome to join us, there is one spot available in this car."

Kunzite frowned at Haruka but remained silent, leaving the blonde take control of the conversation again, "Look, I know we don't know each other and that we did not have the best of introductions but we will have to get along since we are both guardians so, we either get along or just continue ignoring each other, although I prefer we get along—it's easier for both of us."

Kunzite looked at her with slight surprise considering how defensively she acted that night when they came to aid the prince in battle. He sighed in defeat and nodded, "I believe you are right, my name is Kunzite, by the way." Haruka smiled "Haruka," she bowed her head "Or Uranus—choose whatever, to me, it's the same."

Kunzite nodded as he stepped into the car in silence, not really minding anymore if his ego was being kicked all over the ground by the blonde senshi or his fellow brothers but he couldn't help to think this was going to be one long night.

O—o—O

After a long drive due to the hectic traffic, the bridal party had finally arrived at the small garden where the reception had already started. Both the bride and groom decided they did not want anything too big and wanted to keep it more intimate. Of course, there was going to be live jazz music as an important request and present from the maid of honor herself but it was mostly going to be what in Usagi's words would be: a dinner party with a fancy and elegant twist.

Usagi looked out the window and smiled at the many paper lanterns hanging from the bushy trees that led through the long path up to the entrance of the garden. She found this place by casualty one day she assisted Mika with one photo shoot for the magazine and found out it could be scheduled for intimate celebrations if done with time and with the proper arrangements but what she had loved the most about it was the privacy around it. Nobody would ever imagine that after the long-pebbled path would be a secret garden with a small pond full of lilies, trees, and greenery everywhere and an endless variety of scented flowers, "Look how pretty Mamo-chan!" she tapped the window with her perfectly glittery nail and smiled with pure bliss, "They look like little stars."

Mamoru smiled and parked the car right in front of the entrance, "It does," he said softly and turned to look at his wife, "You look like a star." Usagi giggled, "Really?"

Mamoru nodded and leaned closer, "One that I will keep shining forever," he held her hand and kissed it softly, "At last, you are mine and mine alone, Moon Princess..." Usagi blushed and leaned closer, "At last, __you__ are mine, Terran Prince," she kissed him softly on the lips and sighed, startling him in the process, "What is it?" Mamoru blinked, Usagi rubbed her nose with his Eskimo style, "Did I tell you just how incredibly handsome you look tonight?"

Mamoru blushed softly and shook his head, "Thank you, but it's not compared to how beautiful you look in that dress,"

Usagi trailed the line of his jaw and kissed him softly again, her crystal blue eyes never leaving his deep sapphire ones, "Can we just skip all this and go home?" She smiled with mischief, "I don't want to share you with anyone, anymore." The comment made Mamoru's blush deepen even more, "Usa, this is meant to end early anyways."

"Well..." Usagi gave him butterfly kisses all over his cheek, "You and I both know it won't."

"You put so much effort in this event,"

"For you, I can elope,"

"There is one delicious chocolate cake waiting for you inside," Mamoru wiggled his brows playfully and flashed her a handsome grin, "Just remember that."

"Ohh!" Usagi's crystal blue eyes widened at the mention of the cake like two glittering orbs "The cake!"

"Mako made, so, it's needless to say it's beyond good."

"I bet is heavenly good, it's chocolate,"

Mamoru chuckled and nodded, "I'll help you get out of the car," he stepped out and walked to her side to open her door. She took his hand for support as she slowly made her way out and giggled as she turned to him, "I'm glad Minako took the veil off."

Mamoru smiled as he helped her take the rest of her long skirt out of the car and closed the door careful not to tug on her gown. They started walking down the enchanting path towards the garden holding hands as they slowly caught the music playing in the distance, "We're almost there," Usagi said softly and turned to her new husband and pulled on his arm to stop him, "Oh right, I forgot… before we go in, I must warn you about something." Mamoru arched his brow and turned to look at her a little confused, "Aren't we a little late on that Usako?" Usagi smacked his arm and chuckled "No! My family—it can be a little overwhelming, I just want to ask you to _please_ be patient."

Mamoru smiled and tug her hand to continue walking until they made it to the entrance, Usagi sighed, "Mamo-chan, I really need you to be patient, I'm not kidding,"

"Usa... it's okay, I—" Mamoru tried to finish his sentence but as soon as they walked inside the garden he was interrupted by his new father in law, "Finally the bride and groom have arrived!" Tsukino Kenji said happily while raising his glass and a large crowd began coming their way.

"See?" Usagi tightened her grip on her husband's hand and smiled nervously; Mamoru blinked surprised genuinely surprised, "Oh..."

O—o—O

At the other side of the garden, Minako walked back with a glass of rosé and sat next to Rei, "Hey you!" The priestess said but soon was surprised by the blonde's large gulp of her beverage "Uh, are you alright?" Minako put the glass down and nodded "Perfect," she turned and look at her friend with a brow quirked with curiosity, "Why?"

"You seem a little..." Rei frowned, Minako frowned, "A little what?"

"Off,"

"Off?"

"I'm sorry, I'll rephrase, you look upset."

Minako sighed softly "I'm fine, I'm fine." She pursed her lips, "It's my best friends' wedding and I just want everything to run smoothly—I take my job as maid of honor very seriously, you know? I want them to have an unforgettable night."

"Why it wouldn't run smoothly?" Rei frowned and turned to the table opposite to theirs "Ah... I get it." Minako took another sip of her wine this time with much more grace and less hurry, "What _do_ you get?"

"You just can't stand him, don't you?" Rei said with amusement and took a sip of her wine, "Aren't you the soldier of love?"

Minako gave Rei a side glance her and huffed, "It's not that I can't stand him—I just..." she tried to find a good set of words that could explain what she has been feeling since Kunzite came back into the picture—her picture. "He is not like Jadeite and the others, that's all."

"Isn't that what made you like him in the first place?" Rei asked confused, Minako sighed heavily "Rei-chan, he has other things in mind and me too. He hasn't been as charming as Jadeite when he offered you to help you with anything—it's different."

"Do you want him to help you with anything?"

"You know what I mean..."

"No, honestly, I don't."

"Ugh, you… you don't understand. It's complicated."

Rei gave her blonde friend a sad look and turned to the opposite table where the shitennou shared a table with Motoki, Reika, Naru, and Umino. Jadeite immediately caught her eye and raised his glass of wine and smiled at her, one Rei found very difficult to return, "I don't know how to avoid breaking his heart." She said softly, almost with guilt, making Minako turn with surprise "What do you mean?" She turned her head and saw Jadeite smiling at Rei and turned to her friend with wide eyes, "Wait, Why are you going to break his heart?"

Rei pursed her lips and shrugged her shoulders "You know my position Minako, I just can't go around starting new relationships when the ghost of my last one still lives with me."

"Well, that is for your own selfish purposes." Minako took another sip of her wine and asked the waiter for another glass; Rei widened her eyes and turned to look at her blonde friend, "What?"

"Well, am I wrong? You admitted it, you know what you have to do and yet—you haven't." Minako frowned and looked around, "Wasn't he supposed to be here, by the way?" Rei scoffed and took a sip of her wine, "Yeah, right. like I would have considered to bring him to a wedding as my plus one—of course not!"

Minako propped her chin on her hand and turned to the married couple walking from table to table greeting what she imagined were Usagi's family with a big smile on their faces, "Look at them, they're so happy." Rei smiled and nodded, "I know, I was scared that you know—something might have happened."

"Yes… but," Minako sighed, "Nothing can tear those two apart—their souls are glued together, no matter what."

"What are you talking about and what's with the gloomy faces? This is a wedding! And not just _any_ wedding but our friends' wedding, cheer up!" Makoto and Ami sat next to Rei and Minako at the table. Rei turned and chuckled, "We are not gloomy, we are just admiring those two."

"Usagi-chan looks so radiant," Ami said with a dreamy tone in her sweet voice, "I remember when she found that gown—I cried."

"Ami, you __always__ cry at weddings." Makoto said jokingly; Ami widened her eyes "That is so not true!" Her powdery voice raised with indignation, "When have I ever cried at another wedding?"

"Well, for instance, you cried your eyes out at the ceremony." Minako chuckled.

"Minako, you cried too—but in our defense, we all did." Makoto smiled and took a sip of her wine, "I mean, it was practically impossible to remain in one piece with those vows—goodness gracious..."

"The moment Mamoru's voice started to break with emotion—I knew I couldn't hold it any longer because he is the last person you would expect to cry!" Minako sniffled again making the others laugh, "Ugh, I knew these two were going to ruin my emotions today!" She turned again to look for the waiter that promised to bring a new glass of wine, "I need a drink,"

"So, any of you know where are they going for their honeymoon or if they are leaving for a honeymoon?" Rei asked curiously; Ami was about to mention something about what has been happening at the hospital but soon they were interrupted by no other than the always charming and playful Furuhata Motoki "Hello ladies, how are you girls doing tonight?"

Makoto turned to look at him and smiled, "Well, look at you all handsome—wearing a suit and all." It wasn't any news that Makoto had a crush on Motoki for years, they constantly flirted with each other but both of them knew it was a relationship that was not bound to happen. The sentiment was always tied to the memory of a former boyfriend, one that constantly broke her heart—even in her dreams. After she started culinary school, she met Yokinishi Masaru, the man who would later become her boyfriend for almost 5 years, but after many arguments, he moved away and she preferred to keep the situation to herself, trying her best not to talk about much about him to the girls. Ironically, Motoki was the only one who knew the whole truth behind it all, maybe because he was the one that never sugar-coated things for her like the girls sometimes did and during that time she needed the brutal honesty he could offer her. After realizing they could not go any further with any attempts at becoming an item, they realized they cared too much for each other to leave things behind, instead, they scrapped all the what 'if's' and harvested a very honest and close friendship that was still intact even when they did not see each other as they used to anymore. Motoki chuckled and flapped his lapel with pride, "I can be charming when I want to, and also, I had to play the part as best man,"

Makoto chuckled "Reika is one very lucky lady," she saw her stand behind her husband and waved her hand "Hi Reika-san."

"Mako-chan! How are you? It's been so long!"

"You know, very emotional—it's been quite a day." Makoto smiled, Motoki laughed, "I told Mamoru he was going to cry but he wouldn't believe me."

"Yeah but—he _ _cried__ not __sobbed__ like _ _you__ did," Makoto broke into laughter "We were all going crazy looking for a tissue, gladly Usagi had one." Motoki sweatdropped, "Okay, in my defense, I __didn't__ sob."

Minako threw her head back in laughter and pounded the table with her hand, "Oh my god! I have completely forgotten about that!" She looked back at him with a huge grin, "You were __bawling__ your eyes out! You could not even find your way to finish your vows."

"That's not true!" Motoki raised his hands defensively.

"I take—your hand in—" Ami began mimicking a sobbing Motoki and chuckled, "To take—your—haaaand—" she looked at him with a smile on her face "That is all we could understand,"

"Oh my god, I would give anything to see that again." Minako said between laughs, Reika giggled, "We have it on video."

"Ahhhhh!" All four girls yelled excitedly, catching everyone's attention including the shitennous'. Kunzite peered at Minako talking and laughing so joyous and felt a wave of jealousy taking over; while he wondered in his own anger why she could not laugh that way with him around.

"Go talk to her."

Kunzite's gray eyes widened and turned to Jadeite, who was sitting next to him with a glass of red wine in his hand, "You are never going to leap from point A to point B if you do not do something about it."

"What makes you think I want to do something about it?" Kunzite muttered bitterly, Jadeite arched his brow, "Well then, stop trying to look like you do," he took a small drink of wine and savored it with joy, "Besides, they have met other people—it is only natural they will be friendly with those we do not know. Also, he is very fun to talk to, do not act so conceited, I know you are much more reserved than I am but you need to start being a little more open minded."

"I am surprised to even hear you talking like that," The white-haired general turned to him, "What has gotten into you?"

"See, I may look carefree, handsome and all but I do reason things," Jadeite arched his brow "All we can do now, is to at least keep things peaceful until we figure out what comes next."

"About that, we need to move out from the shrine." Kunzite said dryly, "I got an offer from the tall Sailor Senshi—Uranus. She can lend us a place to stay and it is not that far from Endymion's apartment." He frowned at Jadeite's boyish grin, "What?" Jadeite chuckled, "Look at you, socializing with the other senshi—and not just with any senshi, she looks though."

"You left me alone, so I took her offer in giving me a drive to the reception," Kunzite narrowed his eyes, "Anyway, she has the same interest we do in terms of protecting the royal couple," he took a sip of his wine and savored the deep and rich woody notes of the beverage and looked at his younger brother, "If we are here, we might as well cooperate together."

"Where is Megumi going to stay while Endymion is away with Princess Serenity?" The blonde asked and looked at the young maid giggling with the girls and being part of their cheerful conversation, "She has bonded very well with them."

"I did not ask Endymion but I imagine she will stay with one of them," Kunzite said softly as he took another sip of his red wine, "I suppose she will want to give the newlywed couple some much needed privacy once they return from their wedding travels." Jadeite turned on his seat and smiled at the couple happily greeting their guests, "I always thought they belonged together," he chuckled, "I was not too fond of the idea of breaking them apart—or him marrying Beryl," he took another drink of his wine and gave his older brother a side glance, "Do you remember that?"

"How can that be forgotten?" Kunzite arched his brow, "It was driving me insane..."

"I think it drove us all insane," Jadeite sighed, "I suppose we need women to keep us sane; they are without a doubt a miracle from heaven, regardless of their origins."

"I suppose you are right," Kunzite sighed as he looked at Mamoru smiling at Usagi as she continued to introduce him to more members of her family, "I was not pleased with that idea either, Jadeite, but the circumstances obliged us… during that time, we did not have much of a choice. Even if we had to argue with him all the time."

"Do you think it has to do with us, what he asked us to investigate?" Jadeite frowned while still staring at the happy couple in the distance, "Do you think it has to be somehow linked to the past— _ _his__ past?"

Kunzite pursed his lips and took a sip of his wine, "I believe everything at this point is linked to his past but we will have to look further into this matter while he is away." His mysterious stare never left the couple as they moved around from table to table, "And if it turns out to be, well, we will have to take that matter into our hands... after all, there is a duty we must fulfill—that is why we are here."

* * *

 _ _The Divinity Series is rated M. Intimacy, violence, and cursing may occur.__

 _ _I do not own Sailor Moon,__ _ _just this plot and some of the characters.__

 _ _AN: Thank you for your lovely messages, Flareup4Ratchet & Become's one with the story, thank you for your good vibes. Also a special thank you to Guardians314 for her undying support. It's because of messages like these that I feel motivated to continue working on this story. I hope you like this one too, have a wonderful week everyone!__


	32. Chapter 32

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Thirty-Two

* * *

As the cool jazzy music continued playing its harmonious melodies in the background and the guests continued to enjoy the wine and fine dining experience with a touch of glamour only a wedding could bring. The happy mother of the bride, Tsukino Ikuko, went from table to table proudly introducing her dashing new son in law; she had to admit that it was something she had wanted to do for years since Usagi tried to keep him away from their numerous family reunions because she knew just how overwhelming they could be with their undying curiosity and incessant questioning, and also, because she was tired of some of Kenji's conceited cousins that did nothing but to show off their daughter's supposedly successful partners and the way they often pointed their finger at Usagi's personality and constantly asked about her taste in men and future.

Ikuko was a happy mother, she was a proud mother of both, Usagi and Shingo, but now that she had gained another son worthy of her undying affection she couldn't help herself from introducing him to everyone that ever dared to even question his existence and what was best, she loved how Mamoru was complying to her silent wish as she lovingly held his arm and let her lead the way. As they came close to a new table, Usagi intertwined her fingers with her husband's when they come to another group of people as Usagi would whisper in Mamoru's ear, __'a new flock'__ of distant cousins and aunts she barely remembered were anxiously waiting for them and finally meet the new addition to the Tsukino family that by now has caused quite the stir.

Ikuko was the partway of every introduction; it had become a little routine, she would start with a polite greeting to everyone on the table with a kind smile and later would give way to give the spotlight to the newlywed couple to do their part and thank everyone for coming to share their special day with them.

"Usagi, dear—you remember Auntie Kirito." Ikuko turned happily to look at her daughter.

Usagi widened her crystal blue eyes and gave Mamoru a quick worried glance as they walked close to greet the senior woman. She remembered when they were working on the guest list and how she barely remembered most of the names her mother scribbled down on several pieces of paper. Usagi knew she had a numerous family mostly from her father's side but she just never imagined how many would really come for her wedding, considering many lived far from Tokyo; but this woman, she knew she was famous in the family for her being very intimidating and direct.

"Auntie." Usagi smiled softly and leaned down to hold the woman's hands and give her a soft kiss on her cheek, trying her best to sound as casual as possible, "Thank you so much for coming."

"Well, look at my little Usagi," The woman with silvery hair said with amusement; her red lips curved into a big smile "So beautiful, you look like a Princess."

Usagi tilted her head and saluted the rest of the guests seating on the table with her with the same graceful fashion, "Thank you, Auntie, you are so kind," she smiled and tightened her grip on her husband's hand nervously, "Auntie, I want you to meet Mamoru."

Every time they walked to a table, Usagi would squeeze Mamoru's hand to pass the charm torch to him and took as his cue to step in and do his part; nodding his head in chivalry and respect to all the ladies and men present all staring at him with close attention. He couldn't deny the tension that was being under the Tsukino microscope watching every move he made and still deciding their approval, but it was all part of the charm and he completely understood why Kenji acted that way with him when he first step foot in his house when his precious daughter said he was her boyfriend.

"Good evening, it's a pleasure to finally meet you all."

Kirito, the elderly woman, who was probably in her late 60's, took his hand softly while looking at him with awe and quickly adjusted her glasses, "Well, look at you... you are very, _very_ handsome." She turned to her niece with a look of wonder, "Dear, you did a marvelous work keeping this young Adonis a secret." She mumbled, with her intense gaze still fixed on Mamoru, "You have very beautiful eyes," she blinked and turned to face the guests on the table, "There is really no point of comparison between this dashing young man and that Koichi-baka Okami used to date," she turned to Mamoru again and arched her brow, "Good for you, Usagi."

Mamoru blushed three shades of red and turned to Usagi, who was even three shades darker than he was "T-Thank you Tsukino-san." He said softly, trying his best to keep his cool. Kirito waved her hand and smiled "Call me Auntie, we're family now." Her raspy voice suited her personality perfectly. She was the kind of woman who did not have any filters, whatever she was feeling was exactly what she said and maybe, that was the reason everyone had a high respect for her because if she did not like something, she would make it known, loud and clear.

"Auntie." The word felt alien to Mamoru since he was not used to referring to anybody with a family honorific, except for Ikuko who after years of insisting on her part, he had finally started calling her Mama-san. The silver-haired and very elegant and stylish woman re-adjusted her thick, dark colored frames and looked at him; her face did not show any sort of expression but the curiosity lurking behind those thick glasses was obvious and desperate to be verbalized was a classic trait of Tsukino Kirito, one of the Tsukino matriarchs.

"So tell me Mamoru, is your family here with you? I noticed your side at the ceremony was quite lonely—why didn't they come?"

Ikuko widened her eyes recognizing this was one of those moments where the famous aunt put everyone on the red seat and turned to a frozen and slightly uncomfortable Usagi who took a deep breath in response to her mother's frantic stare, "Auntie—" Ikuko tried to explain the situation but Mamoru turned to his mother in law and winked an eye at her to let her know it was alright; he wasn't a stranger to these type of questionings and after all, it was something he never felt ashamed about; he had to handle this alone, the way he felt it should be handled, "My parents passed away a long time ago, Auntie Kirito-san—I am their only son and I have no other blood relatives."

The whole table fell silent waiting for Kirito's reaction to Mamoru's response. The woman looked at him and arched her perfectly shaped brow. Her brown eyes studied him once more as she tightened her lips in thought making Usagi and Ikuko feel quite nervous. "Well," Kirito gave one nod to the young man and raised her glass, "They must be very proud of you." She finally said.

Mamoru looked at Kirito taking a sip of her beverage with incredible elegance and put it back down on the table, "To be the kind of man you are now without a parent's guidance—is admirable. I've heard good things about you, Mamoru, Shingo says nothing but compliments; he clearly admires you and it proves you are a good role model for him—I like that." After a small pause, she finally granted him a proud grin, "I know they are watching over you and I am sure they are very proud and happy you settled down with a girl like our Usagi." She tilted her head and smiled, "You have a family now, Mamoru, and a very large one, you are not alone, anymore."

"Thank you, Kiri—" Mamoru widened his eyes when the woman pulled his arm so he could be at her same eye level, "Auntie." She patted his cheek in a motherly manner making Mamoru chuckle at the gesture, "Call me Auntie." The woman tilted his head a little low and let out a hearty chuckle, "Goodness gracious, you really are beautiful, those eyes sure can take anyone's breath away," patted his cheek again and arched a brow, "Young man, take good care of our little Usagi, she is our sweetheart,"

"I swear, Auntie," Mamoru smiled, "With my life,"

"Usagi!"

A familiar cheerful tone distracted the bride from the much lighter conversation Mamoru was now having with her aunt and smiled widely when she saw Mika walking towards her waving her hand excitedly, "Mika! You made it!" Usagi let go of Mamoru's hand and went to give her friend and co-worker a hug.

"Of course, I did, I wouldn't miss it for anything!" Mika pulled back and gave her friend a quick glance, "You look so, __so,__ beautiful! You should be a model for the magazine!" she laughed, "You know, like getting hired to model… not stepping in to cover for a model,"

Usagi started laughing, "I know, I think I'll have to do it again for the summer campaign," she shrugged her shoulders, "Oh well..." the blonde looked at the young man standing next to her friend and smiled, "Hello,"

Mika blushed "Oh, where are my manners? Usagi, this is my boyfriend Sato Ichiro," she turned to the young man and waved her hand, "This is my friend, Usagi—we also work together in the same department at the magazine." Dark-haired Ichiro smiled and bowed his head in respect for Usagi "It's very nice to finally meet you Usagi-san—I've heard so much about you and now I am finally able to put a face to your name."

Usagi giggled "It's so very nice to meet you too, Ichiro-san, thank you for coming,"

"I knew you were going to find a way to schedule this place, it's so beautiful," Mika looked around with a knowing smile and turned to Usagi, "And you have a lot of guests too!"

"Yeah," Usagi widened her eyes and nodded slowly, "And I am responsible for like… 85% of them,"

"No way!" Mika cracked a laugh and noticed the man in black talking to the guests at the next table, "You've been keeping him quite busy, huh?"

"Yes, poor thing, but I want you to meet him!" Usagi smiled and turned to call for her husband who was still talking to the intimidating Kirito and the other guests from the previous table who was now completely under his elegant charm. Mamoru excused himself from the table and finally caught up to her with a soft smile, "I'm sorry—your mother wanted me to listen to some family stories..."

"Stories?" Usagi arched her brow, "What kind of stories?"

Mamoru chuckled, "About you, of course—the camping incident, for example."

Usagi blushed and widened her eyes while sending fiery glances in her mother's direction knowing exactly what story he was talking about. "P-Please ignore whatever you heard…" Mamoru grinned at her, "Kind of hard to ignore, my dear," he crossed his arms, "All I can do really is ask, what were you thinking?"

"Okay, in my defense it was the first time I had gone camping..." Usagi mumbled with shyness and bit her lower lip, "I will tell you my side of the story—the __true__ one, the __only__ one that counts, later,"

"Alright," Mamoru tried to contain his laughter and nodded with mischief, "Because… I _really_ want to know,"

"I was seven, Mamo-chan,"

"It's alright, I'll wait for the right time to hear the story,"

Usagi knew this was a matter he was going to bring up some point again but for now, she had to divert the conversation from her mother's embarrassing stories to something more cheerful. "Mamo-chan, I want you to meet Mika and her boyfriend Ichiro-san, Mika is my good friend from work,"

Mamoru nodded his head to Mika and shook Ichiro's hand in a casual but respectful way, "So, I finally meet the famous Mika-san, a pleasure, Chiba Mamoru."

"Likewise, Mamoru-san," Mika blushed and blinked surprised "Usa-chan…" the tone of awe in her voice gave Usagi the hint to know that she meant the pictures she has seen on her phone made no justice to the man standing in front of him. Usagi giggled and patted Mamoru's arm playfully, "My one and only."

Mika smiled, "I've heard good things about you, Mamoru-san. It's great to finally meet you, congratulations."

"Thank you, Mika-san, that I hope," Mamoru smiled, "I'm glad you could make it."

"I wouldn't miss Usa-chan's wedding for anything," she turned to the blonde, who looked like she was about to ask something work related but Mika quickly waved her hand with relief, "About that, there was this event she had to go to with Maya, so, we're in the clear." Mika's cheerful face turned somber when she spotted a young woman looking so much like Yuki walking their way, "Oh no... no, no, no,"

Usagi blinked, "Mika?"

"She's here,"

"What?!"

"Speaking of the devil—she _did_ come,"

"Huh?!" Usagi turned and saw Yuki walking hand in hand with what appeared to be her boyfriend, or, fiancé, she no longer knew, "Usagi!" Yuki greeted without minding anyone else and went to wrap her arms around her in the fakest hug she has ever received in her entire life, "You look sooo pretty—your dress oh god, it's so gorgeous!"

"Yuki-san," Usagi blinked and pulled back, "Thank you..."

"This is a lovely venue," Yuki looked around, "Super chic, must have cost you a fortune—well done, lady."

Usagi gave Yuki her best attempt to muster a polite smile while thinking how in the world she knew where her wedding was going to be held; unconsciously, her grip on Mamoru's hand tightened proving her discomfort went beyond annoyance and unease by her presence. With no much else to say to the woman, Usagi tried her best to keep her façade and keep her cool; "Mamoru," she turned to look at her husband with the same forced smile he immediately recognized as the very one she used when she was uncomfortable about something, "Yuki-san works in the same department as Mika and I do, but she is also my boss' assistant."

"I see," Mamoru mumbled, recognizing the name after realizing this was the girl that made Usagi stress out and work until late because she had parties to attend to with the editor in chief, not to mention that she was the responsible behind Usagi's recent insecurities about both of their incomes, the same one that once told her not to let men win—whatever that meant. Usagi's ability to make friends and see the good side of everyone amazed Mamoru to no extent; not that he did not believe in the goodness of people but one of the big differences between Usagi and him was the mere fact that he was a little bit more of a loner and selective with who he talked to, rather than Usagi's more open, free, and not to mention overly friendly spirit. She had matured over the years, that was a fact, but her heart remained the same, deep down, she was still good old Odango.

"Oh. My. God." Yuki widened her eyes as leaned forward to shake his hand, completely ignoring the cold glances coming from Mika and her partner. Mamoru didn't need much to analyze the woman's presence to notice Yuki was heavily influenced by pop culture and how she made a great emphasis to let everyone notice she was the coolest girl with all the designer accessories, clothing, and makeup and couldn't help feeling aghast.

"You are the famous boyfriend! The one from the pictures!" Yuki gaped with surprise and let out a heavy sigh, "Oh my god,"

"Uh," Mamoru blinked, partly confused, and slightly annoyed, "Excuse me?"

"Maya would die if she ever lay eyes on you. Like, she would steal you in a blink of an eye!" She shook her head in amazement and turned to Usagi "You should totally bring him to the magazine! He's a hunk!" She turned to look at him with excitement sparkling in her eyes, "Have you ever modeled before? You should totally model for us... like, you really __have__ to do it. It would open so many doors for you and make good money out of it, like, you have no idea." She giggled and patted his arm ever so casually, "You could even bring Usagi to all these fancy parties and exclusive social gatherings, trust me, they're sooo much fun!"

Mamoru felt bothered by the proximity the woman was taking toward him and frowned with displeasure; he didn't need much to confirm this was the girl he often referred to like the ass kisser at Usagi's work. Much to his surprise, the girl was much more careless and rash than he thought and she harbored everything he disliked in a person. Fake status, fake personality, fake charm—everything in her was fake—her nose included, and now, there she was in her overly expensive Louboutins and Gucci little black dress, holding with her fancy Fendi bag and standing proudly next to a man who she didn't even care to acknowledge, and what was worse, the poor man did not even bother to make his presence known.

Mamoru felt bored merely afterward and lost all interest in continuing a conversation with her. Without paying much attention to the couple in front of him, and without any interest in wasting his energy in introducing himself to the gray presence Yuki had brought along with her, he turned to Usagi and gave her a polite yet cold smile, one she immediately recognized as his classic trademark for __'I honestly don't give a damn about this__ ' and brought her hand to his lips, "I'm going to go get something to drink, would you like anything?" Usagi smiled and felt his grip starting to loosen, a signal she took that he was more than ready to leave, "A glass of wine would be nice." She smiled, Mamoru gave her a nod and bent to kiss his bride on her cheek, then turned to Yuki, who was still gaping at him, "I am not interested in your offer, Yuki-san, not even if I had the time—excuse me." He half smiled and turned to the other couple sitting at the table behind the annoying girl and gave them a much more relaxed smile, "It was a pleasure meeting you, thank you for coming—I hope to see you soon."

"Likewise, Mamoru-san, be sure Usagi-chan and I will think of something to do one of these days." Mika smiled and waved her hand. Mamoru nodded, "I bet you will. Looking forward to it," He smiled at Mika's boyfriend and shook his hand again, "Nice meeting you, Ichiro-san,"

"You too, Mamoru-san," the young man grinned, "I guess we'll be seeing us pretty soon," he chuckled, "And hopefully next time it's just us,"

Mamoru cracked a chuckle, "Oh, yeah, for sure." He nodded, "Enjoy the evening, if you need anything let me or Usa know,"

"Thank you so much for having us, Mamoru-san," Mika smiled, "We sure will."

Mamoru nodded and turned on his heel to walk straight to the bar while saluting people on his way who were still eager to congratulate him when a pair of arms wrapped around his waist from behind; in an instant jolt Mamoru turned to find Mei grinning at him with excitement, "Mamoru-oniisan!"

"Mei-chan!" Mamoru beamed a smile at her, feeling instantly recharged by the young lady's good energy, "I was starting to wonder where you were!"

Mei chuckled and pointed the table where Tao and her father were sitting and waving at him, "We didn't want to interrupt you, you've been up and down all evening," Mamoru smiled and cupped the girl's cheek, "Mei-chan, you never interrupt me!" He turned to the people dancing and smiled. He remembered not long ago when he visited Benjiro at the store, he told him he enrolled Mei to dance classes on her undying request but now that she was there, she had become a little shy to a point of being miserable most of the time because she was bullied for her chubby appearance, as they would often leave her in the background and giving the spotlight to the thinnest girls, crushing her confidence and staining her usual bright and carefree character and making her quit altogether, something Mamoru could not allow for her to ever experience.

"So, lovely Mei-chan, would you grant me this dance?"

"W-What?" Mei blushed, Mamoru smiled, "A little birdie told me you've been taking dance lessons,"

Mei widened her big round eyes, "Y-Yes," she blushed, "But… I'm not very good at it,"

"Why do you say that? You've always been good at dancing,"

"I'm too heavy to dance,"

"Says who?"

"Everyone at class,"

"Please, and you believe them?"

"Well… I never get picked for anything," Mei shrugged her shoulders, "So, I guess I am not that good. I am going because Papa says I dance just like Mama and that makes him happy."

"You do, you do dance like Mao-san," Mamoru smiled "So, would you?"

"What if I step on your feet?"

"You won't,"

"I don't know how to dance like that… I most likely stink,"

"Well, what if you don't?" Mamoru arched his brow, "You'll never know if you don't try." He smiled, "Come on, I need a dancing partner, mine is over there dealing with an obnoxious girl,"

Mei chuckled and held Mamoru's hand and let herself be lead to the dance floor; she looked at him with an adorable blush in her cheeks as she felt his hand resting on her back and placing one hand on his shoulder, "Just follow my lead, don't think of anything else… just go with the flow," he said softly as he took the first step and gave a slow turn with Mei; soon after Tao spotted them dancing and urged her father to watch, "Papa, look! Mei-chan's dancing!"

Benjiro couldn't help the tears gleaming in his eyes as he watched his precious little girl regaining her confidence in something she loved so much to do and that reminded him so much of his beloved late wife.

"Mamoru-oniisan is helping her," Tao said with blessedness and smiled widely, "Look at her go!"

Back on the dance floor, Mamoru smiled and turned again with Mei perfectly following his lead, "And you say you stink at this? You're even better than I am!" Mei chuckled and squealed with delight when he held her hand and gave her a twirl and later came back to her initial position; Mamoru leaned down and stump his forehead with hers gently, "Don't let them bring you down, Mei-chan. If you don't feel valued in that school, there are better ones where your talents can truly be appreciated."

"Really?" Mei widened her eyes, "You think so?"

"Absolutely," Mamoru nodded, "If you don't like that school, leave it—but leave it to find a better one, don't quit. Don't leave your dream of becoming a dancer, Mei-chan, don't choose to be miserable, alright?" Mei smiled, "Alright,"

"Promise?"

"I promise, Mamoru-oniisan,"

"Good girl,"

O—o—O

Yuki saw Mamoru finishing his dance with the young girl and walk with her to a table close to the pond and turned to Usagi who was trying to have a much more comfortable conversation with Mika and her boyfriend. "Oh my god, Usagi, I can't get over it—your husband is so gorgeous!"

Mika shook her head and shot a cold glare at Yuki, who was still gaping at the image of her co-workers' husband. Usagi sighed, the comment, of course, did not feel like something a friend would say to another friend, this had a more lustful, objectified flair and the blonde did not appreciate it; she turned to Yuki who was not sitting across from Mika and Ichiro, "Uh… thank you."

"Seriously, you need to bring him to the magazine," Yuki mumbled and grinned with excitement, "Plus, he's such a flirt! He has this suave vibe… my goodness,"

"What?" Usagi frowned and shook her head, "I'm sorry Yuki-san, but, I have to ask... how did you know this was the venue for my wedding?"

"Maya told me," Yuki took a sip of her wine, "I saw she wrote it on her agenda, she couldn't make it— _obviously_ —but she wanted me to come and give you her congratulations, she was very pleased with your designs, so, ta-dah!"

"Ta-dah, indeed..." Mika muttered as she leaned into her glass of wine to take a sip; Usagi sighed, "I see..." she turned to the guy sitting next to her on the table and arched a brow, "I'm sorry, I don't think we've been introduced. Tsukino Usagi, I'm the bride of this wedding—are you Yuki-san boyfriend?"

"Oh! Yes, sorry," Yuki giggled and waved her hand "I was so busy admiring your husband that I completely forgot to introduce you two, this is Orochi."

Usagi arched her brow by the lack of interest in Yuki's to introduce who she supposedly called her fiancé and turned to the young man who barely made an effort to look formal, clearly, he was not in good terms with proper etiquette and manners and nodded, "Nice to meet you Oroshi-san."

The man was obviously uncomfortable and upset by Yuki's lustful comments about another man just nodded in response to Usagi's greeting. Usagi turned to look back at the girl wearing black and sighed with resignation to her presence, not even on her wedding day she could get rid of her. "Well, thank you for coming..."

"Oh, there is nothing to thank me, I had nothing better to do anyway,"

Usagi arched her brow, "Mika was telling me you had a social meeting with Maya, so, I really wasn't expecting to see you here, right Mika?"

Mika nodded in silence and took a sip of her rosé leaving a very startled Usagi wondering what might have happened to her so suddenly since she was fine and happy just minutes ago. She knew Mika's personality was one of those you just could not play with, and even when she has had several differences with Yuki, she found it really odd that it looked like she felt intimidated by the girl. It didn't pass long for her to realize what was happening. "Oh, no... oh, dear," she mumbled with dread as she watched Yuki continued her babbling without noticing the blonde's shocked expression, "Yes, you know how she is…" Yuki shrugged one shoulder, "She needed me there but she sent me here to congratulate you."

"That is... um, a very kind… gesture." Usagi mumbled, not really paying attention to anything Yuki was saying anymore, instead, she was still connecting the dots to what was going on. Yuki smiled and ordered another glass of wine to one of the waiters while making small talk with Mika and her boyfriend about work. Usagi looked at her with a pale face of disbelief just to see Yuki was there talking like if nothing had happened, but sadly it did, and Mika was showing it clearly and Usagi now knew why, "Oh god," she mumbled with horror.

The man Mika told her about, the very one she once described as a terrible cook, the one who did not care enough for her to come back for his belongings and who never took a shower on Sundays was no other than Oroshi, and the girl he found ' _ _more interesting'__ was no other than Yuki. Everything made sense making Usagi feel incredibly guilty for being so ignorant about the matter.

"Oh god, oh god..."

"Usagi?" Mika frowned with worry, "You okay?"

Usagi took a deep breath and nodded, "Um, could you excuse me... for just one minute?"

"Uh, yeah, sure." Mika answered very confused, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'll be right back," Usagi turned with hurry and tried to attempt to make things better for her friend's sake as she quickly went to find her ultimate life saver and maid of honor, "Minako-chan! Minako-chan!"

Close by, Minako widened her bright blue eyes and immediately turned at the sound of her friend's urgent call, "Usagi-chan! Are you okay?" She blinked with worry, "You're hyperventilating,"

"Yes..."

"Are you okay?"

"No…"

"What's wrong?"

"I need you to do me a huge favor, __please__." Usagi brought her hands together like she was praying for a miracle, Minako stood up and nodded "Sure hun, anything, what's the matter?"

Usagi sighed heavily, "Could you please find a seat for my friend Mika and her boyfriend at another table?" Minako looked at Mika's direction and widened her eyes again, "Oh, hey! The annoying girl came!"

"Yes!"

Minako frowned, "Wait, what the hell is she doing here?!"

"She invited herself,"

"She _what?_ "

Usagi sighed, "Long story short, my boss sent her here to and I quote, 'congratulate me personally'."

Minako blinked, "Huh," she bit her lower lip, "How lovely on her part..."

"I know," Usagi rubbed the bridge of her nose with annoyance, "Mamo-chan aborted the conversation minutes after she arrived and now she's making Mika all uncomfortable, I need an alibi." Minako cracked a hearty laugh, "Mamoru did what?"

"I'll tell you the whole story later..." Usagi sighed softly, "But it comes as no surprise that he's no peaches and cream when he doesn't like someone and he's clearly stated to me in the past he can't stand her." Minako chuckled and patted her friend's bare shoulder and nodded, "No worries, Usa-chan, leave it to me—I got this, I'm a pro."

"B-But I need a distraction..." Usagi mumbled, "I told them I would be right back,"

"Just fake someone's calling you or something,"

"Minako-chan, I can't do that!"

"It's your wedding! You can do whatever the hell you want!" Minako arched her brow and chuckled, she turned over her shoulder and spotted Motoki looking at their direction and nodded her head in his direction, "Go with Motoki, go,"

"W-What?"

"Go, go,"

Minako made her way to Mika's table thinking it was the perfect time to put her acting skills to practice as she looked at the dark-haired woman looking miserable sitting next to another that just didn't seem to stop talking anytime soon and opened her arms like an old friend would when trying to give an old friend a hug, "Oh. My. God! Mika-chan!" She squealed with delight and charm. Mika widened her eyes, surprised to see the blonde coming her way and talking to her with so much familiarity. Yuki turned surprised to see the blonde walking towards them and frowned, "Who is she?" she asked confused.

Mika ignored Yuki and quickly stood up and tried to remember if she had seen Minako before. The blonde in return gave her the friendliest of hugs and kissed her cheek "It's been so, so, __so__ long! How are you?!"

"Oh," Mika blinked "I—um..." Minako pulled her closer and whispered in her ear "Usagi-chan sent me to rescue you from this table, follow my lead." Mika smiled widely with gratitude and responded to Minako's hug with so much relief, "Oh my god, yes I know! How have you been!?"

"A-mazing!" Minako beamed a smile at her, "W-What are you doing here?"

"I work with Usagi-chan at the magazine."

"No way!"

"Yes!" Mika frowned, "Wait, what are you doing here?"

"I've been friends with Usa-chan since Junior High! What a small world!" Minako patted Mika's shoulder with enthusiasm, "Well it's been ages since I last saw you—is this your beau?" Mika chuckled, "Yes."

"Well—I want to know __everything__ _you've been up to lately_! Naru-chan will be so excited to see you too! You __must__ seat at our table!" Minako grabbed Mika's night purse and motioned to follow her, "Come on!" She turned to Yuki and flashed her a smile, "Excuse us,"

Mika turned to her boyfriend who immediately stood up and followed her to a table closer to Usagi and very far away from a still very confused Yuki and her dull boyfriend Oroshi. Once far from them, Mika smiled at the blonde with tremendous gratitude, "Thank you so much, you truly saved us back there."

"Ah, don't mention it. It was my pleasure!" Minako giggled in complicity, "By the way, I think we haven't met, I am Aino Minako—Usagi's best friend and maid of honor."

"Awata Mika," The dark-haired said, "And this is my boyfriend, Sato Ishiro." The young man bowed his head, "Very nice to meet you, Aino-san, thank you for the favor,"

"Of course, very nice to meet you both. I have heard so much about you Mika-san. It's so good to meet you finally!" Minako smiled as she reached for the table where Naru was seating with Umino, Motoki, Reika, Yumiko—Usagi's makeup artist, and the Shitennou, "I think you will be more comfortable seating here, plus, it's closer to Usagi-chan—she keeps rounds on these tables. You know, we're kind of her VIP." She winked her eye at her making Mika feel more relaxed.

"Thank you so much." Mika smiled and turned to greet Naru, who she quickly recognized for the many times she has visited Usagi at work in name of Osa-P jewelry store and later Yumiko who she instantly recognized. From the other side of the garden, Usagi watched her friend and boyfriend had started talking to Naru and Umino and immediately felt a wave of relief, "I love you." She mouthed the words at Minako, who was taking her seat at her table again.

"What was that all about?" Usagi heard Mamoru asking as he joined her back on their table; Usagi sighed with relief and took a sip of her rosé wine, "Hey! There you are!" She smiled, "You handsome ditcher!"

"What?" Mamoru laughed; Usagi pouted her lips, "You totally ditched me back there..."

"I'm sorry, love," Mamoru kissed her hand, "But, I really can't stand her,"

"I know, trust me, I can't either..." Usagi mumbled and sighed, "But I'm glad everything got settled,"

"What do you mean?" Mamoru frowned as he took a sip of his red wine; Usagi leaned closer to him "I didn't know Yuki's _'fiancé'_ was Mika's former boyfriend." Mamoru arched his brow with shock, "Seriously? That guy?"

"Yep,"

"But he's a lump... he barely mumbles a word."

The blonde shrugged her shoulders "Hey, don't ask me—I married __you__."

"Okay," Mamoru chuckled, "Is that supposed to mean anything?"

"No," Usagi giggled "Just that—you are not very friendly."

"What?" Mamoru frowned, "Of course I am..."

"Please, you're so elite," Usagi scoffed as she took a sip of her rosé, "And you couldn't be colder with Yuki-san because it was already impossible."

"I know, I know..." Mamoru sighed and put his glass down, "I'm sorry but she gets on my nerves," he frowned "Why did you invite her in the first place is far from my comprehension, and, just so we're clear, I am not elite."

Usagi chuckled, "See, that's the thing, I didn't. My boss sent her to congratulate us and since she manages her agenda, she saw the location of the garden." She smiled at the waiter who brought their dinner and turned to Mamoru again, "I gave her an invitation out of courtesy and well—she sent her in her place."

"Hmm... how thoughtful of her," Mamoru mumbled and quickly got interrupted by Shingo clicking his glass with his fork to call for everyone's attention, "The father of the Bride would like to say some words."

"Oh, god…" Mamoru mumbled under his breath and took another sip of his wine, making Usagi chuckle, "I know, this is going to be interesting..."

"Thank you, son," Kenji stood up with his glass of wine in hand and bowed several times to acknowledge everyone in the venue, "Good evening everyone. For those of you who don't know me, I am Tsukino Kenji, father of the beautiful bride," he motioned his glass toward Usagi, "My beautiful daughter, Usagi."

"I think Papa's a little tipsy," Usagi mumbled with worry. Mamoru frowned, "What? He didn't say anything wrong,"

"I have the pleasure of giving a few words to the newlywed couple but I have got to admit that I am a bit nervous today and not because I'm making a speech, but because I've been married for almost 27 years and I'm not used to speaking for longer than 30 seconds without being interrupted, so please bear with me." Ikuko gently smacked his arm and let the man continue.

"I'm telling you,"

"Usa… have a little faith,"

"On behalf of Ikuko and myself, I would like to welcome you all and thank you for coming to celebrate the union between Usagi and Mamoru. I would also like to thank everyone who has helped out with the wedding preparations in whatever way, big or small, you've all played your part to make this day possible... so, cheers to you too."

Minako smiled widely and raised her glass at the other side of the garden and turned to the other girls who knew were the bride's allies during all the planning; Kenji smiled in acknowledgment and turned to the couple and then at the crowd, talking like a pro on stage. "Now, I have learned it is a tradition in weddings for the father of the bride to share some stories about her but don't worry Usagi, I promised that I would not say anything that might embarrass you in my speech and I'll keep that promise intact."

Mamoru smiled and leaned closer to his wife's ear, "I think your mother is taking care of that," his warm chuckles made Usagi blush and pinched his nose playfully, "You're so mean..."

"But, what I really want to share is how proud I felt giving you away today. You look like a Princess in your white gown and even though I'm always saying that big boys don't cry, I must retract my words and say that they do at their daughter's wedding. Usagi, everyone who knows you will agree that you are a kind, caring, bubbly, fun, loving, and a brilliant young woman, your Mama and I love you very much and we are very proud of you... we couldn't wish for a better daughter."

Usagi tried to hold her tears with a big smile on her face in gratitude and great emotion but her eyes soon widened when she felt Mamoru's hand holding hers to dear life as her father continued with his speech.

"See?" Mamoru nudged his wife's shoulder, "And you said he was tipsy..."

"And now, we come to Mamoru…"

Usagi gave her husband a side glance and a playful smirk, "Good luck,"

Kenji smiled, "Don't look so worried Mamoru… I will be kind and considerate this time. You see, most parents of the bride would be worried that the groom would turn up drunk from the night before but with Mamoru, we were more worried that he might have to take an extra shift at the hospital prior his wedding day."

The crowd chuckled at Kenji's little joke making Mamoru blush. Usagi giggled and turned to her husband, "Still having faith in Papa?"

"Yeah, no… he's tipsy alright,"

Usagi chuckled and held his hand from under the table; at the other side close to them, Kenji continued, "But on a more serious note, it's normal at this point to welcome the new son-in-law to the family but Ikuko and I have always treated Mamoru as part of the family—yes, as crazy as that sounds." The man smiled when he heard everyone chuckling again knowing for a fact that he is one overprotective father and that it might have been an impossible task for Mamoru to earn his trust in the first months of dating Usagi. "It's no secret that I gave this poor young man a hard time in the beginning, but as much as I wouldn't like to admit it, we liked you from the very first moment we met you. It was obvious that you adored our Usagi and to be honest, we were a bit relieved that she met somebody normal."

"Seriously, Papa needs to stop drinking for a while,"

"Yeah, totally,"

Mamoru and Usagi blushed, knowing what their friends were probably thinking. Normal was not a word to describe any of them in the first place; and after all that has been happening to them is the last few weeks, talking about normality was a big irony in their lives; the comment felt like a bucket of bricks followed by one with ice cold water over Mamoru's head but he had to be grateful that Kenji only knows that part of him that makes him look normal before his eyes.

"Over the years, our first instincts have been proven right and we see you more as a son than just a son-in-law, so remember that if you ever need our help or support we're always there for you as well as Usagi. Everyone can see how much you love our daughter, you are a very bright and hard-working young man and I know you are going to be a great dad when that moment arrives."

Usagi smiled and turned to look at a still blushing Mamoru and tug his hand playfully as she enjoyed every second of this unexpected moment at his handsome face flushed with shyness.

Kenji smiled, "You also have a cracking sense of humor and even though you might be embarrassed to show it, you have a caring and sensitive side too."

At this comment, the shitennou widened their eyes with surprise and turned to look at each other, Kunzite blinked confused, "Cracking?"

"Sense of humor?" Jadeite tilted his head, a little confused and turned to Zoisite, "Him, really?"

"I mean… he is… but," Zoisite shrugged his shoulder, also very confused "That is somewhat unexpected..."

"The stars may have aligned in a peculiar way somehow," Nephrite took a sip of his wine. "That is my theory,"

All four men turned to Kenji who was still giving his emotional speech a few tables away from them, "I know for a fact that for you meeting Usagi has made your life complete, and I know our dear Usagi will mold you into the perfect husband but I'm sure you're a modern man and like the idea of equality as much as I do. And whilst you have each other, don't forget that you'll always have the support of your family and friends." Kenji smiled and raised his glass, "So, I would like to propose a toast… here's to the past and for all that you've learned, to the present, and for all that you share and to the future, for all that you look forward to together. So, please let us all raise your glasses and join me in a toast to the Bride & Groom. Cheers!"

"Cheers!" The guests said in unison and clicked their glasses with one another. After the heartfelt speech provided by the bride's father, Kunzite, Jadeite, Zoisite, and Nephrite found it incredibly enlightening and entertaining since they got to see how the unbreakable royal prince they knew had to go to such great lengths to earn the man's respect and appreciation for taking his beloved daughter away. Jadeite grinned and raised his glass along with all the guests in support of Tsukino Kenji and turned to Zoisite, "Back then... it would have to be the other way around,"

Zoisite chuckled and took a drink of his red wine, "I give you that," he put his glass down and cleared his throat, "Although, it this man was in fact, the Princess' father back then... there would not have been much of a difference."

"I would have to say that it would have been more of a conciliation rather than a toast—" Nephrite turned to his comrades, "Royalty is complicated,"

"It is complicated when it involves divine beings," Kunzite put his glass down and leaned back in his chair very casually, "But I suppose that is a good reason as to why he was never really comfortable with all the protocol his title entails."

"Well, they are happy—that is all that matters," Jadeite smiled, "Protocol or no protocol—he did what he wanted in the end and married his beloved Princess." His eyes soon caught a certain priestess over to Usagi's table and sighed softly, catching the generals' attention, "Could you love her more?" Zoisite arched his brow.

"I told you already, I do not love her," Jadeite frowned, "You are halfway there..." Nephrite chuckled, "You haven't taken your eyes off her all evening,"

"Well, you have not taken yours off Jupiter either," Jadeite turned to his brown-haired friend, then to Zoisite "Or yours off Mercury," and finally his gaze landed on Kunzite and sighed, "And you... well, you are whole other story."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kunzite frowned, Jadeite crossed his arms, "It means that unlike any of us... you are dying to go to talk to her but you will not do it because your ego does not allow it."

"You are talking gibberish," Kunzite muttered under his breath and took a long gulp of his red wine, "Pure and crazy gibberish,"

"No, you want to know what is complete gibberish? Having this lovely music playing in the background and not taking advantage of it," Jadeite took one final gulp of his drink and stood up as he arranged his tie and buttoned his formal jacket. He turned to his fellow comrades and friend and smiled, "I am sorry my brothers, but, I am feeling like celebrating. This is truly a milestone in the Prince and Princess' lives and I am not going to let it pass by unnoticed, I will join their happiness, so, if you excuse me... I will go find myself a dancing partner,"

Nephrite arched his brow, "Is he drunk or something?" Zoisite sighed, "Most likely, but, he is right you know? This is not just any celebration... it is our brother's wedding day. And while things might not be as clear with the girls as much as we would like them to be, they have been kind enough to acknowledge us and treat us fairly,"

Kunzite rolled his eyes and mumbled indistinct chatter with a scoff. "Oi, are you trying to suggest something?" Nephrite asked nervously, Zoisite shook his head, "I am only stating something obvious, Nephrite, you must admit that they are the only ones who truly understand us so we might as well try to earn their trust again and we are not going to achieve that if we stay here and just wait for a miracle to happen..." The blonde turned to his older brother "And that applies to you too..."

Kunzite sighed, "Just go... Mercury is alone, stop trying to justify your unyielding desire to go and talk to her," he turned to Nephrite and waved his hand dismissively, "The same goes to you—just go, leave me be."

Both generals didn't have to be told twice before they finished their glasses of wine to arm themselves with courage enough to go and talk to the girls. He leaned back in his chair and looked at the prince slow dancing with the princess, both caught up in their own little world without paying much attention to the cheers and joyful glances from their family and friends and could not help but smile; unlike how he appeared to be, he was ecstatic to be there and witness such a beautiful moment between them. If there was somebody who witnessed the princes' constant struggle to be with the moon princess back then was him, and despite all five being incredibly close, he was the only one that got to see Endymion's most vulnerable state.

At the dance floor, Mamoru slowly twirled Usagi, with enough care not to make her trip with the long layers of her sparkly gown. Kunzite silently admired the beauty of their couple's union, how good they looked together and how much love and devotion they showed for each other. At that moment he couldn't help but wonder if that was something that could happen to him someday; Kunzite was aware that his relationship with Venus did not gain the strength it needed to overcome the passage of time or any obstacle stepping in their way like the one Prince Endymion nurtured with Princess Serenity, but he was certain of what he felt for her and it was clear that she too had strong feelings for him—at least once.

Kunzite's gray eyes landed on his fellow comrades and soul brothers dancing with the senshi, much to his surprise, Jadeite managed to convince Rei to dance and so did Zoisite with Ami, while Nephrite was beyond entranced in a private conversation with Jupiter as they got themselves another glass of wine before heading to the small pond in the distance. He sighed heavily for the hundredth time because it was the only way to keep him grounded but the facts were there, Venus was doing her best to avoid him at any cost.

Without her noticing, he had been studying her all night—it was incredible just how beautiful she was to him, with her golden hair in an elegant up-do, the way the soft and flowy fabric of her gown clung to her every curve and the way her smile could lit up the entire venue. The unbreakable shitennou was completely smitten with her beauty and charm but to his bad luck, she did not return the feeling.

It was becoming exhausting to see her walk all over the garden, dancing and laughing with other men that weren't him that he better decided to get himself a new glass of wine and have a stroll around the enchanting garden by himself.

O—o—O

Usagi wrapped both arms around Mamoru's neck and smiled as they continued their slow dance, "What?" Mamoru chuckled when he noticed the curious gleam in Usagi's eyes; the silver-blonde tilted her head to the side as she looked at his deep blue eyes, "I never got to ask you... how is that you know to dance this well?"

"Hmm..." Mamoru arched his brow and shook his head, "I honestly don't know,"

"Ah, so this is something you learned back then..." Usagi giggled, making Mamoru smile, "Most likely,"

"Who taught you?" Usagi combed a piece of his hair back with her fingers and smiled, "Who taught you to be this charming?" Mamoru blushed and chuckled, "Usa..."

"Well, you are!" Usagi laughed, "You really are a prince charming,"

"The Queen did—" Mamoru said softly and gave Usagi another slow turn, "To answer your question..."

"The Queen..." Usagi widened her eyes in awe, "Did she really?"

"Yes," Mamoru simply answered and leaned down to rest his forehead on hers, "But that charm you talk about is something only you can wake in me,"

"See? There's the charm again..."

"All you my dear, it's all you," Mamoru closed the gap between them with a chaste kiss, one Usagi couldn't resist responding with the same overflowing sense of love and joy.

O—o—O

"They're so cute together..." Ami said softly as she peered at the newlyweds dancing in the middle of the dance floor and smiled, "I'm so happy to see they didn't cancel their wedding plans,"

Zoisite continued the lead in their dance and smiled, "That is true, with all that has happened... but, to be honest with you, we all knew he was not going to leave her, the bond they share is too strong to be broken so easily,"

"Yes, you're right," Ami smiled softly and tried her best to keep her cool. Silence suddenly fell between them and despite not being uncomfortable around each other, they were both nervous and struggling to keep the conversation flowing. This was the first time they shared time alone since they came back and the attacks started happening; Ami gave the general a friendly glance from time to time but she has always known just how bad she is when it comes to socialize with other men and get past that invisible barrier that keeps her from showing a more relaxed version of her. She had gone past that shy wall with Motoki and Mamoru because they have been working together for more almost two years and they had gone through a lot that helped solidify their bond but with someone like Zoisite, well, that was a whole other story. She thought that talking to him was even harder than it was talking to Akashi when she still liked him and it completely froze her thoughts—she was a girl allergic to love letters after all.

The music piece soon came to its end leaving both wondering just how could they take a leap and break that wall that was encasing all that awkward energy around them when clearly, they were both trying very hard to become friends.

O—o—O

Mamoru was busy talking to some friends from Med School when he saw Benjiro walking along Tao and Mei and excused himself from the conversation, "Mamoru-kun, what a lovely evening, thank you so much," Benjiro waved his hand at Mamoru.

"Thank you, Benjiro-san," Mamoru smiled, "You're leaving?"

"Yes, it has been a long day and tomorrow I have to be up early, you know, I have to welcome one of the providers with new merchandise," Benjiro smiled, "You know how it goes,"

Mamoru chuckled, "Yeah, I do. Well, I am really glad you enjoyed yourself the evening."

Benjiro gave him a nod and grinned with content as he gave his youngest daughter a quick glance, "More than you can imagine." He looked at him again, "Thank you, Mamoru,"

"My pleasure," Mamoru gave the older man a pat on his shoulder; Tao was watching Usagi talking and saying goodbye to some people who were also about to leave the venue and smiled, "She's so pretty... she looks like a princess from a fairy tale,"

Mamoru looked at Tao and smiled, "Would you like to meet her?" Tao's immediate gesture was to blush, "Really?"

"Of course," Mamoru chuckled, "Do you?"

Mei and Tao's eyes lit up with excitement, "Yes!"

Mamoru realized they had been so busy attending their guests, mostly from the bride's side that he hadn't had a chance to properly introduce her to them and turned to Usagi who was now walking back with an envelope and a bottle of sake in her hand, "Mamo-chan, Uncle Tatsu gave us this as a wedding present," she blinked when she saw him talking to the girls and she instantly gave them a friendly smile, "Oh! Hello!"

Mamoru held Usagi's hand and smiled, "Usa, I want you to meet Shimizu Benjiro-san, he is my very dear friend and mentor,"

Usagi blinked, completely shook to see the man looked nothing like his name sounded but she quickly dismissed it and came forward to shake his hand, "It's so very nice to meet you, Shimizu-san,"

Benjiro let out a hearty chuckle, "Oh no, child, please call me Benjiro, there is no need for any honorifics, not with me," Mamoru smiled and turned to the girls, "And these lovely ladies here are his daughters, Tao and Mei,"

"Oh!" Usagi immediately let her charming persona shine through, "Hi! I'm Usagi, it's so very nice to meet you,"

"It's so very nice to meet you too, Usagi-san," Tao bowed her head slightly, "I was just telling Mamoru-oniisan you looked so pretty,"

Usagi blinked startled, "Oniisan?" She turned to Mamoru quickly and then at the girls, Mei nodded, "Mamoru-oniisan watched over us when we were little, before Mama passed away a few years ago,"

"He worked at the store with Papa and Mama," Tao added to clear any further confusion. Usagi's eyes widened when she realized these girls were part of Mamoru's past and she felt instantly drawn to their sweet energy and how they spoke of her husband with such a loving and caring way. Moved to tears, Usagi leaned down to be at their height and smiled, "You two are very beautiful ladies. It makes me incredibly happy to finally meet you,"

"Watching over you is nothing compared to the many pranks you played on Mamoru-kun," Benjiro chuckled and turned to a chuckling Mamoru, "Can't argue that, Mei-chan was the mastermind of every single one of them."

Usagi laughed and turned to the girls, "Did you, really?" She beamed a smile, "Did you really put his patience to the test?" Mei squinted her eyes slightly and chuckled, "Just a little,"

"To be honest," Usagi leaned forward and brought a hand close to her lips, "I do that too,"

Both girls started giggling in complicity with Usagi, something that truly warmed Mamoru's heart. Usagi cupped their cheeks and smiled, "Thank you for coming,"

"Thank you for having us," Tao said softly, Mei nodded, "Can we see you again?"

"Of course you can," Usagi smiled, "I will tag along with Mamo-chan next time he visits you, I promise,"

Benjiro turned to both Mamoru and Usagi and bowed his head, "It was a very lovely evening, thank you so much for inviting us to share this special day with you."

"Our pleasure, Benjiro-san," Mamoru smiled and bent down to give the girls a big hug, "I will see you soon, okay?"

"Yes, Mamoru-oniisan," both girls said in unison. Mamoru turned to Mei once he parted, "And remember what we talked about."

Mei nodded, "I promise,"

"Alright," Mamoru smiled and waved his hand, "Good night,"

"Goodnight," Benjiro waved his hand and walked away with his daughters. Usagi held Mamoru's hand and squeezed it tight, "They're adorable," she looked at him, "Thank you for introducing them, I know it's hard for you to talk much about what happened before we met, but, I really appreciate these little moments,"

"My pleasure, love," Mamoru leaned closer and kissed her softly, "I can tell they loved you,"

"Really?"

"Yeah,"

"I wasn't joking, when I said I would tag along with you,"

"I know." Mamoru kissed her hand, "We will go see them soon."

Usagi smiled and cupped her husband's cheek, "I love you… to the Moon and back—"

"–To the world we belong, I love you too, Buns." Mamoru leaned closer to kiss her again.

O—o-O

After enjoying the lovely evening that went on for more than expected between many cheers for the newlyweds, many laughter, dancing, pictures, jokes, and a very much awaited chocolate cake, the night was finally coming to its end and some of the guests were starting to take their leave while others felt the night was still too young to end the celebration, like Haruka, who was dancing with Hotaru on the dance floor while Michiru kept an eager conversation with Rei and the other girls.

After their little emotional moment, Mamoru went back to talk to his friends from Med School while Usagi decided to go back with the girls; feeling like there was no need to keep the formal protocol anymore, Usagi took her heels off and walked barefoot over to their friends' table and sat with exhaustion. "Hi..."

"Tired?" Rei asked between chuckles, Usagi sighed softly and nodded, "I'm exhausted, almost dead," she slouched back in her seat, "I could fall asleep right here on this table, right now."

Ami giggled, "You sure danced a lot Usa-chan," she pointed the pearl colored sky-high stilettos "And in those super high heels—that is some accomplishment." Usagi chuckled and took a sip of water, "If I don't wear heels like these I would look like a tiny rabbit next to Mamo-chan, he's too tall." She sighed with content and exhaustion, "Did you guys enjoyed the wedding?"

"It was beyond perfect," Rei nodded, Ami smiled "Beautiful—is it what you dreamed of?"

Usagi nodded, "It was—and more. I loved every minute of it,"

"And the ceremony... those vows... oh dear… sooo beautiful," Makoto dried a tear that threatened to roll down her cheek, "You guys are too cute, you made me cry!"

"Yes!" The girls said in unison, "It was such an emotional moment,"

"It truly was," Usagi blushed and turned to the dance floor and smiled widely when she saw the tall blonde dancing with the black-haired beauty, "That is so adorable," she turned to Michiru, "She has grown so much."

Michiru nodded and raised her glass "That's right, she is now our lovely teenager."

"Very much like we were when we—you know," Rei mentioned and shrugged her shoulders. Setsuna nodded and sighed softly while resting her chin on her hand "Time doesn't stop, not even for a senshi like her."

"True," Usagi smiled and waved her hand at Naru who was walking towards her "Naru-chan!" The redhead looked at the girls and waved her hand, "We barely had a chance to talk, but I saw Mika-san!" She said excitedly. Usagi exhaled with tremendous relief again, "I know, if only I knew better I would have given her a seat at your table since the very beginning and save her such an uncomfortable moment." Naru looked at her friend with puzzlement "What do you mean?"

Usagi pulled herself to sit straight in her chair and sighed softly, "To sum things up, Mika's ex-boyfriend came with our co-worker as her boyfriend."

"Oh no, that's bad..." Naru widened her eyes, Usagi released a puff of air, "Yeah, tell me about it. Genuine drama, I panicked when I found out."

"So, what did you do?" Naru frowned with curiosity, Usagi turned to Minako with a big smile on her face, "Minako-chan saved the night and took her duty as my maid of honor very seriously—she's a wizard!"

"That I am, Usa-chan! Being a bridesmaid is though work!" Minako said, making Naru chuckle "It sure is, I remember when I was my cousin's maid of honor—it sure was something."

" _ _I__ was your maid of honor," Usagi raised her hand, "And you were a bridezilla."

Naru widened her eyes "I was not!" She blushed crimson red. Usagi laughed and took another sip of her water; the red-haired girl nudged her friend and took a seat next to her "So, where's the honeymoon?"

Usagi put her glass down and shook her head, "I'm not sure if we will be able to go on a honeymoon, Naru-chan,

"Why?"

"Mamo-chan's job. The hospital did not give him permission to leave for too long but it's okay, we can plan something in the near future. I am okay with just staying at home—I still got my vacation leave."

"You got permission from your job? Wow, that's great! I mean... knowing how though your boss can be sometimes," Naru looked at her surprised, knowing how strict they could get at the magazine. Usagi smiled and leaned back in her chair much more relaxed, "Yes, fortunately, I get to stay at home and sleep all day."

"Um… Usa?" Makoto arched her brow "I remind you that you are a married lady now—you can't sleep all day." Naru shook her head and laughed, "Oh, no you can't—that's for sure."

The girls giggled and watched Umino stand next to Naru and readjust his glasses which over the years modernized, making him look more in trend than those round, thick glasses he used to wear in junior high. "Ready to go, Naru?" He asked softly, Naru smiled at her husband and nodded, then turned to her friend "I'm really happy for you Usa-chan, really, really happy." Usagi leaned over and wrapped her arms around her friend "Thank you for everything Naru-chan." she turned to the guy standing next to her "Thank you to you too, Umino."

Umino smiled and nodded "I'm glad we were part of your special day Usa-chan." he turned to her friends and waved his hand "Bye girls."

"Bye guys!"

After saying goodbye to some of his friends, Mamoru joined the girls and took a seat next to Usagi at the table and poured himself a glass of wine with one of the bottles and clean glasses Minako grabbed from the bar. Usagi turned to look at him and patted his back softly, "Tired?"

"Exhausted," He mumbled and took a sip "I'm falling asleep..." Usagi giggled and combed his hair back, "Who would have thought that getting married was so exhausting, right?" Mamoru turned to look at her and chuckled, "I know..."

Motoki walked over and sat next to Mamoru "Man, Usagi-chan's family sure is big!" Makoto nodded, "Yeah, a lot of people came!"

"Most of them were from Papa's side," Usagi sighed tiredly softly, "Although, I didn't recognize most of them at first. It's been so long since I last saw them—I stopped going to their annual family reunions because, well, we had to save the world,"

The girls chuckled at her casual comment, Motoki patted Mamoru and cracked a laugh, "You two can barely stay awake," he grinned, "But I totally understand, I remember my wedding and it sure is exhausting,"

"Why? Because of all the crying?" Mamoru turned to look at him with a smirk on his face. Minako threw her head back in a fit of laughter and pounded the table with both hands, "Oh my god, I can't get over this! It's too funny!"

"Wait," Motoki sweat dropped "Did I cry __that__ much? Like, in all seriousness..."

"YES!" Everybody said at the same time, startling the blonde. "Motoki, I honestly didn't know what to do—I've never been so uncomfortable in my life. As your best man I was supposed to help the ceremony go smoothly but damn," Mamoru laughed, "And I couldn't find a freaking tissue."

"Hey, I gave you a tissue! _ _I__ saved the ceremony!" Usagi said between laughs, "But yeah, Motoki-oniisan, you were a complete mess,"

"Nah," Motoki frowned with disbelief, "Really?!"

"You were a total wreck, honey," Reika said, patting Motoki's back. The blonde sighed and looked at his friend with mirth "Well, at least we all know now that you have feelings too."

"I have feelings," Mamoru said between chuckles, "I guess I am not entirely a robot,"

"After today I believe it now. So, Chiba-san, are you taking days off?" Motoki asked his friends; Mamoru turned to look at him and gave him a pleading look to avoid any comments regarding the situation at the hospital for Usagi's sake.

"Yes, finally! Woohoo!" Usagi threw her arms up in the air "Well deserved vacations!"

"I'll take care of whatever issue comes up," Motoki patted Mamoru's shoulder, "And keep my eyes open, so, you take very much needed rest,"

"Thank you, Motoki." Mamoru smiled at his friend, Motoki sighed and stood up "Well, this sobbing gentleman is leaving—I have to be very early at the hospital tomorrow."

"Hey, Motoki," Ami looked at him, "Is it possible to schedule me to assist you? I don't want to be near Satomura-san."

Mamoru turned to look at her surprised by her words, the same was for Motoki. It was strange to hear the bluenette speak with such displeasure, "I will see what I can do Ami-chan, don't worry." Ami smiled with relief, "Thank you."

"Hold on... are we missing something here?" Minako frowned and turned to Ami, "Satomura... Satomura... wait, is this the guy you liked from the hospital?" All eyes were now on the blunette's flushing face, "No,"

"What happened?" Makoto frowned, Ami sighed tiredly also trying her best to avoid why she was despising the young doctor so much for Mamoru's sake, "Nothing happened... he turned out to be a jerk, that's all."

"Ah, dammit," Makoto pounded the table with her fist, "Want me to crack his bones, Ami-chan?" Ami laughed, "Actually, it doesn't sound like a bad idea, Mako-chan, but, I'll let you know,"

"Ugh, another one to add to the blacklist," Minako raised her glass, "Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

"I'll call you whatever happens—enjoy your time with your wife," Motoki patted Mamoru's back, "Thanks, Motoki," he turned to hug Reika, "Thank you for coming,"

Reika smiled, "Of course! I loved it, it was a beautiful wedding." She gave Mamoru a sweet hug, then Usagi and waved the girls goodbye.

"Mamo-chan, I'm so sleepy..." Usagi leaned her head on Mamoru's shoulder and yawned softly, "I can barely keep my eyes open…" Mamoru smiled, "Yeah... me too... let's go home," he turned to Megumi and arched his brow "Are you going to be alright?" Megumi nodded with a smile, "Yes, Your Highness, I promise,"

"Of course she is going to be alright!" Haruka said, "She's been with us before and we are more than happy to have her as our guest," Setsuna nodded with a smile, "Don't you worry about her Mamoru, she will be fine." She turned and looked at Hotaru talking to Megumi "Also, since everything was revealed, she has been more friendly and open, which is good."

"She is very nice," Michiru said softly and smiled, "And we have enough room for her."

"Also, we have the time to keep her company all day, since the girls have to work and all," Haruka said softly, "So don't worry about a thing, she's safe." Mamoru smiled "Thank you," his eyes landed on Haruka "Really."

Haruka half smiled, getting the hint of his words. It was more than just a plain thank you, it was because somehow, she understood that after everything they learned, he was deeply committed to Usagi.

The blonde did not need more proof to validate Michiru's argument, their vows were enough to leave that clear. They loved each other too much to be separated by errors committed in the past and by other people. This was another time, a better one. It was time to start the new chapter of their lives—the way they always wanted.

* * *

 _ _The Divinity Series is rated M. Cursing, violence, and intimacy may occur.__

 _ _I do not own Sailor Moon,__ _ _just this plot and some of the characters.__

 _ _AN: I want to thank you for your kind messages. It really means a lot and it gives a great boost to the inspiration.__


	33. Chapter 33

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Thirty-Three

* * *

"Okay, I put the things you want to take back home in the car—let's go Us—" Mamoru returned to the table he was sharing with the girls and his wife just a while ago looking more relaxed, but also more tired than an hour ago with his tie and the first two buttons of his shirt undone. He widened his eyes when he saw Usagi with her head resting on the edge of the table, making her best effort to keep her balance in her chair. "Usa?"

"I'm _so_ tired..." Usagi mumbled, "I can't move a finger... I can't get up... my feet hurt so bad..." she rolled her head and gave her husband a lazy and very hazy look, "What if we find a place to sleep here and we go home tomorrow morning?"

"Usa... we can't stay here, and it _is_ already morning,"

"What?"

"It's 2 a.m."

"What?!"

Minako chuckled and leaned on her friend's shoulder "Yep, your wedding lasted a whole day—literally. And there are still people here that are reluctant to go home... you have such an energetic family," she patted Usagi's arm softly and turned to Mamoru and gave him a pat on his shoulder as she pulled back, "Good luck," Mamoru blinked surprised, "Yep, thanks,"

Usagi tried her best to look surprised but her tiredness was much stronger than her own will to move, "I can't get up... my legs hurt..."

Rei walked back to the table and arched a brow as she watched Usagi trying her best to move and turned to Mamoru with a sly smile, "I guess you will have to pull the oldest trick in the Prince charming's book,"

Mamoru chuckled, "Yeah... seems so," he walked to Usagi and crouched next to her trying to figure out how to pick her up and deal with the yards of tulle and organza of her gown, "Okay Usa, put your arms around my neck so I can pick you up," he looked down at her high heels peeking from underneath the layers of fabric and arched a brow, "No wonder why your feet hurt—those are killer shoes." Usagi chuckled, "You're too tall! I always have to wear killer heels when I am around you!"

"Take off those murderous things already!" Mamoru took the stilettos off her feet and tossed them aside with a dramatic flair and put his arms around her waist and carried a laughing Usagi in his arms, "Hey! My shoes! I just put them back on!"

Rei laughed at their little rant and walked closer to the couple, "I will take them with me, don't worry Usa-chan. I'll give them back to you next time I see you," she picked the sky-high stilettos from the ground and widened her eyes with genuine admiration, "Wow... you have been walking in these all day _and_ night without tripping or falling? They are _really_ high... I'm impressed."

"Hey..." Usagi narrowed her crystal blue eyes, "I know how to walk in high heels, I learned the hard way,"

"I am truly impressed,"

"Thanks, Rei-chan." Usagi smiled and waved her hand to the girls, "I'll call you!"

"Sleep, you both need it," Rei waved her hand and turned wide-eyed to a mischievous looking Minako, "Yeah, like if that's going to happen..." Rei laughed in response, "You never know, right?" Minako laughed and shook her head as she watched the couple walk away, "Nope."

Mamoru moved his head to get a clearer view of his way ahead, making Usagi chuckle and pat the thin layers of fabric away from his face, "Too puffy?" Mamoru smiled, "The way you look in it makes it all worth it," Usagi blushed and leaned her head on his shoulder with a smile on her face, "I love you... to the moon and back—" Mamoru smiled and kissed the top of her head, "—To the world where we belong,"

The newlywed and very tired couple finally went home after a long series of congratulations and hugs from their friends as they made their way to their car. Haruka had already left with Michiru, Setsuna, Hotaru and their new guest, Megumi.

After a while, Minako was one of the few remaining and she was more than ready to leave and have some well-deserved sleep. The blonde let out a heavy sigh and looked down at her phone, silently admitting she was a little drunk; she did not want to admit it, but seeing the other girls talking and dancing with the shitennou always made her want to have another glass of wine but she counting with how much they were going to dance during the night, condemning her sobriety and her sanity leading her to her current state.

Rei looked at her stumbling friend with worry as they walked towards the garden's entrance, "Let's share a drive, Minako-chan, I don't—" Minako shook her head and turned with a smile at her friend, "I'm fine Rei-chan, I already called for one," she showed her phone "See? It's on its way."

"I just—"

"Go," Minako looked at her with reassurance, "Not every day you get to be at a beautiful wedding, wearing a beautiful dress and be accompanied by a gentleman. Let the man accompany you, it's not like you are marrying him, he's staying there too." Rei looked at Jadeite opening the car's door and then turned to her friend with genuine concern, "I am worried about you, please let me take you home."

Minako smiled and held her friend's hands "Rei-chan, I'm _fine_. My apartment is not too far away from here and it is not that late also—remember I can defend myself, so go—I will talk to you tomorrow... or later today... or... well, you know what I mean," Rei sighed with resignation by her friend's stubbornness and nodded before she turned to leave, "I will call you—and we will have lunch, okay?"

"Yes, Priestess." Minako giggled "Go! The others had gone too, I'll text you the minute I get home, I promise."

Rei nodded and turned to Jadeite, who was offering his hand to help get in the car that was going to take them back to the shrine. Minako smiled as she saw the two leaving and waved her hand, silently thanking the general for giving her friend the attention and care she knew Rei needed much at this time. Sighing with tiredness and resignation, she sat in one of the pebbled steps at the entrance and closed her eyes as she listened to the trickling sound of water in the fountains behind her distracting her completely from any other foreign sounds coming close to her.

"You are still here."

Minako opened her eyes wide when she recognized the sound of that voice— _his voice._ She froze in her seat and forbid herself to grant a single glance back at the man, she could feel him close behind her but he was trying her best to ignore it and all the emotions attached to his presence. She needed to distract herself and the most natural thing for her to do it was to look for her phone and looked at the hour, hoping the driver would be there to pick her up already. Kunzite sighed and looked at her as he walked around the fountain, "Why are you here all by yourself?"

Minako frowned, trying her best to keep her calm "Nephrite helped Mako-chan take home the things she brought to carry the cake, Zoisite left early with Ami-chan, and Jadeite left with Rei-chan back to the shrine—I don't live there so I am waiting for my ride to take me home."

"I saw you had too much to drink."

Minako chuckled with sarcasm, "What, are you stalking me now?" she stood up and cursed under her breath while looking down at her phone "Where the hell is my ride?!"

Kunzite sat on the same step she was sitting minutes before and looked at her frantically trying to reach the driver that was supposed to pick her up, "He is not coming to get you." he said dryly. Minako frowned as she sent another text to the driver, "What!?" she muttered with anger when her phone rang a notification from the driver telling her he was sent back by a man with white hair just a while ago, giving her enough courage to finally turn to look at him with a deadly glare, "You sent my driver away?!" she stormed back towards him "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Venus,"

"Don't call me that!" Minako raised her voice; Kunzite sighed tiredly, his patience was being put to the test by the screaming blonde in front of him "You cannot resolve things by screaming, calm down, you are drunk. You cannot go by yourself at this time of the night with a man that had inappropriate pictures of women inside his vehicle."

"What the hell do you know!?" Minako screamed, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were wide with anger, "And why do you care anyway?!" she turned on her heel and began walking away "This isn't of your concern, unbelievable,"

Kunzite frowned with worry, "Where are you going?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?! I'm going home, by myself—thanks to _you._ "

"Are you insane?!" Kunzite widened his eyes and quickly went after her, "What did I just tell you?! It's late and it's dangerous for you to be wandering the streets alone!"

"I know how to take care of myself, or did you forget that as well?" Minako muttered angrily as she continued walking down the long path to the gates and realized she was being followed. She turned and glared at him with both rage and hysteria, "Stop following me! Get away from me!"

Kunzite looked at her and frowned "You had too much to drink! You cannot wander alone in your state, why is it so hard for you to understand?! Why are you so stubborn!?"

"I am _not_ drunk!" Minako pushed him away and turned brusquely but to her bad luck, one of her high heels could not support the stress put on it and broke making her lose her balance and fall flat on the ground hurting herself in the process. Kunzite went quickly to her aid but his hand was slapped away the second he tried to take a closer look at her ankle, "I told you to leave me alone!" her voice sounded strained and tired; she looked at him with tears in her eyes, "Why are you here?!"

"I am trying to look after you but you keep doing these stupid things that only end up hurting you!" Kunzite said frustrated, "I am trying to help you!"

Minako slapped his hand away again, "I don't need _you_ to help me." her voice fell a few decibels, "I don't need _you_ to look after me—I don't need _you_ here!" she turned to look away, "I've been fine by myself all this time without anyone looking after me! Just because the others have been getting along it doesn't mean I want to be friends with you! I don't need you here! Go away, leave me alone!" her tears could not stay controlled anymore and began pooling from her eyes, ruining her perfect and well-maintained makeup. The image of the graceful maid of honor was now turned a mess on the muddy ground and it was too much for Kunzite to bear, "Venus," he tried one more time.

"Why did you have to come back!?" she turned with a cold glare at him "What makes you think I need you!? I don't need you! I have been _great_ without you! I was doing fine living my life! The life I always wanted!"

The fog clouding Kunzite's perspective and troubled thoughts finally dissipated, the reasons behind her cold attitude towards him became crystal clear, she was not angry at him but hurt. The woman crying in the mud felt abandoned, and she was heartbroken, no matter how much happiness she tried to portray to others. She was emotionally dismantled and he felt responsible for it; Kunzite kneeled in front of her and looked into her eyes, "I am sorry."

Minako looked into Kunzite's grey eyes but couldn't say anything in return. Kunzite rested his arm on his flexed knee and shook his head in admittance, "Things were not meant to happen the way it did; our fate was strained since the very beginning because we were bounded by our duty and unlike Endymion did with Princess Serenity—I could not deliver, I failed you. I did not look for you—I left you alone all this time and I am sorry Venus, I am deeply sorry."

Minako looked at him wide-eyed, the pain on her ankle becoming the least of her problems. There it was, the words she never thought she would hear from the man she never thought she would ever see again, alive.

"I have respected your space, I have respected your silence and your cold attitude towards me. I accept it and I will take it with me because it is what I deserve." Kunzite looked at her with an unaltered stare, "I am not asking you to forgive me, I am not asking you to welcome me into this new life of yours—this _hectic_ life of yours. I am only asking you to allow me to take you home, safely."

Minako felt dismantled and vulnerable, she no longer had the strength to even stand up by herself or to fight anymore; her ankle was beginning to swell, automatically adding itself to her list of bad decisions. With a nod, she finally put her arms around Kunzite's neck, allowing him to carry her home, "My apartment is not as close as I told Rei." she mumbled, softly. Kunzite adjusted the weight of her body in his arms and shrugged his shoulders, "Let _me_ worry about that," he answered her the same way, "Which way I should take?"

Minako pointed to her right and stayed silent for the rest of her unexpected ride home. Soon after, her body slowly began giving in to the effects of the wine she drank during the reception, silently blaming Usagi and Mamoru for not skimping on the wine, it was too good—she had to admit. After what seemed an hour, Minako realized they were now in her apartment building; as they stepped into the elevator she pressed her floor number and waited to be led to the corridor she knew by heart, "Look for number 22, that's my number." she mumbled as she remembered being excited about having an apartment with the same number as her birthday, a sign she took as a sign of good luck and prosperity, thinking it was probably time to reconsider. She turned and wiggled her keys inside the locks and opened the door for them. Kunzite spotted a couch in the distance and went to lay her there and sighed when he saw her swollen ankle, "We need to treat that before it gets worse."

Minako waved her hand, dismissing the comment "I will be alright."

Kunzite turned on his heel and made his way to her kitchen and grabbed a bag of frozen vegetables from her freezer and walked back to the living room and put the cold bag on her injury, "You have not changed," Kunzite muttered under his breath, "Still as stubborn as ever." Minako widened her eyes and turned to look away, "I'm not stubborn."

Kunzite took a deep breath and left the bag lay over her ankle by its own and stepped back, "Keep it there as much as you can tolerate the cold—it will help you with the pain and to diminish the swollen." Minako gave a nod as she looked at her muddy gown and sighed, "Thank you... for helping me."

Kunzite gave the blonde a respectful nod, "Take care, Venus. Do not do any more reckless things... please," he turned on his heel and began walking back to the door, startling Minako, "W-Wait," Kunzite stopped mid-track and turned to look at her "Yes?"

"W-Where are you going?" Minako turned to see the clock and then back at him. Kunzite frowned "I am going back to the shrine, I said I was going to bring you home safely, I did, so now it is my cue to go."

"It's three in the morning," Minako said softly "Rei-chan's shrine is not close from here."

"Do not worry about me Venus," Kunzite said softly and turned on his heel again, Minako felt her eyes burn with tears again, letting the feeling of abandon reigning her heart once again, "You see... that's the thing," she mumbled with resignation as her voice barely caressed her lips, "I do worry."

Kunzite turned to look at her with wide eyes, Minako sniffed and wiped her mascara smudged tears with the back of her hand, "Even after all this time... I still worry about you," she lowered her gaze and shook her head, "Seeing you here just reminds me how I was never able to forget you. That is why I get so angry," she halted at the feeling of his hands on her shoulders and looked up to see him so close to her with surprise in her eyes. Kunzite looked at her apologetically, "Venusian girl—as always, so prideful." His hand cupped her cheek and his thumb softly dried her falling tears. Minako sniffed softly "Why are you here, Kunzite?" she whispered, "Why have you come to torment me with your musky scent and those intense eyes of yours?"

"I do not know Venus," Kunzite breathed and shook his head, "The only thing I know for certain is that I never stopped worrying about you either. Your memory and the few moments we had together remain engraved in my mind." He lowered his gaze and frowned, "I was not strong enough to fight for you, I should have fought the same way Endymion fought for your Princess—I should have fought for you in any way possible. You were the last thing on my mind the moment I died and the first when I was brought back."

Minako shook her head and responded to the gentle touch on her face, "Why can't you?" she sniffed and frowned with confusion "Why can't you fight this time?" she looked at him "What is stopping you?"

Kunzite smiled softly "Uncertainty."

Minako widened her eyes "W-What?" Kunzite looked at her "I do not know how long I will be here and I cannot keep hurting you anymore—the only thing I can do now is to look after you from a distance." his thumb traveled slowly from her cheek to caress her swollen lips causing Minako to jolt slightly to his sweet touch, it has been so long since someone touched her with such care and attention, "Then everything you just said is pointless, your words are only lies coated in sweetness—this is the sweetest way to say goodbye," she pulled back and looked away, "And the best thing for you to leave things as they are and leave."

Kunzite frowned "I have told you the truth."

"Please go Kunzite, leave me alone."

"Venus—"

"You complain about how you weren't strong enough to fight for what we had, you complain about how Prince Endymion was brave enough to fight for my Princess but then, you are here... you didn't have to look for me in this era like _he_ did with her, you didn't have to figure out who you are like he did, you didn't have to face countless of enemies like _we_ did. You are here, free from all that and you rather give up than to do what you said you should have done in the first place." she looked at him "I don't understand you,"

Words fell into place, making perfect sense to Kunzite. He felt awakened, like if a bucket of ice cold water was thrown to his face. She was right and she was right there, in front of him, like he always wanted. He has been so worried about his reasons for being there and almost as if he was counting for his minutes before he leaves again, he finally understood what Endymion meant that night.

 _"When that time comes and we have to cross that bridge, we will think of something. Until then, stop punishing yourself and stop being angry at the world."_

Kunzite smiled and shook his head, cursing the prince under his breath for being right, once again. She was worth it, she was worth any battle that could be ahead of them. He realized it was worth to cross any goddamned bridge, _any_ bridge, just to get to be with her. He leaned closer and turned her face to look at him while caressing her cheek, "Venusian girl—" he looked at her with the most loving stare, "You are right—I don't understand myself either," his nose rubbed hers, "But I am more than willing to try..." his lips finally caressed hers and slowly locked them in a soft kiss than soon ignited the longing and nostalgia of being apart for so long.

Minako ran her hands through Kunzite's platinum hair as she gave in to the passion blooming between the two of them. She knew she had missed him, she was aware that it was going to be difficult to find someone like him, one who could keep up with her erratic, yet passionate character. One that could challenge her and still love her with all his might.

Minako slowly decided to let any remains of anger melt away from her as she wrapped her arms around the general's neck and looked into his grey eyes "Don't leave—stay with me." she breathed.

Kunzite rubbed his nose on hers and smiled, his hand began taking the pins off her hair to let it fall like a cascade of golden beams and wrapped his arms around her waist, Minako responded to his touch by leaning closer to kiss him again. They did not need to say anything else to express what they both were feeling; their touch was enough to let them realize how much they have missed each other. Without breaking the kiss, Kunzite carried Minako in his arms again and walked towards the bedroom without thinking of anything else, but her beautiful Venusian girl.

O—o—o—o—O

The next morning, Rei walked out of her grandfather's room and towards the kitchen to prepare some tea to bring the shitennou. Walking towards the back door, she went to the cottage they had learned to feel more like home than just a place to spend the night and did her usual routine of knocking the door until one of them welcomed her to come inside.

"Good morning," Nephrite greeted her with a smile, "Please, come in."

Rei bowed her head in her usual graceful way and put the tray over the coffee table in the small room, "Good morning," she widened her eyes when she noticed Nephrite was the only one around, "W-Where is everybody?"

Nephrite smiled and went to pour himself a cup of tea and took a sip, "We will sure miss this tea."

"W-What?" Rei frowned with confusion; Nephrite took another sip and exhaled, enjoying the sweet taste of the warm beverage "I suppose I am the one to give you the news, Sailor Mars."

"What do you mean? What news?"

"My brothers and I are leaving the shrine. We were offered a place to live, it is time for us to rejoin the world— _this_ world." Nephrite looked at her, "Zoisite and Jadeite are packing their belongings as we speak."

"Where are you going?" Rei sat in front of Nephrite feeling a little shocked by the news, "When did you find this place?"

"Sailor Uranus offered us a place to live, it is closer to Endymion so we believe it is more appropriate since we are his guardians." Nephrite looked at her and let out a soft, warm chuckle, "You look surprised Sailor Mars, it is almost as if you did not want us to leave."

"A little, yes, you are more than welcome to stay here. I don't want you to think I was pressuring you to leave the Shrine." Rei said with slight guilt.

"That is not the reason, Mars," Zoisite joined them in the small living room and poured himself a cup of tea with the same grace Nephrite did, "We are more than grateful for your attention and considerations towards us, you most certainly have our loyalty and respect forever." Rei blushed and saw Jadeite come out from the back room, his grey-blue eyes widened the second he spotted her talking to his friends and smiled, "Good morning."

Rei smiled politely and nodded her head, "Good morning," then turned with a frown, realizing the oldest and leader of the shitennou was nowhere around, "Kunzite is not here?"

"He did not come to sleep last night," Zoisite said before taking a sip of his tea, Jadeite sighed with a nod, "I already packed his belongings, if I forget something I do not want him yelling in my ear because something got lost." the blonde chuckled, "Not that we have so many things to carry but he can be a little too obsessive..."

"He didn't come home?" Rei widened her eyes; Zoisite shook his head, "No,"

"And you are not worried about him?"

Zoisite sighed and shrugged his shoulders lazily, "Kunzite is the last person we should be worried about, he knows very well how to defend himself also, we haven't felt any threat."

"This is typical Kunzite." Jadeite said as he sat down next to Zoisite, "He tends to disappear, he will come around."

"So, when are you leaving?" Rei asked softly, still trying to assimilate the news. Nephrite blew the steam of his tea and looked at her, "Probably later this afternoon, if you do not mind." he blinked with curiosity in his moss-colored eyes, "Mars, could you give me the address to Jupiter's workplace—I promised I would accompany her to have lunch."

Rei blinked and smiled, "Sure," then turned to Zoisite who was quietly finishing his tea, "I will not be as blunt as Nephrite as to ask you about Mercury's workplace," he opened his green eyes, "I am already aware she is very busy most of her time." The comment took Rei by surprise and raised her hands up in defense of her friend, "Alright, alright she is—but you know? She could use some time off once in a while."

Zoisite looked at her with a complicit smile, "Thank you, Mars."

Rei chuckled and stood up, already given up on trying to convince them to call her by her civilian name. She actually started to find the gesture quite endearing, it was almost as a friendly reminder that she was much more than just a Shinto priestess or a girl with a strange gift. "Well, I must say—I am quite sad that you are leaving, I am going to miss you but if you made up your mind about it, I cannot stop you but please keep in mind that you are always welcome to return and stay here." All three men smiled at Rei in gratitude, "Thank you," Nephrite bowed his head in respect, "For everything."

Rei bowed her head and left the cottage. Sighing, she began wondering about how Kunzite did not come home last night and that not that she remembered, Minako never sent that text message she promised to send and worried about her friend and if she ever made it home safely. If something happened to her, she would never forgive herself—she thought. She bit her lower lip turned on her heel, surprised to see Jadeite standing behind.

"Is it true?" He asked softly. Rei widened her eyes "What is?"

"Are you really going to miss us?"

"Of course," Rei smiled, "You were very nice and helpful around the shrine."

"And... will you miss me too?" Jadeite took a step closer to the Miko. Rei was taken aback by his blunt question and chuckled, "O-Of course, you too." Jadeite bit his lower lip and held her hand, "Would you like me to stay, Mars?"

Rei widened her eyes "W-What?"

Jadeite smiled softly at her "I would like to stay—help you around the Shrine, help _you_ , and being around you. I can learn whatever there is to learn,"

"J-Jadeite I—" Rei looked at him sadly and let out a soft sigh, "I don't want to hurt you..." she took a step back and pulled her hand away from his, startling the blonde general, "But?" he chuckled, "There is always a but, right?"

"I can't correspond your feelings..." Rei looked at him sadly, "I'm very sorry,"

Jadeite felt like cannon just went through his chest with rabid force, smashing his heart with all its hopes and feelings. The confession was not enough to wipe the sad smile off his face but he felt like he could not look into her beautiful eyes, he took a minute to process her confession and lowered his gaze, "I see—"

"Jadeite... I—"

Jadeite shook his head and looked at her with the same smile, "N-No, I understand—it is alright."

"I am very sorry—I really am." Rei said softly; she hated being the reason of a broken heart especially because she knew how a broken heart felt from vivid experience, "I know we learned to be friendly to each other back then but—times here are different, _I_ am different."

Jadeite nodded and bit his lower lip, not really buying her weak excuses. He looked at her and frowned, "Is it because of him—the man that lives in that house with you," His serious gaze made Rei a little nervous, "It's much more complicated than you think."

"Why?" Jadeite crossed his arms, "You do not love him, you can barely stand being around him—why are you so attached to him?"

"I am not," Rei responded more defensively, "And how do you know it's because of him, or that I do not love him?"

"Mars—it cannot be more obvious."

Rei shook her head and turned on her heel, "You can believe whatever you want, in the end, it is my life and I make my own decisions whether you like it or not..."

Jadeite watched her walk away, "That is true, it is your life but is that the life you want to live forever?" His defiant question made Rei turn without showing any kindness in her amethyst eyes anymore, "Who has given you the right to comment on my life?"

"What are you so afraid of, eh?" Jadeite frowned, "Back then, nobody could touch you, nobody could do you wrong. It is like if you are allowing your own fire go extinct—why? That is not the Mars I remember."

"Exactly," Rei pointed at him and pressed her finger against his chest, "I'm not, I am not that Mars you remember. I have changed, things are different now." Jadeite shook his head and sighed with disappointment, "You know? I lied. I do not understand; I do not understand why you are so tied to the idea of being unhappy."

"It is so easy to judge when you don't know the whole story," Rei muttered with anger, Jadeite sighed again, "There is not much to know, he broke your heart but you do not want to let him go because you are afraid that you will ever find somebody who gives you something remotely close to what he gave you," he frowned "But you know? There is somebody who has been wanting an opportunity to make you smile for a very long time—you have him right in front of your eyes but even still, you decide to remain blind."

Rei widened her eyes with surprise, her brain could not come up with a good set of words to reply. He was right, she was afraid to leave Yuuichiro because she never believed she could find somebody else. He was the last resort she slowly but surely reconsidered to come back to, even if that did not make her happy in the end. It disgusted her, but she also felt lonely, very lonely.

"Endymion warned me, he warned me not to hurt you. He asked me to give you your space and to be careful with you or otherwise he would make me regret it but I just—I cannot stay quiet. It is infuriating... to see you like this," Jadeite raised his hands in frustration, "I have been noticing this since you allowed us to stay here, it is in the air—your unhappiness. How can you pray and help others with love charms and good wishes when you do not want good things for yourself? Is that not hypocritical?" he frowned and shook his head, showing genuine confusion, "If you do not want me to step into your life that is alright—I understand, I do, but I just cannot stand to see you like this; you may say whatever you want, times may have changed and I may be the one who does not fit in this world but you will always be a Senshi and not just _any_ Senshi, but one who was born to fight. I mean, you are Ares' daughter for goodness sake!" he sighed and shook his head, his gray-blue eyes full of emotion, "I hope one day you realize just how precious you are—I really do and I hope it is not too late before you realize how much time you are wasting on being unhappy and unfulfilled." he sighed partly resignated and demotivated, "I believe it is better for me to leave, I have to return to my brothers and get ready for our departure... thank you for your hospitality and all your considerations towards us, you have my eternal gratitude, Sailor Mars—excuse me." Jadeite bowed his head in respect and walked back to the cottage and closed the door behind him, leaving a very torn Rei standing under the cool shade of a cherry tree. She hung her head low and could not fight the tears pooling in her eyes when she realized his words while blunt and hurtful were also true.

Yuuichiro once made her feel the stars in the sky but also made her feel the devouring solitude his betrayal left behind because he made her feel worthless as a woman pushing her close any possibility to heal and move on with her life. A part of her was enraged, another hurt, but for the most part, she felt broken. Rei sighed and turned to the house when a feeling of loss suddenly began overtaking her reason, right now she needed to leave, she needed to stay away and that, she did.

O—o—o—o—O

The sun slowly filtered through the soft, wispy curtains letting the blonde girl realize it was morning. She opened her blue eyes and looked at the man sleeping next to her and blushed once she realized that just like him, she also had anything else to cover her but the tangled sheet around them. Her mind played every caress, every kiss and every loving word that escaped their lips between their breaths as they gave in to each other in their intimate act of love.

Minako wondered if everything that happened was a dream and if he was really there sleeping beside her. Her hand slowly reached for a strand of his platinum hair and played with it for a moment and let herself be pulled to reality; without really remembering what happened to her ankle earlier that morning, she moved her leg and flinched with pain when she turned to grab her phone to see the time and noticed there were several missed calls and messages from Rei, "Shoot, I completely forgot..." she whispered and turned on the bed with the most care so she would not wake Kunzite and after a long struggle, she made it to the bathroom and put her pj's on.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror and brought her hand to her still swollen lips and smiled softly before washing the remains of her makeup from the night before, silently cursing herself for doing such stupid thing as to sleep with a full face of makeup, but the situation unfolding was way more important at the time to care about it then and there. Minutes after, she slowly made her way to the living room and saw the bag Kunzite grabbed for her swollen ankle already melted and went to pop it in the fridge and turned to move around the small but neatly kept kitchen and put the coffee machine to work while she sat on the counter and began surfing through her messages as she waited for the coffee to be done. Biting her lip, Minako began typing back at Rei when a soft knock interrupted her inspirational message. The blonde combed her hair back with her fingers and tied it in a messy high bun and frowned, finding it unusual for someone to be knocking on her door at this time of day and on a Sunday, "Yes?"

"Minako-chan—it's me."

Minako widened her eyes and opened the door to a very distressed looking Shinto priestess, "Rei-chan?"

Rei exhaled as she patted her hand on her chest with tremendous relief, "Ugh, thank goodness you are alright!" she frowned and slapped her arm right after, "I was so worried! You didn't answer your phone! You didn't respond to any of my messages—what the hell?!" Minako bit her lower lip and blushed, "I'm sorry—I'm so sorry, I completely forgot!" Rei arched a quizzical brow, "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Minako smiled softly "Why?"

"I don't know, you look—different."

"Different?" The blonde blew her bangs away from her face "Because I am the one with a bun on her head?" Rei sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose, "Yeah, that is maybe it—I guess." Minako frowned with worry, "Rei-chan, what's wrong? I think I should be the one asking you if you are okay,"

Rei shook her head "I needed to clear my head, to get away from the shrine for a while—I'm sorry to bother you, but I didn't know where else to go." The blonde stepped aside to let her friend walk in, "Don't apologize, come in, come in!" she limped her way to the kitchen and went to grab a clean a mug from her cupboard, "Do you want some coffee?"

"Oh my god, Minako what happened to you?!" Rei pointed the blonde's swollen ankle. "Sit, I will grab the mug myself—do you want some?" Minako took one of the chairs of her kitchen table and sat before giving her friend a nod, "I fell," she sighed and watched her friend move around her kitchen to grab some milk, cream, and sugar and placed them on the table before serving the freshly brewed coffee on two mugs, "One of my heels broke, I lost my balance and hurt my ankle," her eyes rested on the two steaming mugs in front of her and then at her friend joining her at the table, "You need to treat that ankle, otherwise it will get worse—you should call Ami-chan," Rei said while customizing her coffee—one teaspoon of sugar and two of cream. Minako followed sweetening hers and took a sip and peered down at her swollen ankle, "It was worse last night, or, this morning—you know," she sighed softly, "Yeah, I will call Ami-chan, I need a prescription to buy some painkillers," quickly enough, Minako jumped back to the start of their conversation and frowned "So, why did you need to clear your head? Did something happen with Yuuichiro?" she widened her blue eyes, "Did he try to do something to you?" Rei shook her head "No, it doesn't have to do with Yuuichiro—well, not entirely."

"What then?" Minako put her spoon aside and looked at Rei. The priestess sighed heavily and looked down, "I sort of had a fight with Jadeite." Minako widened her eyes "What?!" she frowned with disbelief, "And... why?"

Rei bit her lower lip "They are moving out of the Shrine, Haruka offered them a loft she doesn't use anymore and they are going to take it." Minako widened her eyes "Oh, wow," she raised her brow, "And you got upset because they are leaving?"

Rei shook her head "Jadeite caught up with me and confessed his feelings," with this new piece of information, Minako gaped at her friend and put her mug down quickly, "He did what?!" covering her mouth with both hands when she remembered she had a guest still sleeping in her room and looked at Rei with shock "What did he say?" Rei looked at Minako with sad eyes, "Well, he asked me if I wanted him to stay, he wanted to stay to help me around the shrine... I felt terrible Mina-chan—I wish this never had to happen."

"Oh my god—" Minako blinked with a smile on her face, "Rei-chan..."

"No, no," Rei looked at Minako and frowned, "No!"

"Why not?"

"Because it's not that easy, Yuuichiro lives there—my grandfather..."

"It looks like you are making a list of silly excuses to avoid him getting close to you."

"Minako-chan..."

"Rei," Minako narrowed her eyes, "Yuiichiro lives there because you allowed him to stay. He could easily find some other place to live—he has the means. Come on Rei-chan, why are you so attached to him?" Rei widened her eyes "What?! You—you think so too?"

Minako sighed and put her hand on top of her friend's "Sweetie, we all do, but we know how you feel about it. It's your life, your decision... but that doesn't mean it is the best decision you have ever made."

"Jadeite said Mamoru warned him about it," Rei looked at her friend "But that it was too hard for him to see me in the condition I am—I mean, what condition?" she shrugged her shoulders with annoyance and took another sip of her coffee, "Anyway, he ended up things by wishing me the best and turned on his heel and left. I didn't have a romance with him, back then. Yes, I found him adorable and very funny but—it wasn't a romance like the one Serenity had with Endymion or the one you had with Kunzite whom by the way, didn't return to the shrine," Minako blushed and bit her lower lip, taking her mug she blew some steam off the hot liquid and took a sip, "I know."

Rei frowned and looked at her "You know what?"

"That he didn't return to the shrine,"

"Minako?" Rei arched her brow, curious. Minako licked her lips and put her mug down again, "We also had an argument... I was so upset, he wanted to take me home and I didn't want him too," her finger played with the rim of her mug as she thought her following words, "I broke Rei-chan, okay? I—I just couldn't take it anymore," she looked at a very serious Rei "I couldn't be friends with him—I couldn't be like you guys, I couldn't be happy around him, and last night at the wedding—it really hit me."

"Is this why you have been so defensive whenever they were mentioned?" Rei frowned, Minako nodded "But it was a thing I had against Kunzite, I was angry at him." Rei narrowed her eyes, "You _were_?"

Minako sighed "My heel broke in the middle of our argument, I tried to push him away and I fell. My ride never arrived, we talked, and he carried me all the way back here,"

"Minako..." Rei widened her eyes "Wait, what are you trying to say?"

"What I am saying Rei-chan, is that I do not want to be miserable, not now. Not ever, _ever_ again." Minako bit her lower lip "I was angry because I missed him, I was angry because I had to face so many things alone—unlike Usagi-chan, my knight in shining armor did not come after me because he was killed and when he had the chance to come back, he was taken away all possibility, again." her eyes slowly began shining with tears, startling the miko "I realized that I am not an ordinary woman and that after all this time I have always waited for him to come back. He did not get back to the shrine because I asked him to stay—with me."

Rei's amethyst eyes widened two sizes larger and turned to the direction of Minako's room and leaned closer to her friend, "He is here?" she whispered, still in shock. Minako took a sip of her coffee and stayed silent for a minute, "Nothing happened." she said softly and looked at her ankle, "He just put a bag of frozen vegetables over my injury and we stayed up talking until very late."

"Of course, like if I am ever going to believe that." Rei narrowed her eyes. After a few seconds, she smiled and patted her friend's hand, "I'm glad, I couldn't stand to see you—" Rei trailed off and widened her eyes, suddenly it hit her—reality. Minako smiled sadly and tilted her head, "Exactly, see my point?" she leaned back "Rei-chan, we don't know for sure what's going to happen—what it's coming next but whatever it is, I don't want to go through it alone. I don't want to be miserable or wondering what could have been."

Rei listened to Minako hesitant to admit the truth, she felt exposed, vulnerable—weak. She had come up to a point where she lost herself in other people's problems and in a never-ending battle of identities, wondering if she was Mars, Rei or just a girl leading two different lives.

Minako's revelation put her feet back on the ground, it made sense, how she said she was different, she was too and she also did not want to live miserably, she has done it for the past 4 months. She looked at her friend in front of her and realized what was so different about Minako, her aura looked calm, she looked determinant and like a person who truly believed in the goodness of love. It was beyond the fact that she had spent the night with her long-lost lover, it was more about she rediscovering herself and accepting whatever trials came towards her. Suddenly, her duty as a soldier of justice made sense, like Jadeite said, she was more than just what she thought she was worth. Smiling, she put her cup aside and grabbed her purse "I have to go."

Minako looked at her determinant friend with wide eyes, "Where are you going?"

Rei stood up and went to hug her friend "You are not expecting me to stay here until he wakes up, now, do you? this is a moment you need to have on your own—I just needed to vent and well, since Ami and Mako are working and Usa is on her honeymoon—I think? You were my only available option—well, kind of." she smiled and tousled the large bun on Minako's head "Thank you for taking the time to listen to my whining and for coffee," the blonde chuckled "Hey, what are besties for? You know I love you, right?

Rei smiled "I do, and I love you too." she turned to walk towards the door, Minako tried to walk her out her but Rei insisted she stayed put, "Please Minako, call Ami to treat that ankle for you." The blonde smiled and waved her hand from the table, "I will—bye."

As soon as Rei closed the door, another one opened with a shirtless Kunzite walking to the kitchen. Minako looked at him and blushed, "Good morning," she greeted him softly. Kunzite smiled at her and turned to the machine in the corner of the counter, "Good morning," the smell of coffee caught his attention "Is that...?"

Minako motioned him to go help himself and took another sip of her own coffee, her bright blue eyes never leaving his bare, well-toned back. She felt like she could not get enough of the man, thinking she could devour him in one bite if she had the chance. She thought this might be what Usagi meant every time she said she feels helpless whenever she is around Mamoru, admitting that love was addictive, but it was the most beautiful drug. "Was somebody here?" she heard him ask, popping her little bubble of thought, "Uh, yes—Rei-chan."

Kunzite poured the hot liquid on his cup and walked back, "Everything alright?" he sat on the chair next to Minako and lifted her injured leg and put it over his lap, "You should keep your leg up," he took a sip while his hand caressed her soft skin underneath the silky pajama pants. Minako bit her lower lip to fight her growing desire for the man, "So, everybody has noticed you didn't go back to sleep." Kunzite put his cup down and looked at her "I know,"

"Aren't you worried?" Minako arched a brow.

"Why would I be worried?" Kunzite frowned and shrugged one shoulder, his actions startling Minako, "Well, because you didn't go back to the shrine and because you are still missing and it's almost noon."

"But I have not gone missing and you already told Mars I was here so," the white-haired general took another sip of his coffee and looked at a still startled Minako, she frowned with confusion, "So?" Kunzite looked at her as sternly as always. His charm was to be serious, it was nearly impossible to get a smile from that man, but it once he did, it was the most charming, beautiful prize Minako thought, "They will get worried."

"Venus," Kunzite sighed, "We grew up together, all five of us. If one of us goes missing for one night it is not a big issue—they understand. We all know we can take good care of ourselves—also, I have done it for too many years is a natural thing for them,"

"You go missing?"

"I like to have time for myself." Kunzite frowned and arched his brow "What is wrong with that? All of us do it, even Endymion—you do not know this because you do not live with him but ask Princess Serenity. He probably wakes up from two to three hours earlier than she does, drinks a cup of coffee while reading a book or goes for out for a run, meditates or something that falls in that category."

Minako widened her eyes in shock, it was impressive how he could describe to perfection one of Usagi's constant complaints about her now husband's weird habits. "Wait—how do you..."

Kunzite smiled at her and took another sip of his coffee, "Nephrite does it too, he gets up in the middle of the night to pray and ends up falling asleep outside and goes back to his bed by dawn. That is why he is always falling asleep through his morning meditation. Zoisite is not a morning person, no matter how much he tries to convince you that he is, he is not. He hates being woken up—he does not vanish a much as any of us, but he does it too from to time." he looked at Minako "Like I said, we grew up together." Minako leaned closer "Okay so, what can you tell me about Jadeite?"

Kunzite looked at Minako with a puzzled stare, "Jadeite is a terrible liar, but also he is more than he appears to be."

"What do you mean?"

"Jadeite often portrays himself as a sarcastic, funny man but in fact—he is very centered. He is a good strategist, he detects when there is a problem right away and targets a solution." Kunzite said softly as he continued to enjoy his coffee.

"Ah—so it's no surprise then." Minako pushed her cup away and pursed her lips, "What is no surprise?" Kunzite frowned. Minako looked at him and sighed "He has feelings for Rei-chan."

"I know," Kunzite took the final sip of his beverage and put the cup down, "What?" he arched his brow at a gaping Minako "You know about this?"

"Everybody knows he has feelings for her."

"So what, you tell each other everything?" Minako frowned, Kunzite widened his eyes and chuckled, "Well, we are very close. We consider ourselves brothers but why are you asking me about this?"

"Jadeite confessed his feelings to Rei-chan and well—" Minako pursed her lips, Kunzite frowned "What?"

Minako bit her lower lip and tapped the table with her palms down in a playful manner, "Well, let's just say they didn't end up the same way we did last night." she looked at him and blushed. Kunzite sighed heavily, "His feelings were not reciprocated—I see, well, that is going to be interesting. Jadeite is not one of those people who takes no for an answer."

"Would you have accepted it?" Minako leaned closer to him "If I have said no."

Kunzite closed the gap between then and looked at her in the eye "That is not an option anymore."

Minako blushed again and bit her lower lip, "What is going to happen next Kunzite? You didn't answer what I asked you earlier—why are you really here?"

Kunzite intertwined his fingers with Minako's and looked at their hands together "I was being honest when I said did not know, Venus," he looked at her "The only theory we have is that the power Endymion emitted when he woke up was strong enough to bring us back." His face turned serious "But—whatever the reason, it all sums up to the fact that we are Endymion's guardians and we must follow our duty in protecting him. This only means that we have to keep the oath we made to the Queen—he also is our brother and we cannot leave him alone." frowning, he tilted his head and gave her an apologetic look, "I have to go." anxiety curled in Minako's chest, "Leaving?" she asked with a nervous tone in her voice, her fingers tightened around Kunzite's "Why?"

Kunzite looked down at their hands "There is something Endymion asked us to investigate in his absence,"

"What is that?" Minako looked at him, curious "That is strange, he never mentioned anything before."

"Apparently the ruins of an ancient civilization have been discovered." Kunzite looked at Minako, "And they might be connected to him—and us." Minako widened her eyes, "The archaeologists' discovery?" she turned on her chair and moved her leg away from his lap, "Venus, what are you doing?" Kunzite widened his eyes, "You have to stay put!"

Minako went for some papers she had in her work bag and showed them to Kunzite "He must be talking about this," she pointed her finger under the names of the archaeologists and the headlines on the articles, "Reika-san also mentioned something about an exhibition they are working on for the museum she works at."

"I heard her mentioning it before the ceremony," Kunzite frowned and kept reading with deep interest, Minako leaned closer and bit her lip, trying her best to keep focused on the matter at hand and not the temptation of running her hands through his tousled hair and exposed chest, "Kunzite, do you know what this might be about?" Kunzite paused his reading and looked at her, "We have our suspicions but we haven't felt anything unusual, neither Endymion, which is why it has captured his attention."

Minako smiled and leaned back on her chair "It's so strange to hear you calling him Endymion," Kunzite looked at her and put the papers over the table, "Well, that _is_ his name." Minako arched her brow, "His name is Mamoru, just like mine is Minako but you prefer to call me Venus."

"You never stopped being Venus, you are still a Sailor Senshi. You remember your past life like it happened yesterday." Kunzite caressed her face and frowned, "What is it with all of you denying your true nature? I do not understand." The comment took Minako by surprise, "W-What?" she asked between chuckles "What are you talking about?"

Kunzite shook his head "The names you carry these days are only that, names—but that is not who you really are."

"What we really are?" Minako frowned, "You make it sound like if it is a bad thing."

"It is not a bad thing but it does not make any sense," Kunzite moved his hand away from Minako's "It is almost as if you are against the idea of you being different."

"We know we are different—but we also yearned for normality. After the battle with Galaxia, everything turned peaceful—our duties as Senshi had to be put aside and we had the chance to live a normal life, we have to in order to survive in this world. We all have dreams, is that so bad?"

"The thing is Venus—you never put your duties as Senshi aside. You are not allowed to do that." Kunzite leaned closer, "Just like we are not allowed to leave our position as Shitennou," he sighed "I have been watching you—and you have limitations, something you did not have back then... why is that?"

"Limitations?"

"What has been of this new life of yours? What have you done with it?" Kunzite looked at her with interest while Minako just looked at him in silence and gave herself a minute to find the right words to say, she had to confess she had seen other people and even fallen in love with other men after him and it was not an easy thing to do, given their current condition. Somehow, Minako was ashamed to tell her fears and dreams to Kunzite, suddenly her achievements were shadowed by her long list of failures while he was the same perfect royal guardian and advisor. He had done no wrong with his life, not even when he fought against her as a part of the clan of the Dark Kingdom, despite his malicious actions, he performed each task with threatening results—his reputation was spotless on either side of the spectrum.

"My life—that is not important." Minako tightened her lips and looked down, "There is nothing to learn about it. What you see is what you get—that's it." she felt his hand softly caressing her chin and tilted up her face up until her blue eyes met with his grey ones "That is a lie," he narrowed his eyes, "And you know it."

"Kunzite," Minako sighed, hating the sudden gloomy change to what has been a perfect night and lovely morning "Venus," he responded the same way, his eyes still locked with hers, searching for an answer.

Minako sighed softly, feeling completely defeated by his intimidating and hypnotic gaze, "Aino Minako dreamt to become a star but her unconventional and disfunctional family always questioned her decisions," she broke visual contact with him and looked away, "As soon as I had enough means to become independent I moved here with the intention to pursue that dream of mine and I did achieve many wonderful things but I also met deception one too many times." she licked her lips and tilted her head low, "I was doing fine until I met someone and since then, everything changed." Kunzite looked at her and nodded, "I see—a person you loved."

Minako looked at him, her eyes trying to justify her actions. She felt like if she had betrayed him and that she was confessing her crime "I—It's not what—"

"Venus," Kunzite patted her hand softly, "Do not feel guilty for having moved on without me. You had every right, does it hurt? Yes, it hurts but I understand. I accepted my fate a long time ago."

"But—you are here, with me." Minako leaned closer, she wanted to kiss him, she wanted to wrap her arms around him and never let him go again; after their heated conversation it was like her own Pandora's box opened and resurfaced all the emotions she did not want to admit she still had for him. Suddenly, picturing herself crying over a man who never committed to anything made her feel stupid, very stupid. Kunzite felt like he swallowed a bucket of shards of glass and prepared himself for the answer that was coming next, "Did you love him—that person?"

Minako bit her lower lip and nodded, "What happened to him?" she heard him ask, his voice was still serious and calculating. Sighing, she rubbed her hand on her face and looked at him, "He left me, he um... he was a model and he was also pursuing an acting career but didn't get too far and that brought many problems to our relationship. He felt like I was surpassing him and he could not deal with that—we lived together for some time but he never really committed and ended up leaving without notice." Kunzite narrowed his eyes, "Coward."

Minako looked at him surprised and saw his face showed tension, his voice had turned cold and distant, like if he blamed himself for the misfortunate act of her meeting this man that eventually broke her heart "Why do you say everything changed since then?"

"Because I lost motivation..." Minako answered simply, "After that, I haven't really found a good acting job,"

"He does not define you, Venus." Kunzite looked at her "Whatever failure you have encountered in the past—they don't define you. You are more capable than you think."

"Easy for you to say," Minako sighed heavily, startling Kunzite "Why?"

"You have done no wrong," Minako looked at him with slight annoyance, "You are this honorable high ranked general who also is a royal advisor—you have honor badges and things like that, you can do no wrong and I know what you are going to say about being brainwashed and turned against your own Prince but that doesn't count. It was far from your control and even when you worked for the enemy you excelled at your job. You were perfect and you still are—it embarrasses me to even be talking about this with you—okay, bye." Her words made Kunzite chuckle, "Why are you laughing?" she asked with annoyance.

"That is what you think about me?" Kunzite smiled, "I am honored—really."

"What?" Minako shook her head, confused. Kunzite sighed "I am far from being perfect, Venus. Everybody has a past and I am no exception, I have made mistakes, I have made terrible decisions, I have regrets and I have held grudges."

Minako looked at him surprised "You have regrets?"

Kunzite nodded, "I do, yes." he looked down and took a minute to continue, "My origins are ones of a family with low resources. My mother served the Queen of the Southern Point of Earth as a maid but we did not live at the Palace like most of them did and she was married to a man that mistreated her. That man was said to be my father, but, I never considered myself his son." He looked at Minako with sadness in his eyes, "I was thirteen when I left home. I could not stand living there and that made me make the decision to join the army so I could become a soldier and be able to protect her from him one day but when I came back, I learned he had gone missing for several years but he had found his way back and that things were worse than before, he had become more drunk and violent. One day I decided to stop visiting her because it was getting harder to see her in the condition she was and she would not accept it. I was angry at him for being the bastard he was but I was angrier at her for allowing him to do whatever he wanted with her." He sighed heavily, "Endymion being the only one who knew about it, always tried to encourage me to go and see my mother but it only became more painful with time. All my efforts became worthless, my dream to protect her did not come true." he gave Minako a sad smile, "I brewed anger in my heart and used it as motivation during my military training that consequently ended in many malicious acts against Endymion and the others."

Minako blinked with surprise, "You were a bully?"

Kunzite chuckled softly, "You could say that—I was angry at everybody and I wanted to be the best of all but in the end, I learned the hard way that things do not work that way." Minako moved from her chair and wrapped her arms around Kunzite's neck and took a deep breath, "I love you." Kunzite widened his eyes and pulled back to look into her teary eyes, "W-What did you just say?"

Minako caressed his face and leaned her forehead on his "I love you, Kunzite."

"Venus..." he breathed, surprised. She looked at him and tucked a strand of his silver hair behind his ear, "You didn't fail your mother—she was afraid, and this was her best way to protect you from him because she knew that if you returned and saw him there you would have killed him and that only would have fed your heart with more anger and despair. Who knows what would happen to you if you did such thing.."

Kunzite's eyes widened, the truth behind her words made him feel vulnerable "I wish you didn't have to go through all that—but you are not alone." she whispered and brushed her lips on his "Not anymore."

Kunzite's first instinct was to respond to her loving gesture and wrapped his arms around her and lock his lips with hers in a passionate kiss that lasted for several minutes. Minako slowly made her way to sit on his lap without ever breaking the kiss, her hands ran through his silver hair, tangling every strand between her slender fingers as she let a soft moan escape her lips when she felt his lips caressing her neck making her lose all control over the situation; they both were dedicated to each other, making the rest disappear. Nothing mattered right now, only them, only now.

* * *

 _A/N: Hello! Happy New Year everyone, I hope you had a wonderful holiday time surrounded by good food and your loved ones. So, I guess I'm back-I was planning on returning last Friday but FF was making it an impossible task I decided to postpone my efforts and try again the following week._

 _For some, this was a moment very much awaited, almost as much as the wedding. Thanks for following me, (those who are) and reading this story (those who are). Thanks for reviewing and your support, it truly means a lot._

 _I want to take the opportunity to let you know (in case you don't or haven't found out) that there I started an adjacent story to this one called Divinity: A day in the life and you may wonder, well, what's it about? Basically, the story is really a collection of chapters that did not make into this story and I thought that since they have been written for a while, I might as well publish them sporadically. As I've written in my notes at the end of each chapter, you don't need to familiar to the story to read and understand them, but if you do, you will see the connection between chapters and that they are actually easter eggs mentioned in some of the chapters of this story. I will keep posting more-there a few that are still sitting in my drive, but until that happens... here is the continuation of our main story. _

_I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	34. Chapter 34

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Thirty-Four

* * *

Usagi stepped out of the car and looked in awe at the view in front of her "So beautiful..." she whispered to herself as she listened to Mamoru mumbling about something she guessed it was about her enormous luggage.

She was truly surprised when Mamoru told her they were actually leaving for a few days and that things were arranged to have a decent honeymoon and while they may not have gone too far she still wanted to go prepared for everything, as always. Also, Usagi did not know the meaning of the words 'duffle bag' and she could not put the words _light_ and _travel_ together. She was excited to learn her husband had come up with the idea to go to an exclusive hot spring in a secluded area in the Tohoku region of Sendai—a four-hour trip from Tokyo because one: she had never been there before, and two: it was the perfect excuse to have their time alone but close enough to home in case there was some sort of emergency and they had to head back.

Usagi turned and held her black hat to prevent it from blowing away with the chilly breeze of the mountains and walked back to the car and sighed softly at her husband, still mumbling things under his breath, "Are you going to let me help you now?"

Mamoru paused and took a deep breath, then turned to look at her. If it wasn't for those dark sunglasses he was wearing, Usagi could almost swear he was giving her a both exhausted and annoyed glare. Mamoru had a point—she did pack way too much and the luggage bag she chose to bring to that particular trip was not helping either. She bit her lower lip to try to suppress her laughter while he continued to struggle with the crazy number of bags inside the car. "Are all these really necessary, Usa?"

"Safety first." Usagi raised one finger to play along with the sweet tone of her voice. Mamoru finally managed to take the giant luggage out of the trunk and put it in front of his wife, "Safety for what, exactly?" he frowned, "We are in the middle of nowhere, the city is roughly 30 minutes away from here, "

"Ah well—there you go," Usagi smiled and tapped his nose with her finger playfully, "You never know what you can find—a bear, a tiger a—"

"A bear, a _tiger_? Mamoru slid his shades up and looked at her incredulously, "Since when do you need twenty pairs of shoes to fight a bear?" he sweatdropped "Or a... tiger?" Usagi chuckled, "I am not carrying twenty pairs of shoes—"

"Oh, my bad... twenty-one,"

"For your information—" Usagi bit her lip and pointed another bag "They're not in that luggage, they're in _that_ bag," she laughed while pointing another bag that was still inside the car, "Come on Mamo-chan, I didn't bring that much! In my defense, you brought a lot too!"

Mamoru responded quickly to her remark and put his duffle bag on the floor and quirked his brow, Usagi blinked with amaze at the medium sized bag and sighed softly, "How the hell do you do it?"

"Do what?" Mamoru slid his shades down again and looked at her with a frown.

"Pack just one thing."

"I don't have just one thing packed,"

"Well—what about all those bags that are still inside the trunk?" Usagi pointed her finger at them, Mamoru turned to his wife with the same frown, "Usa, those are yours too." Usagi widened her eyes and pushed her own big and round shades up "Really?"

"Yes, _really_ ," Mamoru closed the trunk and activated the car alarm before turning on his heel, Usagi widened her eyes "Wait, Mamo-chan, what about the other bags?" Mamoru put one small bag on each shoulder, held his duffle bag with one hand and Usagi's monstrous travel case with the other as he walked towards the inn's reception, "If a bear comes to attack us—we will have to figure out which sequence dress we can use to our advantage."

Usagi looked at him with a shocked face "Wait—how do you—"

"I saw you packing it last minute." Mamoru kept walking until they went inside the lodge. Usagi stood there for a minute before following behind, "It was 3 in the morning, how do you know?!" she narrowed her gray-blue eyes, "You were supposed to be asleep..." Mamoru stopped and looked at her over his shoulder, "I'm a light sleeper... remember?"

"Ah... yes... _that_." Usagi pouted her lips, "Seriously, Mamo-chan, you need to do something about that—it's not healthy."

Mamoru chuckled as he put the bags on the floor and turned to the receptionist to do the check-in process while Usagi waited quietly by his side and looked around the minimal and fancy lobby and the greenery behind the reception's large window. She has heard about this place before, she even remembers designing a spread on an article about the small but highly popular and exclusive little hotel. As she silently watched Mamoru signing the check-in receipt she couldn't help but think about how much this little trip was probably costing him since it was something he planned on his own; she knew her husband had a rather peculiar background and that while he almost never talked about it, she knew his family name was well known among socialites and wealthy people. When they officially started dating, Usagi was very much surprised to learn he was somehow part of that world because he had simple and humble personality and a lack of interest for that kind of lifestyle she knew he could easily have. Mamoru didn't like to speak much about it and he always said it was a world he never felt he belonged to because when his parents passed away he was too young to fully understand the wealth his family had harvested over the years and way before he was even born. When he was transferred to the orphanage, his inheritance was put on hold because he was a minor and when he went to live on his own, he did it by his own means because he was still underage and unauthorized to have control of the big responsibility that was to take care and manage his family's assets and bank accounts. Things took a change when he turned seventeen and he was granted some authorization to make use of his inheritance with the advice and help of his parent's closest friend and legal accountant until he was eighteen when he was granted full control; it was months before he met Usagi that he was able to move from the small studio he was renting to the apartment she slowly helped him turn into a cozy home for them.

It was a known fact for Usagi that everything Mamoru had up to this day was the product of his efforts to earn a place in the world by his own merits. Motoki later confided her one of their private conversations and told her Mamoru was so desperate to leave the orphanage that as soon as he got his first job at the local market he rented a tiny room in a building hidden in an alley where he used to share one bathroom with other five people while he continued with his studies and worked between schedules until he earned the grant and he switched to Moto Azabu High School. He lived a quiet, humble life despite residing in a fancy building until he started dating Usagi where his charming personality came afloat and felt motivated to open up to her and provide her with everything he could offer her at that time and it has been that way ever since.

Once everything was settled, the couple walked around the many facilities including one of the five hot springs and the big pool with a view to a river between greenery and all kinds of scented flowers.

After reaching the room that would be their home for the next few days, Mamoru finally managed to open the door and stepped aside to let Usagi walk inside first carrying his duffle bag she insisted so much on taking to help him with the luggage but it still surprised by how lightweight it felt as to how heavy her suitcase was in comparison. As soon as she stepped inside the spacious room she took a quick tour at the room and gaped at the fancy accommodations that included an adjacent bathroom next to the king-size bedroom, a living room with a wide screen t.v. and a small kitchenette with a fancy coffee machine—of course, Usagi thought. But what truly took her breath away was the view they had from their balcony; Mamoru put the bags inside the closet and walked over her and wrapped his arms around her waist "Lovely isn't it?"

Usagi nodded and leaned her head back on Mamoru's chest with a wide smile on her face, "Being with you is. To me, that is the loveliest thing of all," she turned to look at him and pushed his dark shades back, "Ah, there you are—hello," she giggled, "You are always hiding your eyes behind those dark shades." Mamoru chuckled, "You say it like if it was a bad thing."

"To me, it is," Usagi smiled and ran her hand through his midnight hair, "I like to look at them—how they change colors... I love how intense they are,"

"I like to look at you," Mamoru said softly and leaned down to kiss her softly, "All of you," Usagi blushed and slowly wrapped her arms around his neck "Is this real?" Mamoru blinked, "What do you mean?"

"This—us together... is it real? Did our wedding really happen? Are we really married?" Usagi looked up at him like a curious bunny but her crystal blue eyes still held a hint of worry. Mamoru tightened his arms around her waist and picked her up so she could meet him eye to eye, "Yes Usa, it's real." he took a deep breath and rubbed his nose with hers, "Everything that has happened—it's real. We are really married."

Usagi bit her glossy lip, her pale blue eyes could not stop looking into his sapphire ones; always so alluring, so deep in color and so magnetic, it was impossible for her not to feel drawn into them. "I'm scared that someone will come and steal all this happiness from us—once again," she could feel the fright slowly dominating her heart and slowly drifting her apart from their peaceful moment, "What if everything we have worked for so hard suddenly crumbles beneath our feet?" her eyes slowly began to burn with tears "What if—"

"Usa..." Mamoru frowned and shook his head, "No," his arms tightened around her, "Don't think about that."

"I don't want to lose you—" Usagi breathed, her mortification was beginning to turn into anxiety, worrying Mamoru "Usa,"

"I don't want to lose you ever again—I"

"Usagi," Mamoru said in a more serious, low tone. His sudden and unusual change startled her since he barely ever called her by her full name, not even when they had disagreements, not even when they argued about silly things, not even joking; it was unnatural for him but the sudden change in their conversation required it. She blinked the tears trapped between her lashes and gaped at him, a gesture Mamoru didn't even mind consider, "You are not going to lose me," his voice remained the same; Usagi noticed his eyes slowly turned darker, "I am here with you and that will never change—don't be afraid." he reaffirmed her.

Usagi leaned her head on his shoulder, "Promise me, promise me you will stay with me forever."

Mamoru closed his eyes for a moment and allowed his power to link to her feelings to try and understand her sudden reaction. Usagi on the other hand slowly began to feel a warm energy surrounding her like a protective blanket and took a deep breath; "I promise," she heard him say softly and felt his hand combing her hair with his fingers in a soothing rhythm. They stayed like that for a couple of more minutes before Mamoru slowly put her down and intertwined his fingers with hers and walked with her to the balcony. The sun was starting to set behind the mountains painting them in several shades of blue and purple contrasting the golden color of the skies; he looked up at the gradient sky and smiled at the many stars that started to peek its way into the night and sighed softly, "You feel guilty for being this happy," he turned to look at a very surprised Usagi, "H-How...?"

"But the thing is, Usa, it doesn't matter what comes your way—you are not alone. You are not going to face anything alone," Mamoru gave her a reassuring smile and turned his attention back to the mountains in the distance, "You have been looking after this planet like its true guardian—you courageously took my place and fought for its safety for so many years, it is only natural to feel uneasy about everything that has happened in the last few weeks."

"You have fought for it too Mamo-chan, we have fought for it together." Usagi looked up to him and noticed Mamoru's face had turned serious, "You know what I mean," his hand gave hers a small but secure tug, "Don't be afraid Usa, you have me at your command—whatever you want to do, we will." Usagi widened her eyes and blinked surprised, "W-What?"

"I may be whatever the gods say I am—I may have been trained to perform other tasks but there is nothing I wouldn't do for you, Luna Bunny," he caressed her soft cheek. Usagi moved closer to her prince and ran her arms around his waist in a tight embrace as she watched the last rays from the sun slowly being replaced by the silver light coming from the moon. Somehow, she felt transported back to those years when she used to sneak behind everyone's back to go down to Earth to meet with the Terran Prince. It was the same light that always guided her path and that accompanied them until it was time for her to return home and count the hours until her return. "Do you remember—when you taught me how to fight?"

Mamoru nodded, "I do—yes. You were too eager to learn," he narrowed his deep blue eyes, "But I still stand under the same belief, I don't want you to hold a sword to kill—not again."

"Again?" Usagi blinked, confused. Mamoru sighed softly, "That day... when I held the sword, I saw what you did that night." He turned and leaned down to be at the same eye level as her and frowned, "I felt it—the way it pierced your heart, I felt the pain and the warmth of your blood tainting the blade..." Usagi widened her eyes with surprise, "It's the first time you talk about it..."

"It is not a pretty memory Usa, I rather not." Mamoru pinched her nose playfully, trying to lighten the mood. Usagi thought in all the things he must feel and he must remember now; she never imagined he could hold such vivid and dark moment carved in his mind, how he could feel something like her blood running down the blade of his sword or the feeling of it piercing her heart. She sighed softly and tapped his forehead with her finger, imitating the familiar gesture he did with her, "It's funny how you had another part of our memories perfectly hidden somewhere inside your mind," Mamoru smiled in response and turned to sit in one of the chairs out on the balcony and pulled Usagi softly to sit on his lap; a gesture she never declined whenever it was offered—ever. She wrapped her arms around his chest and cuddled her head in the nook between his neck and his shoulder and sighed softly, "You have always been a good pillow,"

Mamoru chuckled, "Thank you?"

Usagi smiled, "You have always been so comfortable—you're like," she squeezed his arm, "Squishy but firm." The comment made Mamoru break into laughter, "Squishy but firm—is that even a thing?"

"I just made it a thing," Usagi felt immediately infected by his warm and fluid laughter but no matter how much they tried to suppress the underlining of their sudden moments of silence there were still so many things she wanted to ask him, there was so much she wanted to know but she was also afraid he might try to divert the conversation and avoid talking about it. Endymion or Mamoru, he was still the same protective, mysterious and sharpest man she has ever met; the same man that made her heart flutter in her chest and made her lose all reason but also the same man with a very hermetic personality like the true Leo he is, he had a pride and honor to protect.

After a couple of minutes of silence, her smile slowly faded and was again replaced with wonder and worry, "You said you would not let me wield a sword to kill anyone but, would you?"

Mamoru tightened his arms around her and hesitated to answer that particular question because he didn't know how she might react to what he had to say, "My duties as a soldier are different from yours, Usa—now that I know what I am, I understand what the training I had since childhood was really about." He said with caution and sighed softly, "Nothing has really changed, my hands are still tainted but it's part of the deal I made with myself and the path I chose all those years back—it's my duty. I can't turn my back to that part of my life." he leaned his head back, "But, to answer your question, I would not hesitate to do it if you were in danger."

"But I am a soldier too, you don't have to do it..." Usagi said softly, "I can protect myself and you too."

Mamoru smiled and brought her hand to his lips to kissed it softly, "I know, but, you are barking up the wrong tree my dear," he turned to look at her, "You are the sole reason I gather enough strength to deal with the truth of what I am—the only one I live to protect... don't ask me the impossible."

Usagi could feel fresh tears started to pool in her eyes, she leaned closer and caressed his lips with hers before kissing him softly. After parting, she slowly ran her hands through his midnight hair and combed it back, "Your eyes... they're so dark... " she leaned her forehead on his without losing eye contact, "What are you trying to tell me, Prince of Earth?"

Mamoru smiled, "The same thing that I have been telling you for the last two thousand years, Moon Princess—I love you."

Usagi chuckled, "It's like you read my mind."

"Maybe I do." Mamoru winked an eye at her playfully making Usagi's chuckles increase; she loved how he always succumbed to her playful taunts. It was a natural thing for them and it constantly made her feel amazed by how much they were meant to be together. Usagi thought in silence how despite the gods tried their best to keep them apart, they still managed to find a way to meet. This time or any other, they were bound together like a bee to honey, like a moth to a flame. Her perfectly manicured finger tapped her husband's nose and giggled "You are so weird,"

"Ah, look who's talking..." Mamoru mumbled between their kisses and arched his brow once he drew back to look at her, "By the way, my dear _normal_ wife—I would like my chocolates back, please." Usagi widened her eyes and blushed, "W-What are you talking about? What chocolates?"

"The dark chocolate truffles Reika brought me from her trip from Spain... I saw you packing them last minute—they're in that gigantic suitcase of yours," Mamoru narrowed his eyes, "You little chocolate thief," Usagi blinked surprised, "How in the world—you were supposed to be asleep! It was 3 a.m.!"

Mamoru sighed "Usa—we've been together forever and you still don't know that I am a light sleeper? I'm shocked."

"What does that have to do with me packing those chocolates?" Usagi shrugged her shoulders dismissively, "Which by the way, I don't know which ones you are talking about." Mamoru narrowed his blue eyes, "You are the least stealthy person I know. You had a symphony of noises in the room, not to mention your flourish and rather interesting vocabulary..." Usagi blushed "I'm sorry—I just couldn't find my—"

"Nude flats, I know." Mamoru nodded, "You made that _very_ clear." Usagi chuckled, "Okay—I get it, but about those chocolates—" she exhaled with defeat "Who the hell am I kidding? I can never hide anything from you, you're like a ninja..."

Mamoru laughed and kissed her forehead, "Oh Bunny, how I love you..." Usagi blushed and leaned back on his chest again with a smile on her face, "Me too," she sighed softly, "It's chilly..." she said softly as she played with his hair.

"You want me to bring you a blanket, right?"

Usagi grinned with mischief, "Well, now that you mention it... plus, it wouldn't be a bad idea to eat those magical chocolates while we look at this beautiful view—with a blanket,"

"I knew it,"

"I'm telling you, you read my mind,"

"Yeah..."

O—o—o—o—O

Ami walked towards the nurse's station and left a few charts with a patient's current information. She had to admit the hospital felt much colder now that she knew everything that has been happening with Mamoru's case with the board but mostly, the reasons that started all this mess and it bothered her how there was still no news about it, not even Motoki could pick anything from his colleagues or connections around the hospital and it really bothered her.

"Going home, Mizuno-san?" one of the nurses asked her softly as she archived the binder Ami just put over the desk. Ami smiled with a nod "Yes," she sighed tiredly, catching the nurse's attention "Long day?"

"Like you can't imagine."

The nurse smiled and sighed, "I know—I am just starting my shift, I hope it's not as hectic as it was during the day."

"Hopefully," Ami waved her hand at the young nurse "See you tomorrow, Goda-san."

Turning on her heel, she made herself towards the elevator and pressed the number that would take her to the lobby. When her shift extended during the evening like it did that day, she preferred to take the front exit in the lobby since it was more secure than the parking lot. As she waited for the elevator to bring her down, she thought how a good bowl of soba noodles with vegetables could soothe her tired body and spirit before heading home and go to bed. Right now, that sounded like the best of plans until the doors opened and gave her a full view of Satomura Akashi talking so charmingly to one of the nurses. Her heart cringed at the sight of the young man flashing confident smiles and tried her best to make her exit unnoticed; an ability she still needed to master—she silently thought.

"Mizuno-san,"

Ami sighed and tried to contain the slight discomfort creeping all over her as she turned to wave her hand at him "Satomura-san," she said with disinterest and without her usual sweet smile as she continued walking. Akashi excused himself from the conversation he was having with the younger nurse and walked towards the bluenette. Ami had noticed that ever since the whole ordeal with Mamoru and the board started, Akashi had become quite the charmer with the nurses, making her feel disgusted to see him enjoy the attention he was getting now that the young doctor was not around and at the cost of his friend's integrity.

"Hey, Mizuno-san—where are you going?"

"Home," Ami answered bluntly and looked down at her watch, trying her best to stay calm and avoid any eye contact with the man at this point. Akashi tried to put his charms to the test again as he tilted his head to try to look into her eyes, "I didn't know you were still here, otherwise I would have asked you to join me for dinner at the cafeteria, I was lonely back there..."

"I was busy," Ami looked up and shrugged her shoulders, "Tough day,"

Akashi smirked with a nod, "So, got any plans for tonight?"

Ami shook her head and sighed heavily; she was about to blurt something at him but she reconsidered since it might bring more trouble than solutions at this point and she wanted to avoid as much drama as possible. "I have to go," she simply said and turned to walk away taking Akashi completely by surprise since it was very strange for the bluenette to be quiet and this distant towards him. "Mizuno-san?" he followed her as she walked out of the hospital and pulled one of the straps on her backpack, stopping her mid-track. "Wait—hold on,"

"What can I do for you, Satomura-san?" she turned to look at him with clear annoyance written all over her face. By now, Akashi knew something was odd since it was not normal for her to be this cold, "Mizuno-san—are you mad at me or something?"

"No," Ami said softly as she nervously searched for her phone inside her backpack "Look, Satomura-san—"

"Ah, I see—it's because of what's going on with _him_ , isn't it?" Akashi frowned, "You should feel relieved if you must know." Ami frowned "Why would I feel relieved? What you did was wrong!"

"I only pointed out something that needed to be looked at with closer detail," Akashi crossed his arms, "He is not as perfect as he wants to make you believe so snap out of his charms already! Open your eyes and realize the truth! Just because you two have a thing together does not mean he is an eminence in medicine."

Ami widened her eyes with anger, "I can't believe what you are saying—we do not have a _thing_ together—we have known each other for years! He's like a big brother to me, what is wrong with you?!"

"Please, don't come with that," Akashi grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to him brusquely, "Satomura-san, what the hell is wrong with you!? Let me go!"

"Are you really going to convince me there's _nothing_ going on between the two of you?!" he frowned, "Who are you trying to fool?! You think I haven't noticed the way to speak to each other without a respectful honorific? Just when are you going to admit it? Huh!? You are infatuated with him just like every single nurse in this damn hospital..." Ami tried to break free from his grasp and glared at him with anger, "I don't care if you believe me or not—that's your problem, not mine."

"Like if I ever going to believe tha—"

"Ami,"

Both Ami and Akashi turned to Zoisite who was walking towards them with his hands inside his jacket's pockets, "Zoisite..." Ami widened her eyes very much surprised to see him there "W-What..."

The blonde stopped in front of her and saw her wrist summited under Akashi's strong grip, "What is this about?" he narrowed his emerald eyes with disgust and slapped his hand away, "This is no way to treat a lady," he turned to Akashi who was looking back at the blonde with surprise, "W-Who the hell are you!?"

"I asked you a question first and I demand an answer— _now._ " Zoisite frowned, "What the hell do you think you are doing?"

"I don't need to give any explanations to a complete stranger! Mind your own damn business!" Akashi turned to Ami and tried to grab her arm again but Zoisite grabbed his and sighed with growing annoyance, "Typical behavior of a primitive coward,"

Akashi twitched his eyes and groaned when he felt the pain caused by Zoisite's strong grasp. The blonde arched a brow as he looked at him, "I thought I made myself perfectly clear when I told you that was not the right way to treat a lady, must I say it differently or are you _that_ stupid?"

"Hey! Back off asshole! This is a private conversation, just who the hell do you think you are?!" Akashi turned angrily and tried to push Zoisite away but the blonde moved away and pulled him back with force throwing him to the ground with little to no effort. Zoisite rolled his eyes at him, "Ugh, your language baffles me... it is disgusting," he arched his brow, "You really are stupid—the moment you raise your voice it automatically cancels its privacy but, since you are so _eager_ to know who I am—I am Ami's partner."

Akashi's face went pale and looked up at Ami with a shocked expression, "Partner? As in—"

Ami blinked still very surprised by the sudden turn of events but she had to take this as an opportunity to free from him once and for all, "Yes, Satomura-san, as in _boyfriend_." she looked at him still on the ground with little to no sympathy. Akashi widened his eyes and shook his head, "B-But Chiba-san, w-what about him?!" Akashi still could not manage the shock ball thrown at him with the news given to him, "Chiba-san?" Zoisite narrowed his green eyes but it was then when he felt Ami's discreet nudge on his ribs hoping he would catch the clue of who the young doctor was talking about, "Ah—Mamoru,"

Ami turned surprised at the blonde by how well he played the charade and was more than thankful to him for being there at the precise time and so willing to help without causing an embarrassing scene, "As his brother—I do not appreciate you suggesting he is unfaithful to his wife."

Akashi's eyes went to size wider than before and shook his head in disbelief, "B-Brother?! Wait... he's married!?" he turned to Ami who crossed her arms, "Ah, but you know _everything_ , right?"

The dry tone of her voice took Akashi by surprise and shook his head, still very much confused by everything, "I—I" his throat went dry and jumped back into his feet quickly trying to do some damage control and clean his already torn image, "Mizuno-san—I"

Ami took a step back from Akashi and shook her head "Let's leave things as they are, alright? There is no point in trying to justify anything... I am very disappointed to see how low some are willing to go just to hurt other people... I am over this, good night, Satomura-san." she shook her head and turned to leave; Zoisite, on the other hand, looked at him and arched a brow as he studied the young doctor up and down with a cold look, "I highly suggest you step down from that cloud of ego of yours and learn the importance of respect—grow some balls, you coward." his green eyes narrowed with anger, "Do not _ever_ lay a finger on her again, or I swear you will regret it—mark my words."

Akashi felt the hostile vibe from Zoisite and stood there with wide eyes as he watched the couple walk away and wondered how he got the wrong idea in the first place. Now that he thought about it, she never mentioned a lover and she never mentioned she was in a relationship and with Chiba Mamoru's brother on top of it all but it made sense now, the closeness both doctors shared and why she said they had been friends for a very long time. Shamelessly, Akashi had no other option but to accept his mistake and swallow his pride as he walked back to the hospital to finish his shift.

O—o—O

A block later, Ami finally stopped and exhaled her anger and frustration, she felt her body trembling with bottled anger; she didn't like it—to be mad; the feeling of being angry was not for her, it always made her feel sick and tired and she hated it. She patted her cheeks to snap out of her moody cloud and soon realized she hadn't been alone the whole time, "Are you alright?" Her blue eyes widened when she heard him asking and turned to Zoisite who was standing just a few feet behind her, his face showing genuine concern "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Ami blushed, immediately feeling ashamed of her rude behavior. She shook her head she put up her arms apologetically, "I'm so sorry—I normally don't react this way, it's just that—" Zoisite raised his hand to stop her "Please, I am glad I was able to be of some help."

Ami smiled but then she froze when things suddenly hit her "W-Where you...?" It was Zoisite's turn to be shy and blush, "I—I um... Mars gave me directions to how to get to the hospital... I honestly did not know you were there... I was just passing by,"

"Oh?" Ami arched her brow. The blonde put his hand inside his pants pockets trying his best to look casual "I—well, I just wanted to know how you were, since the wedding we have not had an opportunity to talk after you left,"

The ball of shyness was now on Ami's court, her delicate, slender fingers wrapped tight around her backpack strap. Ami felt flattered and surprised to see the general had gone through the trouble of looking for her without even knowing if he was going to even find her there, it was luck—fated luck.

Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, Ami walked towards Zoisite and smiled at him. If things happened the way it did, it was probably because they needed to happen that way; she had to admit that she also had a great time with him at the wedding and that they shared more things in common than she ever imagined. After what happened minutes ago, she needed a friendly face and he was the friendliest face around, allergic or not allergic to love letters. He was there for her, and that was something important. Suddenly, all the words of encouragement and advice Motoki, Mamoru, and the girls had given her over the years regarding her social life finally came in handy as she took a leap of fate and did the unthinkable, "I-I was heading over to this tiny local ramen house—would you like to join me for dinner? I haven't eaten anything and I am famished—it has been a very long day."

Zoisite widened his green eyes with surprise and nodded with the most adorable blush on his cheeks, Ami smiled in the most charming way and giggled as she turned on her heel, "Good."

O—o—o—o—O

The clicking sound of heels on marble floors caught the attention of the blonde man looking into the night sky. Ares turned and saw Eris walking towards him, his grey eyes darkened as his body stiffened the minute he laid eyes on her. The dark-haired goddess stopped at a reasonable distance but remained silent.

"What are you doing here?" Ares frowned.

Eris arched her brow "Your question baffles me,"

"And I am baffled by your presence. You do not live here anymore," Ares snorted, his voice turned cold, "I thought I made myself perfectly clear—what do you want?"

Eris hummed as she walked around the large library, her fingers absently caressed each and every book strategically placed on the long and sturdy shelves in his study, "Always so studied, so strong—but vicious when the God of War is ordered to follow his duties."

"What do you want Eris?"

"I heard what you are trying to do," Eris turned to look over her shoulder at her husband and narrowed her plum-colored eyes, "And I must say... it is a very ambitious plan of yours." she sighed softly, "Your reputation is at stake, you are risking everything for a lost cause... you still have not learned."

Ares gave her the coldest of glares, "Since when do you care about my reputation?"

Eris snickered and brushed her deep red tainted lips with her fingers "I do care," she arched her brow, "Believe it or not—what we have—"

"What we have?" Ares sarcastic chuckles interrupted her, "We have nothing Eris, whatever sentiment that existed between us died a long time ago." Eris arched her brow, "You may have used me for your own benefit—but I do care for you."

"My own benefit?" Ares narrowed his eyes, "What benefit could I possibly get from being with you?" Eris clenched her jaw at his snarky comment, "You made me give birth to a child I did not want or have you forgotten?"

Ares shook his head, "You seem to forget that it was not a problem for you until you learned the baby we were expecting turned out to be a girl, after that, you tried to put your pregnancy in danger one too many times. Oh, Eris, you say it like I took advantage of you but you tend to forget why we got married in the first place, keep Mars out of this."

"We got married because you were lonely and you did not want to lose your pride and honor and because you wanted to keep an image with your brothers—" Eris crossed her arms, Ares arched a brow "You want to talk about the past, my dear? Very well... let's." He turned and walked closer to her, "Remember where we used to meet and remember why? You were tired of living in a limbo between the Underworld and this realm. You were lonely too Eris, and you also had needs... when I proposed to you I put the cards on the table... I was clear from the very beginning and you accepted it, it was your stupid jealousy what killed whatever good was between us,"

Eris frowned angrily, "No! It was because you were always loving the wrong woman—Gaia, Mars, and I even dare to say you fell in love with Serenity too."

"You have lost your sanity, Mars is our daughter, _of course_ , I love her. She is the only good that ever came from us." Ares looked at Eris with disbelief, "I am truly disgusted by your words... how can you be so jealous of your own daughter is beyond me,"

"You proclaim your love for her so openly and yet you let her die!" Eris arched her brow with defiance, "You sacrificed your own daughter for the sake of Serenity's weak ideals—how do you sleep at night, eh Ares? Knowing that every woman you have ever loved always end up wrapped up in tragedy."

"I do not know—you tell me."

Eris widened her eyes with rage; Ares frowned "Serenity was leading an Alliance that had to be protected—as the God of War I am in charge to supervise each and every single political treaty. You knew perfectly well she was also my good friend and nothing more, your mind has always been infected with unnecessary jealousy."

"I never asked to be tied with a child," Eris narrowed her plum-colored eyes "You fabricated this life with me so you could forget about that worthless traitor—and Serenity, well—she got what she deserved."

"Why are you here?! You keep repeating the same things—yet you do not see this was a two-way street!" Ares snarled with anger, "What the hell do you want from me?!"

"You and I are the same, Ares, we are both corrupted souls—that is the real reason why we ended up together." she walked closer to him, her eyes locked with his "You created a league of assassins. You helped create _the_ assassin and for what I have heard, you are very protective of that other one that still lives somewhere around that cursed planet," she frowned, "What are you trying to achieve, huh? Do you want redemption? Do you want your soul to be pardoned for all the damage you have caused? You and every Polemarchos you have trained are condemned to go straight to hell once you fall, there is a special place for you there; your soul belongs to Hades."

As much as he tried to contain the anger accumulating inside of him, Eris had a special ability to make his blood boil with rage; closing the gap he moved quick like a beast ready to attack its prey and pinned her against the wall and pressed his shiny blade against her cold skin "You disgust me," he muttered dryly, "You dare to speak like if you had all the right to judge. Remember who you are Eris and remember your position—you were just another lost soul from a herd of shadows in the Underworld. You dare to compare yourself to divine beings from this realm and that is exactly where your anger lies because you know there is no point of comparison."

"I hate her because _she_ stole you from me!"

Ares snickered "Oh dear, stole me from you? You never had me... we were together for our own amusement, to feed our lonely souls. Do not victimize yourself, not with me; you knew perfectly well what you were doing,"

What many tend to forget about Ares, is that despite his newly controlled character, a vicious, violent man lied beneath his quiet demeanor. Eris was right, he made a pact with Hades when he took his position as Polemarchos being his death at Hades' mercy, he knew there was a special place for him in hell because of his own battles, his own decisions and because he created a soldier like Chaos but that was something he made peace with, a long time ago.

Ares was hurtful and destructive, his own nature was based on revenge and ambition. He once was Helios' disciple and followed his training until he was prepared and old enough to challenge Zeus and earn his title and place in the divine world. Of all warrior gods, Ares was the most disconnected from his feelings when he had to kill, making him the perfect creation of fear and power, a living weapon to protect Olympus from disgrace and the gods' own mistakes. His title as God of War was earned fairly, one bloody murder at a time and Eris knew this perfectly well as a shadow goddess from the Underworld.

Ares and Eris had an on and off relationship over the years; no matter how much he tried to move on with his life, he was always pulled back into her arms and fed their carnal desire one too many times despite him knowing Gaia once had feelings for him. It was until the very moment he knew he had lost Gaia as his disciple and as his friend, he understood his fate was not meant to be with her, no matter how much he wanted it to happen. At that time, Eris was a shadow dealing with her own issues and waited impatiently for her moment to be acknowledged and welcomed as a goddess in Olympus, so when Ares proposed, she did not think it twice. They both gave themselves what they needed, and for a long time they cared for one another until the moment they learned they had conceived a female child, that is when things took a dark turn.

Unlike Eris, the very moment Ares held Mars in his arms for the first time, he understood Gaia's constant rebellion against the gods and Serenity's undying wish for peace in the universe for the sake of her child. The little piece of divinity in his arms was blood of his blood, flesh of his flesh—with a beauty impossible to match. His soul became hers, his eyes were now only just for her and he swore to lead her to a better path, a path as far away from his own as possible.

He liked to believe that Hestia allowed Mars to be conceived so she could balance the evil and ambition in the divine world. To him, it was natural to understand why she was chosen to be a sailor senshi making him feel like he was doing something good for once, he felt he was given a second chance to do the right thing. Unlike he did with every polemarchos he trained, he taught his child the values of being a loyal soldier of justice, one that would fight to do good and not just for the sake of being powerful, he taught her to be fair, loving, and benevolent without losing her focus on the task at hand; by the time she was ready, he personally asked Serenity to take her under her wing to keep her away from that dark and heavy dynasty that was put upon her shoulders.

"I accepted my faith the moment I was created. The moment I held a sword to kill—I accepted my loss with Gaia the moment she rebelled against us. My fight and that undying love you proclaim I had for her, it was all for my daughter— _my_ daughter." His eyes darkened as he pressed his weapon deeper into her skin, "The only good part of me, the only one that owns my heart. I stopped caring for you the moment you cursed and threatened her life." he growled with rage, "You have hated every moment of her existence because it was your way to get back at me for something you brought to yourself with all the insecurity harbored inside your head. That is when you condemned yourself Eris, the moment you declared war to war itself."

Eris widened her eyes when she felt the sharp blade slowly cutting her cold flesh allowing a trickle of her blood run down her long neck. Ares moved his blade abruptly away and turned his back at her as he looked into his slightly tainted blade, "If you want to think of yourself as a vessel—that is not my problem," he turned to look over his shoulder at her "The fact will remain the same. You gave birth to my child—a being with the remains of good that were still nested in me. That is why you always felt jealous of her—because you knew you would never surpass her. You see Eris, she became what you always wanted to be and never could—a rightful goddess of Olympus."

Eris clenched her jaw with anger while looking at him "No!"

Ares wiped the blood from his blade with a clean cloth and threw it to her on his way out "Here. I do not want your venom—take it as a reminder of not to cross paths with me, ever again."

"You will ask for forgiveness Ares—you will regret everything you just said... mark my words..." Eris said between her clenched teeth, Ares did not bother to turn back at her, "Forgiveness?" he chuckled, "Do you even know the meaning of such word? Please..." his eyes darkened, "Get the hell out of my sight and never come back," Ares closed the door behind him, leaving Eris alone in the dark. Her hand slowly reached for her wound and looked at the small stain of blood still tainting her fingers and began breathing heavily, allowing her hatred take over her, "We will see, Ares, we will see..." she growled and quickly vanished from the palace and went straight to the place she knew was keeping most of Ares' interest.

O—o—O

At the top of a high building Eris stood and looked at the city lights below her feet with rage and disgust; the strong cold wind crashed against her alabaster skin as it played with her long, raven hair making it look like rabid flames of black fire consuming her, "We shall see who rots in hell first—Ares..." she narrowed her eyes and peered to her side, "I know you are here—"

Another spirit appeared right next to her, a woman with long dark hair just like Eris' but instead of wearing a gown, she was in a dark body suit wrapped in spiked chains that moved around her like hissing snakes, and long dark high-heeled boots that went all the way up to her tights. "I sensed you crossed into this realm," her black eyes looked at the blinking lights below them and turned to Eris. "So, you have come here to finally take the War God down, yes?"

"I want to see this planet rot to its demise—I want to destroy everything he has ever kept safe—do what you have to do to bring everything down," Eris narrowed her plum-colored eyes and turned to Asteria, the goddess of the nocturnal oracles and falling stars and one of Hades' servants. The dark woman was very skilled and proficient in every task entrusted to her and she was also in charge of guarding the gates of the Underworld. Her dark long nails played with the dark chains wrapped around her neck, "I can sense it, a strong energy—there are powerful Senshi on this planet..." her black smudged eyes narrowed, "I can also sense another wave of energy—different from the ones blessed by the planets... it is denser—darker, that means only one thing."

Eris quirked a brow, "And what about the Andromedian?"

Asteria's pale lips curved into a devilish smile "He is set to do other tasks—I must not compromise his own troubled mind for now. Let him believe whatever he likes as long as it keeps him at bay." Her slow, deep chuckles echoed as she summoned her power and stomped her spiked high heel against the concrete of the building allowing her own venomous energy spread like dark veins all over. "See how everything crumbles beneath your feet," she smirked with pleasure, "Death is coming—and there is nothing you can do about it." she narrowed her eyes,

 _"There is nothing you can do about it—Earth Protector."_

Mamoru opened his eyes and gasped for air, he turned to look at a peaceful Usagi sleeping next to him and frowned as he brought a hand to his chest. "Those words again..." he muttered and ran a hand through his hair several times. He got up from the bed and walked towards the balcony to look outside and felt the pain in his chest only intensified with every step he took closer to the rail and took a deep, forced breath.

"Mamo-chan?"

Usagi's softly and still groggy voice startled him and he turned to look at her standing by the door with the silky bedsheet wrapped around her body; her pale blonde hair was loose and disheveled but she still managed to look like the true goddess she was. "Usako..." he muttered softly, Usagi rubbed eyes and frowned softly, "What time is it? Is it morning yet?"

Mamoru smiled and shook his head, "Far from it—"

"Then what are you doing up?" Usagi tried to adjust her eyes to the light from the moon outside "It's cold..."

Mamoru looked at her sadly, it was unfair this was happening during their honeymoon. It was unfair that she had to be involved in something he felt responsible for causing. He walked back and ran his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him, "I'm sorry for waking you up,"

Usagi pulled the sheet up to cover herself and snuggled against his bare chest "It's okay... but... why are you up?"

Mamoru pressed his lips together, he did not want to let her know the real reason, not now... not at this particular time. He did not want to disrupt the moment they were having for themselves, a moment they have waited for so long, "I was thirsty."

Usagi hummed in response, still trapped in the effects of sleep, "Come back to bed—I can't sleep if you are not there..."

Mamoru smiled at her weak attempt to pull him with her and turned to close the balcony doors, mentally praying for the Shitennou to be alert for anything that could come up.

 _"Be safe brothers, please be safe."_

O—o—o—o—O

Zoisite stared at the menu partly confused about the dishes served; Ami had chosen the usual table she takes whenever she went to have a meal in peace, the one in the far corner. She looked over her menu at the blonde man in front of her and blushed softly as she finally allowed herself to really admire his handsome face. Giggling, she put her menu aside and ordered for the both of them, then once the waitress left she turned to the blonde, "Have you ever ate ramen before?"

Zoisite blinked and looked up at her "N-No, not really."

Ami widened her eyes "Ah," his lack of knowledge concerning noodles made perfect sense since it was probably they did not eat back at the terran palace. "They're very tasty," she smiled "I have a feeling that you are going to like it."

Zoisite's smile curved more prominently on one side, Ami noticed this little trait and found it adorable. "Do you visit this place regularly?" Ami heard him ask as she leaned back in her chair and nodded, "I do, yes—but mostly when my days at the hospital are more hectic than usual. There is something about having a hearty bowl of noodles that makes all the stress go away—something sandwiches no longer accomplished." Her fingers played with the paper wrap of her straw, "I want to thank you, for helping me back there,"

Zoisite's face darkened, "I wonder what happened to society to turn men so disrespectful towards women," he sighed and shook his head, "You do not have to thank me, Ballerina, I am just glad I was there to help,"

Ami was surprised to hear the old nickname he had for her, "I suppose you want to know who that was..."

Zoisite crossed his arms on the table, "He is an intern at the hospital and the one that has put Endymion under a very delicate situation at work." Ami widened her eyes, "W-What? How do you...?"

"Endymion told us," Zoisite arched his brow, "But your reaction just confirmed it, indeed that is him," he frowned "What I do not understand is why were you letting him act that way towards you."

"He was upset," Ami muttered, Zoisite arched his brow "So?" he sighed, "Ballerina, if you have any romantic feelings towards that man I am no one to judge but what I can do, is to give you a piece of advice—a man that treats a lady that way is not worthy of your time." Ami blushed and shook her head, "I-I do not have romantic feelings for him,"

"Your face back there told me otherwise," Zoisite looked at her, "I only ask you to be more careful—after all, you are a Senshi, you are not one to be taking reckless decisions just to comply with what you think you should be doing or what society, in general, tells you to do."

Ami felt her hear halt in her chest for a minute, it was as if the man in front of her was describing exactly what had been going through her mind for a long time now. He was right, she was being pressured and she was tired of it; the constant whispers of the nurses talking about how she was always so serious when somebody mentioned some sort of romantic tale.

For a moment she did consider Akashi to be more than just her friend and she could sense he was feeling the same towards her, maybe he still did but his sudden outburst and his actions towards Mamoru and now Zoisite's comment made her think otherwise. He was not the man for her and maybe just like the blonde said, she was pursuing that thought because she thought it was time for her to date someone and what better than a man that could totally understand her career and her crazy schedules but she forgot about an important part of her along the way—her senshi side.

The waitress came back with two large bowls of soba noodles with tofu and an extra portion of vegetables. Ami felt relieved for being brought back from her train of thought "Enjoy." The waitress smiled and turned to leave. Zoisite looked at the bowl with wide eyes, making Ami giggle with endearment, "You look—"

"Surprised?" Zoisite mumbled, Ami chuckled and shook her head, "Terrified." she leaned forward and grabbed the two chopsticks and handed them to him, "Look, you have to take the chopsticks like this." Zoisite looked at her in silence while she explained the rather interesting process of eating the eye-catching dish. A minute later of studying the movements he nailed the handling like a professional, surprising Ami in the process "Easy, right?"

Zoisite took a slurp of his noodles and widened her eyes, Ami giggled "I told you, you were going to like it."

"This is delicious," Zoisite looked down at his bowl "What is it called again?"

"Soba noodle soup with tofu and vegetables," Ami took a bite of a carrot, "I always ask for extra vegetables because, well—it's good for you."

"I could eat this every day." They both said at the same time, surprising each other. Zoisite smiled and looked down at his bowl "I will have to learn how to cook this—although, I do not think the others will appreciate eating this every day."

"What do you mean?" Ami slurped a long noodle softly; Zoisite looked at her and tilted his head, "We moved from Sailor Mars' shrine."

"What?" Ami widened her eyes "W-When?"

"This afternoon," Zoisite took another bite of tofu while Ami frowned, still very surprised and confused, "B-But why?"

Zoisite savored the hearty flavor of the broth and cleaned the sides of his lips "Sailor Uranus offered Kunzite a place for us to stay—we came to the conclusion that we have to continue living our lives, one step at a time. We all were meant to have a life in this era but—well, Beryl found us first... the rest is history."

"This is unexpected..." Ami said softly "And what will happen next? I mean..." she trailed off, still trying to understand the situation. Zoisite chuckled, "Do not look so surprised Mercury, we may have gone for a long time but we know how to survive—after all, we were trained to do so."

"Is that all?" Ami fidgeted in her seat, "The reason you moved away?"

Zoisite paused from continuing eating his soup and sighed softly "We have a mission we have to follow. We must look for Endymion's safety and while we do that—we have to make our way into society."

"Are you saying we're in danger?" Ami asked bluntly, "Is that why you are here?"

Zoisite put his chopsticks down and cleaned his chin once again, "We are probably heading towards battle, yes, Mercury—we are not certain of what lies ahead of us but—"

A scream startled both Zoisite and Ami and turned to see a woman in evident pain just outside the small noodle shop. The doctor in her made her react immediately and ran to her aid, the blonde followed behind as he tried to control the woman who was now having a serious panic attack. It did not pass more than a minute when another man in the distance began acting the same way and just like a chain of reacting all the people around him began attacking at each other in a massive act of brutal insanity, "What is happening?!" Ami asked, frustrated for not being able to find a reasonable explanation for the situation.

"They're possessed—it's that same poisonous energy taking over them," Zoisite muttered and pulled the bluenette out of one man's hostile grasp. Ami blushed as she felt herself crash into his warm chest "You need to transform," he said with urgency "You need to stop them!" Ami looked up and shook her head "B-But how...?"

Zoisite turned to the people inside the restaurant watch with terror at the situation unfolding outside and went to block the entrance, "If I attack I can kill them," he kicked another possessed man running towards him. Ami widened her eyes but Zoisite turned with urgency at her "Now, Mercury!"

Ami raised her hand and summoned for her power _"Mercury Star Power Make—Up!"_

Blue energy like waves of water engulfed her as she transformed into a senshi, once again to fight against evil. She turned to Zoisite who summoned for his own celestial power granted to him and changed into his grey shitennou military uniform with green lining. He quickly turned and saw the people who were possessed had morphed into the same, rotten shadows from the day Endymion awoke. "They are eating their souls—" he frowned and extended his hand blasting several spheres of energy at them to knock them down, _"_ _Zoi!"_ then formed a long spear made of ice crystals "But if I attack, they can die!"

Mercury turned and put her goggles to study the bodies "Not all of them are human—they're shadows. The core is in their heads! Aim to their heads, Zoisite!" she extended her hands and called for her power, _"Mercury—Aqua Mist!"_

Zoisite narrowed his eyes, immediately understanding the command and ran towards one of the heard of shadows spreading in front of him and pierced their forehead with the sharp point of his cold spear and blasted another shot of energy, disintegrating them and releasing the body from their dark possession.

Asteria looked at the general and narrowed her eyes with displeasure, with a flick of her hand all the people still awake and witnessing the events around them fell unconscious; Zoisite looked up and frowned, Mercury joined him seconds after "You are the responsible for this..." The shitennou looked at her with daring eyes at the woman in the black leather bodysuit with chains all around her. Mercury widened her eyes with anger, "Who are you?!"

"Hermes' offspring—interesting..." Asteria arched a brow as she tapped one of her claw-like nails on her chin, "That is why there is such power flowing in this rural planet," The black goddess clicked her tongue and fixed her gaze on the man standing next to Mercury "You— _you_ hold another kind of power," her eyes narrowed in thought, "Celestial Power—I see..."

Zoisite glared at her, "Who are you?! What do you want!?"

Asteria arched her brow, " _Where_ is the Protector?"

Both Mercury and Zoisite widened their eyes "Protector?"

"The Protector of this planet—where is it?"

"We are its Protectors," Mercury frowned at the woman; Asteria's emotionless face stared at them, "You are not remotely close," she slowly descended and stood at a short distance away from both soldiers and grabbed the wiggling chain around her waist and quickly wrapped it around Mercury's waist; Zoisite widened his eyes in horror at the superhuman speed from the woman in black and ran towards her to help her, "Mercury!"

Asteria raised her chain and left Mercury suspended in the air, "I am not going to ask you again—where is it!?"

"Release her!" Zoisite ran towards her and blasted her several sets of energy bombs but to his surprise, she avoided every single attack with incredible ease. "I am _not_ one to play games with," she frowned and pulled the chain around Mercury down, throwing her with great force against the asphalt.

"Mercury!" Zoisite widened his eyes in horror and kneeled next to her "Mercury—look at me!" He turned to Asteria with rage in his beautiful green eyes making Asteria smirk with pleasure and whipped her chain back and let it coil around her waist like a living snake, "Tell the Protector that I am not the kind who likes to play games,"

Zoisite blasted another energy attack, which the black goddess evaded with amazing speed with the help of her chains, "Do you want to know how do I know you are not the Protector?" she grabbed her chain once again and moved it at an incredible speed towards the Shitennou. Zoisite reacted quickly and barely evaded the chain coming his way but widened his eyes once she saw her standing behind him and wrapped her chain around his chest before repeating the same technique she performed on Mercury and threw him against the asphalt with brutal force; Mercury turned her head and looked at a wounded Zoisite a few feet away from her with panic, "Z-Zoi—site..."

Asteria walked towards the fallen general and stepped into his hand, making him flinch in pain, "This is the difference between a soldier and a polemarchos—your power is worthless against mine, divine or not." she kneeled in front of him and grabbed him by his long ponytail, "I am hoping a decent fight next time I come, tell that to the hybrid," she stomped her heel on the ground again and vanished into thin air.

Zoisite coughed some blood and slowly dragged himself closer to the water senshi, "Mercury..." he kneeled next to her and ran his arms around her, "Mercury," he called for her again, this time with more anguish in his voice. Mercury slowly opened her eyes, letting him know she was coming back to her senses "Z-Zoisite..." she whispered and looked up; "I need to take you to the hospital," Zoisite looked for her phone but was stopped by her hand over his "N-No..." she coughed softly and slowly pushed herself back up, "I'm alright..."

"You are not alright!" Zoisite said with horror, Mercury reached for his face and wiped the blood running from the corner of his lip "You are hurt too—"

"Come on, I will take you get medical help..."

"No," she insisted, "I just need to rest for a while..." she turned to look around her and saw everyone fainted but Zoisite answered for her, "They're unconscious, the malice left them the moment she disappeared—but they need to get medical assistance as well."

Mercury reached for her phone and dialed the emergency number and after giving the exact direction of the events she asked the general to follow her to her apartment. Zoisite took a deep breath and understood that just like him, she did not want to be taken as a victim and had no other option but to comply with her request. He helped her stand and wrapped her arm around his neck and carried her belongings before disappearing into the muffled sounds of the ambulances coming their way.

* * *

 _AN: This week has gone really fast! Alright, dear readers... here goes another chapter. Let me know if you liked it and help me keep this story alive because I'm close to giving up! I am honestly enjoying writing all these chapters but it takes a lot of heart, time and effort. I am truly sad because I just found out another fellow writer has shut down her story because nobody was reading it, or at least, that she thought. It was a good story, but now it's gone... it truly saddens me. I speak not just for me, but for all my fellow writers... please, give us a little push. We all need it._

 _I really value and want to thank those who have stayed with me since the very beginning of this story, and my previous ones too. You know who you are and I will always try to answer you back. Thank you and enjoy!_

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	35. Chapter 35

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Thirty-Five

* * *

Jadeite sighed as he slouched on the fancy leather couch in the living room of their new place with disinterest; he has not been his usual playful self since they left the shrine and it has started to reflect in his mood. Kunzite turned and looked at his emotionally defeated friend and felt bad for the poor man because he knew the real reason for his odd behavior.

Nephrite walked out of the kitchen and put a glass of water on the coffee table and sat on the floor in Buddha style. "Do you know where Zoisite went?" he asked with evident worry in his voice. Kunzite arched his brow "He went out to look for Mercury, why?" The brown haired man rubbed his temples and sighed, "I feel a strong energy," he frowned, "It is unusual—unsettling,"

Kunzite frowned and sat across from the chestnut-haired man but instead of the floor he chose the couch, "I feel the same thing—like a distortion but I cannot place an explanation or an exact location."

"Did you find anything new concerning Endymion's request?"

"Some—not much," Kunzite shook his head, "This whole discovery matter is still kept behind closed doors but maybe this energy is linked to this matter. Venus showed me some papers with articles about it but there is still not too much to find, not until they show to the public this famous exhibition."

"Is that where you were last night?" Jadeite moved the cushion pillow away from his face and looked at the white-haired man with surprise, "You finally managed to talk to her?" Kunzite frowned, "I do not know what bothers me the most Jadeite, you asking me where I have been like an angry mother to her child or the fact that you said _'managed_ '." Nephrite opened one eye and looked at his leader and big brother, "Well, did you?" Kunzite sighed heavily, "Yes—I _managed_ ," he turned to Jadeite and raised his hand stopping any further comments from him, "Yes—I was with her."

"So, this means that you two are together?" Nephrite looked at Kunzite with curiosity. Kunzite leaned back on the couch and crossed his arms. He noticed Jadeite put the cushion over his head once again, "What has gotten into you?"

"Nothing." Jadeite's muffled voice startled both men. Kunzite turned to Nephrite and try to give Jadeite some space, "Have the stars said anything yet?" Nephrite shook his head "I will try to establish a connection tonight—it has been confusing... their silence troubles me."

"We must be prepared for anything," Kunzite exhaled "And we must keep everything under control—I do not want to call Endymion and ask him to come back in the middle of his wedding travels,"

All three men were startled to hear the phone ringing, Nephrite taking the initiative pushed himself from the floor and went to answer the call "Yes?"

"What?"

There was something in the tone of Nephrite's voice that made the two shitennou look into his direction, Jadeite sat on the couch and frowned then turned to Kunzite "Who could that be?" Kunzite shook his head confused and now worried as he continued to listen to his friend's hurried conversation "Give me an address and we will be on our way." Nephrite scribbled down some things on a paper napkin and frowned "Right—we will be there shortly, thank you, Mercury."

"Mercury?" Jadeite frowned, Nephrite pressed his lips together and turned to Kunzite and Jadeite "Something happened—Zoisite is gravely injured."

O—o—O

Ami hung up her phone and turned to put some clean bandages around Zoisite's badly bruised and blooded chest because of the cuts and scrapes. As soon as they got to Ami's apartment she treated the cuts on his arms and help him lay on the couch to rest; she realized the blonde man had taken much more damage once she had to unbutton his pale green shirt to check his injuries but it did surprise her his endurance and how he was taking this with calm and self-control, "There are no signs of internal damage—that's good, but you still need to lay still."

Zoisite winced when he felt Ami's hand touching an injury on his side and gritted his teeth when he felt the stitches. Ami looked at him and bit her lower lip "I'm sorry—I know it hurts but it has to be done to help the wound close faster,"

"I can handle it—do not worry," Zoisite mumbled, his green eyes never looking for her blue ones like he usually did. Ami pulled back and looked at him with concern "Zoisite..." The blonde man turned and saw a swollen bruise on Ami's arm, "Mercury—your arm."

Ami looked at it "Oh—it's just a," her eyes widened when she saw Zoisite get the ointment she just put on his wounds and treated her injury with incredible delicacy and a feathery touch, "I ask for your forgiveness," she heard him mutter; Ami blinked, startled by sudden choice of words "W-Why are you apologizing?"

"I should have been more alert—I should have protected you."

Ami looked down at his hands weaving the bandage around her arm with precision and extreme care, "But you did—if it wasn't for you I would be dead," she looked at him "You fought..." she widened her eyes and blushed "...For me..."

Zoisite tied the bandage with the small metal clasp and looked at her; he did not need to say anything else to state the obvious. He cared for her, he cared for her very much. Ami tightened her lips and realized that despite the distance that had been separating them for years, they still shared the same interest for each other. They still cared for each other and even when nothing really happened back then, his courtesy and his evident interest made her come to terms with destiny. His previous words made sense now, what she was looking for a partner she knew it was very difficult to find in other people but Zoisite had it: the understanding, the support, and the caring she needed, Zoisite was offering them to her without asking for anything back.

Her hand slowly reached for his, dissipating any remaining shyness sabotaging her feelings and tightened her grip on his fingers, Zoisite looked at her wide-eyed "Mercury..."

Ami smiled softly "We all have been living our lives the way we have wanted to. We have made good and terrible decisions along the way and we have met people," she looked at him sadly "People that either has made us feel special or that have broken our hearts. We have followed our dreams but somehow, we forgot that we are also people attached to a very significant past, a past that cannot be pushed aside to be ignored or forgotten. We only migrated from one era to this one; at first, I wondered if you were here just to accomplish a mission but then I realized it is so much more than that—you are guiding us to be greater than ever before."

Zoisite's hand cupped her cheek, making her turn to look at him. There it was again, that same side smile that made her blush and feel tiny butterflies in her stomach, "You are one marvelous woman Mercury, and if I must remind it to every day—I am willing to do so for as long as you allow me to."

Ami smiled and leaned her head down, nodding in the process. Her wounds suddenly stopped hurting and felt she could face anything with him by her side; the way they both worked together to fight against the enemy it felt right. Like it should have been since the very beginning; she cursed Beryl mentally for having taken that opportunity from them. She felt his lips kissing her forehead and his free arm pulling her in a warm, protective embrace, "Lean on me Mercury—every fear, every doubt—I will be your support."

Ami smiled and closed her eyes as she enjoyed their little romantic moment when a sudden knock on the door interrupted them, both knowing who was behind its desperate pounds; Ami looked up at Zoisite and tucked a strand of his lose blonde hair behind his ear and smiled at him, "Come in!" she said out loud and saw a very worried Kunzite walk inside in a hurry, followed by Jadeite and Nephrite who closed the door behind him. Jadeite widened his eyes when he saw Zoisite bandaged around his head, chest, and arms and shook his head frantically "What the hell happened?!"

Ami stood up, her hand slowly leaving his and sat on another small sofa across from him to let Jadeite sit next to his friend and brother. Kunzite turned to Ami and frowned "Are you alright? Is there something we can do?" Ami smiled softly at the general and shook her head "I'm alright... I already took care of his wounds."

"What happened? Kunzite narrowed his eyes, "Who did this to you?! Was it the same man than before!?"

"She never revealed her identity," Zoisite muttered from the couch, catching the general's attention " _She?_ " Jadeite frowned. Zoisite sighed and flinched as he tried to readjust his position on the couch and nodded, "Yes, and she cursed the area we were in," he preferred to ignore Jadeite's question and proceeded to explain the events "It happened again, the bodies—the shadows."

"We attacked right away to counteract the effects of the poison in the ambient—but this soldier appeared and challenged Zoisite," Ami joined the conversation. "Soldier?" Jadeite turned over his shoulder at Ami, "Sailor Senshi?"

"She didn't look like one—she didn't portray herself as one..." Ami said softly. Kunzite frowned and sighed, taking his role as leader of the shitennou "We need to let the other girls know," he turned to Ami "We need to start preparing,"

"For what exactly?" Jadeite narrowed his eyes "We do not even know who this woman soldier is,"

Kunzite crossed his arms "That is where your strategic abilities come into play—we need a plan and you're the expert one," Jadeite arched his brow, "This is Point D all over again,"

Ami frowned "Point D? Beryl's hideout?"

Zoisite turned to Ami "Back then, it was a poisonous place close to Elysion. We named it Point D because it was the last place we marked on the map as a suspicious place to isolate—with time, the name got stuck and that is how we referred to it every time something happened closed to that place," he frowned, "We later learned that Metallia was encased inside—that is where all of our problems began."

"So, could it be happening all over again?" Ami frowned. Nephrite leaned on the wall with his arms crossed "We are not certain who is the author of all these erratic attacks but there is a strange energy lingering in the air."

"It's best to include the girls into this matter—Mercury has been compromised, they're coming for all of us." Jadeite looked at the bluenette "It is time for us guardians to start working together." Ami nodded and looked at her phone and dialed a number, "Hi... no... I need you to come to my apartment. It's important and urgent—something happened and we need to alert everyone,"

 _"What is it Ami-chan?"_ Minako's voice echoed at the end of the call, Ami looked at the Shitennou and bit her lip "We have been attacked."

O—o—O

Hotaru was sitting on her bed, reading a book when she suddenly felt a strong sharp pain in her chest. She brought her hand to rub the skin but it lingered and pulsated in a familiar rhythm. The always so quiet Hotaru looked out the window and looked at the night sky "The stars are disrupted—they are being corrupted." she mumbled and closed her eyes. The symbol of Saturn gleamed on her forehead when she felt a strong pull in her chest and a deep voice echoed in her mind,

 _"My daugther—"_

Her deep violet eyes opened and breathed out the words flowing through her spiritual connection:

 _"A time for revolution is approaching... time to lay down your glaive once again,"_

 _"...Retrieve its soul, Saturn... before it is too late..."_

Hotaru gasped for air and lost connection to whom she knew, "Oh Father..." her deep violet eyes began to shine with tears, "What have you done?"

Michiru entered the young girl's room to let her know dinner was ready to be served when she saw Hotaru crying while looking out the window "H-Hotaru?" she walked towards her and wiped a tear rolling down her cheek, "What happened? Why are you crying?" The young senshi of silence looked up at the moon in the sky, "We must rise again,"

"You saw something?"

Hotaru turned to look at Michiru, "I am being summoned," Michiru widened her eyes "W-What?"

"I feel a distortion, a strange connection between this realm and the one from the Underworld. I cannot explain why or how is it even possible—but my spirit is connected to Hades' and he warned me... he is calling for me..." Hotaru looked out the window again and narrowed her eyes, "The stars are being corrupted..."

"Michiru!" Haruka's voice startled both women and walked to the living room where the sandy blonde was watching the news with Setsuna and a very frightened Megumi. "What is it?" Michiru asked with worry.

Haruka turned to volume up, so both Neptune and Saturn can hear the anchor speaking while many images flashed through the television screen.

 _"Just a few hours ago, there was been an incident on the west side of Juuban—many people have been found unconscious and it is believed it is caused by a new virus disease that causes panic among the infected, samples have been taken and are now under investigation but what it is more disturbing are the series that caused the outbreak. The following footage might be disturbing for some audiences so we ask for discretion in case there are children or susceptible people at home before you continue watching this broadcast,"_

A short footage taken with a phone showed many people screaming in evident pain, distorting their faces as if being possessed by something evil. Some of them started bleeding and attacking others. The screams and cries for help soon fused into just loud growls and high pitched screaming, and in the distance a shadowed figured was captured before the image losing all definition and becoming black.

 _"We ask the citizens to remain calm and allow authorities do the necessary to investigate into this matter, keep the area clear, it is still contaminated with this poisonous fog—a terrorist attack might be under consideration, but the police are investigating all variable causes that might have triggered this attack. We recommend you to stay at home unless necessary. We have reports of similar events happened last month with people showing on the verge of insanity and nervous breakdowns to clinics and hospitals. Experts in the medical field are cataloging this as a disease that affects the central nervous system in our bodies, resulting in self destruction and we have been informed that since the origins of this disease is yet unknown, it is very dangerous and life-threatening and it does not exclude any age—more on this, after the break—"_

Megumi gasped for air as she watched with horror at the images playing before her; Haruka immediately turned off the t.v. and turned to a highly disturbed Hotaru staring blankly at the screen. "Hotaru?" she asked, Hotaru covered her mouth with her hand and shook her head "That is why my services are being required then,"

Michiru turned to grab her mirror and looked into it for a couple of minutes and saw the image of a woman in black appeared in a fraction of a second and frowned, "Who was that?"

Megumi turned to look at the girl with wide eyes, recognizing those words. Setsuna summoned for her rod and looked at the garnet stone, "The Gates of Time and Space are closed but the energy is evident... something is trying to cross."

Hotaru narrowed her eyes when she began remembering her life at the palace that connected to the underworld. Since birth she was taken care by external people, separating her from Persephone, her mother, from a very young age; being that the sole reason for her early awakening as senshi of death, "I don't understand..." she muttered softly, "She is the gatekeeper of the Underworld, why is she here?"

"The gatekeeper?" Haruka frowned when she heard an alert on her phone and turned to the others, "We must go," she went to look for her keys, startling the rest "Where?" Setsuna frowned. Haruka turned as she walked to the front door with hurry, "Ami was involved in the attack."

O—o—o—o—O

Minako walked into the living room with a cup of tea and handed it to Ami who smiled with gratitude and took a small, delicate sip "Thank you Minako-chan."

With a sigh, the blonde she sat next to Ami on the couch and rubbed her temples, "I just let Haruka and the rest know about this—I wonder if they have another piece of information we are missing." she bit her lower lip "It just doesn't make sense—who are they? And what do they want?"

"Their attacks have been sporadic and unpredictable—" Rei said softly and turned to Ami "But you say Athamas was not responsible this time," Ami shook her head "No," she put the cup down, "It was a woman."

"A Senshi then," Makoto said from her place in the back. Zoisite looked up at her "She did not call herself a Senshi." Makoto frowned and pursed her lips in thought "Did she say anything when you fought her?"

Zoisite leaned back and flinched, "She was on a hunt—she did not kill us on purpose."

"What do you mean?" Jadeite narrowed his green eyes, Zoisite turned "She is searching for the Protector of this planet—" the ashy blonde's jaw tightened, "...She will return and things will not have the same result."

All eyes in the room widened "The Protector—she wants Usagi-chan." Luna said with worry and turned to Artemis who was shaking his head. Kunzite crossed his arms "The Lunar Princess is not the Protector of this planet—not the rightful one." he looked at the black cat who widened her eyes with shock.

"Usagi-chan is the one who can manage the silver crystal..." Makoto said, Nephrite hung his head low and closed his eyes, "The stars cannot tell me what is happening—I cannot establish any connection with them, this is more serious than we all thought."

"So who is this woman then? I thought Athamas was responsible for all this?" Minako frowned "Did she say her name?"

Ami rubbed her bruised arm and shook her head in denial "Her voice was so cold and low... she is very strong. Her body had chains, crawling and hissing like living snakes," she looked at her blonde friend, "Her presence was poisonous,"

"So it is her, after all."

All eyes turned to Hotaru who standing at the door with the outer senshi. "H-Hotaru chan!" Minako widened her eyes; Ami looked at the senshi of silence with terror in her eyes and felt a cold chill down her spine. The young silent maiden walked inside, immediately imposing her strong presence on everyone in the room. The shitennou had not had the opportunity to meet her properly the day Endymion awoke and since then they had had no real opportunity to talk to her, all they knew was that in fact, she was a sailor senshi too and a very strong one—the energy they felt coming from her was enough to make it clear. Her dark colored eyes landed on Kunzite, "The Heavenly Guardians of the Terran Prince. I heard about you when your souls were captured by Metallia and brought you back to this era to serve her and fight in her name—after your fall, you have been granted to live among the souls in Purgatorio and your spirit was preserved and protected by a High Priest."

Jadeite widened his green eyes in shock "H-How do you know that?"

Hotaru turned to Jadeite who was sitting next to Zoisite on the couch, "I have a different jurisdiction than the ones the inner Sailor Senshi and even Outer Senshi have—I was given another kind of power. My presence here is a miracle granted by Princess Serenity, but in reality, I should be asleep as I am the soldier who brings death—the soldier of silence, Sailor Saturn."

"The soldier of silence..." Nephrite muttered, startling Jupiter by his sudden change of tone. Hotaru looked at everyone in the room until her eyes landed on Ami "The woman you fought—it is indeed a soldier but she is not a Senshi. Asteria is the Goddess of the nocturnal oracles and fallen stars. She is currently one of the Gatekeepers of the Underworld and one of Father's many faithful servants." Her dark violet eyes narrowed, "She is never to cross to this realm and she retrieves the souls that wander in Lethe's river and send them to either Inferno or Tartarus—her jurisdiction is to keep those gates close."

"Then why is she here?" Ami shook her head, Hotaru felt a cold chill down her back "My calling is no casualty then—" Kunzite noted the somberness behind her words and frowned with concern, "What do you mean?"

Hotaru turned to the white-haired general, "Asteria has strong power. She is strong enough to match her power to one of a Sailor Senshi and even a Polemarchos because of her true origins, but, she was never chosen as one."

"True origins?" Jadeite frowned, Haruka sighed interrupting the moment, "How could a presence as strong as hers have gone unnoticed, we still do not know—but it is part of our jurisdiction to fight it as Outer Senshi." She turned to Minako and then at Kunzite, "We need to annihilate her and her minions to keep our Princess from any harm."

"We need to contact Endymion, we need to—"

"No."

Jadeite turned wide-eyed at Kunzite, "What?"

"I know Endymion is already aware of what just happened but he will not return at this very moment to precisely keep the Princess away from havoc." Kunzite turned to Saturn and the outer senshi "As his right hand and First in Command of the Shitennou—I will take his place while he is absent. Our jurisdiction is to protect the Guardian—the one Asteria is really after." he narrowed his grey eyes "This is her way to send the message, she is aware Endymion has been woken,"

Luna turned to Kunzite "But—Usagi-chan," Artemis turned to look at her "The Celestial Guardian is right Luna, Usagi is indeed in the line of fire but it is not her who they are really after. She is the Princess of the Moon and while she has protected this planet for many years... she was not born to be crowned heir of this planet—she is not the soldier of Earth."

"My talisman has not yet reacted—they are not here physically, but they are watching. What happened tonight is proof of that." Michiru looked in her mirror.

"I knew this could be a problem—I knew her life would be in danger the moment he awoke." Haruka muttered and crossed her arms "Our Princess will not want to surrender to this."

"He can fight her—this Goddess."

All eyes landed on Megumi, who had been absent of any comment until now. Her brown eyes could not hide the terror lurking in them but her voice was determinant. She turned to all in the room and nodded with conviction "I know he can—I am a witness to it."

"We are not certain if the Prince has fully awakened to his powers, at this point, he might be in the same level he was during the Silver Millennium." Setsuna said, "There is a reason why the gods have been trying to keep him away from the divine realm and lock him away—they do not want him to be in full control of his powers." she turned to Megumi, "You are witness to what can happen with only just one fraction of that power used—that is not his full strength."

"Being the heir to the power of a divine crystal is a double-edged sword—it grants great power but also requires sacrifice from its carrier, with Princess Serenity is death, but we don't know the Golden Crystal's demands, it could be much more somber despite being a stone with sacred powers aimed to be used for protection—it can cause massive destruction if fallen into the wrong hands." Hotaru said softly, "That is why they call him a _monster._ "

"So, we must separate them..." Haruka frowned, "Is that what you are telling us? Is this how things go? In the end, they are really _not_ supposed to be together..."

"Endymion is _not_ a monster," Kunzite said in a warning tone, "You can say whatever you want but he was trained differently."

"He was given the training of a Polemarchos—he may have trained with you in the past, but he was taught other things by a holy priest until he was old enough to leave for his military training, that only enhanced his abilities and his true nature as a descendant of a Goddess..." Hotaru looked at the general, "You still need to grasp the meaning of that term,"

"We know the meaning of the word. Polemarchos are who we Terrans name our leaders but in the divine world they are the counterpart of the Sailor Senshi." Jadeite frowned, Hotaru shook her head, "There is no such thing as a counterpart for Sailor Senshi—Sailor Senshi were born with the divine blessing of their native star or planet. Polemarchos are another league of warriors, they have different jurisdiction, different missions, and different abilities. They are trained to annihilate and they hold no mercy when they are performing their duty. They do not believe in second chances, they do not believe in forgiveness—Prince Endymion never touched his heart when he was sent to kill. He fulfilled whatever command was asked to perform with excel results... as you may recall,"

"Queen Gaia—that is why she kept him apart as much as possible from knowing the truth," Zoisite muttered "She knew he needed Guardians to keep him at bay—" he turned to Kunzite "—To protect him from himself."

"My Prince would never hurt Princess Serenity..." Megumi shook her head, her eyes gleamed with unshed tears, "My Prince would never hurt her! He would never destroy this planet! He would never become what you say he is meant to become!" her fragile body started shaking, "You are judging him with prejudice and despair! It is unfair!"

"Megumi-san..." Rei tried to calm her shaking body. Megumi was angry, she was desperate and she did not take the outer senshi's conclusions as final. She has seen him fight, yes, but she witnessed his own sacrifice for the sake of the white princess and for the sake of his planet. The young maid stepped away and shook her head, "No! _No!_ You are all betraying him!" she pointed her finger at the girls and then at the Shittenou, "I asked for your help, not your judgment, are you going to fail Her Majesty!? Are you going to betray our Prince?!"

"We are not abandoning him, Megumi," Nephrite said lowly, "We are here for those reasons—to protect him."

"We know Endymion enough to know he is not a danger to the Princess or any of us, he is a brother to us... we would _never_ betray him." Jadeite crossed his arms. Megumi then turned to Haruka with a flushed and tearful face, "He died for the sake of Princess Serenity! He died protecting her! You were not there to witness it—you did not see them die! You did not see your Princess take her own life in grief!"

Setsuna closed her eyes and tilted her head down "That is true... we were not there because of our positions and jurisdiction." she sighed softly "I have seen the strings of time with my own eyes and while there are many things I still do not understand, I will remain in my position and support the Prince and Princess and follow my Father's wish in protecting the Gates of Time and Space,"

"We will be alert for any other encounter—Neptune's Talisman will give us our cue to attack." Haruka arched her brow "If you say the Prince has felt this distortion—he will know the time best suited to return."

"We have to divide and protect the city by sectors—we cannot continue gathering to discuss and suffer over comments and realities we are already aware of." Rei noticed Jadeite's serious tone, and without a trace of the playful man he usually was and felt a tug in her chest. The blonde shook his head, "We cannot do anything to change our Prince's nature and we were given an order to follow. Both attacks have happened where most people are gathered in order to gain their souls and turn them into shadows—that is where we will be taking special care."

"We will create a barrier—Helios will grant us the power to do so," Zoisite followed Jadeite's serious tone; "As Outer Senshi, you have the power to know when they cross to this realm, correct?"

Michiru nodded, Setsuna raised her hand and summoned for her garnet talisman "Yes, and as we speak, the Gates of Space and Time are closed but I might have to leave to personally guard them."

"But what about Usagi-chan?" Luna asked with a quivering voice, "What are we going to do once she returns?"

"We will look out for her, Luna," Minako stepped forward, her blue eyes looked at the black cat with determination "As her Guardians, we will look after her—but I trust the Prince's judgment—I will not follow the same path as before and try to pull them apart," she turned to Kunzite then at the outer senshi "Whatever and whoever we must fight against—we must stay on the same side otherwise any effort we make will be futile." Minako narrowed her eyes and turned to Setsuna, "This is it, the trial you once mentioned, right? A battle of fates to the afterlife."

O—o—o—o—O

 _The sky looked bloody red every time a new growling clash of thunder crash across it, like raging veins of anger. Mamoru walked through debris and rubble; he turned to look around and saw everything covered in darkness. As another loud rumble followed by another thunder the image of a woman in white appeared trapped in between dark veins and thorns and widened his blue eyes with horror._

 _Mamoru ran as fast as he could towards Usagi to release her from her trap when he noticed a woman in black appeared next to the lunar princess; her dark eyes looked intensely back at him and smirked with satisfaction._

 _"Hurts isn't it... Hybrid?"_

O—o—O

"Mamo-chan..."

"Mamo-chan..."

"Mamo-chan!"

Mamoru snapped his eyes wide open and turned to look a very curious Usagi holding at the edge of the pool, "Uh... yes?" At such poor response from him, the silver blonde gave him a puzzled look and narrowed her eyes, "Did you just fall asleep?"

Mamoru stayed silent for a minute and nodded, still feeling the hazy effects of his vision. Usagi sighed, "Ah—see? That is what happens when you don't sleep more hours..." she tried to comb her wet hair out of her face since her top-knot lost its shape and fell to one side of her head but she couldn't do much because just losing her grip from the pool edge was a matter of life or death for the lunar princess.

The small hotel was popular for having hot springs in the middle of nature but also for the incredible wide pool that gave the illusion that one was swimming in a calm lake with all the foliage and trees around it. Everything was perfect and magical, the view, the water temperature, the melodic chirps from the many birds nested in the leafy trees, all but Usagi's lack of swimming abilities.

"I guess you are right..." he muttered softly when he noticed the blonde's struggle to keep her hair out of the way with her forearm and arched a brow in wonder, "Usako— _what_ are you doing?" Usagi tried to play it cool and show she had everything under control, despite trying to keep her hair out of her face with her arm while keeping her hands glued to the edge of the pool, "Nothing." Mamoru tilted his head low and peered up over his dark shades, "You sure about that? Because it looks like you are struggling with something over there."

"My bun—" Usagi sighed with annoyance and mumbled through her face covered by her damp platinum blonde hair; the image was too funny and adorable for him to ignore "What bun?"

"The one I had when I got into the pool... it fell."

Mamoru moved from his seat and crouched in front of her by the pool, his hands slowly parted her long hair like a curtain to look at her face, "Ah, there you are—I was beginning to wonder if it was really you underneath all that hair." Usagi bit her lower lip as she tried to remain close to the edge, Mamoru frowned "Usa—you've been trying to keep yourself afloat in the same place for over an hour." The blonde blushed "N-No I haven't."

Mamoru felt a tug in his chest thinking how he would do anything for her. For the past few days, he had been having the same vision over and over again but has been trying his best to keep himself at bay so Usagi's peace would not be compromised. The more he looked at her, the more he loved her and the more he wanted to protect her but at what cost? He thought while knowing the answer perfectly well.

The more he lived that dream, the more he felt losing control over his emotions and the more he felt attracted to make justice with his own hands; it was a calling, but Usagi's words still echoed in his mind,

 _"Would you go down that same path once again?"_

Mamoru took off his dark shades and put them on the chair along with his plain white t-shirt and took a dive into the pool startling the blonde still struggling to stay afloat close to the edge. Her crystal blue eyes widened when she felt his arms encircling her small waist and turned to see him emerging behind her and shook the excess of water in his hair, "Show off..." she narrowed her crystal blue eyes. Mamoru laughed, "What?! I didn't do anything!" He smiled and leaned closer to her, "Can't a husband join his wife in the pool and swim a little?" Usagi blushed when she felt his warm breath caressing her bare and wet shoulders. "Y-Yes..."

"Ah, that's what I thought..." Mamoru started to swim back to the deepest part of the pool, taking her with him, "W-What are you doing?" Usagi asked with fear as she looked down into the pool's depths.

"I am teaching you how to swim," Mamoru said softly as he kept swimming further away from the edge. Usagi widened her eyes and gulped nervously as she clung to his neck like a koala bear when she realized just how deep the pool was, "B-But..." she began to feel the anxiety of being out of her comfort zone and once her toes could no longer touch the bottom and took a deep but shaky breath, "Mamo-chan..." Mamoru tightened his left arm around Usagi's waist while he used his other arm to paddle their way to the center of the pool, "You're safe, it's okay,"

"This is too deep..." Usagi breathed in his ear with panic in her voice, "Too deep... too deep... I don't like this..."

Mamoru smiled and gave her a peck on her neck to calm her down, "It's okay—I am not letting you go." He leaned closer and heard Usagi's hasty breathing charged with fright but she was trusting in him and that was enough for him to come to the conclusion that for her, he would go any path necessary to keep her safe and make her happy but also, to encourage her to believe in her and her own strength and how she is capable of achieving anything she put her mind into, "Usa..." he brushed her ear with his lips and moved his head back to look at her, "Move your legs,"

"B-But..."

"You need to move your legs to keep yourself afloat—like pedaling a bicycle,"

Usagi frowned, "This is _nothing_ like riding a bicycle..." Mamoru smiled, "Okay... then, kick..."

"Mamo-chan..."

"Come on Usa, you can do it—you are already doing great with your arms but you still need to move your legs, start kicking..." he leaned closer to her ear and kissed her softly on her temple, "I'm going to turn you around so you can lean your back on me and use me as support, okay?"

"No, no, no! I can't do this!"

"Yes, you _can_ ," Mamoru kissed her again as he turned her so her back could rest on his chest, "It's okay, I'm keeping my arm around your waist—keep your legs moving, think you're kicking a youma,"

"I-I don't know how..." Usagi bit her lip.

"Yes you do—you kick me all the time in your sleep!"

Usagi tried to look over her shoulder to scold him by his comment, "That's different!" she frowned "And you're not a youma..."

"Well, you kick me like one,"

"You're so mean... this isn't like that at all..."

Mamoru chuckled, "It's still kicking. Usako, you need to move your legs to keep yourself afloat," he frowned with curiosity, "Didn't you go to swimming classes? I once saw a picture of you wearing pink floats,"

"I did—once,"

"Once?"

Usagi let out an exasperated puff of air and nodded, "Mama gave up after one class—I cried the whole hour." Mamoru widened his eyes "Why?"

"I was afraid of the teacher—she dunked me into the water and that was enough to traumatize me for the rest of my life,"

"So, every time you went with the girls to the beach what did you do?" Mamoru arched his brow and patted her right tight gently, "Move this leg a little faster, love," Usagi let out a loud sigh as she continued kicking like there was no tomorrow and frowned, "Don't let me get started on the ocean..."

"Okay, okay..." Mamoru tried to hold his laughter; she was too adorable when she made up her mind about something. If she was mad at the ocean, that was a whole other story for another day but now he was honestly intrigued to know why. Mamoru kept moving around the pool mentally thanking to be there on a low season so they could have it all for themselves. He noticed she was still a little hesitant and stiff with her movements and smiled, "Okay, Usa... first of all, you have to stop being afraid because that will only give you panic attacks—breathe and go with the flow," he said softly in her ear, "Your legs don't have to be _this_ tense, keep your pedaling simple, one leg at a time—do you remember when you started riding a bike?"

"Yes."

Mamoru smiled softly, "Okay... and what happened?" Usagi sweatdropped as she followed her husband's instructions and moved one leg at a time, "I crashed on everything— _a lot_."

Mamoru tightened his lips for a moment trying his best not to chuckle, "Okay... but do you remember what you had to do to keep the bike in a steady motion?"

"I had to pedal," Usagi said softly. Mamoru nodded "Exactly, and did you give up while you were learning?"

Usagi frowned and shook her head, "No—I _loved_ my bike."

Mamoru slowly began to loosen his arm around her waist when he started to notice she was gaining confidence and control of her movements, "Really? What was it like?" Usagi smiled completely oblivious to what was happening and continued doing her thing feeling more relaxed, "Papa bought it for me as a birthday present—it was pink and it had glittered handles and rainbow-colored tassels—it also had a small bell, it was _so_ cute." Mamoru chuckled as he pictured the bicycle, "That sounds like a bike only _you_ could have."

"Oh! Oh!" she exclaimed with excitement as she started floating and moving on her own without even noticing, "It also had a white basket on its front and it had little-colored flowers attached to it. I used to carry my lunch there every time Papa took me to the park to ride it." Mamoru smiled, "That sounds lovely,"

"It was so much fun, Shingo was still a baby so Mama used to watch us from a bench,"

"Did it take you a long time to learn how to ride it without a problem?"

"No, just one afternoon."

Mamoru smiled as he completely let go of her and swam back, "That was fast, so, you basically loved your bike so much that you realized that you had to overcome your fear of falling and crashing into things and kept trying until you got a hang of it and mastered it." Usagi smiled and nodded, "I suppose, yes. I wanted to take it everywhere, it was an awesome bike."

Mamoru smiled proudly when he saw her floating and swimming on her own, "Hey, Mamo-chan, how am I doing?" he heard her ask like a child waiting for an approval from her teacher. "You tell me," he said with confidence; Usagi turned to look over her shoulder and noticed he was no longer holding her and that he was, in fact, two good feet away from her and widened her eyes, "Don't panic," he warned her gently, "You have been floating and swimming on your own for a while." Usagi blinked with genuine surprise, "S-Since when did you...?"

"You're good!" Mamoru grinned with pride, " _Very_ good, not even I learned this fast!" The prince swam a little further back and extended his arms at her, "Come here," Usagi shook her head "Wait... no! I-I can't... I will look like a puppy trying to survive in the water..." Mamoru chuckled, "And? Who cares? We're alone. I know you can do it, you're just too terrified to believe that you actually can," Usagi shook her head, "B-But what will ha—"

"—I'll treat you _whatever_ you want for dinner."

Usagi's eyes gleamed with excitement at the new challenge given to her, " _Whatever_ I like is a strong statement, Chiba Mamoru," Mamoru chuckled and stretched his arms, "I'll take my chances, come on—remember to kick in par with your arms, just like you were doing a while ago."

Usagi smiled and between kicks and pedals she slowly made her way to her husband and wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist like a koala bear once he reached for him, "A-ha! I got you! Now you will have to keep your word on that deal." Mamoru leaned his forehead on hers and nodded, "Of course," closing his eyes he allowed himself to feel more relaxed, putting the dream aside even if it was just for a minute. He wanted to enjoy the bliss of seeing her this happy for having overcome her fear of swimming.

"You should have been a teacher," Usagi said softly as she combed his wet hair back with her fingers, "I never noticed when you let go—" she widened her eyes "Hey! You said you were not going to let go of me!" Mamoru chuckled, "You stopped needing me my dear—I had to let you go and do things on your own."

Usagi ran her hands through his hair again and leaned her face closer to his to gently rub her lips on his, "I will always need you, I don't want you to ever let me go." Mamoru's arms wrapped around her waist again and shook his head "I am proud of you, Buns," he smiled, "You just needed to lose your fear of being in the water,"

"No, I needed _you_ to help me stop being afraid..." Usagi traced the line of his jaw with her fingers, "Like you always do..." she looked into his eyes in silence for a minute and tilted her head with worry, "What is going on Mamo-chan?"

Mamoru blinked a little startled, "What?"

"I know something is troubling you..." the blonde frowned, "And don't give me a _'nothing is wrong'_ for an answer—I know you _too well_ to know something is troubling your mind." Mamoru half smiled, "Usa..."

"Do we need to go back?" Usagi asked bluntly, her voice showed more concern than curiosity this time. Mamoru looked at her but did not know for sure what to answer; Usagi leaned her forehead on his and lowered her gaze, "Mamo-chan, it's okay..." she smiled sadly, "It's part of our lives—to always be prepared for anything."

"Usa..." he lifted her chin and looked into her eyes, "All I want is to keep you safe and make you happy. I know I have been distracted lately and I am sorry—" he sighed softly, "It just worries me just to think that I could put your life in danger for being who I am... I still have flashes from my past and I am still trying to figure out why the Queen did what she did and why everybody treated me like a piece of glass."

Usagi looked at him and noticed the sadness in his mystical blue eyes and could not help to feel that familiar tug in her chest, the same one she felt that night when he found out the truth and tried to push her away from him. She knew he was still trying to figure out who he was and how to come to terms with the truth and his origins. She could see him struggling between two identities and have his moments of confusion and frustration every time he saw him standing by the window in the middle of the night, looking at the dark sky or whenever he lost himself in his own thoughts. They didn't have much time to process all this and move past it; it was hard for him to leave it behind just yet because all this happened just a few days before their wedding and Mamoru being Mamoru, he put the matter on hold to focus on her, probably thinking that he would work on it later, but that later still hasn't come and it's starting to drain him both physically and emotionally.

Now that the hype and stress of the wedding had passed and that they were finally on their own, it has given Usagi some serious time to think about this and she felt terrible for not bringing the conversation again. Mamoru smiled and acted like if nothing had happened just a day after Ares appeared and exposed his life and past but she knew he was hurting and that he preferred to stay at bay but after these couple of nights she had seen him a little distracted and more silent than usual she realized how much feelings he had swallowed for her sake, for the wedding, for this trip, and now, here he was giving his all to make her feel happy and help her overcome her own fears of something so trivial as it was to learn how to swim.

Usagi closed her eyes and tightened her arms around his neck and took a deep breath. Mamoru drew back a little noticing the sudden change in her mood, "Usa?" he frowned when he realized she was avoiding visual contact with him, "You okay?"

"Yes..."

"Liar,"

Usagi turned to look the other way and leaned her head on his shoulder. Mamoru felt the tension and uneasiness from her and took a deep breath, "Usa... look at me,"

"No..."

"Please?"

"I can't..."

"Why?"

"I just can't..." Usagi sniffed softly and made a small pause, "They're too blue,"

"What?"

"You're eyes—"

Mamoru frowned confused, "I'm not following..."

"Your eyes... they're _too_ intense, _too_ blue,"

Mamoru blinked genuinely confused and sighed softly, "Uh... okay... let me go get my sunglasses then, I don't want to freak you out because my eyes are..." he sweatdropped and frowned, " _Too_ blue,"

"No!"

"No?"

"No..."

"Usa..." Mamoru tried to tilt her face to meet his but Usagi was really trying her best not to make any visual contact with him, "What's going on? Did I say something wrong?"

"No..."

"Then, what is it? You need to talk to me because I really don't understand what's going on..."

Usagi opened her eyes but still didn't turned to face her husband, "I've been selfish and inconsiderate," she took a deep breath and released it slowly, "l feel like I pressured you to continue with the wedding plans..." Mamoru frowned, "What?" he pulled back to look at her "Usa, you didn't pressure me to do anything, it was something I wanted too,"

Usagi turned but still didn't look up at him, "But with everything that happened just days before and all the things you le—" her eyes opened wide when she felt his finger on her lips and finally looked into his eyes. Mamoru sighed, finally understanding what this was about and where exactly this was going, "Usa... don't."

"You haven't spoken about your feelings since that day..."

"Baby, what do you want me to say?" Mamoru shrugged his shoulders, "Really, what do you want me to do? Do you want me to cry?"

"No,"

"Do you want me to raise my voice and scream?"

"No,"

"You want me to get angry and slam the door or throw another bottle of stinky cologne against a wall?"

Usagi sighed and shook her head; she knew the man too well to understand that whenever he called her _baby_ it was because he was getting frustrated or irritated with something but he was being careful to not to make her feel like he was frustrated or irritated at her; she knew he did it to avoid any sort of dispute—he didn't like to argue, not with her, so, he learned the trick after he noticed she often misunderstood his gestures and it had worked fine, but now, things were different—the situation unfolding before them was different. This wasn't about who left a red sock in the washing machine with a load of white clothes, or who left the iron turned on after having left the apartment. This was about his life, a life he had thought was lost and forgotten but wanted to remember and now it was slowly coming back to him, "No..."

"Then what can I do to make you feel better?"

"It's not about making _me_ feel better, Mamo-chan, it's about _you_ feeling better," Usagi moved closer to him, "It's about _you_ talking about how _you_ feel, what _you_ feel here..." she patted his chest and looked at him with sad eyes, "You've been swallowing all these feelings and putting this whole matter aside. When I said I was selfish and inconsiderate it's because I realized I should have done this sooner... I should have sat with you and talked about this and help you deal with all this, help you feel better—help you heal, but instead of that, I focused my attention on the wedding... you are much more important than any of that. I was inconsiderate to your feelings and I can't stand it—it makes me angry,"

"You need to stop thinking that this is your fault, Usa. You talk about the wedding as if it was something only _you_ wanted—you make it sound like _you_ _made me_ marry you and that's not the case. Yes, you're right, I put that aside because there is not much I can do about it. I can't change things. I can't bring anyone back—I can't turn back time and fix things, I can't change fate no matter how much it hurts to remember, no matter how much it hurts to know," Mamoru traced the line of her lips and gave her the warmest of smiles, "But I can have a present and a future with you. You are my priority, Usagi. I want to keep _you_ safe, I want to make _you_ happy—I want to live my life with _you_ not because you are making me, but because I love you and I want to have that with you. You have no idea of how much I waited for this moment... not even my past can compete with it. Do I miss them? Yes, I do, but sadly... I can't do anything to bring them back."

Usagi leaned closer to him and took a deep breath, "But still... you are mad at her..." she combed back a chunk of hair that had fallen in his eyes again, "Your eyes show so much emotion... you are still holding all these feelings deep down,"

"I am not mad at her," it was Mamoru's turn to avert his gaze from hers, Usagi tilted her head when she noticed the gesture, "You call her _Queen,_ not Mother." Mamoru turned to Usagi who had her crystal blue gaze fixed into his sapphire eyes, "Megumi told me you spoke of her in third person—like if you were talking about a character of a fantasy tale." Mamoru sighed heavily and rolled his eyes with annoyance, "Isn't she?" Usagi was taken aback by his sudden reaction, "Mamo-chan..."

Mamoru shook his head and sighed again, "I'm sorry... I don't—" he trailed off "You have no idea how many times I wondered what the hell was wrong with me and I never got a straight answer, I asked her—many times and I never got an answer. I don't want to keep listening the ' _you're special'_ excuse, I am tired of it." Usagi tilted her head and pulled him closer, "No, no—I won't tell you that."

"Then you must understand this isn't something you caused, this isn't your fault, so please stop feeling guilty, can you do that for me Buns?" Mamoru ran his arms around her waist and leaned his forehead on hers, "Please?" Usagi nodded and kissed him softly on the lips and let herself get pulled into that deep gaze of his, "I love you... to the Moon and back—"

"—To the world where we belong," Mamoru kissed her again and looked at her in the eyes, "We've made it this far..." Usagi smiled at him and nodded, "We have lived for a promise we made to ourselves a long time ago..." Mamoru smiled and pinched her nose softly, "We have, yes,"

"Let's continue living for that," Usagi smiled, "Let's just keep that promise in mind and live for that,"

"I like that philosophy," Mamoru gave his wife a sensual smirk; Usagi blushed "See? I can be philosophical..."

Mamoru nodded, "Yes, you can my dear," Usagi combed his hair back again and caressed his face "That, and a keen negotiator..."

"Well..." Mamoru laughed when he felt Usagi's hand slapping the back of his head playfully, "Hey!"

"I am! And you, Earth Prince, made a deal with me a while ago." Usagi flashed him a toothy grin making Mamoru chuckle, "You are hungry, right?"

Usagi giggled "What can I say? All this swimming made me hungry..."

"Yeah sure..." Mamoru chuckled, "Come on," he motioned her to climb on his back as he swam back to the edge and stepped out of the pool first to help her get out, "So, what are we eating?" he asked as he handed Usagi a fluffy towel and grabbed one to start drying himself. She began drying her hair first and giggled, "Oh dear—you just opened Pandora's box with that question."

"I know..." Mamoru smiled, "But I think I need to be prepared..." his sapphire eyes widened when he felt her hands around his waist that turned him to look at the mischievous grin she was giving him before pulling him closer to her and kiss him deeply on the lips, "Yes... that too..." she whispered sensually without taking her eyes off him, for the first time in all of their years together, Mamoru fell completely under her sensual spell feeling completely dismantled and blushed three shades of red, "Oh..."

Usagi kissed him again and took a deep breath after they parted a couple of minutes later. After so many years, the student had surpassed the master and she was glad that they were alone.

* * *

 _AN: Dearest reader, a very heartfelt thank you to you who sent me a message or review. As I said before... us writers need good vibes and nudges. They motivate us to keep going._

 _I read and answer (if possible) to every message and review. I really appreciate your words. I am sorry if the relationship between Ares and Eris is a little rough, it has been chaotic since the very beginning. I'm sorry if it makes some of you uncomfortable but at least in this story that's how it goes... she's not a benevolent goddess and he, well, he's the god of war-what much can we expect?_

 _If you like it, leave me a comment below. I wish you all a good weekend, until next week!_

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	36. Chapter 36

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter 36

* * *

Makoto walked down the street back to her apartment. Her mind was distracted with all they have talked back at Ami's apartment and with all the information surrounding the strange events and people showing up at random times; she could not help but feel powerless against these situations where she did not know where to aim her power or to whom, the more she thought about it, the more confused and desperate she became because it was getting out of control. She stopped at a green light and waited for the cars to stop crossing the street so she could be on her way. Makoto sighed heavily and looked at her wristwatch with exasperation and started feeling uneasy and annoyed by the how much time it was taking the light to change back to red "Come, on—come on..."

"Kino-san?"

Makoto widened her eyes and turned to find Akiyama Masao, the sous chef, standing next to her also waiting for the same green light to turn red. He was still wearing his chef jacket underneath his leather jacket leading her to think that he just got out of work, "Akiyama-san..." The brown-haired man half smiled, "You looked so into your thoughts that I was wondering if you were paying attention to the street lights. You got me worried,"

"Ah—yes," Makoto answered with not so much enthusiasm and turned to look at the busy street in front of her. Masao tilted his head and gave her a curious look, "You weren't at work today..."

"Today was my day off." Makoto still avoided any visual contact with the young chef. Masao, on the other hand, tried to establish a friendlier conversation, "So, where are you heading?"

"Home."

Masao hummed and turned to look away "No successful boyfriend to see tonight, eh?"

The comment made Makoto cringe and the mocking tone of his voice made her feel offended and uncomfortable making her realize the situation at the restaurant had gone from bad to worse. For a moment she thought he would be more understanding and that he had come to the conclusion that is was all a lie but by how he was talking to her it only meant that even when she wasn't there, she was still in everyone's mouth for the wrong reasons. "I don't have a boyfriend," she muttered bitterly.

"That is a little hard to believe,"

"Too bad," Makoto finally turned to look at him, her forest green eyes showed nothing but anger towards him; Masao frowned surprised by her sudden offensive reaction, "Are you mad at me or something?" Makoto turned her head away, "I don't get why so suddenly you are so interested in my life but at this point, I don't care."

"We work together, you are my friend."

"I don't think we are," Makoto frowned, "Friends don't judge their friends or jump to wrong conclusions."

Masao widened his eyes "Hey, if you want to sleep with Haruto, that's fine, it's your life but—" he trailed off and widened his eyes when he realized what he had done "Kino-san—I" Makoto felt her eyes burn with tears; she was heartbroken and she was tired of always being misunderstood. It was enough. "Just how insecure do you have to be to come up with such stupid stories?"

"I saw you together Kino-san," Masao raised his arms, "I saw him holding your hand."

"Wow," Makoto narrowed her eyes, "That is no reason to think I am sleeping with the man, plus, you weren't even there! You don't know the whole story! You don't know what happened!"

"Then why so suddenly he gave you all the credit in the kitchen? Why is he always so close checking your every move?"

"Typical... you rather bash and mock me instead of believing me..." Makoto turned to walk away with disappointment "You're all the fucking same—I'm so tired of this stupid game,"

"Where are you going?" Masao frowned and followed her, "What the fuck is going on with you?!"

"What do you want Masao-san?!" Makoto stopped, "Why are you here ranting on me like a jealous boyfriend?!" she turned to look at him with anger, "I wish I had never made those crepes, I curse that moment—I should have let Suzuki-san take all the credit. Since that day you have been giving me hell to live at the restaurant _all_ of you." She shook her head, "If you want to think I sleep with Haruto-san, go ahead—but just so you know, the reason why she came up with all that bullshit is because she's the one sleeping with him and felt threatened that he was going to leave her—she's that insecure, and so are you."

Masao lowered his gaze "I liked you Kino-san... I really thought you were different..."

The comment made her blood boil in her veins because all her life she has been labeled as that: different. She has always been away all standards of what a woman should act, be like, look like, she was never fitting in and while at first, it broke her constantly, she learned to embrace it because she was that: different. But now, she didn't know when did that line that separated her from the rest had dissolved making her be one from the rest. When did she become normal? And why he, of all people, was judging her because of that? "I _am_ different!" Makoto yelled with anger and pushed him away, "Just who the hell do you think you are?! You don't have a right to judge my life, you don't know anything about me _or_ my life—so back off and leave me alone!" she turned to walk away and left a startled and guilty feeling Masao behind "Kino-san!"

As she walked away, Makoto thought she now had to find another route to get home since obviously this one was no longer an option for her anymore now that she knew she could bump into Masao any time; the amazon beauty turned around the corner when she saw Nephrite standing at the opposite side of the street looking at her and without even wanting it or expecting it, she finally broke down into tears.

Nephrite didn't wait for the light to change when he sprinted to her aid and wrapped his arms around her allowing her to let all sorts of emotions trapped in her chest pour out "It is going to be alright... let it out," he muttered softly into her ear and rubbed her back to comfort her. Makoto clung on to him like if her life depended on his support and curled her hands tight around his jacket as she hid her face in his cotton grey colored shirt and let her emotions take over her without paying attention to the people's weird stares while passing side them. They stayed still until Makoto's sobs finally ceased to just a few sniffs here and there and when she felt strong enough to face the world again she pulled away from the shitennou's supporting embrace and wiped her tears brusquely with the back of her hand "I'm sorry..." she looked at him shyly.

"For what?" Nephrite frowned confused. Makoto bit her swollen lip and shook her head, "Everything that just happened."

"Everybody has the right to cry once in a while," Nephrite looked at her "We have all been there." Makoto sniffed and chuckled sarcastically, "Well, I doubt that."

"Talking about it will help me understand what you are going through..." Nephrite lifted her chin softly to look into her eyes, "Also, it will help you let go of that heavy burden over your shoulders."

"It's silly..." Makoto shook her head, "More stupid than silly, actually."

"Anything that makes you cry makes it an important issue, to me at least." Nephrite said softly, Makoto blushed and exhaled the last of her anxiety, feeling more like herself and less like a damsel in distress, "Do you have time for a cup of tea?" Nephrite smiled, "Of course, lead the way."

Makoto smiled in gratitude and began walking to her apartment that was not too far away, and once there, she opened the door and turned the lights on before going straight to the kitchen to put some water to boil for the tea. She turned to a very startled Nephrite and smiled, "Come in, make yourself at home." Nephrite closed the door behind him and walked into the living room "You have a lovely place to live."

Makoto smiled and put a fancy decorated box on the table with what looked to be a wide assortment of tea flavors and combinations along with two crystal jars, one with honey and the other with milk and two sets of porcelain cups and two small plates. "Thank you, I do the best I can to keep this place as relaxing as possible."

Nephrite took a close look at every plant in the living room and turned to see the thunder senshi walk back with the hot pot of water and a plate with treats "I like plants and flowers very much—I find gardening very soothing, plus, I like the smell." She smiled warmly as she poured hot water in the cups, "Most of them were destined to go to my coffee shop but well—with everything that has happened in my life, I think it is a dream that just gets further and further away from my grasp."

Nephrite took off his dark jacket and walked to the table to sit across Makoto, "Please feel free to take whatever you like," Makoto opened the wooden box and chose one delicate sache. The shitennou looked down and widened his eyes with genuine awe "This is a very extensive collection of tea," Makoto giggled with a nod, "I love tea so I buy everything to make my own combinations—I feel like they taste better this way," Nephrite looked at her surprised then back at the wide assortment in the box, "You made all of these?" Makoto smiled and nodded, "I know—I have very girly hobbies."

"I think it is very impressive—to know which ingredient goes better with what, it is a talent," the general looked at her with curiosity, "Which of these would you recommend for me to try first?"

Makoto looked at him and took a moment to think; she leaned forward and grabbed two saches and put them to simmer inside the cup with a teaspoon of honey and a little milk and handed him the concocted beverage. Nephrite looked as the water slowly began turning a light pink color and took a sip once it was ready to drink, his moss-colored eyes widened at the sweet yet, subtle flavor "This is exquisite," he took another sip "What is it?"

Makoto took a sip of her own tea and smiled "It's rose tea with chamomile and a hint of milk. I find it sophisticated—like you."

Nephrite blushed and let out a deep, warm chuckle "I am flattered," he looked at her "But this only confirms my words—you have a precious gift to make perfect flavor combinations." He took another sip and enjoyed the warmth and sweetness of the beverage; Makoto smiled, "It goes better when you try one of these butter biscuits, they're fresh. I made them this morning." Nephrite took the piece of pastry and took a bite, "T-This is amazing."

Makoto chuckled, "You are just saying it because you are my friend."

Nephrite shook his head and leaned forward "I am saying it because it is the truth—but I am glad to know that you consider me your friend." The amazon senshi blushed and took a sip of her tea, "You have been kind towards me since the very beginning. You never judged me or any of my friends, to me that is enough to consider you a friend."

"I never had a reason to do such thing," Nephrite put his cup down "And even if there was, I have no right to judge other people's lives—mine is not perfect either, I have my flaws, just like anybody else." The comment made Makoto sigh sadly as she looked down at her cup of tea, "If only everybody thought that way," she looked at him with a soft smile, "The world would be a much better place..."

"You say it because of what happened moments ago," Nephrite finished the perfectly baked good and sighed softly, "Whatever he said to you shall never matter if you do not believe it as a truth." Makoto widened her eyes, "Y-You saw us?"

"Finding me across the street was no coincidence, Jupiter, I wanted to make sure you got home safely—I know you can take care of yourself but as your friend, I was worried about you. What we talked about back there was not very comforting and easy to digest." Makoto sighed heavily, "I'm so tired you know? Things should not be happening this way." she leaned back in her chair, "Usagi-chan should not be under fire, Mamoru-kun should not be dealing with all this drama surrounding his past and all of us should not be struggling with these random attacks."

"I appreciate the friendly sentiment towards Endymion but I am sure that is not why you were crying, this has something to do with that man," Nephrite put his cup down after another sip, "He hurt your feelings," he looked at her and narrowed his beautiful eyes always so full of wisdom and clarity, "I do not need much to understand what was happening but somehow I have the feeling that there is so much more behind that discussion."

Makoto played with her cup absently, spinning it one side to the other with care and let out a puff of air, "He thinks I am having an affair with the head chef at the restaurant where I work—which it's a lie." Her jaw tightened at the mention of the chef, Nephrite noticed it, reading a person's gestures and body language was a trait the shitennou and prince learned during their training days to know exactly where to tackle and solve a problem. "What gives him the right to believe such thing?"

Makoto kept her gaze down avoiding contact with Nephrite's eyes, "He has tried to cross the line with me in the past—ever since I went against his orders to serve a dish. This person thinks I am sleeping with the chef because he happened to be there the night he tried to take advantage of me and saw him holding my hand, but—" she took a deep hasty breath, "I wasn't—" she finally dared to look up at the man across from her on the table, "I didn't do anything—"

Nephrite's calm and pacifist demeanor slowly changed to one of an angry man "Did he hurt you, Jupiter?" Makoto noticed the sudden, deeper tone in his voice and shook her head "No—I ran away,"

"But?" he asked and narrowed his eyes, "There is something else..."

"I always had this dream of having my own place where I can serve tea and pastries, easy and healthy food but I needed enough money to rent a space, equip it, and decorate it, so I took a job as a cook at this restaurant. I started saving every paycheck—it is good money and I love what I do, but, after all that happened, everyone thinks I am there because I am sleeping with the chef. I tried quitting but he warned me—he warned me that he would make sure that I would never find another job at another restaurant or succeed in the culinary business if I ever left his restaurant... so I stayed, and now here I am living my dream and seeing it become my own worst nightmare."

"The man is threatened by you," Nephrite pushed his cup aside and leaned forward, "Because he knows you can do wonderful things—you have a talent, Jupiter, and he wants to suppress it. He wants to enhance his reputation at your expense." Makoto widened her eyes "B-But—I can't leave."

"Why not?"

"He will keep me from finding work at another restaurant."

Nephrite sighed "Jupiter, that is what cowards do. Of course, he will try to bring you down because you did not comply with his wishes. But it is up to you to continue this torture, sometimes you just need to take a leap of faith. You are a fighter Jupiter, fight for what you want. Fight for your dream." The maroon haired general leaned back and crossed his arms, "That is the typical behavior of a coward. They try to lure you, they threaten, they try to take advantage but in reality, they are powerless once you step away from their shadow." He pointed at her box of teabags and pastries "You can do this and succeed." He smiled, "And if you need any help trying new recipes or give that disgusting man what he deserves, I am more than glad to be of help in anything that I can, that is what friends are for,"

Makoto felt like if she opened a big window and a rush of fresh air blew all of her problems and anguish away realizing the whole picture of what Nephrite was trying to say. She was being abused, bullied and undervalued. She had been so deep down into that emotional spiral that made her forget her goal, having a space to open her shop. Her real passion was to cook and to make people happy by eating her food and drinking her tea and that is when reality hit her and she could not be more thankful for Nephrite's encouraging words that finally opened her eyes and for being so supportive. Looking down she smiled softly, "So this is what it feels like," she mumbled to herself as a reminder of the many situations she went through with the two men with she had a relationship and how different this felt, to be supported, and encouraged.

Nephrite looked at her, "He does not deserve you Jupiter, not even a single tear—not even a single smile." He shook his head and looked out the window with a sheepish smile, "Can I please have another cup of tea?"

Makoto blushed "O-Of course! What would you like to try next?"

Nephrite turned to look at her, still smiling "Surprise me."

O—o—O

Back at Ami's apartment, Jadeite was sitting next to Zoisite who after some medication Ami prescribed and provided, was becoming a little drowsy. The blonde frowned and sighed heavily, letting his concern stiffen his boyish features, "We need to take him back with us."

Rei looked at the blonde and stayed silent as she helped Ami with one of her wounds. The bluenette turned and shook her head, "I think it would be best if he spends the night here—that way I can check on him and give him his medication regularly. The first 24 hours are critical for his full recovery." It was a valid answer, but Jadeite narrowed his grey-blue with denial and rage, "He has to be under our care,"

"Let him stay, Jadeite."

"Kunzite," Jadeite turned wide-eyed to look at his white-haired peer, "Sailor Mercury is also injured, she cannot take care of him as well—it is our responsibility to—"

"My responsibility is to keep _you_ safe." Kunzite interrupted the Far-Eastern Division Commander and crossed his arms, "Endymion will not be pleased to know one of us got injured in his absence. We are supposed to keep things under control and not complicate them even more, we need Zoisite fully recovered." Jadeite exhaled and gritted his teeth with resignation, "I will come by tomorrow early to check on him if it is alright with you, Sailor Mercury."

"Of course," Ami said softly, "Jadeite," Zoisite looked at him with drowsy eyes "I am going to be alright..."

"Zoisite!"

Zoisite tried to move but his body felt like it weighed more than a ton. He shook his head since it was the only thing he could still feel he could control and frowned, "I just—I need to rest."

"You always so prudent—I have always hated that." Jadeite muttered with annoyance making Zoisite smile faintly, "And you always so intense."

Jadeite grumbled as he stood up cursing softly under his breath for the whole situation unfolding in front of him. He felt the world was crashing him like a bug, with the woman he cared for on one side and his brother injured on the other; "As you wish then, but you better recover quickly—you hear me? I need you complete,"

"Come along Jadeite," Kunzite commanded and turned to Zoisite, like an older brother he leaned down and tousled his long blonde locks falling over his shoulders in loose waves, it was rare to see the general without his signature low ponytail, "Please take care and have some rest—I will come and check on you in the morning." Zoisite nodded and closed his eyes "Look after him—he is very upset,"

"I know, but you know it's because he cares deeply for you... despite his constant nagging," Kunzite nodded and stood up, "Let us leave," he turned to Jadeite then to Minako and caressed her cheek softly, "I must leave, I am sorry." the blonde senshi in response nodded and gave in to his caress "It's alright, I understand." Kunzite cupped her cheek softly for a second and turned on his heel; Jadeite followed suit in silence and walked out the door. Rei exhaled as the two remaining generals left the apartment and rested her hand on Ami's shoulder, "Do you want me to stay? I can stay." Ami smiled and shook her head "I'm alright—really." she turned to the blonde asleep on her couch and sighed softly, "He is the one who got all of the punches. He stepped in to save me—if it wasn't for him I would probably be dead by now."

"Don't say that..." Minako grabbed her purse and went to help Ami stand up from the couch opposite to Zoisite and gave her a hug, "Call me if anything happens—time is not an issue, please." Ami nodded "I will, thank you Minako-chan."

"I left you a bag with medicinal herbs from the shrine, use them as much as you need it, I also left a new small jar with ointment—it will help you with the bruising," Rei whispered trying not to wake Zoisite. Ami smiled in gratitude and hugged her friend, "Thank you Rei-chan."

O—o—O

Both Minako and Rei left the apartment and walked out of the building. The blonde looked at her phone and frowned "When did Mako-chan leave?" Rei pursed her lips, "I believe after Megumi-san calmed down—she was very upset about the whole thing."

"Well, can you blame her?" Minako exhaled softly "I think we all are and you have one extra little thing on your mind, I can tell."

"What is that?" Rei frowned, Minako tilted her head and crossed her arms "Have you spoken to _him_ —after what happened?" By him, Rei knew Minako was talking about Jadeite and shook her head "No—and I don't think I will."

"Rei-chan,"

"He has to realize that this is the way I chose to live my life. I cannot be the same I was two thousand years ago—it's impossible and also... the timing isn't the most appropriate to be talking about these things..." Rei sighed softly and turned to look away; Minako smiled sadly "Rei-chan, we are the same we were back then. We are still fighting, we are still Senshi—we have every memory as if it happened yesterday." she leaned closer and rested her hand on her friend's shoulder "There are other things you really need to change first in order to realize it."

"I don't know if I can do that." Rei lowered her gaze.

"Rei-chan," Minako shook her up gently, "You need to wake up—you need to realize the truth of things. It's not your grandfather you are worried for—it's him, Yuuichiro."

"It's much more than that Minako-chan—much more." Rei shook her head, "I feel responsible for this,"

Minako frowned "Responsible?"

Rei sighed heavily "Ares came to me first—he warned me first about all this and he came to drop a bomb of truth that has shaken everyone's lives and putting Usagi's life at risk. I feel—" she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, "I feel like I could have done more to prevent all of this."

"If you are feeling guilty about what's been happening lately, as your leader _and_ your friend, I am asking you to stop." Minako crossed her arms, "Sadly, we are trying to fix what the gods couldn't do so many years ago. It is our duty to change the course of things and create a new destiny—we need to support Usagi and we need to support Mamoru too, that is why I chose to not stand by my ancestors' decisions and mistakes and you shouldn't either, Ares is trying to tell you that." The blonde let out a soft sigh "Come on, let's share a cab. I don't want you to walk all the way back to the shrine alone."

"Wait, where are Artemis and Luna?" Rei looked around "When did they—?"

Minako blew her bangs "They went back home, we were in shock with the news that we didn't even realize when everyone left," she sighed "I am worried about Megumi-san though,"

"Because of what Haruka said?" Rei frowned as she stepped into the car that was going to drive them home, Minako sat next to her friend and closed the door "Hikawa Shrine, please," she turned to Rei and nodded "Yeah..."

"Do you think?" Rei frowned "That she..." she looked at the driver and then back at her friend, "You know, do anything that would upset Megumi-san more?" Minako bit her lower lip, "I really hope not... but Haruka-san is close on taking a defensive stance against Mamoru and that is enough to affect Megumi-san _and_ Usagi," she sighed softly, "I think it would be best if we take her back into our care. I will talk to Michiru-san tomorrow and see how things are going with them."

Rei nodded and leaned her head back on her seat as she looked at the city night lights from outside. Minako noticed her friend's gloomy mood and held her hand for support, she understood to perfection how she felt because she had felt it too. She has been trapped in that same turmoil of emotions and guilt, thinking of everything she could have done better. What broke Minako's heart was that of all people, including her, it had to be Rei the one going through all this because she was always the strong one, the fearless one. Rei has always been the most independent of them, the one who always had her life under control, the one with enough wit and character to bring you back to your senses. Being surrounded by drama was not normal for her, it was normal for Minako, it was normal for Makoto, Usagi or even Ami but not for Rei and the worst part of it was that she was being waited to be loved but her heart had been so shattered for a long time that it was nearly impossible for her to take a leap of faith and take the risk. Surprisingly, they all had been finding support and realization from the Shitennou except for her, who was pushing away the one that could really help her go through all this like Yuuichiro was supposed to or even more.

The Miko turned and gave her blonde friend and leader a smile when the vehicle had parked right outside the temple stairs, it was her time to leave. She squeezed Minako's hand and stepped out of the car without saying another word and watched the car drive away as she went up the long set of stairs to get to the shrine. She looked for her keys inside her purse but was surprised to see her grandfather sitting on the porch, "Ojisan!" The old man looked up at her granddaughter and smiled "Ah Rei, you have returned."

Rei walked quickly towards him and touched his forehead, checking if he was alright, "Ojisan—w-what?" she shook her head still very shocked, "What are you doing here all by yourself and at this time of the night?"

The priest waved his hand "Bah—I was tired of being inside like a turtle in its shell. I wanted some fresh air, I wanted to look at the night sky and all those little gleaming stars." His wrinkled fingers twirled as motioning the twinkle of the celestial gleams and smiled, "How was your night, my dear?" Rei sighed softly and sat next to him, taking lose care of where her purse might land "It was alright."

"You look tired,"

"I am a little, yes." Rei turned and smiled at him. No matter how hard her day could get, or how sad or stressed she could be, she always had a genuine smile for her grandfather. He was her light when her days were gloomy, the spark of wonder and laughter when she was feeling down. He had lived for her, dedicated his life to her and now, it was her time to do the same for him. The old man combed his mustache with his fingers and nodded, "Rei-chan, sometimes you have to make decisions that are not easy but are fundamental to continue living a peaceful life." Rei widened her eyes and turned to look at him, but let the man continue "You have to do what is right for you, Rei."

Rei shrugged her shoulders "I don't understand, Ojisan."

"I remember when you were born..." the man said softly with a soft smile gracing his face, "You were the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. I held you in my arms and thought how blessed I was to have such divine creature with me." He let out a soft chuckle, "I knew... since the very moment you opened your eyes—that you had come from a supreme lineage," his smile slowly started to fade, "He looked at you with teary eyes from a distance and trusted me to take care of you, to turn you into a fine and strong lady in the future."

Rei chuckled with sarcasm, "I didn't think politicians could cry."

"I am not talking about him, but your father—" the priest turned to look at her, "Your real father."

Rei widened his eyes in shock "W-What?"

"I am no stranger to divinity Rei-chan, I have dealt with it all of my life. I have had contact with the heavens for too long to know the truth."

"The truth?"

"He came to me one day through the fire and let me know that you were on your way," the priest said softly "I could not believe it because it is rare to see a full Kami crossing from the divine world to this one but he asked me to be his eyes, to be his conscious, and to lead you to be a just and fair woman." Rei felt her eyes burn with tears, "Ojisan—what are you saying?"

"Rei, he was there the moment your mother gave birth to you—I saw him, he was there and making sure you got to this world safe and sound. At first, I did not know the politician would take you with him but after your mother's passing, I knew I had to take you back so I did everything in my power to bring you home with me and follow his wish."

"Ojisan what you are telling me sounds like a fairy tale..." Rei tried to dismiss the old man's words between fake chuckles and denial; she could not quite believe what the priest was confessing to her, despite knowing who he was talking about, despite having known him personally and confirm the priest's words of a real god crossing to the mortal realm.

"I knew you were destined to be grand, to follow a grand legacy—the moment you woke up as Senshi."

Rei's amethyst eyes widened "W-What?" The priest nodded "I know Rei, I know your secret—I know you are Sailor Mars."

"B-But.." Rei shook her had "N-No—that's not..."

"All those nights you sneaked out of the temple and into the night to fight evil spirits—" he sighed softly and turned to look up at the starry sky, "That is why I was always against the idea of you settling down with a man like Yuuichiro—you deserved more and I knew it would be difficult for you to find a match, one that could really give you what you deserve and the understanding you need, that is why I trained you a Miko."

"Ojisan," Rei shook her head in disbelief. The priest sighed softly and nodded, "I accepted your relationship the moment I realized you had stopped fighting and I thought that maybe you could live a life as a simple woman of this land with a man like him," the priest turned and smiled sadly "But, there has always been that spark—that energy flowing inside you, it is unmistakable." He looked up at the sky again, "He came every year to see you—through the fire, he silently taught you how to communicate with the divine realm, how to channel your energy and how to fight—Phobos and Deimos... he sent them here to look out for you."

The old priest turned to look at his granddaughter and rested his hand on top of hers, "Rei-chan, you are very valuable. You are a jewel, _my_ jewel and I am honored to have been chosen to have you as my grandchild, to look after you and to love you," he smiled, "But now my dear—it is time for you to do your part and make a decision."

"A decision?"

"Which path do you want to follow?" The priest narrowed his eyes, "You have a right to choose."

"I want to stay with you, I want to follow your steps—make you proud and take care of this shrine." Rei leaned on his shoulder "That is all I want—that is the path I want to follow."

"My dear child, you have made me the proudest of all since the moment you dedicated a smile to me," The man chuckled, "You should never worry about that. You should never worry..." he leaned to kiss her right temple, "I am always going to be with you, always." Rei smiled and wrapped her arms around him "I love you, Ojisan."

The priest tapped her hand and arched his brow "I still think you need to go out more—you are a good dancer, you should go out to dance."

"Ojisan..." Rei blushed, "You always so imaginative..."

"What?"

"Where do you get that idea?" The priestess blushed making the old man crack a chuckle, "I have seen you dance for the Shrine's festivals, remember?"

"That is different." Rei frowned.

"It's still dancing." The priest chuckled.

"Hino-san,"

Both Rei and the priest turned to find Yuuchiro standing by the door, the older man smiled "Ah, Yuuichiro, what is it?" Rei stiffened at the sight of the man but tried her best to be as cool as possible. Yuuichiro stepped into his geta and walked over to the couple sitting on the porch, "Your medicines, it's time."

"Ah—that..." The priest muttered with slight annoyance, "I do not see the point in taking those things."

"It's for your own good, Ojisan," Rei said in her usual motherly tone and stood up, "Come on, it's getting chilly out here."

"Alright, alright..." The man finally stood up with the help of Rei, "I can never say no to you,"

"I will take him to his room," Yuuichiro said softly, Rei frowned and shook her head "No, I will do it."

"It's alright Rei—let him do it. You go rest." The priest looked at her and cupped her cheek, "And remember my dear... dance..." Rei chuckled and frowned, "What?" The old man smiled at his granddaughter and pinched her nose softly, "Think about it." He turned to Yuuichiro and waved his hand "Let us go but leave the window open for me this time. I want to see the stars."

"Yes, High Priest."

Rei stood there as she saw the old man walk away and into the house with the help of Yuuichiro. Her mind still twirling with emotions by the priest's confession "Ojisan..." she whispered in the wind and looked up at the starry sky "You knew—you always knew."

O—o—O

The next morning, Rei woke up earlier than usual. She has had the strangest dream of her grandfather playing with a string of stars like a child in a candy store, smiling and singing. She had woken up in a better mood and decided it would be nice for her to start getting ready for the day. She tied her hakama and put a clean fresh pair of tabi socks to match her Miko attire; she was almost done when she heard loud noises outside and a strong knock on her door "Rei—it's me, Yuuichiro. I need to speak to you, please open the door."

Rei frowned, she was genuinely surprised to hear Yuuichiro at the other side. Since their breakup he had been staying at the other side of the temple and had stopped going to her room; but what surprised Rei, even more, was the sound of his voice. She went to open the door and looked at a very serious Yuuichiro looking back at her "What is it?"

"Rei—" Yuuichiru took a deep breath and exhaled, "It's your grandfather."

Rei widened her eyes and ran out of her room as fast as she could without asking any more details, frantic and worried, she made her way to his grandfather's room she saw the maid and the family doctor stand still with their heads down by the door. She entered the room and kneeled next to the man in bed and felt her heart stopped beating once she realized what has happened. "No, no, no, no, no, no," she whispered, "Ojisan," she shook the man softly, trying to wake him up "Ojisan!"

Yuuichiro walked down the hall and closed his eyes when he heard her calling for the old priest. Being the second one allowed to enter, he walked inside and saw Rei trying to wake the man from his deep sleep, "Rei..."

"Nooo! Nooooo! Ojisan! Ojisan!" Rei continued shaking the old man, "Ojisan! Wake up!"

"Rei," Yuuichiro took a step forward and kneeled next to her, without thinking it twice she pulled her back and wrapped his arms around her, "Nooooo!" she cried desperately against his chest "Nooooooo!"

"It happened while he was sleeping." Yuuichiro said softly "He did not suffer or felt a thing, he just... fell asleep."

Rei opened her eyes and pulled away from Yuuichiro and walked over to the old priest and kneeled next to him again, "Why didn't you tell me you were saying goodbye?!" she whispered between her soft sobs, "Why didn't you tell me?!" she leaned closer and held his hand and began praying for his eternal rest while resting her head on his shoulder.

Yuuichiro turned to the doctor and bowed his head after talking about the funeral process they had to follow. He turned on his heel and walked straight to the phone and dialed the first number that came to his mind and waited for an answer "Aino-san—it's me, Yuuichiro..." he tightened his lips together and closed his eyes, "I know it is unexpected of me to call you but this is important. It's about Rei—her grandfather has passed away."

O—o—O

After the hour she requested to have with her grandfather alone, she watched how the paramedics covered his fragile body with a blanket and prepared him to get him to the ambulance so he could be taken to the morgue for the autopsy and all the legal procedure for his proper burial. Yuuichiro tried to hold the Miko while she watched with swollen eyes and a broken heart but every time he came close, she would move away.

Rei followed his grandfather's body and the paramedics all the way to the ambulance and kissed her hand, before resting it over she knew was his forehead and watched them take him away; she let out a soft sob and was about to turn on her heel to walk back when she saw Ares standing at a proper distance looking back at her. She stood there, with her mind clouded and confused, she didn't know what to do or what to say and remembered the priest's words reminding her that despite sometimes feeling like there was no one to turn to, she was never alone.

"Ares..." Rei whispered and remembered her childhood days when she was learning how to pray, how to read the fire and how she always saw a man in gold in her dreams teaching her the many wonders of her mystical gift. She always believed it was a dream, all this time she thought the man was part of an imaginary world created by her but now, it all made sense. She remembered seeing his face in the crowd every time there was a festival at the shrine or seeing him by the fountain of the praying bells. Her mind confirmed her grandfather's words, Ares came to visit her, every year.

 _"It's time to do your part and make a decision."_

The blonde man, dressed in civil clothes bowed his head to show his respect for the older priest and turned to leave; Rei tried to go after him but her legs would not respond, "You never left me alone..." she whispered with teary eyes, "Father..."

 _"Which path are you going to choose? You have a right to choose."_

Rei closed her eyes, trying to contain the fresh batch of tears threatening to fall down, "All this time I wondered—why I was like this," she bit her lower lip, "I know now..."

 _"Dance,"_

 _"Rei-chan,"_

 _"Dance..."_

 _"Rei,"_

 _"Dance..."_

 _"Rei,"_

"Rei,"

The Miko opened her eyes and noticed Ares was no longer there and turned to Yuuichiro standing next to her with a cup of tea, "I brought you something to drink—you need to have at least tea."

Rei frowned and shook her head "N-No..." she looked at him with a confused stare "I don't want tea..." she turned on her heel and started walking back to the shrine, her grandfather's words making more sense with every step she took,

 _"Which path are you going to choose? You have a right to choose."_

"That is not what I need... it's not what I want," Rei stopped and turned to look at Yuuichiro, "It's time, it's time for you to leave."

"What?" Yuuichiro frowned, "What are you—"

"I am saying, that your time here has come to an end," Rei didn't raise her voice but her determination was crystal clear like it hasn't been for so long, "You need to leave this shrine—you need to get out of my life,"

"Rei," Yuuichiro looked at her wide-eyed and tried to stop her, "Rei, this is not the time..." the second he touched her arm it was like if her inner fire suddenly ignited in her veins, making her lose her calm, "No, it is... it is the time!" Rei moved her arm away and shook her head, "It's over—you need to leave. You don't belong here anymore. I don't want you here, anymore."

"What?" Yuuichiro widened his eyes. Rei nodded and gave him a fierce look, "Ojisan has passed, there is no reason for us to continue living this lie—this painful and dirty lie. I can't stay attached to you any longer... this has to stop..." she frowned, "I'm done."

"You can't be alone right now!"

"That is something only concerns _me_ , my well-being, my life—it's _mine_ ," Rei frowned, "And what I want, is you to be gone,"

"I am the Priest's assistant, I need to stay here to arrange his funeral."

"I am his granddaughter, that is a task that corresponds only to me—you don't have anything else to do here. You stayed because I allowed it, not because you still had any sort of authority here. Deep down... a part of me believed this was it, that this is what my life was going to be but it's not. This is not how I want to live my life, I don't want to be miserable anymore."

"I served your grandfather for years—you just can't dismiss me like that!"

Rei frowned, "Everything you did has tainted any purpose or servitude. As the new Head Priestess of this Shrine, I no longer need of your services." Yuuichiro shook his head, "What has gotten into you?!" he frowned, "Is that man, isn't it? Is he the reason why you have been so restless?! So rebellious!?"

"Your way of thinking..." Rei narrowed her amethyst eyes, "So basic, so primitive..."

"Rei..." Yuuichiro tried to grab her hand but she slapped it away, "There is much more behind my decision. It is the fact that you tried to abuse me many times, it is the fact that you betrayed me more than once, it is the fact that you lied to my grandfather and you still had the nerve to pretend everything could be like before. No, things cannot be like before Yuuichiro and this is when it ends. The torture is over." Rei crossed her arms and raised a brow, "And what if it was because of him?" The defiant tone of her voice shattered Yuuichiro's calmness, "I have the right to choose, this is _my_ life and this is the last time I allow any excuses or questioning from _you_ —I have the strength to fight for what I want. I was raised to be a fighter and I will not allow you to continue shadowing my future,"

Yuuichiro tried to grab her wrist but Rei turned and pushed him away, "Go away! Get out!" she widened her eyes when she saw the sparks coming out of her hands and looked at the man looking back at her with shock and stepped back. Rei shook her head, "I had enough," she muttered dryly, "Next time I won't be so merciful,"

"I earned every right to stay right where I am Rei, and you know it."

"That was before you decided to betray me before you chose to become this ghost of a man," Rei frowned, "I will not say it again, this is over Yuuichiro, I want you gone and I want it to happen by the end of this day."

There was something in the way Rei spoke to him that it was hard for Yuuichiro to believe, she was being uncharacteristically cold and direct, like an arrow piercing through leather. Her eyes showed determination and her body while obviously weak and tired of maxing out her emotions stood still like an oak in a forest. He saw her walk away from him without showing any sort of sentiment, any sort of attachment like she did before and that is when it hit him: she wasn't intimidated by him anymore; Rei had moved past him and stepped far away from the shadow of the past they once shared. There was nothing that could keep them together, the last tie dissolved with the priest's death, somehow the old man knew the strain between his granddaughter and him and he was pulling the last string that tied them together with his death. "I see..." he looked up at the sky and nodded with acceptance and resignation. For the first time in months, he finally felt the closure to their relationship. "High Priest... please forgive me..." he turned to walk back to his room to pack his belonging and sighed, "I failed her... and so... I must go..."

O—o—O

Rei was walking back to the shrine when she saw Minako walking towards her and wrapped her arms without even asking for permission. Rei widened her eyes but she didn't move and let her be soothed by her friend's warmth "Minako-chan, how did you—"

"Yuuichiro called me."

Rei closed her eyes and responded to the embrace and stayed like that for a short while. The Miko tried her best to contain all the emotion bubbling inside her; "I am very sorry for your loss, Rei-chan." Rei sniffed softly and nodded, "Thank you, Mina-chan,"

"I called everyone—they are probably on their way."

"You shouldn't have..." Rei pulled away and wiped her tears with the back of her hand "They all have things to do."

"Rei—come on, you are much more important than anything and also, they would never forgive me if I ever kept this from them," Minako looked at her with a serious gaze; Rei tried her best effort to smile and held her friend's arm for support as they walked back to the shrine, "Come with me," they silently walked back to the house and Minako immediately took charge as soon as they walked into the kitchen and grabbed a pot with water and put it over the stove "Allow me, you sit."

The Miko sat on a chair at the small kitchen table where she used to eat dinner with her grandfather thinking how since he fell ill, they had to make more modern changes to the house. It was becoming a challenge for him to sit on the floor to eat, or pray, so they had to buy a dining table and new chairs so he could be able to sit and stand with more ease. "It happened while he was sleeping," Rei finally broke the heavy silence as she watched Minako sitting in front of her on the table, "The Doctor said he didn't feel a thing, he just... fell asleep—forever."

Minako put two cups in front of them and poured the hot tea on each of them, "How did you find out?"

Rei cupped her hands around the porcelain cup and looked down at the steaming beverage, "Yuuichiro—he went to my room to tell me," she frowned and shook her head, "I still cannot process all this—after you left, I spoke to him. He was waiting for me, sitting on the porch with a smile on his face..." Rei sighed and looked at her friend with teary eyes, "He knew Minako-chan—everything." Minako frowned, "What do you mean?"

"He knew I was Sailor Mars, he knew about Yuuichiro—he knew about my past life..."

Minako widened her eyes in shock "W-What?" Rei nodded, "He told me about my father—my _real_ father." she looked at the blonde and sniffled softly, "He was saying goodbye to me—he knew yesterday was his last night in this world and he was saying goodbye." With a soft sigh, she pushed the cup aside and shook her head "I can come to terms with him resting in peace but I cannot imagine my life without him..." with a frown she leaned back in her chair, "Does that even make sense? I don't know what I'm saying anymore..."

"You are very strong Rei-chan, he knew that."

"Everybody keeps telling me that but—" Rei shrugged her shoulders dismissively, "But I don't feel strong," her red puffy eyes looked at Minako's blue ones, "I just—" she trailed off "I am going to miss him every day for the rest of my life."

"I know Rei-chan—I know." Minako leaned forward and rested her hand on top of hers, "But he will be looking over you, no matter what, no matter where."

"He always knew I was destined to wake as a Senshi in this world," she looked at Minako "Ares came to him and asked him to look after me when my mother died. He always accepted my faith and always encouraged me to follow my calling. He also told me that was the reason why he never approved my relationship with Yuuichiro entirely,"

"So that means..." Minako blinked, surprised.

"He knew things between us weren't alright," Rei nodded and let out a soft breath, "It was his way of telling me to move on." The priestess looked down at her now cold tea and bit her lower lip "So—I did."

"What?"

"I asked—no, I demanded Yuuichiro to leave."

"Rei-chan," Minako looked at her with shock "You did? And how—you know, how did he take it?"

Rei nodded, "Not very well, but that is something not of my concern—not anymore." she sighed softly, "I don't know what came over me, it just happened so suddenly... I could not take it anymore... the heavy burden, the suffering, the feeling of being tied to someone I don't love, tied to a toxic relationship..." she shook her head "I told him I wanted him to be gone by the end of the day."

"And you say you don't feel strong..." Minako narrowed her eyes, finally getting a chuckle out of the priestess "I will let Usagi-chan know about this."

"No."

"Rei-chan,"

Rei shook her head, "No, she is her honeymoon. That would be selfish of me,"

Minako sighed softly "Alright... as you wish but... she won't forgive me..."

"Hino-san..." One of the maids of the temple walked in interrupting both girls' conversation, "There are two men from the mortuary here and would like to have a word with you."

Rei felt the word mortuary hit in the pit of her stomach, it was such a strong word for her to handle. A part of her regretted asking Yuuichiro to leave so now she had to deal with the constant reminder that her beloved grandfather had left her side, "Alright—I will be there in a minute." Sighing she stood up and felt Minako held her hand to stop her from walking any further, "Rei-chan... do you want me to take care?"

Rei shook her head "No, this is something I must do." She looked down and gave her friend the faintest of smiles and continued her way, leaving the blonde alone. As she walked out of the temple, a couple of suited men were waiting for her "Hino Rei?"

"Yes," Rei stopped in front of them and bowed her head in respect. One of the men pushed his glasses and looked through the papers and began talking but to Rei, his voice was just a blur in the wind; she began feeling lightheaded as she tried her best to remain still and understand every word she was being informed about her grandfather's passing. "Hino-san? Do you agree to these terms?" She heard the man talking to her but she couldn't respond back. The priestess nodded and took the sheets of papers that described every detail of the autopsy of her grandfather's passing, her hands began shaking without control and felt like the ground was crumbling beneath her feet, "I—I" she trailed off, "I need—"

"I will take care of it." A warm, male voice interrupted her making her turn with surprise. Jadeite looked at both men before turning to Rei and grabbed the papers from her hands and started reading them for her in silence. The priestess turned and saw Kunzite standing a few feet away from the blonde with wide eyes. "I see..." Jadeite turned to Rei and leaned closer to her ear, "Your grandfather's wish was to be buried here—the problem is that by law it is no longer permitted."

"B-But," Rei frowned, "He needs to remain in his holy ground—He..." Her amethyst eyes began shining with tears again, but the blonde wiped them with the back of his hand with delicacy, "There is one way to keep him here and that is if his body is cremated if is that alright with you, of course," Rei found his voice so soothing and understanding, like a cool mist appeasing all the fire burning the remains of her sanity and self-control. With a nod, she allowed the general take control of the situation silently thanking his timing and caring self before everything turned black and let herself go.

* * *

 _A/N: kera69love and SerenityMorisson... a HUGE thank you for your words. Thank you._

 _The site was having issues and I couldn't publish the chapter sooner, but, finally... here it is and I hope you like it._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	37. Chapter 37

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Thirty Seven

* * *

Rei lost control of her body and felt more and more disconnected to her senses until she could not stay conscious any longer, giving in to her grief and slowly falling unconscious. Jadeite turned right away and caught her before she could hit the ground "Mars!"

The two suited men went to their aid, but the blonde interrupted them and continued assisting them, "She is exhausted—this is never easy," he muttered, "Due to obvious reasons we cannot continue this meeting. I will need a copy of these papers—you have heard her request. You will have to return for her signature once the rest of the process and paperwork is been done."

"Y-Yes, of course," one of the men said and bowed his head with respect "I will personally come back, thank you." Both men bowed again and turned to leave. Jadeite looked down at Rei and carried her in her arms back to the temple, Kunzite caught up with him and widened her eyes when he saw Minako running at them "Rei-chan!"

"She lost consciousness, her body could not take the strain of her emotions anymore," Jadeite said softly "Where can I take her to rest?"

Minako tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear and looked at the blonde general, "Her room, follow me," she turned on her heel and led the blonde general to the Miko's bedroom and quietly watched him put her on her bed and sat on the edge next to her in silence.

"She hasn't eaten anything," Minako said with worry, "I tried to make her drink a cup of tea but not even that," she felt Kunzite's hand rubbing her arm in support. Jadeite turned to face Minako and then back at the priestess, "She is exhausted," he muttered softly, "I will stay here and look after her," he turned to Kunzite, "Zoisite shall have to wait for my presence,"

Kunzite knew what he meant, and it was a valid and very powerful reason. He knew his little brother could not be mad at him for too long, he loved her way too much to leave her alone in moments like these. The white-haired man turned to Minako, "We should wait outside," Minako looked at him and nodded, "Sure—if you need anything, please let me know." Jadeite nodded and turned to Rei who was deeply asleep. Once he heard the door close he reached for her face and caressed her cheek with tenderness, "You need to stop trying to do everything yourself..." he sighed sadly, "You are not alone,"

O—o—O

Minako held Kunzite's hand as they walked back to the porch and sat there in silence for a while both thinking on how things were unfolding. The blonde sighed as she looked down at her phone and decided to make a call; she dialed a number and waited for an answer a couple of seconds, "Ohayo, Yumi-san—could you please transfer this call to Aiko-san? Thank you."

Kunzite looked at the blonde talking over the phone with such ease and class that made him admire her even more. Her high-rise black pants and her-patterned silk shirt made him come to the idea that she fled work as soon as she got the news of what happened at the shrine. Her perfectly done makeup in earthy tones enhanced her blue cornflower eyes beautifully, he thought. Minako felt his sudden intense gaze over her and turned to look at him with curiosity, "Ohayo Aiko-san, so... I will not be able to return to the office. Could you please deliver the packages I left over my desk for me?" She smiled softly at the man next to her and grabbed a strand of his white hair and twirled it around her fingers slowly, "Yes, I'm alright but I have to be absent for the rest of the day... I had an emergency and I can't leave it unattended. Thank you, Aiko-san, I owe you one." she smiled and ended the call then turned to a serious looking Kunzite, "What?" she frowned a little puzzled by his intense gaze.

"You are a wonderful friend,"

Minako smiled, "There is nothing I wouldn't do for any of them, they're my family—you probably understand." Kunzite looked down and nodded "I do,"

The blonde sighed heavily "This happened so suddenly and it's going to be difficult for Rei-chan in the next few days—I am worried about her, she needs to take care of herself." Kunzite noticed the heavy worry in Minako's voice and pulled her closer to him to wrap his arms around her, "She is heartbroken, but the good thing is that she has you and all of us to look after her, she needs time to grief..." he kissed the top of her head "Jadeite" I'm trusting my brother to lift her spirits even if it is a little," Minako smiled in gratitude for his support and tightened her grip on Kunzite's white shirt, "Rei-chan asked me not to do it but I want to call Usagi-chan, I want her to know what happened,"

Kunzite leaned his head on top of Minako's and sighed softly, "Endymion knows." Minako looked up wide-eyed, at Kunzite, "Have you spoken to him?"

"Kind of—" Kunzite mumbled, "I sent him a message early this morning."

-O-

 _Kunzite stood in the middle of a garden court looking in the distance and feeling hesitant for having to appear during this time. The morning light filtered through the glass ceiling, printing an infinite pattern on the pebbled floors. He was regretting his actions and decision to establish a connection but since the sudden turn of events he had to comply and follow his duty to inform anything that happened during the prince's absence as he was asked._

 _"Of all places—you had to choose this one."_

 _Kunzite smirked, knowing what it meant. He turned and saw Mamoru walking behind him, both Shitennou and Prince were wearing their respective royal uniform. Endymion stood next to the general and smiled faintly as he stared at the fountain in the distance, "You always had a soft spot for these gardens."_

 _"I did yes,"_

 _Both stood in silence, without making any eye contact between them, "You didn't call me in the middle of my honeymoon to come and reminiscence about the palace's gardens I imagine." To the prince's words, Kunzite sighed and shook his head with embarrassment, "No, Prince, I did not."_

 _"This only confirms my suspicions, something did happen," Endymion frowned, "I wasn't imagining things,"_

 _"Zoisite and Mercury were attacked." This time, Kunzite finally turned to look at Endymion and frowned with concern. It did not matter how much he tried to keep the events until the prince's return, Endymion's confirmation was enough for him to give a full report, "We still do not know the mechanism of their attacks but we are working on a strategy," his grey eyes narrowed, "Endymion—they are looking for you."_

 _Endymion lowered his gaze and sighed, "Was it a woman?"_

 _Kunzite's eyes widened "H-How...?"_

 _"She has been sending these messages my subconscious is picking up as nightmares." The prince turned to Kunzite, "And there has been a strange vibration. Earth speaks—I listen." he frowned, "How are Zoisite and Ami?"_

 _"Mercury is alright, Zoisite was the most injured but Mercury has been taking care of him, he is expected to be fully recovered in a few more days," Kunzite turned to look at the fountain in the distance, "This entity will return, and for what Zoisite told us, expects a fair fight."_

 _"I haven't made the decision to go back just yet because I don't want to expose Serenity to this creature. The shadows are obviously looking for an opportunity to get to us. If they want a fight, we will deliver," Endymion narrowed his blue eyes with authority, "There is more to this meeting that will make me reconsider my position, am I right?"_

 _"Nephrite has informed me that the Priestess' grandfather has passed away."_

 _Endymion's eyes widened, "Hino-san passed away—when?"_

 _Kunzite nodded, "In the middle of the night. The stars let him know—Venus confirmed the news to me this morning mostly because she knows Jadeite holds a special interest for her, I still need to let him know..." the general crossed his arms, "There is something else, about the matter you asked us to investigate, there is still little to know. The exhibition will open in a few more days. I have been able to collect information about it thanks to Venus but there still is too much mystery around these ruins."_

 _"It's alright, thank you Kunzite, for letting me know."_

 _Kunzite sighed heavily, "I was hesitant to contact you and at this time, I know it was reckless of me to do so."_

 _"Don't worry. It is something I asked you to do in case something happened, considering the fact that you usually take matters into your own hands when it is needed to, I appreciate you listened to me and let me know." Endymion sighed softly and turned to look at the general, "Anything else I must be informed in advance?"_

 _"No, High Prince, that would be all," Kunzite shook his head and tilted it low in respect, Endymion nodded, "I must leave you then, I need to go back to Serenity and give her the news,"_

 _"We will go to the shrine later today—Jadeite is still asleep and Nephrite is... well, he thinks he is meditating."_

 _Endymion smiled at the mention of Nephrite's poor attempts of meditating during the morning and nodded, "I will see you soon, Kunzite, please keep me informed if anything else comes up,"_

 _"Yes, Master." Kunzite bowed his head and watched the prince ending his side of the connection and disappeared the same way he appeared. Kunzite followed suit and slowly opened his eyes; he stood from the couch and went to wake Jadeite to give him the news involving his beloved._

O—o—o—o—O

A couple of hours later, Mamoru slowly opened his blue eyes and adjusted them to the light filtering from the light curtains blowing softly from the balcony and turned to his side and saw Usagi was still profoundly asleep. Her blonde silver hair was sprawled around her like a silk and her steady and soft breathing let him know she was in the deepest of sleep. He was very aware that it was terribly late, at least for him who was used to be up and doing things since very early every day but as he turned to look around and saw their clothes scattered all over the room it was very clear there was a good reason for such tardiness in his usual schedule. Leaning closer, Mamoru kissed Usagi's temple and breathed in the soft aroma of her sweet flowery perfume that still lingered in her milky skin.

Usagi has the most adorable gestures when she sleeps; her lips swell slightly and give the appearance that she is pouting, her cheeks flush and her hair while very soft and smooth it normally gets tangled from all the times she turns and rolls in her sleep. Her delicate fingers were curled around the sheet as she held it close to her nude body in a failed attempt to keep herself warm. Unlike Mamoru, the lunar princess had the heaviest and longest of sleep and still, it would never be enough for her to feel like she rested enough.

Mamoru slowly rolled to his side of the bed and looked for his phone and started checking his mail and messages in silence, his blue eyes surfed through all the information sent to him and began replying to some of the messages Motoki had sent him about a case he needed his opinion and others concerning the situation he still had pending with the medical board at the hospital, another issue he had to deal with once he got back home.

"Mamo-chan..."

Mamoru turned and arched his brow when looking at the peaceful sleeping princess thinking that she was probably mumbling in her sleep again, another usual thing for her to do. He decided to ignore her and continue reading his messages when his phone was suddenly snatched from his hands making him turn with wide eyes. Usagi rolled on her side and hid under the covers like a bunny in its rabbit hole, startling Mamoru, "What did just happen?"

"Mmmhm..." Usagi mumbled some words that were now unintelligible to Mamoru who was frowning with confusion, "What?"

"Mmm.."

"Usa, could you please give me back my phone?"

"No,"

"Usa..."

"No,"

Mamoru sighed softly and chuckled, "Usa..."

"We can do this all day and you know it." Usagi moved her head enough to make herself clear from under the covers; Mamoru sighed softly and laid on his back and closed his eyes, "Not that we have much of the day left—it's fine, I'll wait,"

"Well, it's your fault."

Mamoru arched his brow, " _My_ fault?"

"You started it—" Usagi turned back to her initial position and pulled the cover down enough look at him with his arms resting behind his head and blushed, "See? You are doing it again," Mamoru smiled but remained with his eyes closed, "I'm not doing anything—I'm just patiently waiting for you to return me my phone."

"You know... there are other things more interesting to do than to be on your phone—may I remind you, you're in your honeymoon." Usagi tried her best to sound seductive as she traced a random pattern in his chest with her finger. Mamoru opened one eye and peered down at her, "What are you doing?" he frowned, playfully. Usagi looked at him with a mischievous smile, "Seducing you, is it working?" Mamoru smirked, "You're rolled like sushi with those thick covers all around you..."

Usagi's delicate foot peeked out and tried to reach for Mamoru's leg but she was so tangled between the covers and sheets that it was becoming an impossible task and far from being seductive. Once she realized there was no graceful way to free herself from the tangle she got into and that even her head ended up being swallowed under the covers she huffed softly, trying to keep the mood alive, "Well, isn't it seductive to know that your wife lays naked underneath all these covers?"

Mamoru tightened his lips trying to contain the fit of laughter that was threatening to come out any minute, "Oh yes," he rolled on his side and watched the bulk of covers still moving, " _Very_ seductive... you're a pro, my love,"

"I know,"

"In fact..." Mamoru turned and tried to pull the cover to look at her and continue this little kinky game his wife had going on but frowned when he noticed it her trap between the sheets was far more complicated than he imagined, "Usa—what the hell did you do?!"

"I don't know!" she said with a muffled and desperate voice, "Help me!"

Mamoru quickly made his way to her side and began rolling her to the opposite side of the bed until she was free from her comfy and warm prison. Blushing a crimson shade of red, the silver-haired princess covered herself with the end of one of the sheets and looked at her husband wide-eyed. Mamoru tilted his head and arched a brow, "Yes, because I have _never_ seen you with any clothes on before," Usagi frowned in response and pointed at him, "Hey! You're wearing boxer briefs!" Mamoru crossed his arms, "And?"

Usagi blushed, "Come on, mine are—" she turned to look for her pair of lace underwear with no success and sighed softly as covered herself with the thick and fluffy duvet, "Never mind..." Mamoru chuckled, "You're acting it like if it bothered me to see you like this, which, by the way... it... doesn't."

"You're more dressed than I am... I feel in disadvantage,"

"I woke up like a long time ago Usa,"

"What time is it?" The blonde looked down at Mamoru's phone and widened her eyes with shock, "What!? Why is it so late!? It's almost time for dinner!"

Mamoru cleared his throat and gave the room another glance, "Uh... do you really wonder why?" Usagi felt her cheeks flush another deeper shade of red and let out a chuckle, "It's your fault, I already told you." Her eyes widened when she saw Mamoru leaning closer and took her in his arms and brushed his with hers, "It's _your_ fault Luna Bunny, you drive me crazy... and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat..."

"Oh?" Usagi bit her lower lip softly; her hands slowly caressed the muscles of his back with a delicate touch while she helplessly looked into his deep blue eyes and closed the small gap left between them with a deep kiss that lasted a few good minutes. "Really?" Mamoru leaned closer and kissed her neck, making her moan softly, "Really,"

This was enough for Usagi to lean closer not really minding if the bed sheets still covered her nude body or not and wrapped her arms around him and pulled him to the bed with a sultry look, "I like that idea..." she whispered in his ear as she ran her fingers through his dark hair. She looked at him and saw his eyes had changed from sapphire to deep indigo and traced his jawline with the tips of her fingers, "I can't help feeling drawn into those deep blue eyes of yours..." she sighed softly. Mamoru smiled and kissed her neck softly, "And I can't help feeling drawn to you, Princess... since the very first moment I saw you..."

Usagi blushed when she felt Mamoru resting his head on her belly and wrapped his arms around her waist, "I still wonder why you fell in love with a man like me..." Usagi smiled softly and started caressing his bare back with the tips of her fingers. She closed her eyes and breathed in the soft hints left of his fresh cologne in his skin while thinking how everything about the man drove her to the very edge of reason. She loved his scent, the way his silky hair fell over his eyes when he wasn't wearing any styling creams or gels, the way his stubble accentuated the strong line of his jaw and tickled her face whenever he leaned to kiss her. The sound of his deep warm voice, the way he greets her with a sensual smile every morning and how he lovingly kissed her every night silently promising that he was going to be there by her side when she opens her eyes the next morning. She loved his caresses and warm touch and how he always treated her like a princess; the man was a treasure to her and it made her so happy to know she was his. "You have always seen beyond what everyone sees in me. Back then... you never laughed of my dream to become a warrior, and now, you don't laugh at my lack of swimming abilities," she smiled when she heard him chuckling and his warm breath tickling her bare stomach.

"You know what I mean..." Mamoru said lowly; Usagi combed his hair and wrapped her right leg around his waist and pulled him back to look into his eyes, "Yes, I do," she cupped his cheek, "But then, I could ask you the same question... why you fell in love with a woman like me?"

Mamoru reacted to her tactics by tightening one arm around her waist while his other hand softly graced her exposed thigh, "You take my breath away... every single day. Everything in you makes me lose my mind: you're caring, friendly, funny, very smart—incredibly talented, I love that you're sweet and also, a little naughty..." he looked up at her and flashed her a sensual grin making Usagi blush, "Really?

"Love, look at me, I can't move, you have me trapped," Mamoru kissed her stomach softly, Usagi smiled, "Well... I don't want you leaving my side, is that _so_ bad?"

"No, not at all..." Mamoru moved to kiss her lips, "We can do this all day, my dear,"

"Since we got here, we have barely left the room," Usagi mumbled sensually and nibbled his lower lip with her teeth, intensifying the passion put into the kiss and making Mamoru moan softly with pleasure, "All I want is inside this room, I don't need to go outside..." He opened his eyes and gently tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear while thinking how much he liked it when she wore her hair down, "I wish I would never have to leave..."

Usagi combed his hair back and smiled, "I wish that too," she tilted her head and frowned softly when she sensed the change of tone, "Mamo-chan? Everything okay?" Mamoru combed another strand of blonde hair away from her face and cupped her cheek with his hand for a second before pulling himself up and sat on the bed. He took a deep breath and exhaled softly, thinking on the best way to give her the news as he helped her sit, "Usa... there is something I need to tell you,"

Usagi blinked and felt her heart freeze in her chest with worry by his sudden change of demeanor, "What is it?" Mamoru sighed softly and caressed her cheek, "Rei's grandfather—he passed away last night."

Usagi's crystal blue eyes widened, "W-What?" she shook her head and covered her mouth with shock, "Oh no, h-how do you...?"

"Kunzite told me," Mamoru said softly, avoiding any further comments about how he was able to contact him. He knowing she had a genuine appreciation for the old man, "They found him gone this morning, I'm sorry Usa, I know you cared for Hino-san,"

"Rei-chan..." Usagi breathed and felt her eyes burn with fresh tears, "Mamo-chan,"

"I know," Mamoru nodded, "You don't even have to ask, whatever you want to do we'll do, alright?"

"I don't want her to be alone," Usagi said softly, "She must be devastated..."

"She is not alone," Mamoru pulled her into his arms and kissed her right temple, "The girls and the Shitennou are with her but I understand what you mean,"

"She must be so sad..." Usagi closed her eyes and hung her head low allowing her pale blonde hair cascade like a curtain over her head, hiding her sad face, "It's so unfair..." she whispered with an evident sense of loss.

"I know..." Mamoru rubbed her back softly, "If you want to leave today, I can go and make the arrangements," Usagi looked up at her husband with tears rolling down her face, "Did Kunzite mention anything about a memorial for Hino-san?" Mamoru shook his head and dried her tears with the back of his hand, "No, love, but usually the process for a morgue to release a deceased person takes some time because they have to determine the cause of death and write a report about it—if it was due to natural causes, they could release him within a day,"

"So, can we leave tomorrow early?" Usagi blinked and turned to look outside "It's getting late—I would never finish packing everything to be back home early enough to go see Rei-chan." Mamoru smiled and nodded, "Yes Usako, we can leave in the morning." Usagi bit her lower lip, "I'm sorry for ending our honeymoon this abruptly..."

"Usa..." Mamoru tapped her lips with his finger softly, "You are not ending anything; remember we still have a few more days for ourselves once we get back home—it's okay, remember why we came here." Usagi nodded, "In case anything happened and we had to go back,"

Mamoru dried another tear rolling down her cheek and nodded, "And something _did_ happen... so we need to go back to be with Rei—family must stick together, right?"

"Right," Usagi nodded with a soft smile and cupped Mamoru's face with her hands and looked into his deep blue eyes in silence fully admiring his intense gaze and beautiful features. It's on moments like these when she admired him the most; Usagi has been aware of his dashing looks since day one, but even so, the best moments to really admire his beauty was when he was the most vulnerable, either when he was asleep or chilling with her on the couch on a Sunday morning. She loved to see him being at her same level of laziness, probably because he was her complete opposite or just because it was a side only she got to see from him. She smiled shyly but she couldn't stop looking at him, he had that effect on her. He dismantled her with just one look, just one smile—it was that simple. "Stay with me," Usagi kissed his forehead. "Always," Mamoru nodded.

"Forever?"

"Forever,"

"Even when I don't know how to cook very well?"

Mamoru smiled, "Even then," Usagi batted her lashes playfully, "Even when I shrink your clothes in the dryer?" Mamoru chuckled, "Even then,"

"Or when I forget a red sock in the washing machine with your white shirts?"

"Yes..."

"You wore pink shirts for work a whole week..."

"Yeah... Motoki got a good laugh,"

Usagi chuckled and bit her lower lip, "So... even when I kick you out of bed, you are still going to stay with me?" Mamoru nodded, "Yes, even then,"

Usagi smiled, "Even when I make you buy things we don't really need but I liked how they look in the infomercial?" Mamoru exhaled and closed his eyes for a moment, "Even when we have a ton of useless things back at home, yes. I love you dearly."

"Even when I leave little to zero space in the closet for your stuff?" Usagi blushed. Mamoru nodded and inhaled deeply, "Yes Usa, even when there is not a single free hanger for any of my clothes. I love you deeply." Usagi pulled back and frowned, startling Mamoru "What?"

"How the hell do you do it?"

Mamoru blinked surprised, "Do what?"

"That! How the hell can you live with someone as horrible as me?!"

Mamoru chuckled, "I don't get what you are saying,"

"I'm a mess!"

"You are not a mess—you're _messy,_ those are two different things, but I don't care, I love you just the way you are."

"I'm a neat freak's worst nightmare!"

"Kind of..." Mamoru shrugged his shoulder carelessly, Usagi frowned and pointed her finger at him, " _You_ are a neat freak."

Mamoru sighed softly "I don't think I am but... okay," The silver blonde arched her brow, "Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"Uh, sorry to burst your bubble but, you are. You have _always_ been a neat freak. You can't see a speck of dust because you go all crazy mode..." Usagi narrowed her eyes, "You're very weird when it comes to order." Mamoru crossed his arms "Just because I like to have things organized and clean doesn't mean I am a freak—" he blushed and closed his eyes, "And I don't go all crazy mode..." Usagi turned to the closet in the room and narrowed her eyes, "I bet that if I open this closet all of your clothes are going to be arranged by category and colors."

"Usa..."

"Ah, see? I'm right."

Mamoru shrugged his shoulders again, "Alright, if you say so." Usagi arched her brow and looked at his duffle bag sitting on a chair, "I bet that if I open that bag, everything will be perfectly folded." Mamoru looked at her incredulously "I'm confused."

Usagi frowned "Why?"

"I don't understand where you are getting at, is it so bad that I like to keep my clothes folded or what?"

"No, it's not a bad thing it's just that you are so different than me—I don't get, why do you like a messy woman like me if you're so the opposite?" Usagi pouted her lips, Mamoru arched his brow "That's it?"

"Well, yes. What else did you expect?" Usagi shook her head confused, Mamoru chuckled "Usa, that's easy to answer."

"But I am a mess..." Usagi turned and looked around the room, "Most of the clothes scattered around here are mine," she turned and pointed the couch in the room next door, "Yours are all neatly thrown on that couch over there!"

Mamoru turned her face and looked at her "Usa, you are not a mess. Yes, you shrink my clothes, you tend to forget colored pieces of clothing in my white laundry, you wear my t-shirts and favorite hoodie and spill them with whatever sweet concoction you are drinking, you tend to leave food uncooked or overcooked—you always want to buy useless stuff sold on t.v., you kick me out of bed, you talk in your sleep, you take over the entire closet, you break stuff, you lose stuff, you forget stuff. Yes, Buns, you are a very messy person—but you're _my_ messy person." he smiled "And I love you. Period."

Usagi blushed and leaned closer to kiss him fully on the lips "I love you too," she smiled as she turned to put the white t-shirt he was wearing the day before, "I promise I won't stain this one." Mamoru sighed softly, "You're unbelievable." he kissed her temple and head towards the bathroom startling her, "Wait, where are you going?"

Mamoru turned to look at her and frowned, "I'm taking a shower." Usagi pouted her lips, making Mamoru chuckle "What?" Usagi shook her head and sighed softly, "Nothing, I just like it when you are here with me..."

"Me too, love, but, we have to eat," Mamoru smiled and turned to open the doors of the closet and pursed his lips when he realized what the blonde said about him was indeed, correct. Everything was neatly folded and organized by category and color and he immediately blamed the orphanage for implementing that strict habit on him, or at least that is what he wanted to believe. With a sigh, he picked a clean pair of grey jeans and a casual navy button shirt and put them over the bed, "I'm surprised you haven't said anything about that, by the way,"

Usagi pursed her lips and looked at her clothes on the floor with annoyance, "Yeah, you're right. I'm just thinking about how much I dislike packing... It really takes my appetite away..."

Mamoru looked at her over his shoulder and laughed, "You don't say..." he walked to the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Usagi let out a puff of air as she looked at the mess in the room and tied her long blonde hair in a messy bun with determination and sighed, "Okay—I can do this! I need to be more organized—for Mamo-chan's sake," she got out of bed and began picking up her clothes from the floor when a phone ring caught her attention. She turned to the bed and followed the sound coming from underneath the covers and turned to the bathroom door, "Mamo-chan, your phone's ringing!" she heard the water running inside and immediately thought he couldn't hear her so she stood up and kept looking for the phone, thinking it might be a call related to Rei.

After a long search and many rings after, Usagi finally found the phone and saw a weird number registered on the screen and frowned; Usagi was aware that Mamoru used his phone a lot for work, it wasn't new to hear it ringing all day, every day. She knew he got a lot of calls from the hospital and it was not because she checked who called him, but, the name of this particular caller caught her attention because she had never heard it before, it was a woman's and she was calling while they were away on their honeymoon.

Usagi was no stranger to attention but she also knew perfectly well that her new husband was not invisible to women and that predators existed, unfortunately. She was aware that many of the calls he received during the day were from the nurses at the hospital and she was usually okay with that but she wasn't sure why she felt so uneasy when looking at that particular woman's name written in the sleek screen of Mamoru's phone. This was _his_ personal phone number, one he only gave to certain people for important matters or emergencies—one he gave to his closest friends. Why was a woman calling him with such insistence? It was now the third time she called and it was now getting on her nerves.

The phone stopped ringing soon after and for a fraction of a second, her mind tried to persuade her to continue her quest for packing everything before dinner time. She was about to leave the phone on Mamoru's side of the bed and leave the matter behind when she heard the alert of an incoming message making her turn quickly. She bit her lower lip and tried her best to resist the urgency of checking who sent that message but her patience was running thin and her efforts were starting to become futile. Usagi went to lean close to the bathroom door to make sure Mamoru was still taking a shower and sprinted back towards the bed to satisfy her curiosity so she could leave the matter behind before he would even notice. No harm was done, right? —she thought. With a shaky hand, she grabbed the phone and typed the code to unlock his screen and started surfing through his list of calls and realized there were more messages and calls coming from the same woman and that they were made at hours she knew very well he was not working at the hospital, there were even missed calls from her from the past few days. Usagi frowned as she slowly scrolled her finger down the screen and went straight to check his inbox and widened her crystal blue eyes when she saw they have been exchanging messages and pressed the message that just came in "What the..." Usagi frowned when she read its content that said:

" _Mamoru, where are you?! I need to see you, can we meet somewhere? Call me as soon as you see this. I have to see you if we want to make this happen as soon as possible."_

"Mamoru?" Usagi muttered with annoyance, she tried to remember at least one woman who would refer to him with such closeness and none could come to mind. Not even when she met him called him by his name without any honorifics. Why all of the sudden this woman would call him with such insistently while he is on _his_ honeymoon, with _his_ wife and on top of that, asks him to call her back and meet because she wants to see him? And to make _what_ happen? —she thought enraged and confused.

"Shimuta Chieko... _who_ are you?" Usagi mumbled angrily and turned quickly when she heard noises inside the bathroom and quickly marked the message unread and put the phone back on the nightstand before walking quickly to the closet to take her suitcases out and start packing her things in silence but her mind was still fixed on the message from the mysterious woman and her honorifics free usage of _her_ husband's name. Minutes after, Mamoru came out of the bathroom wearing his jeans and the towel around his neck and looked at a very quiet Usagi struggling to fold a fluffy sweater dress, "Do you need help with that?"

Usagi froze and bit her lower lip "N-No," she said softly, "I can do it." She might have been pretending to be cool and collected but all of her attention was on him and his every move; she peered over her shoulder when she heard him open one of the drawers to take something and saw him grab his phone. She could not help an unsettling feeling bubbling in the pit of her stomach, making her feel nauseous. She narrowed her eyes when she saw him type something quickly and felt her heart pacing at an incredible speed in her chest because she was sure he was talking to her. The woman. He was answering her message instead of putting his phone away and look her way.

"Um... your phone was ringing—a lot," she mumbled softly, "I called you but I guess you didn't hear me,"

Mamoru stayed silent for a moment as he read the message and put the phone down, "Uh, yeah no... I didn't hear, sorry, dear,"

"Everything okay?" she asked softly, trying to sound as casual as possible as she continued to fold another sweater thinking how everybody she knew was aware that they were out of town for their honeymoon. Everybody, except for that woman, apparently.

"Uh—yeah," he answered slightly distracted which bothered Usagi even more. She frowned as she continued struggling to fold the shirt she didn't even get to use during the trip, typical Usagi—she thought with annoyance. Her shaky hands began to sabotage her façade and stiffened when she saw him taking the sweater from her hands in silence and folded it for her, "Here."

"Thanks," Usagi took in silence and packed inside her suitcase.

"Usako?" Mamoru asked softly; Usagi cleared her throat but didn't turn to look at him, "Yes?"

Mamoru crouched next to her and combed his wet hair away from his face, "Do you want me to help you with this?"

Usagi sighed and turned to look at him, her eyes looking into his for some kind of truth. She wanted to ask him, she wanted to know who the hell was that woman. She was jealous, crazy jealous and she was starting to become paranoid; would he ever cheat on her? She began to question herself, would he ever betray her that way? They just got married and they just had spent the most wonderful days together, how come this mysterious woman could burst her perfect pink bubble and bring her to a reality full of doubt. She licked her lips slowly and shook her head, "I can do it myself—it's okay."

"Are you alright?" Mamoru frowned and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, Usagi silently cursed her husband's sharpness and turned to fold another dress, "Yes, I'm fine," she and continued folding her clothes "I just need..." she trailed off "I need to..." she closed her eyes, mentally kicking herself for being so verbal limited every time she got upset about something, she would either cry or have a loss for words and she knew he knew that of her.

Mamoru narrowed his blue eyes, just like she knew him like the palm of her hand, he knew her. He could feel her tense up under his touch and wondered if something happened to her during the short moment he was in the shower. The vision he had been having over the past few days haunted him back again, making him wonder if she saw something too, or maybe it was because she was affected by the news of Rei's grandfather. She was clearly upset about something but she would not say a word, at least not now, so the best thing he could do was to give her some space. Mamoru exhaled softly and nodded, "Alright," he stood up and walked to the closet to begin packing his things in silence.

Usagi opened her eyes, immediately regretting what just happened. Usually, Mamoru would try to make her talk to him if something was bothering her and would do something to make her smile but this time she had to admit that she felt bad and guilty for pushing him away. Her mind was playing games on her, and she had to make them stop, for her own good. "Mamo-chan..."

"Yes?"

Usagi sighed softly "I do need help..."

Mamoru turned to look at her but said nothing; he was waiting for her to slowly come out of whatever strange shell she just created to protect herself from whatever was bothering her. The blonde finally turned to look at him, "I don't like this..." she said softly as she put a badly folded shirt inside her luggage while in reality, she was referring to the feeling she had nested in her heart, the jealousy, the insecurity and the endless number of things she still had to pack. Mamoru walked back to her and sat next to her on the floor and looked at her, "Why don't you go and take a shower? It will help you feel better." He turned to look at the ridiculous amount of clothes in front of him, "I will help you with this so we can go out and have dinner, okay?"

Usagi nodded and leaned her head in the nook between his head and shoulders and closed her eyes, "Usa?" he asked softly and put an arm around her waist protectively, "What's wrong?" Usagi shook her head and turned to hug him tightly, like if her life depended on it, "I just—" she breathed "I just want to hug you for a moment."

Mamoru kissed her temple and wrapped both arms around her and began rubbing her back comfortingly. They stayed in silence and with their own side of a story none of them was sure it even existed. Usagi had never felt that insecure about their relationship before, not since Beryl—yes, she dared to go that far back in time. She cursed herself for being that damn curious; despite being a descendant of the goddess of the moon, she was still a girl with insecurities and now, they were playing cruel tricks on her.

Soon after, Usagi realized that in all of their years together, Mamoru had never mentioned anything about past relationships with other girls, he never talked about any ex-girlfriends or crushes he might have had in his younger years. She had in mind that Mamoru has never been the typical boy next door since he had to deal with adulthood at a very young age but it wouldn't surprise her to find some carcasses from past relationships under the rug of his past.

As she hugged her husband, she thought about the possibility of him still being in touch with one of those carcasses. She mentally decided to call them that; why was she even going that far in time when they had a long future ahead? When they just got married? Well, because a woman she has never heard before was calling on repeated occasions to her husband's personal number, during their honeymoon, and referred to him like if she knew him _very_ well.

It was the truth of their lives, she was aware of it. Both of them were constantly under the microscope, as royals everybody expected them to follow the rules, live up to meet everyone's expectations and obey a law none of them wanted to obey; they went against the current, lost everything they held dear to them and traveled in time just so they could be together in another era. Thinking about things like these made Usagi ask herself why all of the sudden, she was feeling like she could lose it all. She took a deep breath and cuddled her head on his chest "I don't like this..." she mumbled softly, feeling completely helpless.

O—o—o—o—O

Rei opened her amethyst eyes and blinked several times to adjust them to the light in the room. Realizing, she had been gone almost all afternoon, widening her eyes she slowly sat on her bed and rubbed the bridge of her nose as she remembered the events that happened earlier that day. "Ojisan..." she breathed softly, feeling the old man's absence as she slowly returned to reality; one she did not want.

"You have awoken—I'm glad."

Rei widened her eyes and turned to see Jadeite standing by the door with a tray in his hands. "W-What...?"

The blonde man walked inside and closed the door behind him, walking to a small table she had for vanity he put the tray with what appeared to be food and tea. He exhaled softly and closed his eyes for a minute "You fainted while dealing with the people from the mortuary. I brought you here—" he turned to look at her "I hope you do not mind me being here."

Rei blushed and shook her head, she turned to look out the window and realized it was already dark "W-What happened to them—the suited men..."

"I spoke to them and asked them to come by tomorrow with the necessary paperwork for you to sign. I took the liberty to check the documents for you and point out some things for them to correct and consider," Jadeite leaned back and crossed his arms "I am very sorry for your loss, Mars."

Rei looked at him and sighed heavily, "Thank you—although, I don't know if it helps me hear those words."

"Of course they don't," Jadeite shrugged his shoulders, "When you lose somebody you love very much—there are no words that can really soothe and calm one's soul. But it is the most decent, appropriate thing to do."

Rei lowered her gaze and nodded, silently agreeing with what the general just said. Jadeite exhaled and turned to the tray and poured a cup of tea and walked over to the priestess and handed it to her "Here," he said softly, startling her. Rei looked at him and frowned, "I-I don't feel like drinking tea—thank you."

Jadeite sighed and sat on the bed, next to her, "I have seen too many people lose their lives without any opportunity to return to their families, I have lost parents, friends, brothers—lovers. I know what it feels like to lose somebody you love and no, there are no words that could really describe it; it is a hollow feeling. You are left undone—incomplete." he turned to look at her, "But you had that precious opportunity with him, you created an infinite constellation of good memories that you now keep here—" he pointed at his heart "—And here." His finger tapped his temple. Life does not stop Mars, time does not stop, and you have to keep on moving forward and honor his memory and legacy by doing good and being happy. That is something you have to do to keep him shining bright—" he pointed the ceiling, referring to the sky "—Up there."

Rei felt her eyes burn with tears "Jadeite,"

"It was his time to leave Mars, he did not abandon you. Sadly, we mortals come here to create the best version of our lives and then, we have to leave so our descendants can honor our memory one day. In this case, you. Honor him every day by being you—by being the best version of yourself." he handed him the cup again and smiled softly "And it all starts by you, putting something in your tummy."

The priestess could no longer keep her tears at bay, those were probably the most beautiful words someone has ever told her to comfort her. She remembered the time when her mother passed away and went through all the grieving process of her loss and the moment her grandfather went to her rescue; she grew up with her mother's ideals and try to always make her feel proud by being the best in everything she put her mind into. Her grandfather protected her and her dreams, he protected and honored her legacy the one both her divine father and late mortal mother left for her and she now vowed to honor his too. She took the cup and took a small sip and allowed the soothing beverage warm her slowly. She looked up at him, her eyes still gleaming with tears, "Why are you here, Jadeite?"

Jadeite averted his gaze, "I did not know it would bother you that much, to be honest."

"It's not because it bothers me... I treated you badly—we haven't really spoken since that afternoon." Rei looked at the blonde man feeling completely guilty for how things turned out, "I thought you were mad at me."

"I was not mad at you Mars, I was..." Jadeite sighed, "I do not know, hurt, maybe?" He stood from the bed and paced around the room until he stopped in front of a wooden drawer with pictures of her with her friends and smiled sadly, "But that does not mean I do not care," he took one of the pictures and touched the glass with delicacy, "I have to accept the fact that you have other things on your mind and I must not intervene—we are from different eras, things change, I understand."

Rei tightened her grip on her bed cover and took a deep breath "He is gone." she felt like a little girl waiting for a star for her achievement or some sort of congratulation from the general and she did not know exactly why. Jadeite turned to look at her expressionless, he nodded and put the picture frame back on its place "Good."

Rei blinked startled then looked down, "It was something you had to decide for yourself," she heard Jadeite's soft but still serious voice and she had to admit she liked his playful tone better. This was a Jadeite she did not remember, one she never knew and it was really strange to be talking to him without listening to any sarcastic comments or funny jokes. He was being supportive, yes, but just like any other person who understood her position would be; he was being a friend and not the man who exposed his feelings to her just days ago. Rei found ironic how she wanted to see his boyish smile and listen to his silly jokes right now. She sighed softly, "I thought you would say something about it..."

"About what?" Jadeite arched his brow. Rei looked at him "Well, about him leaving the shrine."

Jadeite stayed silent for a minute and crossed his arms, "Mars, what do you want or expect me to say about that matter? Like I said, it was a decision only you could make. You had your reasons to keep him around."

"That is not what you said the other day,"

"Well, no it is not," Jadeite walked towards her and sat at the end of the bed, keeping some sort of distance with the priestess "But it was true—what you said. I cannot expect you to do what _I think_ it is best for you to do. You moved on with your life, these are different times." She looked at her with a much softer gaze than minutes ago, "Things might have worked out for them but that does not mean we have to follow their steps. I understand it, Mars," he lowered his head and chuckled softly, "I am one silly man that keeps barking at the wrong tree... I have for as long as I can remember,"

"Jadeite..." Rei breathed softly, "I—"

"It's alright Mars, really, it is." Jadeite smiled at her, "It's my thing you know? The guys get a kick out of it and it is alright. We can be friends, you have my friendship and loyalty—whatever happened is now in the past." He turned to the tray on the table and put it in front of Rei on the bed, "You need to eat, you need to be well, for them and for _him_." He took the wooden lid covering the dish and pursed his lips "Now, I am not sure what this is—but your friend made it." Rei widened her eyes as she looked down at the dish, "My friend?" she immediately thought about Makoto "H-How?"

"All of them came to see you, they are very worried about you."

"They're here?"

Jadeite nodded softly, "Mercury had to leave early because Zoisite is still recovering at her apartment—he had to take his medication."

"How is he—Zoisite?"

"He is doing alright, we expect him to be fully recovered very soon."

"I'm glad," the priestess smiled and looked down at the plate before her, it looked like a very messy dish that seemed to be some type of curry and frowned, "Um—Jadeite, could you tell me who cooked this? Was it Mako-chan?"

Jadeite tilted his head, his old self slowly was making its way back, "I do not believe she did. She arrived by the time this dish was already prepared. I think Venus did, why?"

Rei turned pale, knowing for a fact that Minako was not very skilled in the kitchen, she was so bad she could not boil water thinking not even Usagi could go as low on her cooking skills as Minako did. "Um well—let's just say it is going to be a challenge to eat all of this." Jadeite leaned closer and frowned "What is it anyway?"

Rei sighed, defeated "I—I don't know..." she looked up at him with a worried look, "But I guess I will have to find out."

* * *

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	38. Chapter 38

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Thirty-Eight

* * *

The ride back to Tokyo was unexpectedly and awkwardly silent. After going out for dinner and finishing packing the night before, Usagi decided to call it a night and went to bed early still with the bitter thoughts of her husband talking to a woman she now pictured as an exuberant redhead maybe because that was the only type of woman that really made her feel threatened. She looked out the window in silence, half asleep, half-awake because she did not even have a good night's sleep for being thinking about the current matter and also because she was worried about Rei. Sighing, she rubbed her makeup-free face and pushed the AC button off and sighed, "It's cold in here." she muttered hazily.

Mamoru's silence was making Usagi feel even more uncomfortable because he hadn't opened his mouth to speak since they checked out of the hotel and started driving back. He had a talent to mask his emotions, unlike her, who always ended up very emotional when she got upset about something. After several attempts of Mamoru trying to understand what happened to Usagi, he decided it was best to give her the space she wanted and went to bed early as well.

The silver-blonde sighed again, this time, catching Mamoru's attention "What's wrong?" His eyes never left the road ahead of them, but the tone of his voice showed the concern that has been following him around since the day before trying to know what's wrong with her. She turned her head to look at him and after a couple of minutes of deep thought she frowned, "Mamo-chan..."

"Mmm?"

"I've been thinking..."

"Yes?"

"Did you date a lot of girls before me?"

Mamoru frowned but kept his eyes on the road, "What?" Of all things Usagi could have asked him, this was one Mamoru was not expecting at all. Usagi's frown deepened, sensing there was a hint of shock in his sudden question, it was rare of him to answer so ambiguously, "What I asked you, did you have a lot of girlfriends before you met me?"

He turned to look at her for a fraction of a second and then back at the road, "Why are you asking me this all of the sudden?"

"I just want to know—it's been a long ride and my mind wanders, hence my question," Usagi's brows furrowed, "You are three years older than me,"

"Yes, so?"

"Well, you had more liberties. You could date whoever you liked and not being scolded or been told what to do, you didn't have curfews or anything..." Usagi turned to look out the window again, "Also, it's something you've never talked about before."

"I don't get where all of this is coming from,"

"I would like to know..."

"How come?"

"I don't know, I'm just curious..."

"I don't like to talk about it."

"Why?"

"Because, Usa, it's not something I feel comfortable talking about." The tone of his voice in that last statement made the silver-blonde turn to look at him with a curious glare, "Did you treat them badly?"

Mamoru sighed tiredly and he continued with his eyes on the road, there was an obvious tension in his jaw and the grip he had on the wheel, "Usa..."

"You were a mean boyfriend!" Usagi widened her eyes and pointed an accusing finger at him with shock. "Oh, my goodness!" Never in a million years, the blonde would imagine Mamoru, _her_ _Mamo-chan,_ would break a girl's heart and make her cry, "Did you date _that_ many?"

"No." Mamoru exhaled heavily, "Baby, can we _please_ drop this conversation?"

" _Why_ is it so uncomfortable for you to tell me? It's just a simple question."

" _Why_ is it so important to you? I am married to _you_ not whoever I dated in the past."

Usagi sighed with a grunt and frowned angrily, "Fine, don't tell me—I don't care," she raised her hands defensively and turned to look away with annoyance written all over her face, "Sorry for bothering you."

Mamoru sighed heavily and shook his head, obviously confused and a little tired of this odd mood his wife had gotten into since last night. He didn't know where to start, this was the oddest she has ever been since he started dating her and for the first time he didn't know how to read her, he didn't know what to say or what not to say to not make her more upset than she already was, apparently. It was strange of her to be mad at him and it was starting to get under his skin because no matter how much he searched his brain, nothing could come up as a good reason to have made her this mad.

Over the next hour, the drive had slowly turned more somber and quiet to the extent that Mamoru didn't even want to continue listening to anything on the radio and turned it off. This was one of the few times, if not the first Usagi had pushed to the very limits of his patience and gone a little too far by rolling her eyes at him in exasperation. On the other hand, Usagi also remained silent and pretended to be asleep when in fact was more than awake and opened her eyes from time to time wishing to be closer to home and hide under the blankets of her bed. She knew what she had done and that she had made Mamoru feel bad in the process; Usagi noticed he had warned her by calling her baby and still continued digging until the ambient turned uncomfortable. She hated it—this, the awkwardness hanging between them because on top of everything, they were best friends; they never argued or stayed silent this long and it broke Usagi's heart to know she was responsible for it.

After what felt like an eternity, Mamoru felt like he needed to take some fresh air to clear his head and parked at the first gas station in sight and turned the engine off. With a heavy sigh, he took his dark shades off and looked at her with a strong, serious glare, "What's going on?" Usagi turned surprised and widened her eyes, "About what?"

"I don't know—you tell me." Mamoru frowned, "You've been acting strange since yesterday afternoon, we were doing fine and then all of the sudden you turned distant and weird,"

"What makes you think I'm being weird?"

"The only way you would skip a meal and go to sleep early is because something is bothering you, Usa,"

Usagi licked her lips and averted her gaze from his, "I'm fine. I'm worried about Rei-chan, that's all..."

"And somehow Rei has to do with me dating other people before you? I don't get it," Mamoru arched his brow and shrugged his shoulders as he waited for an answer from his wife, one that never came. "Usa, _please_ talk to me."

Usagi felt her cheeks turn hot, she wanted to blurt everything that has been drilling her mind for the last 24 hours but she was aware things could get way worse if she said she went all psycho mode and checked to the very last of his messages and calls. Instead, she preferred to keep pushing the topic aside as far as she could and hoped for the best. She shook her head, "I'm sorry—it really is because I'm worried about Rei-chan. I was just curious—I was just trying to start a conversation, that's all, I didn't know it was going to be a problem."

Mamoru sighed heavily and leaned his head back in his seat, feeling beyond exhausted. He watched the cars in the distance going and leaving in silence for a couple of minutes and exhaled, "Alright, since you are so _eager_ to know," he turned his head and looked at her, "No. I didn't go out on dates with a lot of girls. I was thirteen, you don't have many liberties when you're thirteen years old."

"I wasn't talking about dates, but actual girlfriends," Usagi mumbled softly, still carving her way to whatever truth she so desperately wanted to hear. Mamoru had this unreadable look on his face that was making her feel nervous because she didn't know what kind of answer she was going to get in return. "No Usa, I did not have a lot of girlfriends before you, just one—when I was fifteen,"

Usagi blinked with genuine surprise, she was not expecting to hear him say he did have a romantic relationship with someone else before her. She never asked anything like this to Mamoru before because she knew he preferred to keep some things of his past behind him, and while she totally respected it, she never really thought he would date anyone given the circumstances of how he was living and what he was doing during that time. Usagi noticed traces of annoyance in his voice but her own insecurities and restless thoughts made her want to know more about this despite making him feel uncomfortable. She wanted to know more, she wanted to dig deeper into the matter until she was satisfied; she just had opened the Pandora's box she knew her husband had for life and now she had to deal with whatever came out of it, good or bad, "And... what happened?"

Mamoru saw a gleam in Usagi's eyes that gave away her feelings. If this was going to settle things, he had to comply and at this point, if he didn't give a proper answer it was only going to unleash a fight he didn't want to have—not with her. "Nothing happened. We were stupidly young to be in a relationship."

"I was fourteen when you started dating me," Usagi said slightly hurt "Wasn't I stupidly young for you to go out with me?"

"No Usa, you weren't." Mamoru leaned back in his seat, "You are different, you have always been. Your kindness and courage captivated me since the very moment I saw you for the first time, I fell in love with you,"

"Are you saying that you didn't love this girl?"

Mamoru shook his head "No, Usa. I did not love her. We were close... that's all I can really say." his gesture would be one of comfort and reassurance, but his voice said more than just that. He was genuinely upset about having to talk about it; Usagi noticed there was no empathy in his voice, there was no sweet reminiscence, instead, it looked like there was more to that breakup Usagi was no longer sure if she wanted to push his patience a little further to make him give her more details about it. Realizing what she had done, Usagi bit her lower lip and felt terrible for being all paranoid and for straining the last moments of their honeymoon that could have been perfect but the damage was already done.

Mamoru put his sunglasses back on, opened the gas compartment and without saying anything else, stepped out of the car to load more gas while leaving a very guilty feeling Usagi inside. "Stupid Usagi—" she muttered and covered her tear stained face with the long sleeves of her soft grey sweatshirt, "Stupid, _stupid_ , Usagi, what have you done?"

O—o—o—o—O

Earlier that morning, Rei had woken with a stronger sense of reality and more resigned to what happened the day before. Jadeite's words helped her come into her senses and realize that after all the pain, all the absence she might feel clouding her heart at the moment, she had to live to keep his legacy alive. She walked out of her room to start on her daily chores until it was time to receive her grandfather's ashes and start the necessary arrangements for his memorial ceremony later that afternoon. She looked up at the sky and found strange that neither Phobos or Deimos were around to have breakfast.

"Rei-chan... you're awake!" One of the shrine maids said with surprise and relief.

"Jun," Rei said softly and smiled "Good morning."

"H-How are you feeling?" The maid, a woman reaching her fifties asked with worry. Rei hid her hands inside her sleeves and walked over to her, "You know, he will always be missed, I will always miss him but—we have to do whatever is necessary to keep his memory alive. We must honor his kind heart."

"I prepared some breakfast—if you wish to eat something." Jun said in a motherly tone, one that made Rei smile in gratitude for being with her in moments like these, "Thank you Jun, for everything."

The woman smiled, she had been friends with the late priest for many years, way before Rei even arrived at the shrine but decided to move in and help in everything she could the moment he fell ill and could not perform as high priest anymore. "It is my pleasure Rei-chan—I cared for your grandfather very much. I know times are going to be different without him here, so if you wish me to be gone I will totally understand."

"G-Gone?" Rei widened her eyes "Why do you say that?"

"I know Yuuichiro-san left the shrine, you asked him to leave."

Rei sighed, "Yes, yes—I did, but for different reasons. It was his time to leave and find a new path. It had nothing to do with my grandfather being gone." Jun widened her eyes with genuine shock, "Oh..." she covered her mouth, "I am so sorry..."

"It's alright Jun, our strained relationship was more than obvious to anyone." Rei finally admitted what the woman had been suspecting for months. "We will have to do more around the shrine but it is for the best, have him gone." she smiled softly, "If you want to stay, of course,"

Jun smiled "I would want nothing else, Rei-chan,"

Rei tucked a strand of greyish hair behind the woman's ear and tilted her head, "Thank you for everything you have done for us, Jun," she turned and sighed softly, "Well—I must start my chores, feed my beloved crows for example."

"They have been fed,"

"What?"

Jun nodded and turned to look outside, "Yes, a handsome blonde man has been around doing the chores since very early this morning. He hasn't left your side since yesterday."

Rei widened her eyes "B-But... I thought he left..."

Jun shook her head, "No, no. Poor man... he slept on the floor in your room—I offered him one of the guest rooms but he declined, he did not want to leave your side." Jun gave the priestess a playful look, Rei-chan," she leaned forward with curiosity gleaming in her maroon eyes, "Who is that dashing young man?" Rei blushed "H-He is a friend of mine, from a very long time."

"I have never seen him before. Well—not until he stayed with the other three men at one of the cottages."

"They're all brothers," Rei said softly "They lived far away but they have returned and needed a place to stay for a while."

"Well, I must say, he is _very_ handsome."

Rei's blush intensified "Jun..."

"Well, he is!" Jun chuckled "I will have to admit that he is even more handsome than Yuuichiro-san and for the looks of it, he cares for you very much." Rei smiled and turned to look at his direction and spotted him cleaning the porch, "He is a very special person." With a soft smile, she turned and walked towards him in silence; the blonde noticed her minutes after and smiled softly at her, "Good morning,"

"Look at you all concentrated in your sweeping," Rei smiled softly, "Good morning,"

Jadeite chuckled "Ah yes, I will take this as my morning training—it is hard work."

"You didn't have to," Rei tilted her head, "Jun told me you have been working since very early in the morning. You even fed Phobos and Deimos."

Jadeite smiled and wiped a couple of sweat drops from his forehead with his arm "Ah, but of course _those_ are their names," he sighed softly, "I didn't want to leave just like that and also, I know this day will be also a difficult one, I just wanted to make it easier for you as much as I could."

"You most certainly did, thank you." Rei looked down and sighed softly "But, your words really helped me put my feet on the ground and accept things as they come and make the best of it." Jadeite leaned his weight on the broom and smiled with a nod, "That is correct," he gave her a small smile and turned to look away, "Well, I believe my work here is done. It is time for me to leave."

Rei widened her eyes, "Y-You're leaving?" she bit her lower lip "You won't stay for breakfast?"

The blonde general chuckled and shook his head, "I have to go and see how Zoisite is doing, but first, I have to go home and take a bath, I stink." He walked down the porch and handed the priestess the broom, "I will be back for the memorial, I will see you then," he chuckled as he walked away, "It baffles me, Mars, this is another side of you I never imagined I would get to see but it is more like the Mars I met so many years ago—I'm glad."

Rei held the broom with wide eyes as she watched the blonde walking away and somehow, she felt like something in her wanted to burst. Her hands wanted to reach out for his and held them for as much time as possible, her arms wanted to stretch out to stop him from leaving; she wanted him to stay but at the same time she knew she had to let him go. The attraction was there but he has made himself clear; he was no longer going to pursue her and it made her think that not even Yuuichiro would have such attention with her if she had said something that could have made him feel bad.

Rei had broken Jadeite's heart and yet, he had managed to put his own anger, pain, and frustration aside to come to her aid and be with her until she felt better to move on her own. She let out a heavy sigh and closed her eyes, "Oh Father... I wish you could be here."

Her amethyst eyes opened wide when a strong presence caught her attention and turned to find Ares sitting on a large stone, close to the shrine. It was strange to see him without his characteristic golden armor, instead, he wore a deep burgundy royal uniform with golden lining and his dark, and heavy cape emphasized the ashy gold of his hair and the pale color of his eyes. As always, his long sandy-colored hair was tied in a low tail, letting it play an eye-catching pattern as the wind blew his locks. Despite his age, which Rei imagined was significant, his beauty was exceptional; Rei couldn't define his age, she wanted to see him as a man in his mid-forties because that was the politician's age but Ares was really difficult to catalog under a certain range and while she could see the knowledge and power of someone who represents war itself in his intense grey eyes, there were still traces of youth in his face and well-toned body. He really was an ageless being—a full kami as her grandfather used to say. The priestess looked at the man with surprise and for some reason found herself unable to say a word. She was not expecting to see him responding to her calling in a flash of light. "Mars," he greeted with a warm tone in his voice.

"A-Ares..." Rei still held her surprise. Ares arched a brow and gave his daughter a side smile, "Please excuse my intrusion—I heard the word Father coming from your lips and I immediately thought you were calling for me."

"Y-You were close enough to hear me?"

"I am always close, Mars," Ares sighed softly, "Even when it does not look like it."

Rei curled her fingers around the broom tightly and let out a soft sigh, trying her best not to break again and start crying like a little girl lost in the woods, "I know—what you did..." she looked at him with teary eyes, "Ojisan told me everything the night before his passing," Ares smiled sadly and lowered his head, "He was an exceptional man—his soul now rests peacefully in the fields of Elysium—I personally asked Hades to grant him access and made sure his soul arrived safely."

Rei's eyes widened and could feel fresh tears threatening to fall "You really did that?"

"I will always thank Serenity for guiding your soul to this family so I could contact Eiji and ask him to look after you," Ares smiled sadly, "Always so considerate, the Lunar Queen. Always thinking in other's best interests before hers."

Rei felt her heart warm at the sound of Ares calling her grandfather by his name, demonstrating that there was indeed a connection and friendship between them. The Lord of War remained in his sitting place but he looked at his daughter with loving eyes, "I just could not leave you, my dear Mars, I could not."

"You were the one who taught me how to pray to the fire—you were there." Rei said softly, "I always thought I was imagining things... I thought it was a dream."

Ares nodded his head, "I was not allowed to be close to you because of my jurisdiction as God of War, also, because I was trying to keep you as far away from Olympus. Things since the fall of the Lunar Kingdom have not been the same. Eiji became my eyes and ears and every time he prayed, he was letting me know how you were doing." Ares chuckled, "I always found it so ironic, a man praying to the God that brings War, but he always did and I was grateful. It sure made my days brighter and gave me the strength I needed when I felt I could not carry on,"

"What makes it different now? Why can you be here now when you couldn't before?" Rei asked with curiosity. Ares tilted his head, "Because things are different now, Mars." The cryptic tone in his voice made Rei realize the truth behind his riddled words, "Because when war is close, you have to be there. Is that it?" The priestess frowned "Is that why you are here? Because you are about to bring war to this planet?"

"War has already begun, dear Mars. It began a long time ago," Ares said in a low tone, "Since the fall of the Lunar Kingdom—like I said, things have never been the same. The Alliance that kept this galaxy and Olympus protected as a whole and in peace was broken the moment Serenity gave her life to seal Metallia away. Olympus has become a much darker place and it has only been intensified by the events that have been happening lately on this planet."

"Is that why you guided Megumi-san here?"

Ares shook his head, "That girl's fate was sealed the moment she held that weapon and protected it. It was a request from Geb—Gaia's father, and I had to obey that request. They were close friends of mine and I knew I had to do some damage control and prevent a crisis in the near future so I looked out for her from a distance, but it was the weapon she carried with her what guided her to where she had to go—it could not fall into the wrong hands, by any means."

Rei frowned and went back to sit on the porch, "We don't even know who we are fighting against, we don't know their motives—they're so strange and sporadic and their attacks are reckless and erratic."

"He is measuring the situation."

"He?" Rei frowned, "Who is he?"

Ares sighed and went to sit next to her, "The Andromedian,"

Rei's widened her eyes "W-What?"

"I have my reasons to believe he is being manipulated by a bigger force—a very dangerous being. This isn't something he came to do on his own. While the Andromedian might have been strong enough to be given the rank of Commander of the Lunar Army back then, he did not have the influence and the means he has today." He turned to look at his daughter and narrowed his grey eyes, "Mars, things are complicating... the time to rise up in arms is not far away,"

"What is he after?" Rei dared to ask, despite the growing fear in her chest.

"Revenge," Ares exhaled, "Things were not supposed to go this way," the blonde god closed his eyes for a moment, "Gaia's son was not supposed to be awakened and I know that wherever she is, she is cursing my name for having told her son the truth that has been hunting their dynasty for centuries, but it was the way destiny played its cards for everyone—even him, who was supposed to be suppressed until his death."

"Is he really a monster, Father?" Rei's voice quivered, "Is he really what they all say about him?"

Ares smiled softly "You care about him."

"Of course, I care about him, he is one of my best friends and he is now married to my Princess," Rei said with a defensive tone in her voice, "We all practically grew up together. We've come a long way... we all have fought together for the same cause, I do not believe—"

"So I heard—that they got married." Ares interrupted his daughter and turned to look away, "The High Gods are not happy about it. It is a bond that should never have to happen but like Chronos used to say, there are some things that cannot simply be helped. You do not tell fate how to its work." A sad smiled crossed his handsome face, "Yes Mars, he is part of a very strong dynasty and the power he holds is not to be taken lightly, but unlike the many Polemarchos I have trained over the years, the Terran Prince was not created for the god's convenient purposes, sadly his training has a purpose and yes, his killing nature is there; when he is commanded to fulfill a task, he will excel at it but his mother nurtured him with benevolence and that is what separates him from the rest. I stand by Serenity's belief and say he is Princess Serenity's perfect match and protector but also, he is the protector of this planet and sooner or later, you will have to step aside and let him fight like the warrior he was destined and trained to be." He sighed softly, "The gods repudiate him because he was not supposed to exist. A union between an ancient divine being and a mortal never brings an offspring—his birth challenged the laws of divine nature and they have never accepted it as such. To them, the Terran Prince is a threat because he is a strong link between the two realms. Mortal and Divine."

"So, it's true then, they are looking for him."

"Yes."

"And what will happen if they do?"

Ares caressed her daughter's cheek "You have to be strong and protect your Princess, this is not a battle she can step into and win with hopeful thoughts and love. It is a battle of annihilation."

"Are you saying that you're going to fight against us?" Ares saw traces of fright and concern in Rei's amethyst eyes as she looked at him, scared and confused. Ares cupped her cheek "I would never go against my own daughter." He looked down at her hands and took them into his large ones allowing his warm energy soothe her troubled heart, "We share one power Mars, but you are the good that was never harvested in me when I was created—you are the Senshi of Fire and War. A Sailor Senshi who fights for justice with courage when times get tough, remember who you are with pride and do not hold back."

"Papa... I have missed you so much." Rei whispered and leaned closer to him, surprising the god. Ares felt a wave of nostalgia and melancholy as he felt her head resting on his shoulder. All he has ever wanted for so many years was to be able to hold his daughter in his arms; closing his eyes he wrapped his arms around her and held her in a warm and loving embrace, "My sweet daughter," he whispered in her ear, "Do not be afraid. I will always be here for you."

Rei sighed with relief in his arms; she felt protected and loved and slowly began to understand and value her legacy as Sailor Senshi. Like he had said, she was awoken to fight for good alongside her comrades and soul sisters. She was not alone or abandoned, and as she snuggled into her father's arms she could feel being nurtured with his strong energy. Ares felt like he had achieved his biggest accomplishment; he finally could be near his daughter as he had wished for what felt like an eternity. All of his sacrifices and many battles along the way had become worthless compared to this moment with his daughter, his most sacred treasure. He opened his grey eyes and smiled sadly, "I am afraid our time has come to an end."

Rei opened her eyes and blinked startled, "Why?"

Ares pulled back, ending the embrace and caressed her cheek with his hand "You have visitors," he turned to look back and then back at her "I am always with you—even when you cannot see me."

"Hino-san."

Rei was surprised by Ares's sharpness and turned to see the two men from the day before when she and noticed one of them had a wooden urn wrapped in a cloth in his hands.

"Good afternoon...I'm sorry... I was..." she turned to the porch and found Ares gone, then turned to the two men in front of her "Never mind,"

The man holding the urn walked closer to the priestess and handed it with the most care, "Everything was made according to your wishes and Hino Eiji's will."

Rei extended her arms and took her grandfather's ashes with care and endearment in her arms. She looked at them and smiled softly "I thank you, for your attention."

The second man took an envelope from his briefcase and handed it to the priestess, "The young man that was here with you yesterday asked me to bring you all the paperwork issued for his passing, including medical exams and arrangements for his funeral processing. It is very unusual for us to being asked to deliver all the proper information in such short amount of time, but not impossible. You will find his death certificate and other belongings inherited to you inside of this envelope. You were fortunate to have such good advisor on your side."

Rei held the large white envelope; surprised Jadeite had such detail and care to do all the necessary to spare her of all the confusion that was to deal with her grandfather's passing and processing. "Thank you."

"We are deeply sorry for your loss," both men bowed in deep respect, "We knew Hino-san for many years, and we knew you were very important to him so he made sure to leave everything in order before his passing. He wanted you to live without any worry."

"Ojisan..." she whispered, feeling a small lump in her throat. Both men bowed again and turned to leave, "If there is anything else you might need in the future, please contact us, Hino-san."

Rei nodded "Thank you." with a soft sigh, she looked down at the wooden urn in her arms and brought it closer to her and closed her eyes, "I promise to always honor your memory, Ojisan. I will dance once again, one day. I promise."

O—o—o—o—O

Mamoru opened the door to their apartment and tossed the keys on the strategically placed plate on the table in the foyer carelessly and walked straight to the bedroom in silence carrying Usagi's suitcases in one hand his duffle bag with the other. Seconds later Usagi followed and entered the apartment, closing the door behind her.

After the uncomfortable moment at the gas station, the rest of their trip was tense and silent. Usagi felt terrible for what happened because she was more than aware that it was because she turned paranoid and over dramatic for something she was not even sure was happening. She let insecurities she did not even know she had taken over her and hurt Mamoru in the process. She never liked it when he was that serious and distant, he would never say anything or do anything hurtful but just the distance put between them was oppressive. With a heavy sigh, she walked to the living room to open the curtains and allow the remains of the afternoon sun warm the cold living room and took a deep breath before walking to the bedroom when she noticed her husband was nowhere around. The second she stepped foot into the room, her crystal blue eyes widened when she saw him lying upside down on the bed with his head hidden under a pillow. It was so strange to see him like that, it was like he was avoiding all contact with the rest of the world, which made her feel guiltier for her recent behavior.

She stood by the door, not really sure if she should go to him or not. She didn't know what to do, but she felt she had to do something or at least try to do some damage control. She walked to her side of the bed and sat next to him, "Mamo-chan?" she softly put her hand on his lower back and bit her lip nervously, "Are you okay?" she started rubbing his lower back softly and sighed when did not get a response from him. She looked down and closed her eyes with shame, "I'm sorry—I'm so, so sorry." She decided to go a little further and slid her hand under his t-shirt and caressed his skin for a minute before leaning down and kissing the small part of exposed skin before she turned to walk away; her eyes blinked with surprise when she felt his hand holding her wrist to stop her from going away. He pulled the pillow away from his head turned to look at her, "Why are you sorry?" Usagi noticed there was a hoarse and tired hint in his voice.

"Because I was weird... and made you all weird," Usagi sighed. Mamoru frowned and slowly pulled her to the bed until she laid next to him and wrapped his arm around her waist, "I just wish you could tell me what made you all weird." He murmured and closed his eyes again. Usagi realized there was something wrong with him and touched his forehead, "Mamo-chan... are you okay?"

"I have a migraine that's all—it's been drilling me all day."

Usagi widened her eyes "Why didn't you tell me?! I could have driven!" The comment made Mamoru popped one eye open and frown, "You don't like to drive..."

"No, but for you I would have taken the wheel and tried my best to take us home safe and sound. That's why I learned how to drive in the first place—for emergencies,"

"This isn't an emergency," Mamoru mumbled and closed his eye again, "It's just a headache,"

"But it's a bad one," Usagi frowned, "To me it is, that is an emergency." She snuggled closer to him and slowly started to run her fingers through his hair, knowing it was something that made him feel better whenever he felt stressed. Mamoru smiled softly at the gesture, "It's okay Usa, I'll be alright I just need to rest for a while,"

Usagi leaned closer and took a deep breath, "I love you," she whispered, "I love you, so much..."

Mamoru opened his eyes and caressed her back, "I love you too."

"No, but—I love you a _lot_." Usagi bit her lower lip when she saw Mamoru giving her a much warmer smile, the one smile that made her lose all reason. The one that always captivated her and made her feel all weak and soppy, "I love you a lot too," Mamoru said softly, making Usagi blush, "No, Mamo-chan—but I love you like, a lot— _lot._ " The comment finally cracked the awkwardness between them, Usagi noticed Mamoru was already feeling better when she saw him smiling and chuckling, "That's a whole lot of lot."

"A _lot_ ," Usagi wrapped a leg around his waist with mischief, "A _lot_ ," she moved closer to him and caressed her lips with his "A _lot_..."

Mamoru looked at her with fascination, "You know I can't control myself when you do that," he knew what she was doing, silently admiring how she had mastered the art of seduction. Usagi kept caressing his lips with hers and enjoyed how his raspy voice started to change into one with more passion, the same that made his eyes turn a darker shade of blue and looked into her soul. Usagi pulled back just an inch and smirked, "What? This?" she tightened her leg around his waist and giggled softly.

"Exactly that," Mamoru looked at her with raw desire making Usagi feel helpless against his charm; she knew she had lost her own game when her body no longer responded to her command and just wanted him to take over. When she said she loved him a lot, she meant it, and she wanted him to know. "Don't." She looked at him lean closer to her and didn't think it twice to respond and give in to the passionate kiss that slowly roamed down her neck and shoulder. Usagi mentally thanked her sweatshirt was large enough for him to pull the neck down and expose her shoulder and neckline. Her hands slowly roamed his back until she reached the bottom of his t-shirt, pulled it up and threw it away. Between gasps for air and soft moans, she continued kissing and undressing him. Usagi felt the stress and guilt slowly being ripped away with every piece of clothing Mamoru took off her and let any remains of doubt in her turn into longing and passion as they made love under the covers. She felt the pure bliss of his warm body touching hers, his hands caressing every inch of her skin with extreme care and delicacy to a point it drove her to the very edge of reason; she could not get enough of him, she could never get enough of him and she made sure to make him understand how much she meant when she said she loved him, a lot.

Mamoru rolled onto his back so she could be on top of him and opened his eyes, both breathing heavily and gasping for air. The continued expressing their love through whispers of sweet words, passionate kisses and caresses until they both reached to the deepest point of pleasure. Mamoru opened his stormy blue eyes and looked at a flushed Usagi still trying to catch her breath and biting her lip sensually while looking down at him, "See?" she smiled, "I love you, a lot."

Mamoru smiled and pushed himself up to kiss her softly on her lips before laying down again and take a deep breath, "I love you too—a lot." Usagi leaned down and wrapped her arms around his neck and started to comb his hair back, "I want to stay like this forever,"

Mamoru caressed her waist and brought her hand to his lips and kissed it softly, "That sounds like a plan, but, wouldn't that be dangerous?"

"Why?" Usagi chuckled, Mamoru caressed her lower back in a random pattern and sighed softly, "Because you would get all grumpy for not having anything to eat, you would be bound to be here, with me." The lunar girl chuckled and rolled down to rest on her side and let out a soft breath, "That's not a problem for me," she tapped Mamoru's nose gently and let out a much heavier sigh, one that slowly brought her back to reality. "I feel guilty for feeling this blissful when I know a dear friend of mine is sad."

"Don't," Mamoru tucked a strand of her hair that had managed its way out of her long, now messy braid. "One thing doesn't have to do with the other—you are not rejoicing in what happened, she has your support and that is what truly counts."

"I guess you're right..." Usagi rolled onto her back and pursed her lips. The couple stayed silent for a couple of minutes while looking at the ceiling like if it held some sort of answer. "I wonder if there's going to be a memorial,"

"Let's go see her," Mamoru looked for her hand and kissed it softly then turned on his side to sit when a familiar ring interrupted their intimate moment. Usagi immediately froze on the bed when she recognized the tone of Mamoru's phone whenever someone sent him a text and tried to avert her mind from the same demons that had haunted her on the last days of her honeymoon but she couldn't ignore Mamoru's interest in checking what he had received before muting the phone and put it back on his nightstand.

"Who is it?" Usagi asked softly with a weary tone in her voice as she watched her husband rubbing the bridge of his nose, "Random number."

Usagi found it strange that he would hesitate a minute before answering allowing her fragile self-esteem welcome those demons again and start playing games with her mind and put her patience to the test once again. She sat on the bed and tried to hold the tears forming in her eyes, she closed them for a minute and tried to hold the heavy lump she felt in her throat, "I am going to take a quick shower... it's been quite a long day." She heard Mamoru say as she tried to fight the idea of her husband cheating on her and crawled to sit behind Mamoru and wrapped her arms around his bare chest and started to kiss his toned back, thinking if there was another woman trying to avert her husband's attention from her, she would do something about it to prevent it.

Usagi wrapped the silky sheet around her and went to stand in front of Mamoru and pulled the hair tie to let her long silver-blonde hair fall like a halo around her face and exposed shoulders, "Usa..." he mumbled with bedazzlement. Without saying another word, she held his hand and pulled his arm to let him her intentions, making him blush. Mamoru smiled at her and wrapped his arms around her waist tightly and looked down at her with wonder, "You're a naughty, Princess..." he whispered in her ear, his warm breath tickled her ear making her smile; Usagi looked up at him straight in the eye and kissed him softly on the lips, "Well, that's your fault, my Prince, you are a _very_ gorgeous man..." she whispered sensually and squealed in delight when Mamoru lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bathroom and closing the door behind them.

* * *

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	39. Chapter 39

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Thirty-Nine

* * *

Ami finished getting ready and walked back to her room and saw Zoisite trying to put on a clean shirt. Since the day he started staying with the bluenette, one of the times the Shitennou went to check up on him they left a small bag with clean clothes for him to wear, and something a little more formal for the memorial included. Ami walked over to the side of the bed he was sitting on and helped him button the crisp white shirt "You should have told me—your injuries are still delicate. You need to take it easy."

Zoisite flinched slightly and looked at Ami helping with a blush on his cheeks. It felt so natural for him to be around her and to stay under the same roof. His green eyes looked into her blue eyes and smiled softly, "You look very beautiful." Ami blushed and stepped back, tucking a strand of black-blue hair behind her ear, "T-Thank you." she looked at her black, mid-length dress and smiled "I felt this was more appropriate for the ceremony."

"You do not need much to look regal, Ballerina," Zoisite slowly stood up, "In my humble opinion."

Ami felt her cheeks flush with shyness and handed the blonde his black jacket, "Thank you," he said softly as he put it on.

"How are you feeling?" Ami asked shyly, trying to avert the conversation to something else.

"Much better, just a little sore here and there but I believe I will be able to go home." Zoisite said and gave Ami a warm smile "I thank you, Mercury, for everything you have done for me."

"I should be the one thanking you, you saved my life." Ami helped him by zipping his black leather jacket mid-way, "You stepped in between me and that woman—if it wasn't for me, you would not have gotten hurt."

"We have to stay in this together—it is not about pointing our fingers and blame each other for what happened." Zoisite cupped Ami's cheek gently, "But, you have to keep in mind that I am here to serve my Prince—however this situation unfolds, I must stay on his side."

"You make it sound like if you would fight against us... again," Ami frowned and stepped back, giving the blonde a worried, almost hurt glare. Zoisite noticed her tensing up and walked over to her to hold her hand, "I will not fight against you, Mercury. That is not what I meant. I am talking about measures the Prince might take to keep your Princess safe—measures she might not like or agree to follow."

The bluenette exhaled softly, "I understand," she felt his warm hand on her chin as he lifted her face up to look into his eyes "We can fight this, we will fight this—together."

Ami leaned her head on his chest and listened to the soft and steady beat of his heart. She closed her eyes for a minute, thinking about the many things she would have to leave behind due to her duties as soldier making her quiver and feel vulnerable; her blue eyes slowly opened and sighed softly "Together..." she whispered, wishing time and destiny would have been nobler to bring him sooner into her life. Ami had a feeling and she was afraid things were not going to be the same after this second encounter, that she would not have another night with him to eat ramen and talk about other things but just about their duties as soldiers. She wished things could have been different for them and realized that it hasn't been a tragic love story just for the princess and prince but for them too.

Zoisite noticed the melancholy in Ami's blue eyes making it clear that words were not really necessary to describe what they were feeling. He cared for her the same way she did despite trying to prove otherwise, "Mercury," his voice came out as the softest of whispers and cupped her cheek with his hand, "Beautiful ballerina—you have my heart in your hands." Ami's eyes widened "W-What..."

The blonde looked down and smiled shyly "Nobody has ever looked after me the way you have before—I will keep that with me forever." Ami's eyes glazed with tears and twirled her finger with one of the pieces of blonde hair framing his face "I just wish things were different."

Zoisite leaned down and looked into her eyes with endearment, "Things can be different—if you let them," His lips brushed hers in a small peck that sent a million of crashing feelings to Ami's heart making her feel lightheaded and with a stomach full of butterflies; she looked at him dazed and marveled "Do you really believe so?"

Zoisite chuckled and nodded "I know so, Ballerina—I just do."

Ami smiled and wrapped her arms around him in an innocent and loving embrace, his words giving her the fuel to accept her fate and nature as a girl born with divine energy and power but a girl who also wanted to love and be loved in return. Thinking about how many times she could feel attracted to somebody and that never really developed into something more, it was because nobody could ever understand her the way the celestial general did. Since the day they met, they immediately felt a friendly bond that if nurtured, it could be something greater than they ever imagined; now all she had to do was to let it happen.

O—o—o—o—O

Asteria walked through the long corridors that led the main court and throne room of the Lord of the Underworld. Her spiked high heels clicked a crisp sound against the immaculate and dark mirror-like floors accompanied by the melodic, metal sound of her chains moving along with the swing of her hips.

The long, dark doors opened as she walked in silence a large room and kneeled in front of a dark throne. She knew that no matter how strong or how influential a being may be, one never was to appear without notice before the dark lord. She rested her arm on her bent knee and hung her head low to show her respect, "You have called for my presence, My Lord?" her deep, strong voice echoed in the room. Hades opened his cold, grey eyes and looked at her with not a single trace of readable emotion, "I have, Asteria." he crossed his hands on his lap elegantly, "I want to know the status of the task I commanded you to follow."

Asteria looked up, her pitch-black eyes looked at the man in a dark armor and nodded, "I have made contact with the rural planet, My Lord," she shook her head and frowned, "But its protector was nowhere in sight—instead, I was met with a Sailor Senshi and another kind of Guardian."

"Ares' daughter?" Hades frowned, Asteria shook her head "Hermes' daughter,"

"I see," The lord of the underworld leaned his head on his hand and gritted his teeth, a common gesture from the man when something was not entirely pleasant for him. Asteria had learned to read Hades' gestures and mannerisms like the palm of her hands. The lord of the underworld was a god of few words, he was quiet and analytical but also, intimidating—very intimidating.

"I caused enough commotion to provoke the hybrid—it should come around soon enough."

"They are protecting it—Saturn included." Hades snarled with indignation and looked at the dark goddess kneeling in front of him, "She is not following her duties as Sailor Senshi. That is why I chose you to take over the task."

"Yes, My Lord." Asteria bowed her head and gave the lord of the underworld a quizzical glare, "Are the High Gods aware of this situation, My Lord?"

Hades stood up and walked down the stairs of his high throne made of bone and metal. His dark cape flowed behind him like a shadow, his dark hair flowed like a curtain of smoke behind him as he slowly moved towards the goddess who immediately stood up to meet his eyes. Hades looked down at her and arched his brow, "Ares has been keeping everyone busy with this foolish idea that the seal in Tartarus will break, he keeps tainting his reputation with stupid ideals—my brother, the God of War... how appalling,"

"My Lord," Asteria nodded and narrowed her dark eyes with intrigue, "May I ask why you want its soul with such insistence?"

Hades's expression never changed, it was still stern and cold serving right to his title of god of the dead "Because it has something it should not be in its command—and of course, I want it. If I have that under my control then the Underworld will gain a new dimension of power,"

"It is a matter of protection then," Asteria said with a calculating tone in her voice. The lord of the underworld tilted his head up with pride, "It is a matter of having control over magnificent power that could do wonders for me and this realm." his dry voice fell a few decibels, showing his disgust regarding the matter, "That dynasty is a curse, I see no point in preserving what is left of it—a hybrid... a disgusting creation between an ancient creature and a mortal. Helios was always complicated and this is the result of his actions... but what can you really expect from those of Titan blood."

"My Lord," Asteria arched her brow, "About the Terran Titaness... I still have shadows searching for her soul but is still nowhere to be found,"

"I do not care about her—she can wander in Purgatorio or wherever she thinks she is safe for as long as she likes for now. When I get hold of her damn offspring she will have no other option but to come out and face her sentence. I will be accomplishing two things at once without Serenity pleading for mercy and understanding, and Ares..." he sighed and rolled his eyes with mockery, "Well, he is digging his own tomb with his stupid actions,"

Asteria nodded "Yes, My Lord."

"Fear is something you install to others to get what you want," Hades said lowly, "It is like a curtain of smoke that permeates deep into their minds. I am giving you more than enough time for you to perform as asked." Asteria bowed her head in respect and nodded, "I will follow your command, My Lord—I shall bring the results you are expecting soon enough."

Hades glanced at her for a minute before walking back to his throne, "I expect nothing less from you Asteria. Your loyalty is bound to this realm and to me. Perform as asked, get the task done, and bring me the hybrid's soul."

Asteria bowed her head one last time and walked out of Hades' throne room. Her pale lips curving into a devilish smile as she opened the portal that would take her to her nest and where she also welcomed the blonde general for her own convenience. After his return from Earth, she has kept his body suspended and deeply unconscious and has been feeding him the energy the shadows have been gathering from the people on Earth. She looked with pride at her accomplishment and grinned with pleasure as her dark, claw-like nails caressed her lips, "Fear is something you install to get what you want, indeed, that is true My Lord, but, it is also the power you need to rule it all." she narrowed her black eyes, "Which is why I will have to scare you too."

O—o—o—o—O

Rei sat inside the prayer room at the temple, her grandfather's urn was resting right in front of the sacred fire as the priestess prayed for his soul and bid her goodbyes to him from the physical world. The shitennou had come to give the priestess their support alongside her friends and remained silent, not really paying attention to the couple dressed in black that just walked into the room and decided to stay in the back until the ceremony was finished. Rei chanted the last of her prayers and threw some sand into the sacred fire to feed it and lighten his grandfather's path to his eternal rest; she sighed softly as she caressed the urn and smiled sadly "Say hi to Mama for me, would you Ojisan?" she turned and smiled at her friends, then widened her eyes in shock to see the couple in the back, "U-Usagi! Mamoru!"

Usagi smiled and waved her hand, surprising the girls including Luna and Artemis. Minako widened her eyes "Wait," she turned to Kunzite, who had already informed her that Mamoru was aware of the situation but she was very surprised how he managed to locate the prince when not even they knew where they had gone for their honeymoon. The silver-blonde nodded at her friend ad responded the hug when Rei wrapped her arms around Usagi, "Oh my goodness... you came!"

"Of course we came," Usagi smiled and gave a tight nudge at her priestess friend before pulling back, Rei shook her head in disbelief, "B-But, this is your honeymoon." Rei turned to Mamoru and patted his arm, "Now, I feel terrible,"

"No, no... don't worry about it," Mamoru said softly and shook his head, "You are our friend—of course we were going to be here."

Rei sighed softly and gave her blonde friend a scolding look, one that took Minako by surprise, "I asked Minako-chan not to say a word about it,"

"It's okay Rei-chan," Usagi tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear, "This is exactly the reason why we chose to stay close, we were in Sendai, close enough to come back in case of an emergency and this was an emergency for us."

"This means a lot to me, really," Rei looked at the royal couple with tears in her amethyst eyes, "Thank you so much,"

"Anytime, Rei-chan." Usagi smiled and looked at the urn resting close to the sacred fire "Is Hino-san going to stay in this room from now on?" Rei turned to look over her shoulder and shook her head "No, just for tonight," she turned and smiled sadly "Then I will take his ashes to his room—that will always be his special place,"

Usagi nodded and saw Luna coming towards her and kneeled down to greet her, "Luna, it's so good to see you," she hugged the dark lady cat and picked her up before walking out to the porch with the rest. "When did you get here?" Luna asked her princess with surprise. Usagi put Luna down next to Artemis and sat next to them, "Today—around noon,"

"How was your honeymoon trip?" Artemis asked softly and polite as always. Usagi pet him behind his ears and smiled with a hint of guilt due to what happened on the last day of their stay, "It was lovely, Artemis, thank you for asking,"

"I did not know you were going to return so quickly..." Minako joined their conversation and sat next to her silver-blonde friend, "When Kunzite told me he had sent a message to Mamoru I didn't think he would look at it right away you know—considering the reasons for your absence."

The mention of the message pulled Usagi back to her malicious thoughts of her husband's messages with another woman and frowned when she clearly remembered there was no message from the general on his phone and she never thought of other ways they had to communicate. Soon after the ceremony ended and walked out, the group was divided into two with Ami, Makoto and Rei sat around Usagi, Minako, and the lunar advisors on the porch while the shitennou and Mamoru stayed by the *Ema, the place where people left their prayers to the gods, at an appropriate distance from the girls to give them more privacy to discuss the events with the dark soldier. Zoisite was the first to greet the prince; while he was as close with the prince as much as the other shitennou were, of all four, the blonde general was the one that always addressed the prince with honorary titles first as a way to show his respect, "Master," Zoisite bowed his head, "I was not expecting to see you this soon."

Mamoru looked at him and narrowed his eyes, still slightly affected with a migraine he had since morning, and also, because he still was not too fond of the word _master_ , but no matter how much he pleaded or tried, the generals were too set in their ways and he just had to accept it and let it go, "How are you feeling Zoisite?"

The blonde looked at the prince and nodded, "Much better now, thank you. I am almost fully recovered—all thanks to Mercury who looked out for me these couple of days."

"We do not know much about her intentions, Endymion," Kunzite said in a warning tone, "But she was very interested in meeting the protector of this planet."

"Sailor Moon..." Mamoru narrowed his blue eyes, showing disgust; the shitennou shook their heads "No, she asked for _you,_ " Nephrite clarified, "She never mentioned Princess Serenity,"

"That same night, when Mercury and I were attacked the Outer Senshi came to us. It was the Senshi of Silence who gave us more information about this woman—she is linked to very dark forces," Zoisite said with a worried tone in his voice. Jadeite followed and let out a heavy sigh while crossing his arms, "She is one crooked being Endymion—she is from the Underworld."

Mamoru frowned "The Underworld?"

"For what Sailor Saturn told us, she guards one of the gates in the Underworld, yes." Nephrite nodded; Kunzite followed and crossed his arms just like Jadeite, "What she did was just to send a message—she could have caused more damage right then and there if she had wanted to."

"She doesn't know yet who exactly is she looking for—she doesn't know me, but her messages have been successfully delivered," Mamoru's voice lowered with disgust, "As a natural mechanism of offense she targeted whatever stood in her way to get our attention,"

"And she certainly did. It is strange that she appeared just when the famous exhibition will be released to the public," Kunzite narrowed his eyes, "Venus has informed me it will happen soon,"

"She compared herself to a Polemarchos, Endymion," Zoisite turned to the prince with concern, "The only woman we know that holds such title is Her Majesty, and because there are reasons behind it,"

Mamoru pursed his lips "I suppose the only one that could give us more specific information about her would be Ares but—well, it's obvious why he hasn't come as often."

"Often?"

"He's been here before—his energy is all over the place... it lingers in the air," Mamoru muttered and peered at Usagi who was talking to the girls, "But it's not him I worry about, but Serenity—" he sighed heavily, finally letting his frustrations flow out of him, "I'm worried about her—she began acting very strange yesterday... I don't know if these messages have reached for her too," his prismatic blue eyes darkened as he looked at her, "I must not let this woman get close to her by any means."

-O-

"It seems like all of you have gotten along very well," Usagi said with surprise in her voice as she looked at the girls with a more relaxed look in their faces, "I'm glad to see that."

"They have been very attentive." Ami thought on how Zoisite had been looking out for her despite him being injured. Makoto smiled and nodded, "They were not our enemies when we first met them so I suppose that has something to do with it."

"Yes, especially the white-haired General with Minako." Artemis said with a playful tone making Minako blush all shades of crimson, "Hush, Artemis!"

Usagi widened her eyes, "You are finally getting along?"

Minako tried her best to look cool and that she had everything under control but the intense pink shade in her cheeks was giving her shyness away, "Let's just say we had a little fallout after your wedding but we got to talk and now things are much better, thank you." she turned to Artemis and flicked his ear making him jump in his defense, "Hey!"

"You are such a tattletale," Minako muttered and turned to Usagi completely ignoring the feline's glare. "So, are you guys going back to continue your honeymoon?"

Usagi shook her head "No, I don't think so—we'll stay here." she turned to Rei and patted her hand as if preventing her from saying something apologetic, "We still have days off so, it will help us settle down and get used to being together every day."

"I don't believe that is going to be a problem," Luna said softly.

"Luna's right," Rei smiled softly, "It's something you always wanted and you waited for this for years,"

"Yes," Usagi nodded with a faint smile. There was something odd in Usagi's voice that Minako caught right away. As a senshi of love, her powers were enhanced the moment Usagi entered the strongest phase of her role as senshi but also, because she knew her like the palm of her hand. She felt there was something bothering her but she was trying her best to cover it with smiles and innocent giggles. It was obvious it was something she did not want to tell the girls and advisors together, so she had to wait for the perfect time to address it without sounding too invasive.

They continued chatting about the things that happened during their absence starting by how Jadeite exposed his feelings to Rei and how she painfully turned him down. About Makoto's enlightenment and how to really pursue and accomplish her dream to have her own business thanks to Nephrite's advice and about Ami's surprising and unexpected closeness to Zoisite and what happened with the mysterious woman that attacked them.

"I wish I could have known about this sooner..." Usagi said with regret, "We had a honeymoon at the worst possible time."

"Don't feel guilty about this Usa-chan," Ami leaned forward and held her hand, "There was no way any of us knew this could happen—it was sudden and unexpected."

"Well, yes but, before the wedding... the fight with Athamas..." Usagi sighed and shook her head, "We should have been more careful—more alert."

"Athamas hasn't appeared again," Minako waved her hand, dismissing the man with disgust, "Not that I miss him or anything."

"Yes, everything is so erratic and it literally makes no sense. We don't know who we are going against but whoever that is, it has nothing to do with the fact that you were not here," Rei put her hand on Usagi's shoulder, "Don't blame yourself for this—this was your time,"

"I will always feel responsible for anything that happens to you," Usagi said with a faint smile gracing her lips, "Whether you like or not,"

"Well, don't." Rei said, "We're Sailor Senshi and we are also not alone. There is a reason why they're here too and that only makes us stronger against the enemy."

"Rei-chan is right, Usagi-chan," Ami nodded, "Zoisite got hurt because he was covering for me while I tried to look for a weak point to attack this woman—not because he was not strong enough to fight her,"

"I understand what you're saying... but I still feel like I should have been here sooner, I know how important your grandfather is to you." Usagi turned to the priestess with a sad look, Rei tucked a strand of blonde hair behind Usagi's ear and shook her head, "I am at peace—I know he is resting, I know he is happy. I will miss him yes, but as long as he is happy I am happy."

"Rei-chan..." Usagi was moved by the priestess' sweet words and tightened her grip on her friend's hand. Rei smiled at her and pulled her closer in support. "We're together in this Usagi-chan, you have us and we have you." Minako leaned forward and patted her princess' hand "And Mamoru has your back too, so that's a plus,"

"Minako's right, with his awakening we have more to our advantage," Rei said softly and tilted her head with curiosity, "Has he mentioned anything about that?"

Usagi shook her head, "No, not really. I mean... I know it's there, but, since that day he hasn't mentioned anything about how he feels, what he sees or what he remembers. All I know is that he has memories and skills that didn't come back to him when we all reacted to the power of the Silver Crystal but there is something else, I can feel it... I am more aware that I am Serenity and not just Usagi anymore... it's crazy..."

"So, what you are saying is that another side of you as Serenity awoke when Endymion did," Minako said with wonder as she watched Usagi nodding in agreement and moved her hands to emphasize what she was trying to explain, "But, don't misunderstand my words... it doesn't feel wrong or that we are not ourselves anymore—it just feels like we're stronger."

"I find it strange that he hasn't said anything—about what he remembered," Ami bit her lower lip, "Or about the power he learned he has."

"All he said was that he could feel everything—his link to Earth is strong and he remembers everything like if it just happened yesterday. I also know he is upset about not knowing anything until now," Usagi sighed softly "He's mad at the Queen."

"The Terran Queen?" Rei frowned, Usagi nodded "He's hurt—he feels let down,"

"Well, we can't blame him, he was kept from knowing a very shocking truth in both of his lives," Makoto said sadly, "Good thing the Shitennou are here for him and he also has us to support him."

Minako put her hand on top of Usagi's and tightened her grip to let her know she was there for her no matter what else was troubling her. It was a connection only they shared since the very beginning; it was more than obvious how close the five of them were with one another but with Minako was something else, it was a proximity they nurtured way back in the day that had lasted up to date.

"Megumi-san? Is she okay?" Usagi turned to her blonde friend who only nodded in response. Makoto shifted in her place and sighed softly, "She's with Haruka-san and the others... they don't want her to leave their side, she's safe."

"You don't sound too excited about it," Usagi arched her brow and pursed her lips, "Did something else happen besides the attack?" her blue eyes never left Makoto's forest green eyes and tilted her head to the side with a sad smile, "Well... the more things happen, the more Haruka-san worries about you and that reflects in how she interacts with us, Megumi-san included."

Usagi knew what the Amazon meant by that and let out a heavy sigh. Luna went to sit next to Usagi and patted her paw on Usagi's hand with the grace that always characterized her, "Don't worry, Usagi-chan. Queen Serenity always mentioned how she wanted Prince Endymion to be with you and protect you—whatever Haruka-san thinks is not a reflection of the truth." Usagi turned to Luna and scratched her behind her ears and smiled softly, "She did?"

"She did not say it with those exact words but she implied it—constantly," Artemis joined the conversation, "And we must keep in mind Queen Serenity was an important pillar of an Alliance respected and supported by every god in the galaxy. When the Terran Queen was still acknowledged as a goddess, Earth kept its rightful place in that Alliance. When she left the divine realm, all relations were cut off but its input was still important. Earth's reinsertion to the Alliance was essential to strengthen the bond giving our Queen more reasons to fight for the cause. The moment we all found out about your romance with the Terran Prince, Her Majesty saw a light at the end of the dark tunnel because he was going to face the gods and deal with their demands bringing a new opportunity to negotiate, things were looking hopeful but they never got to be fulfilled."

"Hmm..." Makoto frowned, "This only makes me think that everything that has happened up until now might be caused by the gods." she bit her lip. Ami frowned and turned to look at her friend over her shoulder with curiosity "You really think so?"

"Artemis just said it—Queen Serenity and Prince Endymion were going to plan a strategy to reinsert Earth in the Alliance and reinforce their initial bond, one, the gods have been reluctant to accept for very stupid reasons if you ask me," Makoto shrugged her shoulders, "But now that time has passed and that Princess Serenity has married Prince Endymion the possibility is on the table once again, giving more than enough reasons for them to try their best to stop it from happening."

"That makes so much sense..." Minako widened her eyes with awe, "You are very good Mako-chan,"

Makoto smiled and wiggled her brows, "I know,"

Rei turned to Usagi and held her hand, "The question here Usagi-chan, is if you are aware of the battle that is ahead of us—your union with Mamoru is accepted _here_ but not up there. You basically married their enemy and you as the heir of a very important empire this causes friction."

Usagi nodded without a hint of fear in her eyes, "I am aware of it and I don't care—" she turned to Minako and the others with a daring look in her face, "You better than anyone know I could care less about that, I love Endymion. My feelings are not going to change and I will not budge to their taunts and threats." the authority in her voice took everyone by surprise, "We promised to find a way to be together—we knew we were going to need to fight whoever opposed our union and if all Olympus is going against us, so be it..." she blinked a little confused by the look of shock in the girl's eyes, including Luna and Artemis, "What? Did I say something odd?"

"There is definitely a strong influence from the Prince in you," Artemis said with admiration, "I remember that sudden determination and boldness in your character. I remember your constant arguments with the Andromedian about how much you wanted to learn how to fight or when you fought for the rights of your people." Luna nodded and sighed, "Oh yes, it sure took Queen Serenity by surprise..."

Usagi blushed, "Well _I did_ want to learn... I was tired of being an amusement to everyone, I felt like a doll... I felt nobody took me seriously," With this new piece of information, Artemis felt more intrigued to know what happened to her back then and just how much did she actually know. Leaning forward, the white cat narrowed his green eyes with wonder, "Usagi... did he really teach you _?"_

Usagi blinked "W-What?"

"Did Prince Endymion really teach you how to fight? Did you actually hold a sword?"

The blonde princess turned to Mamoru who was still deep in a conversation with the Shitennou and smiled softly before she turned her attention back at Artemis and nodded, "He did—" she sighed softly, finally releasing that tension the conversation was putting on her, "But he was always very strict with the things he taught me because he has never wanted me to kill anyone, he said he never wanted my hands to be tainted with blood. He taught me skills for defense because he knew Athamas was being abusive—he didn't tell me he knew... but... now I can see it was more than obvious that he knew," her face turned sad, "I didn't remember any of this until that day when he got his memories back. There are so many things I remember now that I didn't when the Silver Crystal first reacted." she looked at Artemis, then at the girls with the same sad look in her eyes, "I know the things he did—I know he was not someone to be played with. He had the authority and enough power to move large crowds to follow his command... I know he was cold and hermetic when he got upset but I also know him better than anyone and I know he is not a bad person, he never did what he did to inflict fear on others. Every single did he did was to protect his family and his Kingdom... to give the inhabitants of Earth a place to live safe and happy," the princess let out a soft sigh, "But... I don't want him to do that anymore..."

"Do what, exactly?" Minako frowned.

"Follow his path as Polemarchos," Usagi looked up at the blonde, "I do not want him to hold that sword and kill anyone anymore,"

Artemis sighed heavily, knowing where this conversation was going, "Usagi—I understand your words but saying that you are against the idea of him being a Polemarchos is like if you would be against the idea of the girls being Sailor Senshi,"

"I know,"

"It's who he is, Usagi-chan..." Luna said with a soft, understanding tone to join Artemis' reasoning. Usagi nodded and bit her lip, "I know and I understand... I just—"

"I know," Minako wrapped her arms around her friend who was now on the verge of tears, " _We_ _know_ —but you just said it, he is not a bad person."

Usagi shook her head with despondency, "No, he is not—he's not..." she couldn't take her emotions at bay anymore and broke into sobs, startling the girls, "Usagi-chan, what's wrong!?"

Minako quickly turned to Mamoru who had turned with alarm to look at his wife the minute he heard her voice breaking with emotion; the blonde rubbed her friends back and gave him a sad smile, one that silently pleaded him to come to her aid. Mamoru jolted to his wife's side and wrapped his arms around her in a warm and secure embrace giving Minako the opportunity to step back. She looked at the couple with a soft smile as she silently reassured Usagi's words: the terran prince was not a bad person.

Usagi immediately sensed the change of the embrace, while Minako's was warm and sisterly, Mamoru's was protective and comforting and slowly responded to it by wrapping her arms around his neck and snuggled her head in his chest as she continued to sob for a while longer, "Usa... what happened?" Mamoru turned to Minako with a worried look, one the blonde clarified as she leaned closer to his ear, "She is a little overwhelmed with everything that's been going on lately,"

Mamoru sighed in understanding and pulled his wife closer and started to lull her gently by rocking her back and forth, a tactic he had learned worked for her whenever she felt anxious or depressed, "It's okay Usa, let it out... let it all out,"

It was endearing for the girls, shitennou, and lunar advisors to see the devotion Mamoru had for Usagi knowing the kind of warrior he was; there was no question that his love for her was deeper than the oceans on Earth and as infinite as the universe itself. Minako went to stand next to Kunzite who was looking at her with quizzical eyes, "I will tell you later," she mumbled loud enough for him to hear and held his hand tightly. Rei leaned closer to pat Usagi's hand that was still holding onto Mamoru's black shirt, her grip was so tight her knuckles were turning white, "You're tired, Usagi-chan... you need to rest... it's been a long day for you too," the priestess looked down at her watch and sighed, "It _is_ quite late."

Makoto frowned and leaned closer to look at her friend's watch and widened her eyes, "Whoa, is it this late already?!" Rei nodded, "Yes, and all of you all have an exhausted look on your faces—go home and sleep." she chuckled softly, "I didn't know it was this late either... no wonder I feel like I am about to plummet any minute now,"

"Rei-chan..." Ami looked at her with a worried expression but Rei shook her head, "It's okay Ami-chan, I am going to be okay. I promise."

"Call us if you need anything," Mamoru turned to look at her, "Don't mind the hour," Usagi moved enough to be able to turn and looked at her friend with teary eyes, "Please?"

The action made Rei chuckle with endearment, "Seriously? You are the one who looks more tired than any of us! Go to sleep for the love of god."

"Rei-chan..." Usagi frowned not taking the priestess joke and giving little to no option for Rei no negotiate, "Alright, I promise."

"I will call you in the morning," Minako grabbed her purse. Makoto followed, "Me too, so be prepared."

Rei smiled, "Alright, alright—all of you are acting like worrisome parents... stop it,"

"Sorry—it can't be helped," Makoto pinched Rei's cheek softly, "We are one strange family, remember? Can't turn our heads the other way when one of us is having a hard time," she turned to Usagi, "Hear that Usa-chan?" Usagi looked at Makoto with wide eyes and nodded with resignation. Mamoru looked down at her and kissed her forehead, "Come on Buns, let's go," he pulled away and helped her stand up, "Do you feel okay to walk?"

"Yeah..." Usagi said in a sheepish tone and leaned her head on his arm and turned to wave her hand at everyone before putting Mamoru's arm around her shoulders. Kunzite nodded and turned to the girls with the same tired look in his face as everyone else, "We shall leave as well." he frowned and turned to Zoisite, "How are you feeling?"

Zoisite nodded, "I can walk—do not worry," his green eyes rested on Ami and gave her a soft smile, "I thank you again, Mercury." Ami blushed and turned to Mamoru who was also giving her nod in gratitude for her attention towards the general before looking down at Usagi, "Ready?" Usagi nodded softly and turned to Luna, who immediately answered her unasked question "It's alright, I will stay here with Artemis." The princess leaned closer to Luna and gave her a soft kiss on her head, "I love you, Luna. You and Artemis are always going to be welcome with us." Luna purred and smiled, "I love you too Usagi-chan."

Minako wiggled her brows at the white cat, "Alright Artemis—way to go." Artemis sighed in defeat as he turned to look away, "You never change,"

"Yes... yes..." Minako laughed and waved her hand dismissively, both guardian and senshi having their own discussion and making everyone laugh in the process. Away from the discussion, Jadeite turned to Rei and tilted his head down, "Are you going to be alright?"

Rei widened her eyes, surprised by his gesture "Y-Yes," she answered softly, "What you said really helped me feel much better."

Jadeite crossed his arms and smiled, "You are not alone Mars. Look around you, you have too many people that love you, keep that in mind." he shrugged his shoulders playfully, "You even have me, so..." he said between chuckles, being more Jadeite the sweet and sarcastic joker than Jadeite the soldier and it was something she really much appreciated. Rei smiled at her friends who had become her family as they walked away and let out a releasing sigh, "I love you too guys... thank you... for everything."

O—o—o—o—O

The next morning, Usagi opened her eyes and it didn't take long to realize Mamoru was not in bed with her anymore. Frowning and wondering about the hour, she looked for his phone as it was usually the closest for her to check on the time since she always left hers either inside her purse or at a random place around the apartment and pursed her lips when it was also nowhere to be found. Not really sure why, but she felt a wave of panic taking over her and jumped out of the bed and quickly walked out of the bedroom to look for him. As she was getting close to the living room she heard he was talking to someone whom she immediately deduced was over the phone since there was no response from anyone in the apartment and leaned on the wall as she waited for him to continue with the conversation.

 _"You have been very insistent. I was away, I couldn't answer you—I know there are things we still need to do."_

Usagi frowned when she heard Mamoru's voice was coming from the kitchen and it was almost in whispers, _"I can't talk louder—"_ she heard him making an abrupt pause and sighed tiredly, _"Because I am not alone—yes, she's here."_

Usagi froze in her hiding spot and took a deep breath when she figured out with whom he was talking to. Her vision slowly became cloudy from the tears that were starting to pool and ready to roll down her flushed cheeks. She felt like if her heart was ripped from her chest and smashed against a wall like a crystal ball.

 _"Yes, I'm pleased—yes, I am very impressed, yes, you're good—listen, I need to keep this conversation short because she can wake any minute now and I don't want her to know I've been doing this, we can continue this when I see you."_

Usagi bit her lower lip as she continued listening to the one side conversation feeling like all air was stolen from her lungs.

 _"I will go see you later today—I will tell her I am going to the hospital—yes, I know."_

That was all Usagi could handle and returned to the bedroom to hide under the covers in a poor attempt to find some comfort. Minutes later, she heard him roaming around the bedroom and then closing the bathroom door behind him completely unaware that she was pretending to be asleep.

Usagi uncovered her head and looked for his phone again, hesitating if it was a good idea to see if there were new things she could find, maybe a picture, maybe another text as she held the sleek black phone in with a shaky hand and felt it's warmth for being active for who knows how long before she woke up. Shaking her head and swallowing her tears, she decided it was best to leave the device on his nightstand and turned her back on it. Her face was turning red from containing all of her anger and pain coiling in her chest and the pit of her stomach like the most poisonous of snakes.

She covered her head when she heard him come out of the bathroom, now fully dressed wearing a royal blue, v neck sweater over a white t-shirt and a pair of dark jeans. She hated he had shaved and combed his hair the way she liked it, she hated he had put on her favorite cologne, right now, she hated with all of her might how handsome he was. Completely unaware of her turmoil, Mamoru sat on his side of the bed and put his black metal watch and his wedding band before turning to look at his wife and leaned closer to kiss her on her temple to wake her up, "Usa,"

Usagi now hating herself for yielding to such adorable gesture, opened her eyes and looked at him pretending to be surprised. Two could play the same game—she thought bitterly. "Mamo-chan? W-What?" Mamoru smiled and kissed her on the lips softly, "I have to go out for a while but I will be back as soon as I'm done, okay? I promise."

"W-Where?" Usagi rubbed her eyes, faking her sleepiness, "Where are you going?"

"I have to go to the hospital,"

"Why? You're on vacation leave..."

"There is something they need me to address with urgency,"

"B-But—you're on vacation leave..." Usagi frowned confused, Mamoru combed her loose hair to the side and cupped her cheek "I know Bunny, and I am, but this is something I can't ignore and leave for later... it's quite urgent." Usagi bit her lower lip and nodded, Mamoru kissed her hand, "Go back to sleep, Buns, I will be back shortly," he smiled, "Alright?"

"Yeah..."

"I love you, Usako." He leaned to kiss her softly on the lips. The words felt like shards of ice to Usagi's heart but as much as she didn't want to at the moment, she was crazy in love with him too. Her lips craved his, her skin his touch, and her eyes craved being looked at by his magnetic blue eyes. Naturally, she responded to the kiss only to part a minute later and watched him leave.

After a few minutes and with a heavy heart, she walked to the living room following the scent of his fresh cologne that still lingered in the air, feeling stupid and confused as she wondered what she could have possibly done to make him do such thing behind her back. She sighed heavily and walked to the kitchen to put some water to boil to make herself a cup of tea when the elegant sound of her doorbell took her by surprise. Usagi walked to the foyer thinking Mamoru probably have forgotten his keys or something and quickly opened the door; her tired blue eyes widened when she saw Minako standing at the other side, "Minako-chan?" she said with surprise. Minako chuckled, "Wow, so, you weren't kidding when you said you would sleep a lot once you got married, huh?" Usagi leaned on the door and rubbed her now swollen eyes, "What time is it?"

"Almost noon," Minako said and handed her friend a hot cup of cappuccino "Here, I brought you something sweet and warm, not that you need it but—you know... it's cappuccino and it's from our favorite place,"

Usagi smiled at her friend's gesture and stepped aside, letting the blonde walk inside. Minako stepped on the fancy grey carpet in the foyer and took her shoes off while taking a look around, "You're alone?"

"I am alone," Usagi said with a sigh and closed the door with disinterest and walked past Minako and towards the living room and sat on the couch, "Thank you, for the cappuccino,"

"Sure, anytime." Minako looked around again and clicked her tongue with curiosity, "So, where's Mamoru?"

Usagi took the lid of her cup and took a small sip of her hot beverage, "I don't know—out... somewhere."

Minako frowned and sat next to her friend on the couch. She looked at her in silence for a moment and narrowed her eyes with concern, "Usagi-chan, are you okay?" Usagi took another sip of her hot drink and put it on the coffee table, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You are the worst liar ever," Usagi turned to Minako with a frown, "What?"

"I know there's something else—you were acting strange yesterday. You were melancholic, sad—I don't know how to put it." Minako took a sip of her own drink, "I know you too well to know when something is bothering you."

"Ugh, am I so predictable?" Usagi said with annoyance and combed her hair back with her hand, not really caring for the mess her hair was at the moment. Minako looked at Usagi and frowned, "Usa—you know you can count on me. Did something happen? Is it something you can't tell Mamoru?"

Usagi couldn't take it anymore and broke at the mention of her husband's name. She covered her face with both hands and started sobbing with anguish, scaring Minako in the process, "Usagi!" she went to her friend's aid and wrapped her arms around her in a tight embrace "What's wrong? What's going on?! You're scaring me..." Usagi pulled back and wiped her tears with her hand brusquely and bit her lip, "Mamo-chan is cheating on me."

Minako's blue eyes widened two times their size in shock, "WHAT!?" It took her several minutes to process Usagi's words and for some reason, the blonde started laughing incredulously, "No, no—what?! _What?!"_ Usagi looked at her friend deadly serious, "He's cheating on me."

"Wait, am I hearing right?" Minako frowned and shook her head "Is Mamoru we're talking about here, right?"

"Yes, yes—Chiba Mamoru." Usagi said slightly annoyed, " _My_ husband."

Minako shook her head "No, no—it doesn't make sense, it doesn't make sense."

"What doesn't make sense? He's cheating!" Usagi frowned, Minako took a deep breath and put her cup on the coffee table "He's Mamoru! He can't be cheating!" The blonde frowned with disbelief, "I mean—he's your fated Prince. _Literally._ "

Usagi exhaled heavily, "Yeah, I will give you a couple of more minutes to assimilate this information. I was the same when I found out—or even worse." Minako felt her heart sink in her stomach and slouched on the couch with shock, "That's why you broke into tears yesterday?" Usagi sighed and nodded, "Yes."

"H-How? When?" Minako shook her head, trying to come around the idea of her friend's husband being with another woman behind her back. Usagi licked her lower lip slowly and took a deep breath, "I found out by accident—he left his phone unattended and went to take a shower, we just found out about Hino-san's passing and I had started packing. His phone began to ring restlessly I immediately imagined it would be one of you guys calling to give us more news when I saw a woman's name on the screen."

Minako sighed heavily with relief, "Oh Usa, that doesn't mean he's cheating! He's a doctor—he gets calls from strangers _all_ the time!"

"Mamo-chan doesn't give his phone number to patients unless is very serious," Usagi frowned, "At first I thought it could be someone from the hospital too but then I thought everyone knew he was on his honeymoon—he gave notice at the hospital that he was going to be away. Motoki knows... he would be the first to let whoever didn't know that he wasn't available,"

"Usagi-chan, it could have been an emergency or something. That woman might as well have been a nurse!"

"No Minako, she is not a nurse," Usagi said dryly and bit her lower lip, "Something told me there was something strange about that call... so that's why I ended up checking every call and messages without him knowing of course." Minako widened her eyes in shock, "You _what_? _!_ "

"I surfed through everything in his phone—I know, I'm a psycho." Usagi leaned her head back and sighed, "I don't know who that woman is but it bothered me how she called him Mamoru with such... casualty. Like if she knew him better than _I_ did."

"Usa..." Minako looked at her friend sternly, "I've been a psycho too— _trust me_. I know what it's like to be cheated on but come on, you? Also, of course, you were going to find things if you had your mind set to find them! That's a psycho's number one principle!"

"Minako-chan, not even _I_ call him by his full name—I _never_ call him Mamoru,"

"Because you chose not to. It's _your_ thing—you put _chan_ in everyone's name and turn it into a totally cute thing."

"Why are you defending him!? Aren't you my friend?" Usagi frowned with hurt all over her face.

"Okay, okay..." Minako raised her hands defensively, "Look, you know I am always going to be on your side, but I am trying to help you think straight and I want to be as partial as possible on this because it's not a random person we're talking about here... so what did the message say?"

Usagi blinked, "What?"

"You said you read his messages, you stalked every single thing in his phone, so, what did you find?" Minako crossed her arms, Usagi sighed and rubbed her face with frustration, "It said something like, _'Mamoru where are you?! Call me as soon as you see my message—I need to see you...'_ " she said in a high-pitch tone, trying her best to imitate the woman's voice even when she had absolutely no idea of how it sounded like but she imagined it was very annoying. She sighed, "It bothered me so much—hell broke loose right after."

"What do you mean?" Minako frowned.

Usagi looked at Minako, "I asked him about his ex-girlfriends."

"Usagi!" Minako shook her head, "Why? Why did you do that?"

"Because I wanted to find if one of them was the woman that was calling him with so much insistence!"

"And?"

Usagi bit her lip, "Well, things got very awkward and uncomfortable because he didn't want to say anything,"

"Oi, Usa-chan..." Minako covered her face and shook her head, Usagi sighed heavily, "I know—I know... I tried to fix things, I asked him to forgive me but then this morning... I caught him talking in secret and I heard him say," she looked at her friend and raised her hand to stop her from interrupting her, "I _did_ hear him say that he couldn't talk loud because _I_ was around and that he was going to say he was going to the hospital when in fact was going to see her."

Minako widened her eyes, "Oh,"

"Ah, see? I am a psycho for a good reason," Usagi slouched on the couch and covered her face with her hands, "This is killing me inside."

"It just doesn't make any sense—" Minako frowned, "Usagi, this is your husband we are talking about. The man who has been professing his love to you for more than two thousand lifetimes, who died protecting you—who has been with you every on every step of the way. I just can't believe he is cheating. I would normally say 'yeah, he's a cheater—ditch the bastard! but, no—this _is_ Endymion, _your_ Mamo-chan." she leaned forward and gave her friend and soul sister a stern look, "Usagi, you need to talk to him,"

"What?" Usagi moved her hands away, "And what am I going to say?"

"Usagi, have you ever thought of the _tiny_ possibility that he is trying to surprise you with something?" Minako frowned, "He has done it in the past, no?"

Usagi widened her eyes, "W-Well..."

Minako sat back, and crossed her arms, "Look Usa-chan, it's not because I am defending him, trust me, if I find that he is cheating I will be the first to make him regret it but I want to give him the benefit of the doubt for now and I think you should too. Just remember what happened when he gave you the ring or when he said he was in America and that he wasn't going to be able to be here for your birthday when in fact, he was already here talking to your parents and us about his plans to marry you; or when he surprised you on Christmas day and you were in a sea of tears because you couldn't believe he took a 15-hour flight just to see you just for the weekend. I'm sorry Usa-chan, nuh-uh, I just—no." she shook her head, "Mamoru is my good friend too and we fought _a lot_ back then over you to just believe he would do something like that, also come on—you're _his_ Princess." the blonde sighed, "What's that woman's name? Can you remember?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Well—if you're going all psycho mode I might as well do too."

Usagi chuckled, only heavens knew how much she loved Minako. Sky could be falling in pieces, or she could be robbing a bank and Minako would be with her, she was her partner in every crime she dared to commit. "Shimuta Chieko."

"Hmm—no, doesn't ring a bell... though her name sounds kind of fancy,"

"Gee, thanks." Usagi sighed and leaned forward to grab her hot drink and took a sip. Minako chuckled, "Come on Usa-chan—you need to clear your mind. It doesn't matter how much you try to be part of the majority of girls who get to experience a horrible heartbreak—you are not one of us." The blonde took her friend's hand and smiled, "But on a more serious note, Usa... you really need to talk to him, tell him what's been bothering you. You just got married and I know there is too much love flowing between you two... trust me, I can see it."

Usagi sighed softly, "I don't even know how to bring the conversation up."

"You don't need to bring anything up, just be clear." Minako said, "But you have to be calm. Problems cannot be solved if you yell, our worst side always shows up when we are angry." Both blondes turned to the door and saw Mamoru walking into the foyer with a paper bag in his hand, "Minako!" He greeted her with a smile.

"Hey, Mamoru!" Minako smiled and waved her hand from the couch, then turned to the blonde and hugged her quickly, "Talk to him," she whispered in her ear before standing up and turn to grab her purse, "Well, I am leaving you two lovebirds alone now,"

"You're leaving just because I got here?" Mamoru frowned, "I'm hurt."

Minako chuckled, "Well yes!—as the Senshi who represents love, I must let it flow freely, you just got married and I am being a third wheel. Plus, I got stuff to do—"

Mamoru chuckled, "Sure... give Kunzite my regards," he turned to toss his keys on the huge plate and smiled when he felt Minako's wide eyes on him, "Yes. I know." he said as he turned to look at her with a smile. Minako narrowed her cornflower blue eyes and pointed her finger at him, "Just _how much_ do you know?"

Mamoru crossed his arms, "You two patched things up and are finally moving past your differences as a couple," his sapphire eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Why? Is there more to know?" Minako blushed and shook her head thinking of what happened after their wedding, "No, no, no reason." Mamoru crossed his arms and smiled, "I want to thank you for helping him investigate about that exhibition,"

Minako smiled in return and shook her head, "Of course, it's one of the perks of working at a TV station... today's the press conference, I will let you know how that goes, I know there are going to be reporters from our station present," with one soft pat on his arm and using him as support, she slid her feet in her sand colored wedges that complimented perfectly her pale-yellow jumpsuit and smiled at Mamoru in gratitude when she saw him opening the door for her like a true gentleman, making it even harder to believe that he would cheat on her precious friend. "Thank you, Your Highness,"

Mamoru chuckled, "See you around, Princess Venus," Minako chuckled in return and waved her hand at him as she turned to leave, "Bye!"

"Bye," Mamoru closed the door and walked inside the living room and handed Usagi a paper bag, "I brought you bre—" he looked at the clock on the wall then at the silver blonde and chuckled, "Well, I guess it's lunch now."

Usagi looked at him surprised, then at the contents inside the paper bag "Thank you," she said softly, then frowned when she noticed it was only one bowl of their favorite sweet and spicy stir-fry from her favorite noodle place, "You only brought food for me?" she turned to Mamoru who as drinking water in the kitchen, "Yes, I had a quick bite a while ago at the hospital." Usagi turned and sighed, "Everything okay?"

Mamoru put the glass in the sink and walked back, "Yes—just a few things here and there. They wanted me to sign some papers... that's why they were urging me to go as soon as possible."

"Ah," Usagi muttered and put the paper bag on the coffee table and curled like a ball on the couch again. She wanted to let the matter go and follow Minako's advice but she was starting to become really frustrated _and_ obsessed with the whole ordeal. She could not accept he was lying to her because just like Minako said, he was _her_ Endymion— _her_ Mamo-chan but without really wanting it her insecurities began to boil like bubbling water in a pot and without even filtering her thoughts, she realized it was too late to control it. "Where were you, _really_?"

Mamoru looked at her from the hallway on his way to the bedroom and frowned, "What?"

Usagi turned on her seat and leaned her arms on the back of the sofa, "Where were you?"

"Usa, I told you I went to the hospital," Mamoru let out a small chuckle, "Why are you asking me like you didn't believe me?"

Usagi's delicate fingers curled tightly and narrowed her crystal blue eyes to show him she was not in a playful mood, "Because I don't." The gesture and the tone of her voice were enough to alert Mamoru that something was not right, he crossed his arms and frowned at her with genuine confusion, "What?"

"You were _not_ at the hospital," Usagi muttered with a dry tone in her voice, "Why don't you just tell me and avoid all awkwardness?"

"What awkwardness?" Mamoru's frustration started to grow from this point forward. He felt the ambient between them was unusually unsteady and shook his head, trying to understand, "Usa—I'm not following."

"Fine. Don't tell me," Usagi shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes with annoyance, a gesture Mamoru couldn't ignore anymore because he really disliked being treated with such high levels of cynicism. With her sudden change of mood during their honeymoon, the strange conversation they had in the car and her sudden emotional breakdown at Rei's and now this, it was more than clear that it was something she had against him personally and it was starting to play with his patience. He took a deep breath and walked back to the living room, once he stood behind the sofa facing Usagi he narrowed his prismatic blue eyes with deep concern, "Usa, what's going on?" In response, Usagi frowned and looked up at him with defiance, "According to you— _nothing's_ going on."

"I don't understand," Mamoru shook his head again and sighed, "Baby, _why_ are you acting like this? You've been weird ever since we made the decision to come back,"

"Don't call me baby,"

Mamoru sighed again, he was trying his best to be as patient and careful as possible to avoid a bigger discussion, "Is it because we came back?"

"No,"

"Do you want to go somewhere else? Do you want to do something else?"

"No,"

"Then what is it? I really don't understand why you are being like this,"

Usagi shook her head with wonder as she continued to glare at him loaded with exasperation, "I wonder how much longer you are going to continue with this stupid game you're playing,"

"What stupid game!?" Mamoru ran his hand through his midnight hair, "I don't understand a single thing you're saying, you are just talking in codes and I can't—" he rubbed the bridge of his nose and turned to walk away, feeling completely baffled by the whole situation, "I'm sorry, I can't keep up with you... not like this,"

"Oh, I'm sorry... you can't keep up with me?! What is that supposed to mean?" Usagi arched her brow with disapproval. Mamoru sighed heavily and raised his arms with defeat as he turned to face her again, "I'm sorry Usa, I can't do it—whatever this is," he shook his head, "I don't know what you are expecting me to do, not until I know what is going on. Whenever you feel like talking, you know where to find me, I am more than happy to talk and find a solution together to whatever problem there is. I don't do well with passive aggressive hints and cryptic messages, I'm sorry." he turned to walk back to their bedroom making Usagi feel enraged and mocked by his actions; she felt like he was dismissing her and her feelings by turning his back on her and let another wave of insecurity and jealousy take over her, making her blurt the words out of her mouth with no filter and no control, "Send my greetings to your new lover,"

Mamoru stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her over his shoulder and narrowed his dark blue eyes with disbelief; there was evident confusion in his handsome face but also great shock, "What did you just say?" he said with an offended tone in his voice. Usagi moved away from the couch and followed him to the hallway with one of the pillows in her hand, "I know what you're doing—I'm _not_ stupid. You think I wouldn't find out?"

"Find out what!? I never said—" Mamoru widened his eyes with shock when Usagi hit him with the pillow with all the force she could muster. "Usa, what the hell?!" he raised his hands in frustration, "What is the matter with you?!" Usagi threw the pillow at him with rage and rampaged towards him and started to push him away with force, feeling little to no sympathy for the man, "I know you are seeing someone else! I know you are cheating on me!"

"Have you lost your mind?!" Mamoru raised his voice with irritation, "Where in heaven's sake you got that idea from?!"

"I saw the messages—I saw the calls. I saw _everything._ " Usagi shook her head, "And don't you dare to say you don't know what the hell I am talking about. She called during our honeymoon trip more than once and when I asked you, you only said some random thing to distract me like if I am some stupid girl,"

"Usagi—" Mamoru's warm voice was gone at this point, "Is this why you have been acting so strange? Because you inspected my phone? You are telling me, that you really think that I would do something like that to you? _Really?_ "

"I saw everything!" Usagi raised her voice, immediately regretting it and by the look in Mamoru's eyes this discussion was not going to end well, or to end anytime soon but even still, it was hard for her to stop. "I saw the infinite list of calls from _her_ , I saw _her_ messages! Since when a woman can call you _sweetheart_ or by your name just so casually?" she was now on the verge of tears, "It was _our_ honeymoon! How long has this been going on for her to not know you were getting married?! Everybody knew how come she did not!? Are you actually cheating on her with me? Or another woman for that matter!?"

"I can't believe we are having this discussion..." Mamoru shook his head with bewilderment, "You went as far as looking into my personal things like I was some jerk who would do something so disgusting and low. Usagi, I have never, _ever_ hidden _anything_ from you. I would never do anything like that to you and you know it."

"Mamoru! Stop lying to me!" Usagi raised her voice again and pushed him again, her eyes widened when she realized it was the first time she ever called him by his name without any cute or respectful honorifics attached to it or without being playful, "I heard you talking over the phone with her this morning, I heard you say you couldn't talk because _I was here_ and that you were going to tell me you were going to the hospital... You don't think I know you don't give your number to just anybody!?"

"Usagi, I can't say much about the matter while you are acting like this,"

"Why are you defending her?!"

"I am not defending her!"

"Then why are you doing this to me?! Why are you lying to me this way!?"

"What gives you the right to think that I am being unfaithful to you?! That I'm a liar?! You are being unreasonable and paranoid." Mamoru said dryly and rubbed the bridge of his nose again, trying to keep himself together and fuel their argument with more anger, "That's why you were so insistent on knowing how many girls I dated in the past—this is _why_ you were so defensive on our way home..."

"You have been talking to a woman I don't know for god know how damn long and you still can't tell me who the hell this woman is?" Usagi narrowed her eyes, "Is she that good?

"What?!"

"Is she _that_ good to keep you entertained?"

Usagi, sto—" Mamoru's blue eyes widened when he felt her hand slapping him across his face and turned to look at her with horror. Usagi shook her head and took a step back, realizing what she had done; for a minute she felt incredibly guilty and incredibly ashamed for her actions but her anger and insecurities had taken the best of her at this point and there was no turning back. The damage was done, she had slapped Mamoru for the very first time in all of their years together. Her eyes widened when she started to feel the aftermath of her actions and started to enter in a new stage of panic, "I-I... Mamoru... I'm—"

"You have gone too far, Usagi," Mamoru shook his head, his expression was one of stupor and pain—heartbroken, "Too far,"

"Why can't you just admit it..." Usagi closed her eyes and let her tears started to roll down her cheeks before she pushed him away again, carving more pain in both of their hearts, "Why couldn't you just tell me you didn't love me anymore instead of going behind my back!?"

"I don't need to admit anything to you. It's all in your head for some damn reason! You are attacking me and you are being disrespectful towards me,"

"Mamoru!"

"I can't believe this..." Mamoru shook his head and walked back to the living room with Usagi storming behind him, "I can't believe you think so low of me—I can't believe you don't trust me."

"Then why do you give me reasons not to trust you?!"

"When have I ever given you such reasons?!" Mamoru frowned and turned to look at her with anger and hurt, "When have I ever failed you Usagi?! When have I ever done anything to hurt you?! If you are so sure I am cheating on you... if you are so sure that I am this asshole that goes around and sleeps with other women behind your back, then what the hell have we even been doing all this time?! After all we have been through over the last thousands of years to be where we are now—was all it just for nothing!? You really believe this was all just for my own fucking amusement?!" his sapphire blue eyes turned indigo as he looked at her with tear-glossed eyes, " _Answer me!_ "

"I don't know—you tell me, I thought we were in love," Usagi dried her own tears with the back of her hand in a brusque and careless manner. Mamoru raised his brows and scoffed with sarcasm, really impressed by her defiant and cutting stance, "Wow, well, I thought that too... I thought we trusted each other," he shook his head and walked to the foyer, startling Usagi, "Where are you going?"

"I can't be here." Mamoru muttered in a cold tone as he put his shoes on again, Usagi frowned, "So, what, are you going to run away now? Is this how you deal with things Mamoru? Is this how you are going to leave things between us—unanswered? Why can't you just tell me who the hell she is!?"

"No, Usagi—" he turned to look at her with hurt, "Don't mistake things, I am not running away, but at this point, I don't need to give you any justifications about anything I do or don't do. I can't be here right now—it kills me to hear these things because I would expect to hear them from anyone in the damn universe, _anyone,_ Usagi, except you. I need to get away before this gets out of control and we end up hurting each other more than we already have. I don't want any more damage to be caused by having this stupid discussion because this is what it is—stupid." Mamoru turned and opened the door and took a deep, hoarse breath, "I guess it's true what is said about me then—I am a fucking monster." with that said, he grabbed his keys and slammed the door behind him leaving a very surprised Usagi crying while staring at the door.

* * *

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	40. Chapter 40

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Forty

* * *

Usagi stood staring at the door for a long time hoping with all her might Mamoru came back; she wished for once in his life to be distracted and forget something that would make him have to return. She really wished she could rewind time right before she made the terrible decision to raise her hand and slap him across his face with such contempt, knowing perfectly well it was right then and there when things escalated to catastrophic proportions and got out of their control. She broke in tears when she realized that for the first time in thousands of years, the prince was not going back to her arms to make things better like he always did and just knowing that she had to do with it was tearing her apart.

An hour later or so—Usagi wasn't sure anymore, she decided to go and take a hot shower and distract herself by doing chores around the apartment. She did the laundry hoping this time nothing would get shrunk or dyed into another color, including Mamoru's white coats and scrubs. She folded and organized their clean clothes in the closet, washed the bed sheets, dusted and cleaned the apartment like she never has before in her life and even tried to cook dinner but eventually gave up once she began feeling the ravages of the fight she had with her husband and the fact that what she meant to cook was still defrosting in the sink. Usagi had done everything she could to keep her mind occupied and kill time but she was always brought back to that heated argument and that angry slap she gave Mamoru. After pacing the apartment for what she felt was an eternity, Usagi finally sat on the couch to wait for any signs from Mamoru but the more she waited in silence, the more his absence pained her with every passing hour.

With a heavy heart, she curled into a ball on the sofa and hugged one of the pillows for support while staring at her phone wishing to get a text from her husband to at least let her know where he was. The aftermath was starting to get its toll on her and pushing her to the very edge of having a panic attack. Usagi couldn't hold it any longer and broke in heavy sobs again immediately regretting not following Minako's advice. Between choked sobs and inaudible words, the princess opened her eyes and looked around the dark apartment and started to feel it was becoming unusually cold, making her feel foreign and unwelcomed; it didn't feel like home, it just wasn't the same without Mamoru around. Usually, around this time, he would be in the kitchen cooking dinner for them and she would be sitting in the counter listening to music, talking about the most random things, laughing and joking between loving and tender kisses.

This was the first time in all of their time together they had an actual fight. Sure, like any other couple they had different opinions but they always talked things through and come up with a solution but this time, things were different. This was the first time they raised their voice at each other, called each other by their names without any endearing terms or charming nicknames; this was the first time they actually hurt each other's feelings, the first time she heard him curse at something that had to do with them and the first time she ever turned violent towards him. Mamoru had never talked to her in such cold tone before or stormed out in the middle of a discussion; he was not the kind of person that would leave things undone. Mamoru was practical and analytical, the kind of person that barely ever raised his voice no matter how exasperated, disgusted or annoyed he was; unlike her, he could get upset, frustrated—angry even, and yet, he would keep a low calm tone in his voice and remain calm to find a solution to whatever problem was ahead but he also knew how to put limits and when he has had enough and this time it was one of those particular moments. This was the first time he ever looked so distraught and broken; this was the first time she saw him lose that unbreakable and admirable patience he was known to have.

At this point, Usagi no longer knew what else to do, it had been hours since Mamoru stormed out and it didn't look like he was going back anytime soon. The more she went back to think about it, the more she realized there was no given time for any apologies or explanations since it went from 0 to 1000 in a matter of seconds. Guilt was starting to kick in and play its cruel games on the silver-blonde's head when she turned to look at the hour on the clock in the living room and bit her lower lip with concern, "It's almost nine... where are you Mamo-chan—where did you go?" Usagi let out a heavy sigh and started to consider her options and take the first step and do whatever she could to make things better. She thought about calling the hospital and see if he was there and go there to see him but in case he was, what was she going to say? What she could possibly say to make things better when she accused him of being a jerk and a liar. Mamoru was a very patient man and he had a heart of gold, but that didn't mean he would let anyone stomp on him and humiliate him and whenever he reached his limit, his sweet personality would give a 180-degree turn and it would become stoic and imposing. The man had an intimidating character when challenged, and he had a pride he liked to keep intact, like a true Leo.

"Ami-chan might know something..." Usagi muttered hopeful and leaned forward to grab her cell when the phone in the apartment began ringing. Jolting with hurry from the couch she went to answer hoping with all her heart it was Mamoru on the other end, "Hello?"

 _"Hi, good evening—who am I talking to?"_

"Good evening," Usagi frowned completely taken by surprise, "Who are you trying to reach?"

 _"I am looking for Chiba Mamoru, this is still his apartment's phone number, right?"_

The blonde froze with the phone in her ear, "Yes... this is his wife..."

 _"Oh... I see..."_

"May I help you?"

 _"Is he available? I need to speak to him, it's quite urgent..."_

Usagi frowned with annoyance at the woman's blunt approach, "Who _is_ this?"

 _"Hisakawa Chieko,"_

"Hisakawa... _Chieko_?" Usagi widened her eyes and tightened her grip on the sleek wireless phone. This was the woman that disrupted the last moments of their honeymoon and the reason for her current situation with her husband and now, she had the nerve to call home, "He's not home at the moment,"

 _"Do you know where I can reach him or at what time?"_

"No," Usagi answered bluntly, allowing the remains of her anger began to take over of what was left of her emotional state, "But I suppose you can try to call his cellphone."

 _"It's turned off, that's why I am calling this number—I found it in an address book but I wasn't sure if it still was his number,"_

Usagi took only the first half of the woman's comment and frowned with worry, "Wait, his phone is turned off you say?"

 _"Yes—I've been trying to reach him all afternoon but I can't seem to find him anywhere. I called the hospital where he works but nobody could give me any information on him and it's very important for me to talk to him, there is more paperwork I need for him to sign." Usagi heard the woman sighing heavily with exasperation, "I am sorry to have bothered you, I will try and contact him on his cellphone again."_

"Would you like to leave a message?"

 _"No, it's alright. I will call him again. Thank you—good night."_

"Good night." Usagi slowly pressed the end button and put the phone back on its base now feeling completely worried for her husband's whereabouts and went back to the living room to grab her phone and checked if there were any missed calls from the girls and immediately texted Ami to ask if she was at the hospital and if she knew anything from Mamoru, hoping she wasn't with any patient so she could answer soon. Her heart froze in her chest when she read the bluenette's quick response:

 _"Hi Usagi-chan, no, sorry. I am no longer at the hospital but I did see Mamoru there around noon, there is one case with the med-board he was asked to take a closer look and assist this morning. Why? Everything okay?"_

Usagi let out a sob and tried to hold her tears when the bluenette confirmed Mamoru's version and felt like a bucket of bricks fell over her head. She quickly sent a quick reassuring response followed by a thumb's up and a heart emoji and quickly dialed his number only to confirm what the woman told her was, in fact, true when her call was directly sent to his voicemail; his phone was turned off. With a shaky hand, she turned again to check the hour with a worried frown, "Where are you Mamoru?" Usagi mumbled on the verge of tears. Uncertainty was killing her inside and now all she could do was to call for help, and the only person she would trust for these sorts of things and the only one that knew what was going on, _"Usagi-chan?"_

Usagi stood up and began pacing the living room while taking hasty breaths to keep herself from having a nervous breakdown, she didn't even try to pretend she had everything under control, she was a mess and she couldn't take it anymore, "Minako-chan... this is a disaster..."

 _"What happened?!"_

Usagi rubbed her temples as she slowly broke down into tears, "I ruined everything—I didn't..." she took another deep breath, "I didn't mean to... I—" she heard Minako's worry on the other end, _"Usagi, tell me what happened,"_

"I couldn't control myself and told him everything... I told him I read his messages and that I knew he was cheating..."

 _"And what happened? What did he say?"_

"That he wasn't... but things got so bad to a point we both raised our voices and yelled at each other—he was so upset and stormed out of the apartment and hasn't returned ever since. I feel so terrible Minako-chan... I don't know where he is and that woman just called asking for him too,"

 _"What?!"_

"I don't really know if it was _her_ —she had the same name but her surname was not the one I saw on his phone. The thing is, this woman can't find him either... he turned his phone off and he is not at the hospital—which by the way, Ami just confirmed he was there at noon." Usagi sighed heavily and started to sob with mortification, "Minako, I don't know what to do... you were right, I shouldn't have yelled... I should have listened to you and follow your advice... I don't know what came over me... I shouldn't have said what I said to him—"

 _"Usa, I am heading over there—please wait for me,"_

"No—I want to know where he is! I need to know if he is alright—it's nine in the evening and there are no signs of him!"

Close enough at Kunzite's apartment, Minako sighed and turned to the white-haired general who was taking a sip of his coffee in the living room and exhaled softly, not knowing how her friend might take the news, "Usagi, I am with Kunzite at his apartment—he's here."

 _"W-What?"_

"Mamoru—he's here," Minako bit her lower lip softly, "He was already here when I arrived an hour ago but he's in Kunzite's room and hasn't come out. For what Kunzite has told me, he's not doing very well."

"I am heading over there." Back to the other apartment, Usagi ran to the bedroom to change her pajamas for something more appropriate to go out and went to the closet to grab a pair of shoes but stopped mid-track when she heard Kunzite taking over Minako's phone, " _Princess..."_ his deep voice caught her off guard, " _Good evening._ " Usagi felt her heart sink in her chest and sat on the bed, fearing the worst, "Kunzite..."

 _"Endymion is here—do not worry about him, he arrived this afternoon and has been sleeping in my bedroom all day,"_

Usagi's eyes began burning with tears, "I was telling Minako that I was heading over—"

 _"I suggest you let him spend some time here. I know it is not the ideal due to the circumstances, but he... well... he needs to do some thinking,_ "

"But this is my fault—why is he the one who has to do the thinking?!"

 _"He's upset Your Highness, and it is best to talk things over when both parties have cooled down. Nothing good can come out when two people are upset—do not worry, Venus and I are the only ones here and nobody else has to know about this. Nephrite is helping Jupiter with some cooking project, Zoisite is having dinner with Mercury—something about noodles, and Jadeite decided to keep Mars some company at the temple. I highly doubt they will return early enough to realize the Prince is here."_

Usagi leaned her back on the wall and slowly slid down to the floor and started sobbing, "Kunzite..."

 _"I know Your Highness—but I assure you, this is for the best. If it helps to know he is not angry at you, but he needs time to deal with what happened this afternoon, whatever that was. He needs some space and time alone."_

At his apartment, Kunzite turned his gaze at Minako with worry, "Princess, I will ask Venus if she can go over there and keep you company, I highly suggest you do not spend the night alone."

 _"Please Kunzite—please let me go and talk to him, I need to talk to him... if he's angry, at least I need to do my part to solve this..."_

"I do not think it is the best if you came at this moment—I haven't spoken to him either, Your Highness, the minute he walked in I immediately sent him to my room and he put the lock on the door." he heard Usagi sigh, _"Please Kunzite, let me know if anything happens..."_ Usagi's strained voice nearly broke the general's heart, it was evident that both of them were under too much stress and dealing with the consequences of being mad at each other. Kunzite never imagined this could actually happen, not even on their darkest days they put their bond under such strain, they were unbreakable, he was a witness of it and he could not accept it, "Do not worry, Your Highness, I will,"

 _"Thank you, Kunzite... I am very sorry you had to find out about this..."_

Kunzite sighed and shook his head, "Endymion did not know where else to go and he was too confused to wander around the city on his own—I am glad he confided in me and came straight over here, like I said, he just needs time to think. He has gone through much stress lately and needs some time on his own to put things into perspective. This happened very often when we lived in the Palace—this is his way to clear his mind and think things straight."

Usagi sighed softly and nodded, _"Yes, I do remember, the only difference is that I was there to help him..."_

Kunzite smiled sadly, "I know Your Highness, and you will soon enough. He will come around, trust me." he heard Usagi sniffling at the other end, _"Thank you Kunzite, and again I am sorry for all of this..."_

"Do not thank me, Princess, I am honored to be at your service. Please try to have some rest—be assured that I will look after him, I will put Venus again," Kunzite turned to Minako and handed her the phone, which immediately took, "Usagi-chan, I am on my way, okay?" Usagi sobbed softly, "Okay... thank you Minako-chan."

The blonde hung up the phone and sighed heavily as she slouched on the couch for a minute; Kunzite narrowed his eyes with suspicion, "You know what happened, am I right?" Minako turned to look at him like a deer in the middle of a lonely road and after a quiet minute, she nodded. It was Kunzite's time to sigh as he lay back on the couch and pursed his lips, "Well, I believe I am to do some damage control once the Prince wakes up and decides to get out of that room and I have an idea of what mood he's in, so I must be prepared."

"Was he angry?" Minako whispered, trying to keep the conversation as private as possible. The white-haired general looked at her and shook his head slowly, "No, not angry... hurt." he muttered softly, "He arrived here with a confused stare and completely lost. He did not need to say anything for me to know it was something related to Princess Serenity, I have seen that look before."

Minako took a deep breath and after a couple of seconds exhaled; her blue eyes looked into his grey ones, "I believe you have to know since you are now involved in this matter," she pursed her lips and leaned closer, "Usagi-chan found some messages and calls from a mystery woman in his phone and came to the conclusion that he was being unfaithful to her and well... hell broke loose this morning after she overheard a conversation he apparently was having over the phone with her and confronted him about it." Like in slow-motion, Kunzite's eyes widened twice their size in shock, "Oh—so they did have an argument,"

Minako shook her head, "For what Usagi-chan told me, that was not an argument but a fight. He did not want to continue with it and stormed out of the apartment slamming the door on his way out. Although, what happened between the time I left them alone and the time he decided it was enough and left... well, that we don't know."

"So, we do not know who this mystery woman is?" Kunzite frowned with intrigue; Minako shook her head, "No, but it really surprises me that Usagi-chan would believe he would do something like that," Minako shrugged her shoulders trying to understand but she was as affected by this as the general and her friends, "I didn't see the messages, I don't know what kind of conversations he was having with this person, but it sure made Usagi mad."

"I do not believe he is being unfaithful—if you ask me." Kunzite stood up and walked to the kitchen, Minako blinked a little startled by his sudden gesture and followed him quickly after, "I don't think so either, but, Usagi-chan's argument is that this woman called him on his personal number, so clearly, she is _not_ a patient—she's someone close to him,"

Kunzite leaned on the counter as he waited for the new batch of coffee Minako put to brew on the machine and pursed his lips, "I will wait until he comes out and have a word with him—you should go see the Princess and try to comfort her, she is very upset and mortified." Minako sighed and walked around the kitchen bar and wrapped her arms around his neck, "It is so ironic—we were the ones who wanted to break them apart so long ago and now, we are the ones trying to bring them together."

Kunzite arched his brow, "I never had anything against Princess Serenity—I truly believed she is the Prince's perfect match but times were different back then and I suppose we were too afraid to stand up for them because we didn't know what to expect, we were new to believe divinity existed. Now it is a different scenario."

Minako nodded and stood on her tip toes and gave him a soft kiss on his lips, "I suppose it will also be a different scenario for us too, huh?" Kunzite nodded and responded to the small kiss, he wrapped his arms around his Venusian girl and lifted her up and kissed her with more passion this time; he parted slightly hazed and smiled widely, "My dear Venus, that should not even be a question..."

O—o—O

Inside the bedroom, Mamoru was laying on Kunzite's bed while staring at the ceiling unaware that Minako was in the apartment with the general talking about the situation between Usagi and him. After he stormed out of the apartment, he wandered the streets of Azabu very much like a zombie and ended up at the general's apartment almost in an automatic mode and in a hazy trance. The minute Kunzite opened the door he was sent to the bedroom without asking for any explanations. Mamoru felt heavy and unresponsive, he was awake but at the same time he was not entirely conscious; he could hear noises coming from the living room but his brain could not process what they were, he didn't even care. He stayed motionless staring at the ceiling without realizing when he fell deeply asleep, or so he thought he was asleep.

Mamoru felt like if his soul was being pulled from his body and soon found himself in the middle of a long hallway, everything looked hazy around him but it was clear enough for him to know he was somewhere else, somewhere nostalgic. He paid close attention to the intricate details in the dome-like ceilings and the floor to ceiling stained glass windows. There were candles and flowers arranged in many exquisite golden candelabras and crystal vases, fancy carpets on the impeccable marble floors and the particular delicate scent of roses lingering in the air. He continued walking as if he knew where to go and let a sense of familiarity wash over him as he reached for a golden handle of a majestic door made of rich wood with gold engraving and walked into the large room.

He took a look around the large foyer that led to a fancy living room surrounded by many shelves full of a wide variety of books of all sorts. More than a living room it looked more like a study as he noticed the many parchments strategically placed over an exquisitely carved wooden coffee table. The large windows were closed and covered by long and velvety deep blue drapes which only meant it was late at night. Mamoru felt a magnetic energy that was obliging him to stay, it felt like a calling. He was about to turn and walk away when a familiar voice caught his attention, a voice that clearly was calling to him from behind the two large oak doors in front of him.

Whatever conversation was happening inside, it sounded like a discussion. Mamoru felt a strong tug in his chest and opened one of the heavy doors feeling completely drawn to it; his navy-blue eyes widened in shock when he spotted a beautiful dark-haired woman in a deep burgundy gown sitting elegantly on a large bed inside what looked like a fancy bedroom and next to her, there was a man, one who appeared to be himself. In a reflex, Mamoru looked down at his hands and noticed they were unusually cold and almost translucent and turned his gaze back to the couple sitting in the bed and shook his head with disbelief, "What—what is this?" he tried to move but now it was like if his feet were pinned down to the wooden floors. Shocked and with his blood running cold through his veins, Mamoru took a deep breath and let the moment play in front of his very eyes like the strangest of movies, making him realize soon after he was inside a particular memory from his past.

-O-

 _"Open your eyes Endymion… listen to your heart not just your mind. Not everything in this life can be resolved by thinking with a cold head, you need the fire in your heart to fight for what you want, you have to fight. You are a fighter Endymion, I taught you well," her warm hand caressed his warm cheek._

 _"How do you know for sure? You just met her once…" Endymion's muttered dryly as he looked at the terran queen giving him a smile full of tenderness, "That was enough for me to know her."_

 _Endymion frowned with confusion but before he could retort her comment the terran queen shook her head and let out a soft sigh, "I recognized that look in her eyes… that smile… I've seen it before. That is proof enough for me to know she is madly in love with you..."_

 _"When?"_

 _"A long time ago," Gaia cupped her son's cheek lovingly, "Endymion, do not let your heart be clouded by deception. Do not hurt yourself this way… do not torture yourself anymore," she tilted her head with wonder, "Do you not you love her?"_

 _"Of course I do, very much," Endymion said with exasperation as he ran his hands through his midnight hair, "But this is too much for me—she could have told me there was another person… it is not just the fact that she is engaged Mother, is the fact that she kept that a secret from me… she could have told me and I could have understood. We both knew this was not going to be easy but we were willing to find a way to be together." his prismatic blue eyes turned azure, exposing his heartbreak, "That is what hurts me, the fact that she never mentioned it, that she did not trust me enough to talk to me about this," he sighed and averted his glossy gaze away from his mother, "I am angry at myself—I should have been preparing myself for…" he trailed off and felt his blood run cold in his veins as he turned to face his mother who had a stern look on her face; Gaia crossed her arms and sighed, "War."_

 _The prince nodded and looked down, "I have so many things to do—I have an enormous responsibility over my shoulders, I do not have the time to think about this and here I am weeping like a scolded little boy,"_

 _"You sound so much like your Grandfather…" Gaia looked away with remorse, the dry tone in her voice made Endymion frown with confusion, "What?"_

 _Gaia shrugged her shoulders trying to show some disinterest in her comment but remained with her gaze averted from her son's, "It is in your nature to be this prideful… I know this well because I am the same way."_

 _"Mother?"_

 _Gaia turned to look at her son, "But the truth is Endymion…" she sighed softly and patted his hand, "That even the strongest warriors are allowed to cry once in a while and admit their feelings, I have learned that over the years and you should do it too_ _—do not be so hard on yourself,_

 _Endymion's frowned deepened, "Mother?"_

 _"Yes, dear?"_

 _There were genuine wonder and puzzlement in his handsome face, "You did not say anything when I said I was a mortal… you did not ask me if it had to do with all of it." The queen arched one brow and raised her hand in expectation, "Well, does it?"_

 _"Mother, there is a reason why all this is so complicated… why it is so difficult for Serenity and me to be together."_

 _Gaia nodded, "I know dear," her eyes looked into her son's eyes with reassurance, "I know why." Endymion shook his head and leaned closer, "Wait, you do?" Gaia nodded, "I have known since you introduced her to me."_

 _"And you are not going to say anything about it?"_

 _"There is nothing I can say,"_

 _"Then, why can't you understand my point?"_

 _Gaia exhaled heavily, "Because you are as capable of giving her as anything she needs as the man she is supposed to be marrying... and even more,"_

 _"I am a mortal, Mother, there is no point of comparison," Endymion arched his brow with annoyance. Gaia mimicked her son's gesture but instead of showing bother, she showed great pride,_ _"You are a warrior,"_

 _"So is he,"_

 _The queen frowned and crossed her arms, "Since when you like to play the role of a victim? It does not suit you…" Endymion widened his eyes, "I am not playing any roles,"_

 _"Oh, yes you are," Gaia frowned with disapproval, "Those are not the words of a warrior."_

 _"Why do you keep saying that?! Enough of it, I am a soldier just like anybody else."_

 _"You are a Polemarchos, Endymion," Gaia said with determination in her voice. Endymion rolled his blue eyes with annoyance, "That is just a term we used back in the field but who—" Gaia arched her brow and pointed the sword sitting proudly in his belt, "Remember when I gave you that sword?"_

 _Endymion looked down at it "Yes,"_

 _"Do you remember what I said to you that day?"_

 _The prince pursed his lips for a moment, "That it was a sword made for warriors and that has stayed in the family for many generations, you said it belonged to my great-grandfather, my grandfather and you…"_

 _Gaia nodded "That sword is sacred," she gave him a small smile, "To be a warrior Endymion… you need much more than just courage to face all the obstacles life can put in your path, it needs heart, passion, belief—since you were born you let us know you had all those qualities. It is your fate. You had a different training, one that went beyond just knowing how to swing a sword to inflict pain, you hold something special within you. You are an admirable leader to your people and that grants you the title of Polemarchos."_

 _-O-_

The terran queen turned to Mamoru, who was still standing by the door, "That is why you have to rely on each other—so that sword serves its purpose, the purpose to protect those dear to you. She made a mistake, yes, but sometimes love is crazy like that and even the love most pure can be tainted with jealousy. You know that, very well."

Mamoru widened his eyes with surprise and realized the man next to her was no longer next to the queen and shook his head with bewilderment, "H-How?" he frowned, "Why did you never tell me the truth?"

Gaia gave him a sad smile and shook her head slowly, "She is mortified Endymion—she did not mean to hurt you, even the kindest of hearts can feel insecure sometimes. You too have felt that same jealousy and madness... you too have made mistakes, do you remember now?"

"That is not what I asked," Mamoru shook his head slowly, showing his anger and frustration, "Why didn't you trust me? Why didn't you tell me the truth!? Why did you left me in the dark for so long, knowing nothing about you, about the family I am part of?!"

Gaia sighed softly and walked over to him, "It is time for you to open your eyes Endymion... she is waiting for you,"

"No! I _need_ an ans—" Mamoru widened his eyes when she felt her warm hand on his cheek, feeling completely helpless by her gentle touch. Gaia tilted her head and closed her pale green eyes slowly, as if she was trying to fight her tears, "It's time to go back to your time... wake up, my setting sun."

-O-

Mamoru opened his eyes and gasped for air. He looked around and groaned softly as he felt his soul was slowly returning to his body and sat on the bed while rubbing the back of his neck and thinking of what just happened. It felt real and vivid, like if he was indeed talking to somebody but he also remembered having that exact conversation a long, long time ago and frowned when he realized it started as a dream and turned out to be some sort of revelation. He closed his dark blue eyes and sighed heavily, "No, no, no...why do you keep doing this?"

O—o—o—o—O

Usagi slowly walked back to the living room after she opened the door for Minako and welcomed her friend. The minute the blonde stepped inside she wrapped her arms around her princess and friend and comforted her as she cried her heart out with mortification, "Minako-chan..." she breathed between her heavy sobs. Minako closed her eyes and rubbed her back softly in support, "Cry all you want Usa-chan—I'm here,"

Usagi shook her head and kept sobbing, "I feel so bad... I feel so bad Minako-chan..."

"I know Usa-chan, I know."

"I threw a pillow at him..."

Minako blinked, "You—what?"

Usagi sniffled, "I threw a pillow at him..."

"You guys are _too_ adorable—even when you have a fight," Minako sighed softly, startling Usagi "What? Why?"

"Seriously? A pillow? If it was me having a fight with someone I would have thrown—I don't know, a plate, a glass... a lamp..."

Usagi sniffled and looked at her friend, "I slapped him, Minako,"

Minako's eyes widened twice in size, now this was something she was not expecting to hear from her friend, "Wait, you what!?" Usagi nodded and started crying again, "I know what I did was awful Minako, I know..."

"Usagi... why did you do that?"

"I don't know what came over me... I still don't know..."

The blonde ran her arm around Usagi in a supportive gesture and walked to the living room, "Come on, tell me what happened," she frowned and pointed the paper bag on the coffee table, "What is that?"

Usagi sniffled again, "That was supposed to be my lunch," with a soft cry, she sat on the couch bringing her knees up and started sobbing again, "He brought it for me after he came back from the hospital..."

Minako frowned "Usa—you haven't eaten anything all day?" she looked at the clock and shook her head with worry, "It's past nine!"

"I'm not hungry..." Usagi looked up, "I feel awful... we _never_ fight—" she turned to look at her friend and held her hands with desperation and a hint of hope in her crystal blue eyes, "Did you see him?!" Minako shook her head, "No. Kunzite said he locked himself in his room and hasn't come out since he got there,"

"His phone is turned off..." Usagi pouted her lips and hugged her knees again, "Not even that woman could reach him."

"About that... do you finally know who that woman is?" Minako frowned, Usagi shook her head, "She did sound like she knew him—you know, more than the average person."

Minako tilted her head, trying to find more to this situation that could help bring some peace of mind to her friend, "What did she say?"

Usagi sighed softly, "That she had been trying to reach for him but his phone but that has been unavailable all afternoon—she said it was kind of urgent and that she needed him to sign some papers..." she looked at Minako and gave her a shy glare, "Yes, I know what you are thinking,"

"You _do_ realize now that this was just a fit of jealousy, right?"

"The circumstances were different—it looked shady," Usagi frowned, "Why would he say over the phone he was going to the hospital when in fact was going over to see _her_."

"But you said you talked to Ami-chan,"

"Yes,"

"And, what did she say?"

Usagi exhaled, "That he was there by the time he left this morning,"

"Usagi-chan..."

"I know Mina-chan, I know—I'm a psycho," Usagi rubbed her red eyes, "You were right... I should have followed your advice and talked to him but I don't know what came over me... I got so mad, I felt this burning sensation in the pit of my stomach, I couldn't control myself,"

"Jealousy, that is what came over you." Minako shrugged her shoulders, "And I understand your point, really, I do. I understand you found everything so strange and that woman triggered it, you got jealous," she sighed, "I have to admit this is very weird,"

"What is?"

"You... getting jealous of him, it's been a while," Minako shook her head confused, "Why it was so different now?"

Usagi sighed, "I'm not blind Minako-chan, I know Mamoru has a charm that attracts a lot of women, wherever we go, women always notice him and up to some point I've come to terms with it because he deals with the same stuff too when guys stare at me with this uncomfortable glare in their eyes, but I don't know—it's weird see women stare at your boyfriend with a gaping mouth. No matter how serene I try to handle things, no matter how cool I try to look, it gets me every time."

"Usa, you say it like if he provoked any of these situations on purpose... it's not his fault, the man is _very_ good looking—with all due respect, but he is! Of course women will look at him like hungry hyenas but do you know why none of them do anything to catch his attention?"

Usagi sniffled and shook her head, "Because he pushes them away with an annoyed glare? I don't know..."

Minako shook her head and tucked a strand of hair behind Usagi's ear, "No. Because when they see you together they instantly know just how madly in love he is with you by the way he looks at you," Usagi widened her swollen eyes, "Mina-chan..."

"You don't need to be a descendant of the Goddess of Love to see it, it's there—the way he looks at you, the way he talks to you. Every gesture, every smile, every wink, and flirt—they're crafted _only for you_. And you know why? Because you see beyond his looks, you know this man like no one does, Usagi. You see more of him and he values it Usa-chan, like you have no idea. I'm telling you because he has told me that more than once." Usagi widened her eyes with shock, "Really? He really told you that?"

"Yes, _really_ —we're good friends, you know?" Minako smiled proudly, "Usa-chan, that gorgeous man is not your boyfriend anymore, he's _your_ _husband_ and you are _his wife_ —you are transcendental lovers, two people that fought the laws of nature to be together. Hun, do you really think a random girl is able to crush that by just calling him by his name with no honorifics? Come on..."

Usagi sighed with sadness, "I know Minako-chan... I should have talked to him first instead of letting my anger and jealousy get in the way," she leaned her head back and took a deep breath, "Kunzite's words—the more I think about them, the more sense they have."

"What do you mean?" Minako frowned, Usagi sighed softly "It has been a lot for Mamo-chan since Megumi walked into his life again and I am not saying it's a bad thing but—"

"He has gotten a lot more to process than just his memories, yes, that's true." Minako said softly; Usagi nodded while she looked at the ceiling, "Maybe it was all that Minako-chan, maybe it was the fact that he hasn't said much about it, that I know he is not doing so well. I want to help him and I don't know how, I supposed what bothered me the most about that woman calling him and her way to approach to him so casually was because it made me feel like she was closer to him than me, despite being married. I wish I knew what he is thinking, I wish I knew what to do—I wish he stopped putting everything on his shoulders and allow me to help him. I wish he didn't have to go back to being a person that kills... I wish he didn't have to be a Polemarchos..." Usagi sniffled, "I wish they just let us be..."

"You need to tell him all this," Minako rubbed Usagi's back in a circular motion to calm her nerves, "This is important for him to know,"

"I am in a crazy state of anguish, I don't know if he is coming back—he has never done this before. He has never walked out on me, he has never raised his voice at me... you should have seen the look in his eyes Mina-chan..." Usagi broke in sobs again, "I don't know if he will be able to forgive me—I called him a liar, a cheater, I taunted him and his sweet intentions and even challenged him. He brought me my favorite food from my favorite place and even offered me to talk and find a solution and in return, I threw a pillow at him with anger, I pushed him away."

Minako took a deep breath, "He will come back," she shook her head, "He loves you too much, _too much._ "

"After this, I don't know anymore Minako..." Usagi started to cry again, "I really don't know..."

O—o—o—o—O

Casanova Akira and her team of explorers and archaeologists walked into the conference room formally dressed with a briefcase and stopped behind the podium. The young treasure hunter prepared her laptop to begin with the press conference and showcase of her team's discovery. "Good evening," she said softly and adjusted the microphone as she looked at all the flashes and reporters with a face of anxiety and blunt curiosity.

"Thank you all for coming," Akira turned to her team and then at the crowd of hungry photographers and reporters and cleared her throat, "Over the past couple of months we have been concentrated on studying, recollecting proofs, and trying to put many pieces together concerning the recent discovery found buried deep underground on March 31st in what we called Voronja Cave—at the explored pint of 7,208 66 ft. The expedition team reached a depth greater than 6,600 ft., and explored the cave up to 6,824 ft." she turned and changed the page on her presentation and put the first picture, "Prior to the descent, and after a long time of doing research it came to our knowledge that the precious jewels and crown of the leader of the Golden Tribe were buried somewhere in this point—we initiated the descent at noon that day and took us almost an hour of pure descent. To our surprise, temperatures were below normal, considering the depth we were under." she changed the slide, "Streams of water led us to what we thought was the location were the treasure was said to be, but instead—" she turned and changed the slide, "We found ourselves on another type of grounds."

Indistinctive chatter began to fill the room alongside the murmurs and scribbling and typing sounds. Akira turned to Toshi, who nodded with reassurance and continued the presentation, "Surrounded by bioluminescent matter, we were found walking on frozen grounds of stone and marble." she changed the slide and heard the crowd gasp in surprise and continued showing the series of photographs and video as she explained the many characteristics of the buried ruins. "To our surprise, the ruins have been preserved due to the almost helical conditions and is surpasses the two-thousand-year mark of antiquity, taking us straight to believe this place existed in prehistoric times. We managed to stand on what appeared to be the main court, several spaces that could easily have been garden and what appeared to be personal chambers—to name a few." Akira continued changing the slides, "We decided to mark that place as the 'Main Court'; we found the floors were made of the purest marble and was marked with this symbol—which it's known to be the astronomical symbol for Earth."

Akira turned and licked her lips as she saw Mikael standing in the back with his arms crossed and the coldest look on his face. The blonde man narrowed his eyes and looked around the crowded room waiting for some kind of reaction on what Akira was saying. He moved from his position and walked around the large conference room as he continued listening to the woman in the front.

"At this point, I will start taking questions—yes?" Akira pointed out at a young reporter, "Miho Kirihito from The Sun of Japan—are there any indications of whom could have inhabited those ruins?"

Akira turned to look at the slide and pointed out the marking engraved at the center of the court, "The symbol here shows to be an emblem—it is known that those who wear or mark their descent with these types of emblems are those linked to Monarchy." She turned to the crowd, "We considered the possibility of this place being owned by a cult that may have praised astronomical beliefs but these ruins follow a clear line that it was a Royal Palace at one point in history."

She gave the opportunity to another reporter, "Sakashi Aita from The Independent Sun of Japan, Akira-san—those ruins, are you saying there were people living underground?"

"We did not find any human remains—bones, clothing or DNA that might be preserved in such conditions but we did find items for personal use that led us to think that in fact, this place was inhabited by people once." Akira nodded.

"Ito Akemi, from Nippon Network News—Akira-san, can you go a little further into explaining the origins of these ruins? How people could have lived under such circumstances?"

Akira took a deep breath, knowing what her analogy might provoke, "The origins to these ruins are still unclear and we will continue studying every detail until we find a clearer view of what we encountered. However, I do not believe these ruins have been built and that its inhabitants lived underground."

"What does that mean?"

"That those ruins were buried there—those remains were put to rest there by something or someone we yet do not know,"

"But due to the depths, that sounds illogical—it makes no sense, who could bury such majestic ruins so deep underground, and to keep them in such conditions?"

Akira nodded and started to feel the stirs of commotion in the room, "This is where we need to keep an open mind while you witness this presentation—the symbolism carved and engraved in stone and marble floors, doors, and some walls they all alluded to be connected to some sort of divinity." she turned and changed the slide, "There is an extensive amount of myths and legends that suggest our planet and all the universe is guarded and protected by divine creatures—gods. These gods are said to inhabit their respective planet—the symbolism gives us a clue that this was the shrine or palace to the one that protected Earth."

The once noisy room suddenly started to calm to an almost uncomfortable silence, Akira noticed. Another reporter raised his hand, "Are you saying these ruins belonged to a god?"

"Yes. In ancient times, it was believed this planet had mystical powers... and many legends and myths suggest there was a protector or guardian, so we are taking as a possibility that this place was the home to those blessed with those powers. Along the many samples we found and took for examination, there were items for personal use such as brushes made of pure gold, broaches with exquisite raw and polished jewels, fabrics, decorative accents, hand painted ceramic tiles, etcetera."

"Couldn't exist the possibility that this place was built to be a shrine to honor the gods you mention? Don't you think it is a little out there to say this place belonged to gods?"

Akira sighed softly, "The characteristics of a Shrine defer from the ones of these ruins—that is why my guess points out more to believe this was a sacred place. The home that guarded those with the divine power of Earth,"

Another reporter raised her hand, "Is there a lead to a descendant? If monarchy is being involved is there a lead to know if this has a lineage?"

Akira widened her eyes, "W-We have not look into that just yet—"

"And if there is one, would you say its linked to the strange events we have been encountered lately or, in the previous years?"

"I cannot comment on that—I am only showcasing what we found and explain it from an archaeological point of view." Akira shook her head, without noticing Mikael was walking to the podium and grabbed the microphone, "To answer your question yes—there is a descent to these ruins and we are currently looking for it."

Akira widened her eyes with shock, "M-Mikael! What are you doing?!"

Mikael turned and pushed Akira with force with a growl and turned to one of the cameras recording the conference and pointed his finger at it, "Terra Protectorem, non-novi te ex - tradere, et ostende nobis faciem tuam crystallus." An unnatural smirk crossed his slim face, "Si tibi non vis pati propinqui."*

Akira looked at Mikael with worry, "Mikael... what?" she shook her head and tried to stop him by pulling him away from the podium, "What are you doing? What is this?!"

A snap echoed, triggering something inside Mikael that soon took possession of him, turning his eyes pitch black and turned to push the girl away again and knocked her head against the floor. He turned to the crowded room and began coughing without control, releasing a black matter from his body like tar burning everything it touched. "It's coming... it's coming..." he muttered with a strain in his voice before falling unconscious. Asteria materialized from the ashes floating in the air and looked down at the crowd screaming and trying to escape the room in a frenzy and smirked with satisfaction, "Pitiful mortals," she extended her hand and began absorbing their energy, making them fall unconscious one after the other.

The woman in black narrowed her eyes and looked at the gathered energy she now held in her hand and narrowed her black eyes, "I will find you—I _always_ find what I want, I _always_ get what I want," she muttered and vanished the same way she appeared, in the ashes.

Akira groaned and slowly opened her eyes and saw a woman in black sucking what it looked the life of the people trapped in the room. She turned to the side and saw Mikael unconscious with a black stain still flowing from his mouth and tried to make her way towards him without being unnoticed, "M-Mikael..." she called out to him and extended her hand to reach for his when she felt she was being picked up and taken out of the room from a side door, she looked up and saw Reika, covering her mouth with her sleeve and other reporters that had managed to escape then turned to her savior, "Toshi... M-Mikael..." her body soon gave in to the stress of the moment and fainted before she could say anything else.

O—o—o—o—O

Mamoru walked out of Kunzite's room and into the living room and saw the general sitting on the sofa drinking the last of his coffee, "Ah, you are awake," he leaned forward and left his empty cup on the coffee, "I was not expecting it to be this soon,"

Mamoru sighed and rubbed his temples, "I'm sorry, I didn't know where to go—my head is a mess right now and I am having the worst of migraines,"

"That I know," Kunzite looked at him, "You do not need to tell me, you look like a mess too, but, I am glad you came here—you are the kind of person who does stupid things when you are upset."

"Excuse me?" Mamoru arched his brow.

"You almost married a crazy woman in a fit of anger and jealousy or have you forgotten?" Kunzite gave the prince a quizzical glare; Mamoru rolled his eyes with annoyance and let out an exasperated sigh, "Great, now everybody is going to rub _that_ in my face."

Kunzite narrowed his eyes with confusion,"Who is everybody? There is nobody here..."

"Never mind." Mamoru growled and leaned his arms on the back of the black leather sofa and hung his head low; his dark hair covered his eyes but Kunzite did not need much to know the prince was in a deep state of anguish, "Are you not being a little too hard on Her Highness?" to this comment from the general, Mamoru looked up with a confused frown, "What?"

Kunzite sighed softly, "Come on Endymion, since I learned of your love affair with Princess Serenity, I have been a witness of the effect she has over you."

The prince pursed his lips for a minute, he was too tired to even try to pretend he had everything under control, at this point he didn't care as control was the last thing on his mind right now, "She believes I am having an affair with another woman,"

"Well, are you?"

"Of course not," Mamoru answered bitterly and looked at his friend with disgust, "What is the matter with you?"

"Then why does she believe such thing?" Kunzite exhaled with exasperation, "Please sit down—seeing you in this state baffles me—have some coffee, there is some in the kitchen," Mamoru took a deep breath and went to the kitchen to pour himself some of that coffee he mentioned and walked back looking at Kunzite like a scolded child kid and sat on Kunzite's opposite end of the sectioned sofa keeping a certain distance with his general and friend. "Well?" Kunzite arched an expectant brow.

"Serenity read an exchange of messages I had with a woman I know," Mamoru said dryly and sighed, "Last year, we started looking at properties and Usagi fell in love with a house but unfortunately, it was already in the process of being purchased by somebody else. A couple of months ago, I was informed the house did not sell and that it was put on the market once again but that there were several people already taking interest in purchasing it." He took a sip of his coffee and leaned his head back, allowing the warmth of the dark liquid sooth his troubled spirit, "I knew I had to bid for the property, so I looked for the person I needed to talk to to start negotiations and it turned out to be my legal advisor's daughter, who I have known for many years... and with whom I sort of had a romantic relationship when I was fifteen years old."

"Ah, I see where this is going..." Kunzite rubbed his forehead, "Go on,"

"I have been negotiating for that house for months and she has been helping me with all the paperwork, she's a realtor, it's her job and she knows people who can get things done faster and more effectively. All this, I have been keeping it a secret because I wanted to surprise Serenity... because I know how much she loves that house." Mamoru rubbed his right temple to sooth some of the pain from his migraine, "I don't know how she managed to see my messages with her but not the ones that had the information on the house—the point is, she accused me of being unfaithful among other things I do not want to go into detail right now. Things escalated too quickly and I didn't want to continue arguing with her so I left before I could say something else I would regret later."

"She is beyond mortified Endymion," Kunzite crossed his arms, "She was looking for you,"

"She came here?" Mamoru turned to Kunzite with a frown, Kunzite shook his head, "No, she called Venus,"

"So, Minako knows about this too?" Mamoru said with both surprise and annoyance, "Great,"

"She was visiting _me_ when the Princess called, Venus has nothing to do with this—the point is that she is in the same conditions you are, so I let her know you were here and that you would most likely spend the night here." Kunzite leaned forward, resting on his knees, "Endymion..."

"I know Kunzite—" Mamoru looked at his friend, interrupting him "It's just that..." he shook his head, "Things have been very complicated lately and it did not hit me until I heard her say those things," he narrowed his sapphire blue eyes, "I know what I am Kunzite and it has been drilling my head ever since Ares appeared, since I held that sword. I am aware of the tremendous mess my family left behind and that somehow I am also responsible for it, but, I just couldn't handle her words because it wasn't just me thinking the worst of me but it was also her," he looked for his phone in his pants' pocket to turn it on and widened his eyes when he felt a sharp pain pounding his chest, Kunzite frowned with worry, "Endymion?!"

Mamoru flinched and gasped for air, "I smell sulfur..." he jolted from his seat and ran towards the door, "I need to go back to Serenity,"

"What?!"

Mamoru turned to Kunzite with a frown, his blue eyes darkened with menace, "They're here."

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _AN_ _*Earth Protector, I know you are out there—show your face and hand us the crystal if you do not want those close to you affected._


	41. Chapter 41

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Forty-One

 _AN: The Divinity series is rated M. That being said, I feel obliged to let you know this chapter has intimate scenes; if you feel uncomfortable reading love-scenes I suggest you skip this one._

* * *

Haruka was watching TV in the living room with Hotaru reading a book next to her in silence while Megumi helped Michiru and Setsuna in the kitchen cook dinner. The aquamarine haired beauty looked at a more experienced Megumi chopping and dicing vegetables with an impressive skill and speed, "You are being so helpful Megumi-san, I don't know what would become of me if I handled dinner all by myself."

"Hey, are you saying my help doesn't count?" Setsuna frowned with slight hurt, Michiru giggled, "Of course it does but you are not always at this time of the day."

"I know my cooking isn't as great as yours but still—I have a pride." the senshi of time said softly as she finished making the salad. Megumi smiled at both women and put the knife down, "I remember when I first got my job at the Palace, I started out helping the main cook in the kitchen—I learned a great number of recipes."

"That sounds great!" Michiru looked at the girl, "You could teach us some of those—I'm curious to know what the Royal family had for dinner."

Megumi's smile slowly faded at the mention of the Royals, even when the girls had been treating her like one of them, including her and making her feel at home she had to admit that she did miss her days when she served the royal family and that she missed both the Princess and Prince. Michiru closed the oven door and put the casserole on the counter and turned when she too noticed the young maid's silence "Megumi-san, are you alright?"

Megumi turned and nodded, "Y-Yes, yes Milady, I am—I am sorry."

Michiru smiled softly and tilted her head, "Ah, I see... you miss the Prince,"

Megumi blushed and continued stirring the creamy gravy for the roast she had prepared, not really knowing what to answer to Michiru's sweet taunting. Michiru smiled and turned to pick the sliced bread to take to the dining table, "Don't worry, I am sure he—"

"Michiru—look at this." Haruka interrupted her lover and sprinted from her seat on the sofa. Hotaru had her deep violet eyes fixed on the TV and her face had gone unnaturally pale; Setsuna and Megumi soon followed behind when they heard the urgency in Haruka's voice. The sandy blonde senshi turned the volume up and continued watching the news about the attack at the museum and showed some of the footage taken from the cameras showing the reporters being attacked by shadow-like creatures. Hotaru's eyes widened when she spotted a woman in black, floating in the back, "Asteria..."

"What?!" Setsuna blinked with shock, Hotaru turned to look at Setsuna with worry "It's her, Asteria,"

"Call Minako," Haruka said with urgency, "They need to see this and be informed, it is more likely they can contact the royal couple before us," she stood up, startling Michiru, "H-Haruka? Where are you—" The blonde turned to her partner and gave her a well-known look, one only she would understand, "You know exactly where I am going,"

Michiru sighed softly and nodded, without saying another word she walked behind her lover. Setsuna turned to Hotaru who was still trying to reach Minako over the phone and turned to Megumi, "It is better if you stay here Megumi-san, we will return shortly." Hotaru nodded and turned to Setsuna, "I will stay with her, you go,"

Megumi widened her eyes and turned to the TV with a mortified look in her face as she brought her hands up to her chest, *"Sit caelum, misereátur nostri, Principis placent mihi, diligenter."

Hotaru turned to the phone again and dialed the blonde's number one more time and waited anxiously for an answer, "Please Minako-chan—please answer the phone..." she said in a desperate tone.

O—o—O

A soft ringing sound brought Minako back from her sleepy state, she opened her cornflower-blue eyes and turned to see Usagi curled up at the other end of the sofa but as soon as the ring alerted them of the call, her crystal blue eyes snapped open and jumped back to sit on the sofa and started looking for her phone almost frantically, "Mamo-chan..." she said with a hurried tone in her strained voice.

Minako turned to the table and saw that it was her phone the one ringing and frowned when she did not recognize the number on the screen, "Hello?" her eyes widened, "Hotaru-chan—what—" the blonde turned to Usagi with an unreadable expression, "I'm at Usagi and Mamoru's apartment—yes, they are back—it's a long story. What's wrong? You sound agitated..." her eyes widened "What?! When?!"

Usagi frowned and waited for the blonde to finish talking over the phone, Minako frowned and nodded, "Yes—okay I will look into it—yes, I will stay with Usagi-chan, yes—please keep me posted, thank you for calling me—okay, we'll be in touch." she hung up the phone and stayed silent and with a disoriented look in her face. "Minako-chan?" Usagi moved closer to her and placed her hand on top of her friend's, "Minako-chan... you're scaring me... what happened?"

Minako turned to Usagi with worry, "Where is the remote?"

Usagi turned to the minimalistic table next to the sofa and handed her the sleek remote, "What's going on?"

Minako turned the TV on, she did not need to surf much through the channels to find what she was looking for since it was all over the news, both blondes widened their eyes with shock as they saw the alert and the news anchor talking about what happened at the press conference with alarm. It did not take long before the loud sound of the front door slamming open took taking the girls by surprise; Usagi was the most shocked when she saw Mamoru walking in a hurry looking for her, "Usagi..." but his attention was soon fixed to the news playing in front of him and froze in place behind her; Kunzite walked in seconds after and also stood shocked next to Mamoru when he saw the blonde archeologist talking directly at the camera, _"Terra Protectorem, non novi te ex - tradere, et ostende nobis faciem tuam crystallus,"_ an unnatural smirk crossed his slim face, _"Si tibi non vis pati propinqui."_

The general turned to the prince and shook his head, "How the hell does he know about it?" Mamoru narrowed his eyes and shook his head, "Somebody is talking through him, somebody that knows about it... it's the same request."

Minako and Usagi turned to see both men standing behind the sofa, "The same request? Minako asked confused, "Wait, you can understand what he said?" Kunzite nodded and looked down at Minako, "He is speaking Latin, our native tongue, and whatever it is possessing that man wants something that belongs to us."

"The Silver Crystal?" Minako frowned, Mamoru's brows knitted together, "No," his indigo eyes turned sapphire, "The Golden Crystal."

"W-What?!" Usagi gasped and turned to the television and felt a cold chill down her spine when she saw the man's creepy smile on his face, "B-But..."

"I need to alert the girls," Minako looked for her phone and turned to Kunzite, "The Shitennou are—"

"They have been informed," Kunzite's dry tone in his voice marked his authority in the situation and turned to Mamoru, "Endymion—"

"Whatever they discovered has caught their attention and I need to know what that is," Mamoru said in a very low and threatening tone, one very far from its usual warmth and closer to the one Serenity witnessed when he was in his role as Commander during the Silver Millennium. Her eyes started to tear up, knowing exactly what it meant, "Mamo-chan..." she called him softly but felt a sting in her heart when she didn't have a usual reassurance response from him, instead, he kept his intimidating gaze at the anchorwoman who continued giving more detail of the recent events:

 _"The victims of the sudden attack have been taken to the closest hospital for medical attention—fatalities have been reported on the scene but we still do not have a precise number. We have been reported the remaining survivors are in critical condition. Due to the similarity between this attack and the one from weeks ago, authorities are now treating the matter as a hate crime and are taking drastic measures to find the responsible of such atrocities that are putting hundreds of innocent citizens in danger. The events unfolded during a private press conference at the Metropolitan Museum of Natural History where Casanova Akira and her team of archaeologists finally uncovered the truth about their recent discovery that has been kept a secret for nearly two months—"_

"I will head over and meet the others there," Kunzite frowned at the prince, "Endymion, this—"

"—Is a second warning," Mamoru muttered dryly and sighed heavily, "I can't feel them anymore, meaning they have returned to their damn hole," he turned to the general, "But this time they left clear what they are after and what will happen if we don't surrender to them,"

"But why are they gathering energy from people?" Minako frowned.

"They are feeding themselves with it, and also, it is the fastest way to get our attention—they know we are here," Kunzite frowned and shook his head confused, "But for some strange reason they do not seem to know who we are."

"This is typical behavior of someone who wants others to feel intimidated," Mamoru arched his brow with authority, "I need to know where this woman has been taken—the havoc is not allowing me to track her whereabouts, it's hard for me to concentrate."

"I will take care of it," Kunzite nodded his head, "I will inform you once I have located her," he looked down at Usagi and gave her a small smile; the reassuring gesture she was expecting from Mamoru came from Kunzite instead, "Princess..."

Usagi nodded, letting him know she was on the same page as him, "I know Kunzite... thank you," she turned to the television and took a deep nervous breath. Minako felt the tension in the air was hanging over them like a cold dense fog and decided to take matters into her own hands. As a soldier and daughter of the goddess of love, she could not allow the royal couple to grow apart, not when all they have done over the years was to fight and manage to stay together for love and not when things have started to take a more dangerous turn. Crisis or not, they belonged together and if she tried to break them apart in the past, they have proven to everyone they care too much for each other to follow the rules of those up in the heavens to give up now, as their friend, she wanted to give them a little push to sort things out, because if there was something that could prove real love existed, was the royal couple. "I may be able to find her location—I work for the news, remember? The station might know more about the reporters that were sent there to cover the event,"

Kunzite looked at her with a puzzled face but given Minako's wink, he understood what she was trying to do, "I will very much appreciate your help, Venus," he played along and turned to Mamoru, "We will find her," he patted his shoulder and turned to walk away. Mamoru's nod was followed by a long heavy sigh knowing exactly what his friend was trying to hint him. Usagi stood from the sofa and accompanied them to the door to see them off when Minako turned and gave her friend a hug, "We won't let them—I promise."

"Thank you, Minako-chan... for everything,"

Minako smiled softly, "Call me if you need anything, alright? Don't mind the hour."

Usagi nodded and turned to Kunzite who had a reassuring smile in his face and leaned closer to her ear, "It is going to be alright, Your Highness, do not worry," the general bowed his head in respect and walked away with Minako. Usagi closed the door right after and rested her head on it for a minute while thinking about the things she could say or do to get over this uncomfortable distance between them. Her mind was still clouded by the attack but mostly by her current situation with Mamoru. The uncomfortable silence made her turn her head and see he was still in his same place behind the sofa watching the news and felt a strange mixture of relief and nervousness hanging heavy in her chest as she slowly walked towards him.

Mamoru sighed heavily and hung his head low as he tried to process the vivid dream he had of him talking to whom he clearly remembered was the terran queen. His black hair fell over his eyes and hid the obvious tension in his handsome face but his blue eyes snapped open and felt a jolt inside his chest when he felt Usagi's soft hand gently resting over his, "Mamo-chan..." he heard her whispering his name, sounding more like a plead than a call. Mamoru shook his head and slowly moved his hand away from hers and walked back to the bedroom in silence leaving a startled Usagi in the living room accompanied only by the noise coming from the television.

Her heart felt like it was being crushed inside her chest by a force she could not even describe; this was the first time he rejected her, the first time he ever turned away from her making her wonder if she had lost him completely and forever. She let out a heavy breath and went to sit on the sofa with her knees up to her chest as she let another batch of fresh tears fall with no control.

A few minutes later she felt a pair of warm hands on her shoulders making her jolt with surprise and looked up at Mamoru sitting on the coffee table in front of her; his alluring blue eyes changed to a more cobalt shade as he looked into her now puffy crystal-blue ones, "Mamoru..." Usagi took hasty breaths between choked sobs, "I'm so sor—" Mamoru pressed his index finger to her lips and shook his head, "Don't," he sighed softly and leaned back, "It was my mistake too—I let it become a misunderstanding," he frowned, "I don't like to argue with you Usagi—I can't do it, I can't stand it," he dragged his finger softly over her swollen lips in a form of caress, "I am sorry for worrying you and hurting you."

Usagi shook her head and took another shaky breath, "No... I'm the one who's sorry—I crossed the line, I disrespected you and did not give you a chance to explain," she sniffled softly, "With all that has been happening I shouldn't have..."

Mamoru's lips curved slightly into a sad smile and shook his head, "Usa—don't."

Usagi looked at him wide-eyed when she heard that warm reassuring tone in his voice, the one that always made her feel better, the one meant only for her, "Mamo-chan..."

"Whatever is happening outside it doesn't have to do with _this_ —with _us_ , having a discussion." Mamoru looked at her with that same intense color in his eyes, "This isn't us—it has never been and that's why I got so upset," his hand reached for a strand of hair framing her face and curled his finger around it softly, "But then I was reminded that I once acted that same way..."

Usagi blinked confused, "When?" Mamoru tilted his head and let out a soft sigh, "When I knew Athamas was engaged to you,"

Usagi widened her eyes and let a tear roll down her flushed cheeks, "Mamo-chan..."

"Do you remember that winter ball?" Mamoru narrowed his navy-blue eyes, "I was about to do the stupidest thing because I let my own jealousy, anger, and deception take over me, I believed another kind of truth and I let it become a problem," he shook his head and chuckled softly but more than sounding warm and playful it showed deep regret and sadness, breaking Usagi's heart. It was Usagi's turn to lean towards him and put her hands on each side of his face, "I never knew... that you were jealous..." she said with wonder, "You never told me any of this—we never spoke about it."

Mamoru closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders, "I preferred not to, our time was too limited to be wasted in such gloomy conversation but it killed me inside to even think he could see you and be close to you anytime he wanted while I was far away dealing with many things at the same time and only wanting to be with you." he opened his eyes but remained with his gaze down, "I guess what happened today is related to those moments and that is why I felt so impotent,"

Usagi moved her hands slowly down his neck and rested her forehead on his, "I wish you could tell me what's in your mind and your heart..." she bit her lower lip, "You have always been like this—so independent, so self-sufficient and trying to keep everything under control..." she shook her head, "But I know there is a storm inside you—I know you are worried and angry no matter how much you pretend to be alright, I know you have been struggling since that day. It doesn't matter how much you try to tell me it doesn't have to do with me but it does because I'm with you and I can't stand watching you go through this alone," she moved her face closer until her lips caressed his, "I just wish you could let me in. Please... let me be a part of it..."

"Usa..." Mamoru breathed and shut his eyes tight, Usagi pulled him closer to her and could not hold her tears, "Please let me be here for you... "

Mamoru felt like her hands on his neck was the only thing preventing him from crumbling apart; all the emotions he has been keeping to himself since he regained his memories and his past was starting to become too heavy for him to keep under control any longer. His eyes began burning with unshed tears and cursed under his breath for feeling this vulnerable; Usagi felt him shivering and slowly ran her arms around him in a secure embrace, allowing him to finally break the spell that was keeping his emotions locked and let everything that was torturing him inside finally flow free, "It doesn't matter how much I adore you—heavens know how much I love you... but I will always be a threat to you, I will always be harmful and an obstacle in your life."

Usagi widened her eyes and moved away from the sofa and slowly clung to him with her arms tightly wrapped around him, "How can you even think that?!" she shook her head, "How dare you say such thing?!"

"I am becoming somebody I have subconsciously been keeping hidden since the day I was reborn," Mamoru said dryly and took a deep breath, "I am slowly responding more to my life as Endymion than the one I built as Chiba Mamoru... I feel like am slowly drifting away from you, Tsukino Usagi, and it is tearing me apart because I can't give you what you want." Usagi pulled apart from him and broke into sobs, joining his, "No... no, that's not true!"

Mamoru opened his eyes and shook his head, "Everything that has been happening it's because of this dynasty that has condemned me since I was born, but the truth is that I can't be just Mamoru for much longer Usa... I have to go back and finish what I couldn't back then," he looked at her with sad eyes, "I know you have been afraid of it, I know you are against it—I know you don't want me to hold a sword again because you know what it means but I was born like this. I am a man trapped between two realities, one that wants nothing more than to live by your side as a normal human being and another that has to fight to keep you safe but at the same time drags too much danger that would put your life at risk."

"I don't care," Usagi finally understood the whole spectrum of the situation. She finally understood why Mamoru had been so silent about the matter and why he has been pretending to be alright, why he has shut down his emotions and decided to live in a deep state of denial. It all boiled down to the fact that he was trying to keep everything together as one simple mortal man just for her own sake, so she could live a normal life when in reality, there was so much more to them than just simply mortality. Usagi came to realize she had spent too much time believing a wrong idea of how they should live, but the facts were there no matter how much she tried to ignore it, they were not normal people despite trying to live like ones. They are always on a mission to protect, they are soldiers and they need to fight whenever there is threat and just like Minako said, she knew Mamoru better than anyone did and she loved him for who he is, warrior or man and it has always been this way since the very first moment she met him. It was his determination and his passion what captivated her, his fearless character and his devotion to her; he is her warrior prince and now she was a warrior princess thanks to him, but at this moment, she was letting her own silly insecurities and caprices take the best of them and their relationship, risking all the love they have nurtured for too many lifetimes. "I don't care, do you hear me?!" Usagi raised her voice with desperation, finally accepting her fate, "I don't care if heaven falls down or if hell breaks loose, I don't care if the planet freezes or if the Moon collides with the Sun—if you fulfill your fate as a Polemarchos... I don't care, I love _you_!"

"Usagi..."

"I am madly in love with you! I love you so much! I love _you_ do you hear me!?" Usagi sobbed and clung to him again like if her life depended on it, "I was born a Senshi in this world because I wanted to be brave and fearless like you, because I wanted to fight for love and justice and because I didn't want to be a Princess in distress anymore—I will fight alongside you, I can face _anything_ but as long as I do it with you. I don't care about any dynasties, I don't care what the gods think... I don't care what they would want to do to us, I don't care if they approve our marriage or not—we will do this together, I will be with you—because damn it, Endymion, _I love you! I love you! I love you!"_

Mamoru widened his eyes in shock when he saw Usagi's hair suddenly started gleaming like strands of stars, her crystal blue eyes never looked so determined and so full of emotion—so blue. She sobbed softly as she looked at him, "Can't you see that I react to you? Can't you see that I am responding to my life as Serenity too? Since the moment you got your memories back you woke a part of me that was still numb and hidden deep inside of me. It's like you brought back everything I held dear of our life together—I remember everything. I remember when I first gave you the pocket watch on your birthday, I remember the winter ball, the first time I saw fireflies flying around that lake, the first time I saw the ocean, when I witnessed rain falling from the sky and the first time I saw snow." she leaned closer to him and sniffed his cool, fresh cologne settled in his skin, "—Our first kiss... and the first time we made love," her lips caressed his neck and took a deep breath, "I don't regret anything and I do not think we are leaving what we have or who we are in this era, we are still two people madly in love with each other—in this or in another life, you said you would find me, Endymion, and that we would find our way to be together." her arms tightened around his neck again, "I was too stupid and crazy to even think you would be with another woman behind my back—it was stupid of me, I shouldn't have been so insecure and think she was closer to you than me, I shouldn't have let jealousy take over me, I shouldn't have attacked you the way I did... we've overcome so many things and had come such a long way to put our love in danger for stupid thoughts like the ones I had..."

Mamoru looked at her dumbfounded, "Usa..."

"I am very sorry Mamo-chan..." Usagi drew back and looked at him in the eyes shyly, "I was jealous, I was insecure—I don't know what came over me. I guess I now understand how Beryl felt that night at the ball... I now understand why she lost her sanity the way she did."

"Are you comparing yourself to Beryl?" Mamoru frowned slightly disgusted, Usagi nodded softly "I lost my mind just like she did and threw a pillow at you," the comment made Mamoru burst into genuine laughter, startling Usagi, "What? What did I say?"

"Your concept of losing your mind is too adorable—I wish she would have thrown a pillow at me too. That way we would still be..." he trailed off and widened his eyes in realization; Usagi smiled softly, "See? We are the same." her hand caressed his face, "Yes, it's true. I wish you didn't have to hold a sword again because like you said, I know what that would mean but in this life or another, you are still the same man that makes me feel secure, happy and in love. If you fight, I will fight alongside you, if you respond to your nature as Endymion I will respond to mine as Serenity because like Earth to Moon—we react to each other's energy and strength." she tilted her head and sighed softly, "Just let me be your support—lean on me the same way you ask me to lean on you."

"I just wish it didn't have to catch up with us this way," Mamoru said with slight bitterness, "That is why I am upset with her..."

Usagi blinked, "Her?"

"The Queen," Mamoru sighed and gave his wife a jaded look, "You were right—I am mad at Her Majesty," he scoffed and averted his gaze but frowned when he saw a random contest showing in place of the news that was on just a while ago, "What the hell is _that_?"

Usagi looked over his shoulder at the television and widened her eyes in bewilderment at a couple dressed as chickens being thrown at a pool of green slime "I don't know but... why are they dressed as chickens?"

"I have... no idea... just when you think you have seen everything..." Mamoru shook his head and sighed, "Anyways..." he turned to look for the remote and turned off the television to give Usagi his full attention again, "She kept all of this information hidden from me, I grew up confused as to why I could do things nobody else did, there was never an explanation—everyone knew and never told me. I asked the Queen too many times and she always avoided giving me a straight answer. Whenever I asked about her family she would always find the perfect excuse to evade my question and now that things have come to this extreme I have to find a proper way to deal with all of this she could have prevented way back by telling me the truth," he sighed heavily and shook his head as if trying to get rid of some of his frustration, "But what hurts me the most is that she didn't trust me."

Usagi caressed his jaw softly with her thumbs and looked into his deep blue eyes, "I see it the other way around, she loved you so much that she kept you away from a world she felt foreign. I know it because it was foreign to me too—the moment I landed on Earth, I knew I was where I really wanted to be, where I truly felt I belonged... I felt free,"

"She was from that world, Usa." Mamoru frowned with hurt, Usagi pursed her lips and nodded, "Yes, but you just said it—she _was_. She resigned to that world and built a new one with the man she loved and had you. A world I wished I had when I met you," her lips curved into a soft, endearing smile, "I can see her point of view because I grew up in that world and yes, while the Moon was a beautiful place to live it never could be compared to Earth. You all lived with so much passion and I always found that fascinating. You had rain, you had snow, you had winter and spring... the trees, the ocean, the breeze... and then, there was you, the perfect embodiment of all that wonder and magnetic beauty," she blushed, "You still are..."

Mamoru felt his cheeks becoming hot and shook his head shyly, "You're mad..."

"No, I love you—madly." Usagi smiled, her finger traced the line of his lips with a gentle touch, "It wasn't because she didn't trust you, my dear Endymion, it was because she trusted you that much she gifted you another perspective to see the wonders of life and that is what makes you be y _ou_." she leaned closer until her face was just inches away from his, "If it had not been for her... I would not have been able to see you at the ball."

"She knew you were coming..." Mamoru blinked with amazement and understood what Gaia was trying to tell him in his dream. All along, the queen knew they belonged together and just like she did with Eros, she wanted him to create his own world with Serenity, one where they could live their love without any limitations. Usagi closed her eyes and took a nervous breath, "Please don't leave again... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

Mamoru wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled her into an embrace, "I'm sorry too," he breathed in her sweet scent and stayed in silence for a couple of minutes, both indulging in the peace that brought them being together. Usagi opened her eyes and felt like if her soul had returned to her body, "Mamo-chan?" she asked hazily, still savoring the protective warmth coming from the prince.

"Mmm?"

"What do you think happened to that couple?"

"You are curious too?"

Usagi nodded, both bursting into laughter seconds later, "It's driving me insane—I want to know if they won something." Mamoru looked for the remote and turned the television on again, "Ah look—they're still there, all covered in slime."

"Wow, look at them run!" Usagi said wide-eyed and jumped back to the sofa while pulling Mamoru's arm so he would sit next to her and cuddle together. His attention soon shifted from the strange couple dressed in chicken costumes to the woman in his arms and could not help feeling overwhelmed by having such wonderful person in his life. He was aware of his constant fails and flaws and they both were aware of the things they would have to give up but it was all worth it as long as they remained together. Usagi's words felt more like a truth than a dream; they orbited each other like the earth and moon, they nurtured and understood themselves better than anybody in not only this world but the universe. They had been best friends and lovers at the same time for so many years they have become their own support system. She was right about something: she was stronger, she was a soldier and was too far from being a damsel in distress, but even then, he knew the enemy was too strong for her to fight alone because this was no ordinary creature, this was a vicious entity and it needed to be annihilated rather than being forgiven.

Usagi felt like a million pounds lighter, she felt like her world was spinning in the right direction now that she had Mamoru back with her but she couldn't stop thinking about him slowly leaning towards his self as Endymion rather than just Mamoru and it made her think about how Setsuna was right all along when she said that it didn't matter how many years had passed or how many things have changed, their destiny would be on top of every little thing they did and every decision they made. She was born being Serenity and he was born being Endymion in a world where they needed to suppress all that in order to fit into society and this era. They grew up forcing themselves into a mold that would soon break the moment they took their roles as guardians just how it was fated to happen but she did not regret a single minute of it because they have found each other again in a world where they could live their love freely.

They both watched the t.v. show like children watching cartoons as the couple continued their competition on the strange show; Mamoru frowned and shook his head still very confused by what he was watching, "I still don't understand the chicken costume... why is it necessary?"

"I think they get bonus points if they manage to finish the whole circuit with the costume on," Usagi said with wonder, "It still amazes me how they can run that fast!"

"Nooooooooo!" They both yelled at the television once the couple missed a checkpoint, "What are you doing!? Go right you crazy chicken-man!" Usagi groaned and threw a pillow at the television once the marker showed the couple had lost the competition. Mamoru arched a brow and looked at her with surprise, "So, throwing pillows is a thing now?" Usagi blushed and let out a soft chuckle, "It emphasizes my frustration."

"Ah, I see." Mamoru chuckled and stood up when the show came to an end, a startled Usagi looked up and followed his every move with expectant eyes, "Mamo-chan? Where are you going?" Mamoru walked around the sofa and started to take his sweater and t-shirt off, "I need to take a shower—I feel like I need to wash this day off, it's been awful."

Usagi rubbed her eyes, "I know..." she sighed and looked out the window "It's also very late." she widened her eyes and blushed when she saw him shirtless and with his hand waiting for hers, "Come on,"

With a smile, the blonde took his hand and followed him to the bedroom, she went to pull the covers to get ready for bed while he left his phone and wallet on his nightstand and went to grab some clean clothes before going into the bathroom. Usagi sat on his side of the bed and sighed, she still felt guilty for the events that happened earlier that day and for the horrible things she said that had been mortifying Mamoru and that made him lose his balance. She turned to his nightstand and saw his wedding ring gleaming under the soft light coming from the lamp and grabbed it to take a close look at it; Usagi brought it up to her lips and thought of the promise they made to each other on their wedding day, "Don't be silly, Serenity..." she whispered and shook her head without realizing it had been a while and that she was no longer alone in the room.

"Usa?" Mamoru looked at her with a puzzled expression and noticed she had his ring in her hand, "What are you doing?"

Usagi shook her head and looked down at the ring in her hand with shame, "I was thinking how stupid I have been..." she looked up at him with teary eyes, "I promised to make you happy and at the first test of trust, I broke your heart."

"Hey..." Mamoru went to sit next to her on the bed and kissed the top of her head, "Couples argue from time to time,"

"But they don't break their hearts... and we didn't argue, we had a fight." Usagi mumbled with heavy sadness making Mamoru sigh, "Usa... that is why I left, I didn't want things to turn uglier but my own demons caught up with me and made this whole mess far worse than it already was. It was like I opened this box and everything I was trying to suppress blurted out without control—I hurt you too, and I am very sorry."

Usagi looked at him and combed his damp hair back, "I love you, just the way you are." Mamoru smiled softly and gave her a curious glare, "You sure about that?"

Usagi nodded, "I haven't been so sure about something in my life until I met you and fell in love with you." A faint blush tainted Mamoru's cheeks in response to his wife's sweet declaration of love; he cleared his throat and put his left hand on her lap and wiggled his ring finger. Usagi looked at him with wide eyes, "Do you really want to stay married to a crazy woman like me?"

"Only if you really want to stay married to a crazy man like me," Mamoru's gaze on her made Usagi blush and gave him a nod, "More than anything in this world,"

"Then you know what to do with that ring... you have to seal the deal, Princess."

Usagi chuckled and slid the sleek tungsten band on his finger and saw his fingers slowly intertwine with hers as he brought her hand up to his lips, "Without you, I'm nothing," he whispered, "I feel lost when I am not with you, it's pure torture."

Usagi couldn't take the tension of being apart from Mamoru anymore and leaned closer to lock her lips with his and let the soft kiss take control over them as it deepened and became more intimate. She softly caressed his face with her hands and reacted to the sexual magnetism that always drove them to the very edge of passionate madness; they tugged and pulled their clothes off as if they were the real culprit for their separation and gave in to him as he slowly lay her on the bed.

It had been long since Usagi felt shy about expressing her feelings to Mamoru; they were addicted to each other and they could barely every stay away for too long. As their relationship strengthened and matured over time, they no longer put obstacles to succumb to the deep desire that was to live their love intensely. Whenever they were together, they lost all reason, their bodies reacted with the same heat and passion but they always experienced new things that made them feel more connected and more in love. They knew each other too well and yet every caress and kiss felt like a new addicting experience; Usagi loved the warmth of Mamoru's body on hers, she loved the way he whispered he loved her in her ear, the kisses in her neck and shoulders, his hands gracing her thighs and his strong arms wrapped around her waist. She loved to make him lose his mind and she knew well how to do it just as much he knew how to make her lose hers. From time to time, Usagi would slightly open her eyes and look into his and let herself get drowned into them; her hands slowly roamed down his back and secure herself with her arms around his waist and pulled herself from the bed to make him lay on his back and she could take control over him. There was something different about the way they showed their love this time, the attraction, the energy flowing between them; the way they kissed and how they reacted to their bodies made the moment more intimate and special for both of them. Usagi threw her head back in pleasure as she felt him caressing every inch of her body and gave herself to him entirely and completely forgetting about everything that happened outside of their bedroom; enemy or no enemy, threat or no threat—it was their time, their own little-promised world. Mamoru tangled his hands deep in her long silky hair and felt like time had stopped and returned to when they made each and every minute count before she had to go back to the Moon and to a life where their love was forbidden—an abominable sin. The way they held on to each other was pure and intense, Usagi leaned down and nibbled his lower lip before going down to his neck as she combed her fingers through his hair making him moan with raw pleasure. Between soft panting and moans, they came to the point beyond reason and held each other tight, both feeling exhausted and in pure bliss while slowly returning to reality.

Usagi's cheeks were flushed and her eyes shined with nothing but love for the man next to her. She stretched her arm and started playing with his hair as she snuggled closer to him and let herself being drifted away into a deep sleep.

O—o—O

Hours later, the soft light of dawn filtered through the windows of the bedroom bringing Mamoru back to his senses. He slowly stretched his arm and opened one eye when he didn't feel Usagi next to him on the bed and slowly jerked his head up to look for her; his royal-blue eyes widened when he found her standing by the panoramic windows looking at the city outside and parted his lips in complete awe.

There she was, covering her nude body with the dark grey sheet of their bed emphasizing her pale skin and now floor length silvery hair catching the first rays of dawn creating an aura around her and making her glow like the moon goddess she was. She slowly turned to look at him over her shoulder and smiled softly, already aware of the new changes in her body. Mamoru was completely mesmerized by his wife and felt his heart jolt in his chest and quickly went to her and took her into his arms, "Mea Serenitati," he leaned down and kissed her bare shoulder, sending chills all over her body. Usagi sighed with content and turned to look at him; she put her hands on his broad shoulders for support and stood on her tiptoes to gain some height and kiss him softly on the lips, waking their desire of being together once again; it was not long before her body started to react to his touch again as they both slowly deepened the kiss. After a minute or so, she pulled back to gasp for air and looked into his stormy blue eyes, "I am yours, Endymion, forever yours." As a response to her words, Mamoru picked her up in his arms and carried back to the bed to succumb to desire and give themselves to love one more time.

As she looked into her husband's alluring eyes, being Serenity no longer felt foreign to her, she no longer rejected or cursed her divine nature finally understanding what Mamoru meant when he said he was slowly leaning more towards his life as Endymion. It didn't feel like she was stopping being one to become another, it felt like a whole as she let the memories they shared together return the inspiration and the fuel that lighted her spirit to be the woman she was now; she felt secure, happy and complete. The moon princess let go and once again surrendered to her husband's loving caresses without feeling the pressure and fear of having to part ways before the sun reached its peak in the sky.

O—o—O

The sun finally came up and its strong rays were now filtering through the curtains with more intensity, almost as if it was demanding for the couple's attention. Usagi opened her eyes with a frown and saw Mamoru was still sound asleep and stirred lazily in bed. To her surprise, his arm tightened around her waist making her turn to look at him and smiled as she leaned closer to give him a peck on his nose, "Hi..."

Mamoru hummed softly and opened one eye, "Hi..." his husky voice from sleeping was like music to her ears; he frowned still a little hazed from his sleepiness, "What time is it?"

"I don't know..." Usagi blew her long fringe away from her face, "But we completely forgot to close the blackout curtains and now it's all bright and sunny..." she turned her back to the large windows and snuggled under the covers, "I am not getting up to fix that, you do it." Mamoru clicked his tongue with annoyance and threw a pillow at the window, startling Usagi, "What are you doing?"

"I'm... expressing my frustration," mumbled groggily and lay his arm over his face to cover his eyes, "I don't want to get up either but the light is too overwhelming—turn it off!"

"What?! _You_?! Complaining about the light?!" Usagi widened her eyes now taking Mamoru by surprise, he moved his arm away from his face and frowned, "What?"

Usagi started laughing, "You, Mr. Sunshine—we-get-up-very-early-every-day-to-go-out-for-a-run-or-do-yoga-before-I-drink-awful-coffee— _you,_ Prince of Earth?!" she frowned and shook her head, "My, my, what happened to you?" the now silver-haired beauty placed a hand on his forehead to check his temperature, "Are you feeling sick or is that crystal playing with your head too?"

"No..." Mamoru scoffed at her comment, "I'm just sleepy..."

"Well that's a first—you _never_ sleep," Usagi mumbled and hid under the covers again like a bunny in its hideout. Mamoru arched his brow and chuckled, "What do you mean I never sleep? Of course, I do. I just don't stay in bed until late hours in the afternoon, unlike a certain Moon Princess." Usagi popped her head out of the covers, honoring her nickname of luna bunny and frowned, "If I look at my phone and check the hour and is past noon—"

"What?" Mamoru smirked with playfulness and turned on his side to be face to face with her, "What are you going to do?"

Usagi blushed, "I'm going to throw a pillow at you... again _,_ " she turned but before she could get her hands on her phone a ring caught their attention. Usagi turned to look at him and quirked a brow, "That's yours,"

Mamoru groaned as he turned to the other side to check his phone and stayed silent as he scrolled through his messages. Usagi didn't need to ask who the incoming messages were from, his silence and expression made it clear, but this time she decided to take a different approach to the situation than the day before, "She's been looking for you," she slowly sat on the bed and combed her long silver hair back with her hand, "She called yesterday," the comment was enough for Mamoru to turn to his wife with an annoyed frown, "She called?!"

"Yes,"

"Here?"

"Yes,"

Mamoru sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "And what did she say?"

"That she had been trying to locate you but your phone was turned off—she was also very surprised that this number still worked, like if she had been here before..." Usagi took a deep breath and armed herself with the courage to finally talk about the matter following Minako's advice, "Who is she Mamo-chan?"

Mamoru took a deep breath and exhaled as he pulled himself up and sat on the bed; he turned to look at her and combed his fingers through her long silvery hair and pursed his lips with shame, "I guess there is no point in keeping it a secret any longer..." his fingers slowly traced the delicate line of her lips, "Remember your random question about my past girlfriends?"

Usagi froze in front of him as she held the soft sheet close to her body and nodded in response, Mamoru took a deep breath and continued, "Shimuta Chieko is her name."

"Shimuta?" Usagi frowned, recognizing the name she saw on his phone but not the name from the woman she spoke with over the phone the day before. Mamoru nodded, "She is my legal advisor's daughter. Due to the closeness he had with my parents—she and I became friends. When my parents passed away and I was sent to the orphanage her father stayed in touch with me and so did she. Years went by and we met again when we were fifteen years old and became close again, we started off as good friends and eventually, that friendship turned into something more soon after,"

Usagi looked at him with surprise, very much amazed her intuition had been right and also because her husband was finally opening up and talking about it, "And... w-what happened?"

"What I told you it happened—we were too young to be in a relationship and the charm that brought us together vanished quickly after. I had too many things on my mind, I was fifteen—I had just started high school and was doing exam after exam, and Chieko... well, she was the kind of girl that had everything just by snapping her fingers. There was nothing Ikio—her father, wouldn't give her and well, her personality showed it. I know how awful it sounds and I know it's terrible, but, we didn't care for each other—not like couples should, so that 'commitment' came to an end."

Usagi puckered her lips in thought, "Shimuta you say?"

"Yes," Mamoru nodded and started combing her long silvery hair again, he couldn't get enough of how silky it felt and how shiny it was, like a cascade made of stardust. Usagi shook her head, still very into the conversation, "Wait, that wasn't her,"

"What?"

"That was not the woman that called yesterday,"

Mamoru frowned, "No? Who was it then?"

"Hisakawa Chieko," Usagi said softly, "That's not the girl—" she trailed off and blushed when she remembered her psycho phase, "—From your phone..."

Mamoru smiled and moved closer to kiss her wife's bare shoulder, "Usa... Hisakawa is her husband's surname. Shimuta is her maiden's name." Usagi widened her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, "Oh... well, that makes me feel a lot worse, thank you."

Mamoru chuckled and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, "Why?" Usagi blew her long bangs to release her frustration and combed them to the side, "Well, because I was jealous of a married woman." Mamoru pulled her into his arms and kissed her temple, "Even if she wasn't married I would never have eyes for another woman that it isn't you." Usagi blushed and snuggled into his arms, "That's why she calls you with such familiarity,"

"Yes,"

Usagi frowned, "And... how come she was calling you on our honeymoon? You didn't tell her you got married?"

"She knew I was getting married but we're no longer close, Usa, she didn't know when or that I was going to be on my honeymoon. It was my mistake not telling her I was going to be away but I honestly never thought she would contact me so soon or to call here, it never crossed my mind that she had the number," Mamoru sighed, "But I want to clarify, I didn't decide to walk down memory lane with her just because, there are reasons that oblige us to talk frequently,"

Usagi looked up at him with curiosity in her icy blue eyes as she tried to search for an answer in his dark, sapphire ones and shook her head, "And why is that?"

Mamoru leaned down to caress her lips with his and smiled softly, "To answer that question, Princess, I think it would be better if I showed you instead of just telling you," Usagi blinked with surprise "Why? What is it?"

Mamoru tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear, "You'll see, soon enough." Usagi smiled and then pouted her lips, "Okay, but, I can't go out like this."

"Well, no, only I can see you like this," Mamoru flashed Usagi a sensual smile, making her blush "No, not that—I mean, yes, but no..."

"What?" Mamoru frowned confused when he saw Usagi pointing her long silver hair, "What about it?"

"What about it?! It's crazy long!" Usagi grabbed a handful of silver hair, "It happened too when the Silver Crystal reacted the first time but this time, it not only grew but it also turned silver," she leaned closer to Mamoru and kissed him softly, "You held another part of my life as Serenity that reacted to the Golden Crystal the minute you stopped suppressing your powers. I can feel it... a warm energy flowing inside me and how being Serenity is not alien to me anymore. I feel that part of me alive and I feel stronger when I'm with you..."

"Me too," Mamoru looked at her in a daze as he intertwined his fingers in her long silver hair, "I have always loved the way you look with your hair down..."

Usagi blushed, pouting her lips she traced the line of his jaw playfully, "Do we really have to go out?" she moved closer and nibbled Mamoru's lower lip softly with her teeth, making him groan a little with pleasure and leaned her arms over his shoulders, "Can't we stay here away from everything and everyone? Just us, in our own little world... like we always wanted..."

Mamoru loved this side of Usagi, he loved the sensual way she teased him to get whatever she wanted; he could not stop looking at her, she was too sweet and too beautiful. Unaware of the reason behind Mamoru's silence, Usagi blinked with shame, "Am I being a bad person for thinking this way?"

Mamoru's eyes turned darker as he leaned closer to respond to her sensual kiss, "No, you're not. We can do whatever you want pulchra Serenitati, mea Luna Bunny," he whispered in her ear, making her smile. She closed her eyes and curled her fingers tight in his midnight hair, "Pulchra..." she mumbled softly as she remembered the meaning of the word. Mamoru brushed his lips on her neck and pulled her closer to him with one arm secure around her waist and his other hand caressing her lower back. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, **"Seorsum fieri non potest ut ad me de te, accipe spiritum meum et singula illa. Vos meum tatis in manibus tuis, in toto corde meo pectus mi deam Luna pulchra—quidem ego cum ex eo filius tenebris lux tua, satis est ut mecum viveret... amare et sapere vix deo conceditur,"

Usagi pulled her head back to look at him and gave her husband a sensual smile, "You remember... how to talk like that." Mamoru returned the same playful, sensual smile and winked an eye at her, "The charm is back,"

"Oh, my... that's dangerous." Usagi bit her lower lip causing Mamoru to laugh softly "Just the sole fact of you being married to me is dangerous enough, my dear,"

Usagi giggled and combed his hair back and slowly moved to sit on his lap and pinched his nose carefully, "Says those who have never made up their minds about something..." she shrugged her shoulders carelessly and rolled her eyes, "Gods."

"Gods..." Mamoru mumbled and leaned back, "They're the crazy ones."

"Yeah, what the hell do they know?!" Usagi flicked a chunk of midnight hair covering his right eye and smiled, "I would do it again, you know? If we went back in time—I would escape again to Earth to meet you and fall in love with you..."

"Me too, Serenitati," Mamoru cupped her cheek with his hand lovingly, "But now I am curious to know, is there anything you would try and do differently if given the chance?"

"I would try to learn your native tongue, that's for sure," Usagi crossed her arms and looked at him like a girl planning her next mischief, "I would visit your mother more often to have some more of that special rose tea she liked so much... hmm, and maybe I would ask you ...I don't know... to train me or something..."

"Ah," Mamoru smiled, "I see where this is going..."

"What?" Usagi looked at him pretending to be surprised. Mamoru chuckled and shook his head, "I'm sorry Usa... I am not going to train you."

Usagi pouted her lips and frowned, "Oh, come on! Why not!?"

"I can't,"

"But you're the best to train me! You are like, the most qualified warrior to train me!"

"Seriously?" Mamoru frowned, slightly annoyed.

"Yes!" Usagi pounded his chest softly with her palms, "I want to learn!"

"We talked about this before— _many times_ ," he sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Usa... your way of fighting is far better than what I was taught and _how_ I was taught." Mamoru's voice turned low, "I don't want your hands to be tainted with blood, I don't want you to carry with that remorse and I do not want you to tie your fate to its consequences," he blew his bangs annoyingly, "And besides—I don't even know if I am able to perform the same way I used to."

"Why?" Usagi blushed and bit her lower lip, "Of course you can—you have been doing it marvelously up until now... you know..."

Mamoru jerked his head back and let out a husky, warm laugh making Usagi giggle What?"

"You are unbelievable!" Mamoru said between laughs, Usagi nudged his chest with her chin playfully "Come on! You said I wasn't crazy when I told you I wanted to learn, why are you going all Athamas-mode now?" his laughter died right after the mention of the andromedian's name and looked at her with a frown, "Excuse me?"

Usagi blinked, "Well, aren't you?"

"No." Mamoru shook his head, still with a frown on his face. He looked like a child being scolded for something he didn't really do, Usagi tapped her finger on his shoulder accusingly "Yes, you are," she pouted her lips.

"You, comparing me to him... baffles me." Mamoru muttered bitterly, making Usagi laugh softly, "I am not comparing you to him I am just saying—"

"Serenity," Mamoru pulled himself back to a sitting position on the bed and combed his hair with his fingers as if trying to sweep his frustration with the gesture, "Back then, you weren't allowed to be involved in anything that came close in the slightest to a warrior's discipline—it's different now, you are a Sailor Senshi and a marvelous one I must add. You don't need to hold a sword to fight against evil... you are light, you fight for peace—don't be a bearer of chaos, don't be like me."

Usagi followed her husband and sat in front of him, not really caring for the sheet covering her body anymore, her silver hair was so long and abundant enough that did the job for itself. Her face was one of disbelief as she looked at Mamoru, her lips parted in shock "I-Is that what you think of yourself?" she asked, softly "Is that...?"

Mamoru shook his head, his hand softly cupped her cheek once again, "No, I don't call myself that but that is what Polemarchos really are and that is exactly how I was trained." A soft sigh escaped from him, more like regret than a liberating puff of air, "I was taught to make my way through chaos and cause damage no matter the consequences. If a task is given, it must be achieved by any means necessary. That is the raw truth of it, there is no sweet way to put it. A Polemarchos annihilates whatever is blocking his way to victory and I don't want that for you because it is not who you are."

"Your mother..." Usagi nibbled her lower lip with her teeth softly, "She was one... if she could fight like one I can do it too. She was kind and fair... she fought for peace and justice too,"

Mamoru sighed again, "Gaia has two sides, Serenity. The loving and elegant Queen you knew and the merciless warrior she was trained to be and I inherited that side of her. I inherited all that's wrong with divinity—I'm related to Chaos himself Usa, that fact itself disgusts me." he averted his ever-changing blue gaze from her, "I..." he shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment, "Sometimes I tell myself that this is all a bad dream that I will wake up and realize this never happened. I try to convince myself that Gaia wasn't like that but the truth is that she once held the same sword she later inherited to me. She, just like me, tainted her hands with as much blood as needed to accomplish a goal and paid a high price for it despite later becoming that righteous Queen you so much admire."

"The way you talk about your mother really surprises me..." Usagi pulled back and wrapped her arms around her, "It frightens me..." she frowned and shook her head, "Because I know you love her deep down all that anger and deception,"

"Yes Usa, I love her. She is my mother, the woman who gave me life and the one who looked after me on every step of the way, but you asked why you couldn't follow her steps or mine—this is why."

"Who gives the orders?" Usagi tilted her head with curiosity, "Who orders you something when you are your own Commander?" Mamoru chuckled, "I am not my own Commander."

"Well, you earned the medals, the position, and the title,"

"The King did—in this case, my father."

Usagi looked at Mamoru with disbelief, "Did he ever ordered you to..." Mamoru arched his brow, "Do you _really_ want to know and destroy the good that's left of your thoughts on my family?" Usagi widened her eyes with shock, "He did?"

"If the Kingdom was in potential danger—that danger needed to be annihilated by any means necessary. In other words, yes, he did more than once," Mamoru said softly, "You are a soldier now, I can tell you things as they are,"

"I—" Usagi felt a hole in her chest, thinking how he never mentioned anything like this before. He has never been this blunt about that side of him and it was all new for her, but she was loving it because she felt closer to him and like she was his equal and not two different species, "So... if the King gave you the orders back then, who gives them now?"

Mamoru widened his eyes, raising both brows in wonder "Good question—well, I suppose it would have to be a higher ranked being—Ares, maybe."

"Ares... "Usagi said in awe and shook her head, "No—"

"What?"

"If I remember correctly... Mother asked you to be the Commander of the Lunar Army and you agreed," Usagi wiggled her brows with triumph, "So that means _I'm_ your superior now." Mamoru smiled, "My dearest Serenity, you have been my superior since the moment I laid eyes on you," Usagi blushed, "Ah, see? This means, I am in charge now and I am ordering you to never, _ever_ think of yourself as a bearer of chaos. You won't get a command to kill somebody from me, we will fight together and do things differently." Her eyes widened when Mamoru moved towards her and pulled her into a tight, warm embrace, "God, I love you," he whispered in her ear, "I love you madly..."

Usagi wrapped her arms around his waist and closed her eyes with a smile on her lips, "Te amo," she said softly, surprising Mamoru, "Ah, look at you, you sound like a true Terran."

Usagi giggled, "I have the best Terran teacher ever." she leaned closer to kiss him when a loud growl startled both of them, Mamoru widened his eyes and blinked with surprise, "What kind of monster was that?" Usagi blushed crimson red, "Umm... the one that screams for food?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were hungry?!" Mamoru pulled back and rolled on his side of the bed to look for his clothes, "If I don't feed you, that thing will come out of you and eat us both." Usagi bit her lip and went to look for her clothes and started to get dressed as well, "I haven't eaten anything since yesterday what did you expect?" Mamoru put his comfy sweats and favorite grey hoodie and turned to her both perplexed and upset "What?!"

"I wasn't hungry... I was sad, and my spicy noodles got all soggy," Usagi said while hustling her long hair as she tried to put on her pale pink sweatshirt and got stuck, "Ugh... a little help here?" Mamoru walked to her and helped her with her crazy long hair and let out a soft chuckle, startling her "What?" Usagi's voice was muffled by her hair.

"Nothing, nothing..." Mamoru tried his best not to laugh, "Come on, let's go eat something."

"You are cooking, right?" Usagi arched her brow, once she popped her head out of her sweatshirt, Mamoru nodded "Yes, I'll cook,"

"Because this hair could be a hazard." Usagi grabbed a handful and combed it back as she walked out of the bedroom but it wasn't long before she tripped on it and making her fall flat on her stomach, "Usa!" Mamoru ran over to help her stand up, "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?"

Usagi blew her long bangs and looked at him, "I lost practice." Mamoru smiled and pulled her back to her feet, "Just a tad."

"How did I manage to do my night escapades and walked all regal with hair this long? I will never know." Usagi shrugged her shoulders and continued her way to the kitchen. "Well, I don't remember you had it down for too long..." Mamoru said as he opened the refrigerator and looked at what was inside for a minute, thinking of their options. Usagi sighed as she sat on the counter and looked at him with a smile on her face, "I am loving this..."

"What?" Mamoru turned to look at her over his shoulder, Usagi kicked her legs back and forth happily, "This... us talking about these things... it's like having the best of both worlds." she giggled, "We're the same dorky royal couple but with a modern life," her eyes widened as she clapped her hands excitedly, "Ooh! And with pancakes!" Mamoru closed the refrigerator's door and looked at the clock in the living room "It's past noon..."

"So?" Usagi frowned as she chews a strand of hair playfully, "It's never too late to eat pancakes," she looked at the items in his hands, "What were you planning to cook with that anyway?"

"Well, I was planning on doing some kind of miracle with whatever I could find in the fridge, not that we have a lot of options, our fridge is not stocked," he turned and grabbed the soggy pack in the sink with a frown, "And whatever you left to defrost in the sink is un-eatable now,"

"I was planning on cooking dinner last night..."

"What is _this_?" Mamoru's brows knitted together as he tried to read the label in the package, "I don't remember buying this..."

"I did," Usagi pursed her lips, "I went to the market the other day and they were selling those... they're soy patties, but they have gone bad, right?"

"Yeah," Mamoru made a grimace as he put the soggy bag back in the sink and pursed his lips with disgust. Usagi smiled with triumph, "Okay! Pancakes it is." Mamoru sighed and turned to look at her, "We don't have what we need to make pancakes, Luna Bunny."

"What?!" Usagi looked at her husband as if the world was about to end, "What do you mean we _don't_ _have_ what we need to make pancakes?!"

"Exactly that," Mamoru shrugged his shoulders, "We don't have what we need to make pancakes."

"But—but we _always_ need to be stocked to make pancake batter! Endymion, we _always_ need to have the ingredients to make the perfect stack of pancakes!"

"Dear Serenity, we were not supposed to be here just yet, remember?" Mamoru said softly and leaned on the counter, his face now inches away from hers, "I guess I will have to go to the store now,"

"Isn't anything else we can eat for now?" Usagi blinked curiously, Mamoru pursed his lips in thought and turned to open the pantry, "Um..."

"Really? We don't have _anything_ to eat?" Usagi narrowed her blue eyes, "This is where you live... right?" she frowned, Mamoru looked up at her "Wait here, I'll go to the store,"

"No!" Usagi pulled his arm to stop him, "You said we would stay here away from everybody—you forgot about our little world treaty already?" she pouted her lips making Mamoru chuckle, "No my love I haven't, but there's nothing good we can make out of a can of tomato paste and a potato."

"Wow, we're the worst newlywed couple ever..." Usagi chuckled, "Really, we only have one potato?"

"Yep," Mamoru showed it to her and put it on the counter, "And it's just five minutes away from morphing into something else..."

"Wow—we would make a great reality show, the life of cosmic monarchs; on today's episode: they don't have a thing to eat—I'm going to pitch the idea to Minako-chan,"

Mamoru laughed, "I don't think people will want to see that Usako—we would just feed the already stigmatized image of royalty and give the idea that we are spoiled brats that don't even know how to boil an egg." Usagi pursed her lips while scratching her head, "Well, I don't know how to boil an egg,"

"What?!" Mamoru looked at her surprised, "Seriously?"

"Hey! You have to admit it's hard to tell when they're done!" Usagi popped her arms up in frustration, "Just when you think they're ready... the yolk comes out all gooey, I don't like that,"

"Huh, no wonder why we are out of eggs as well," Mamoru muttered and let out a sigh of defeat, "Fine, you win. I'll order some take out."

"Yay!" Usagi jumped down from the counter and went to open the drawer with their wide collection of take-out menus she proudly harvested over the years of spending nights alone while he was either studying abroad or dealing with crazy schedules at the hospital when he started his residency. Her eyes gleamed like a girl in a toy store as she considered her options, "Can it be _anything_?" she asked out loud, knowing her husband was no longer joining her in the kitchen but she could hear him wandering somewhere in the apartment, " _I'm quite concerned in your emphasis with the word anything but—sure."_

"They're so many things we could eat..." Usagi said out loud again, "And I am starving!" she grabbed a handful of menus and walked back to the living room, "Okay... I have a plan," Mamoru turned and arched his brow, "A plan on leaving every food place out of business?" Usagi blinked, "No! But it's a good one though."

"When you said _anything_ I thought you were talking about anything in a _type_ of food not variety and quantities." he pointed at the bunch of menus in his wife's hands. Usagi arranged the pieces of paper like a deck of cards in her hand and flipped them like a fan while giving her husband an incredulous glare, "Oh please, like you couldn't afford it,"

Mamoru sweatdropped, "It's not because I can't afford it—it's because I would have to go to an ATM. I don't think I have enough cash in my wallet to pay for all that." Mamoru tapped her forehead playfully with his finger, "O mea bella Luna Bunny, sursum vestri step opus ad ludum opportuna,"

Usagi arched her brow, "I didn't understand a single thing you just said—see, now you're cheating, you know I can't resist when you talk to me like that, you and your stupid and beautiful sensual voice,"

The comment broke Mamoru into laughter, "My beautiful Luna Bunny, you need to step up your strategic game," he leaned closer and pinched her nose softly making Usagi widen her eyes with curiosity, "What do you mean?"

"You didn't think your plan through—" Mamoru sighed softly, "I still have to go out,"

"You haven't even listened to my plan yet! Good grief, Leo, calm down," Usagi frowned and waved the fan of menus in front of his face; Mamoru chuckled "Oh... I'm sorry, my bad," he crossed his arms, "Please, continue with this marvelous plan of yours,"

"If we order a wide variety, we will have food for days without getting tired of eating the same thing every day," Usagi said with a big smile on her face, her excited tone made her look even more adorable, "That way we can continue with our initial plan,"

"Oh, so it's a plan inside a plan?" Mamoru arched his brow, Usagi nodded excitedly "Exactly! We can stay here _and_ we will have food already made for the next couple of days, I'm so clever—I know, you can thank me later."

"Ok, so..." Mamoru frowned, "I would still need to go out."

Usagi huffed, "I am going to chip in too, I must have some cash laying around in my purse, wait here," she turned and began walking back to the bedroom to get her purse when a loud thud followed by a curse word made Mamoru chuckle softly while he dialed the number from one of the take-out places Usagi suggested, "Stepped on your hair again?"

 _"Yeah... I'm telling you—I don't know how the hell I did it."_

* * *

* _May the heavens have mercy on us—please my Prince, be careful._

 _**"It is impossible for me to be apart from you, you take my breath away every day. You keep my sanity in your hands, my heart in your chest, my beautiful moon goddess—even when I am a descendant of darkness your light is enough to keep me alive... even a god finds it hard to love and be wise at the same time."_

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	42. Chapter 42

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Forty-Two

* * *

"Do you think they made up?"

Kunzite opened his grey eyes and turned to look at Minako lying next to him on her bed, her blue eyes were so full of curiosity and concern for the royal couple. After they left them alone to deal with their marital problem they went to the station to gather whatever information they could find about the incident and the archaeologists' location and headed back to Minako's apartment where they spent their night talking—among other things. There was no question that both were worried about what was happening and there was no doubt that both were trying their best to remain as calm as possible but things were starting to get out of control.

"Most likely," he said, still groggy from sleeping. Minako pursed her lips as she leaned her head on his shoulder, "I hope so..." she said with worry in her voice. Kunzite rolled on to his side and put both arms under his head for support, "I would not be so worried."

"Why not?" Minako said with slight surprise; Kunzite took a deep breath and closed his eyes again "Because they have not called,"

"What if they're still fighting?"

Kunzite opened one eye and let out a raspy chuckle, "My, I am surprised Venus... why are you so worried?" Minako frowned with concern, "Why aren't you?"

"Because it is practically impossible to break them apart. Their fate is glued together—" Kunzite sighed softly, "You know this well since you tried it one too many times in the past."

"Yes, rub that in my face... like you didn't do such thing either," Minako frowned and rolled to lay on her back and looked up at the ceiling, "I don't think I've ever seen Mamoru being mad at Usagi-chan before..."

"He is not mad at _her,_ " Kunzite muttered, "He is mad at the situation and he is mad at himself,"

"Did you talk to him after I left?" Minako turned her head to look at her white-haired lover. Kunzite nodded and followed Minako and laid on his back with both arms behind his head, "I did, yes. It was just like you said, the Princess thought Endymion was being unfaithful because of a series of messages she found on his mobile device."

"And... was he?" Minako looked at Kunzite with expectation and curiosity, "No, he was not." Kunzite shook his head and let out a soft sigh, "I will spare you the details, so, long story short, Endymion has been trying to purchase a property that had Princess Serenity interested for a long time... the woman she thinks is his mistress is actually the realtor who has he has known for a long time,"

"Oh..." Minako widened her eyes and pounded her mattress with her fist, "I knew it! I knew he was going to do something like that!"

"I am surprised that after all this time, you still have doubts about how the Prince feels towards your Princess."

"Hey, I knew!" Minako frowned at Kunzite, "It's very hard for me to believe he would such a thing to Usagi-chan,"

Kunzite nodded, "He loves her deeply, but he is also very troubled and that is making him lose his focus,"

"Because of what's happening..." Minako let out a soft sigh, "You haven't let him know we found the archaeologist's location, right?" Kunzite shook his head, "No, I want to give him time..."

"Time?" Minako frowned, puzzled. Kunzite nodded, "They did not have a proper honeymoon—there was an important turn of events that made them return earlier than expected and soon after another attack happened. It is like we are back in time again and we find ourselves about to fight another faceless enemy." he sighed tiredly, "I know Endymion too well to say with certainty that he will take matters into his own hands the moment I inform him of this woman's whereabouts," his face stiffened, "And to be honest, I am worried, because I know you all have been trying to ignore your true selves and live like normal human beings in this era but I am afraid it is no longer possible. Endymion is conscious about it and he slowly is accepting it, but your Princess is not... that is what is troubling him. He wants to give her the life she wants and deserves but in order to do that, he has to take a role she has yet not seen him but knows it exists."

"She is aware of that," Minako slowly leaned her head on his shoulder again and sighed softly, "She may not show it but she is slowly responding to her divine descendance too, the moment the Golden Crystal started reacting on Mamoru something in her has started to wake as well but she is afraid of losing him... and that is something I understand perfectly."

Kunzite looked at her tear-glossed blue eyes and cupped her cheek, Minako took a deep breath and let it go, along with her emotions, "The anguish, the anxiety curling up in your chest like a poisonous snake..." she closed her eyes as she continued, letting her tears finally run free, "I am afraid of losing you too... _again_."

This was enough for him to move quickly and put his arms around her and pulling her closer to him. Kunzite closed his eyes and shook his head, "No Venus... you will not lose me, not this time, I will not allow it."

"Please tell me we will fight together... please tell me we will do this together," Minako sobbed softly, her fingers curled around the thin fabric of his undershirt. Kunzite nodded and kissed her temple, "Yes, we will fight together Venus... for the future, for our people, for our Prince and Princess... and for us." his arms tightened around her, turning his words into a promise, "And we will succeed... things will not have the same ending," he leaned his head on her shoulder and took a deep breath, "They won't."

O—o—o—o—O

In between boxes of take-out food, Usagi sat on the carpet as she ate her sweet and sour chicken and kept her eyes glued to the television at a new couple, now in dinosaur costumes, running down a maze against the clock for a considerable amount of money on the television.

"Ruuuuuuuuuuuun! Ruuuuuuuuuuuuun you crazy blue dinosaur!" she yelled at the television passionately, she was too excited, almost as if her life depended on the couple running before her eyes. Mamoru joined her on the soft carpet minutes after holding a small bowl with a stir-fry combination of noodles and vegetables, "What did I miss?!" he looked up and frowned, "What? No goo this time?" his eyes widened when the couple on t.v. fell into a pool of green slimy substance making him smile with unexpected joy. "Ah, there it is!"

Usagi clicked her tongue and pointed the screen with her chopsticks, clearly stressed out by the couple's performance, "See, they are not coordinated! They need to think about their strategy!" Mamoru chuckled as he picked his noodles with his chopsticks, "Oh, there are strategies in this show?"

"The chicken couple did so much better,"

"They did, they did so much better..."

"Okay," Usagi blew her bangs and took another bite of her food, "They need to answer correctly the next couple of questions if they want to go into the magic capsule."

"But if they want to get into the magic capsule they first have to cross the rainbow circuit, catch the porcupine—then go inside the tunnel of wisdom, fly to the prize asteroid and get the blooming bonus..." Mamoru stopped eating and blinked with amazement, "What the hell did I just say?"

"I know!" Usagi turned laughing at him, "This show is so addicting! I don't know how come we never watched it before!"

"It literally makes no sense," Mamoru shrugged his shoulders and started laughing, "But I must admit it is a guilty pleasure to watch this thing, it's so bad it's good, you know what I mean?"

Usagi turned with a beaming smile and nodded, "Yes," she turned to the television again, "We could totally win that contest..."

"Excuse me?" Mamoru chuckled incredulously, Usagi turned to look at him with that same beaming smile and nodded with excitement, "Think about it, we would totally win that competition! We would win the grand prize and we would have our crowns and trophies."

"You're joking, right?" Mamoru arched his brow, Usagi shook her head "No! We would be so in sync! You would do the strategies and I would run with super speed to get the prizes and money... we're perfect for this." Mamoru laughed, "And what costume would you choose? It has to be coordinated... apparently,"

"We would be a kick-ass pair of piglets," Usagi grinned at her husband, "Super cute _and_ powerful!"

"Piglets are smart so..." Mamoru frowned and shook his head, "What the hell is wrong with me?!"

Usagi put her take-out box on the coffee table to lean closer to Mamoru and rubbed her nose on his playfully, "You would be the most super handsome piglet in the world." Mamoru blushed and made soft piggy snorts as he kissed Usagi's cheek making her squeal with delight, "You smell like pineapples..." he smiled and sat back to continue eating his noodle dish, "You are one tangy odango,"

Usagi tapped her forehead playfully, "One _smart_ tangy Odango—see? My plan worked."

Mamoru smiled at her, "You are _very_ smart Buns, but, if we continue eating like this, we will have to go out sooner than expected to buy more food."

Something in his comment made Usagi's heart stop beating for a second, "I wish I could make you stay with me like this forever... as selfish as that sounds," she said softly as she poked her chopstick on the piece of chicken; her chirpy and happy voice was now substituted by a more serious and sad tone. Suddenly, the new couple playing on that game show on t.v. wasn't that relevant anymore as she realized the truth about their situation. "Usa..." Mamoru pursed his lips as his hand reached her cheek to caress it. Usagi exhaled softly and looked at him, nodding "I know this is only temporary Mamo-chan... and I understand, I truly do, I just..."

"I know..." Mamoru said softly and put his bowl on the table, "Come here," he opened his arms and waited for her to crawl her way into his arms. Once secured, he leaned his head on her shoulder and gave her butterfly kisses, "You'll have me forever—you are not _making me_ stay."

Usagi bit her lower lip and let out a sad sigh, "But there are things happening outside this little perfect world I asked you to create with me. People are getting hurt—I am the worst person, asking _you_ of all people to stay hidden with me."

"My world is perfect as long as you are in it—it doesn't matter what turn it takes," Mamoru kissed her cheek again, "It's true, things are happening, this planet is being targeted, but you are not making me stay hidden. Usa, it's because of you and the promise we have been keeping between us that urges me to fight and make this little world of ours a reality for you and for everyone on this planet. You are not _making_ _me_ stay and you are _not_ the worst person for asking me to be with you, I'm your husband, that is how it should be. I will always be glued to you, even when you can't see me, I'll be here." The prince ran his hand over her chest and pressed it against her beating heart, "I wish this moment we're having right now could last forever too but soon, it will."

Usagi looked up at him with hope in her eyes "It will?"

Mamoru nodded, "And we will watch this incredibly absurd show together while eating take-out all day—we will make this a tradition."

"But what if we take our stand as Cosmic Monarchs?" Usagi blinked a little shocked, "How are we ever going to find the time?"

"We still don't know for sure what is going to happen but in case _it does_ , we will still do it anyways, in our own way. You know I have never been too fond of the idea of wearing a crown over my head." Mamoru pursed his lips, "We will find the time... we always do,"

Usagi smiled softly and put her hands on each side of his face, "How come we always feel like our time together is never enough?"

"Because it's never enough," Mamoru smiled and leaned down to kiss her forehead, "And it never will be, but we have always found a way to make time," his arms tightened securely around her and took a deep breath, "Usa... please promise me you'll be strong,"

"Mamo-chan?" Usagi looked at him wide-eyed, Mamoru looked down at her with worry in his royal-blue eyes, "I am asking you, my most beloved treasure—the most important being in my life, to stay strong. Please, keep that pure heart of yours shining brightly because it is what will guide me through this maze of madness. Keep your light on me, Moon Goddess so I can return to you safely."

Usagi's eyes began shining with tears as she remembered that same request he made her a long time ago, right before he was sent to war. "I will—I promise." she nodded and pulled herself up to be face to face, "But I have one request to ask you in return,"

"What is that?" Mamoru looked at her curiously, Usagi looked into his prismatic blue eyes and leaned closer, "You have to let me fight with you. It's a request made from a Senshi to a Polemarchos—please, let me fight with you, Endymion."

"Serenity..." Mamoru said softly and tried to turn to look away from her but Usagi's hands kept his face locked to exclusively look her in the eye, Usagi didn't change her stance, her eyes were glued to his and they held so much security it was impossible for him to ignore, "If you have to hold that sword again—if you have to go through all that all over again and fight whoever stands in your way, at least let me be by your side to support you in any way that I can. I know I can do it and as long as I am with you, I am not afraid, I will not be afraid, you taught me that."

Mamoru looked the determination in her crystal blue eyes, it shone like a mirror in the sun. He could not deny how strong she had become; how many enemies have succumbed to her light allowing her to grow as a soldier of justice. She was a warrior and a princess, one that wanted nothing more than to fight for her, her people and the safety of this world and that was something that he, as a warrior could not ignore. If it was to join forces, this was the best time to do it and if they were about to face Olympus or death itself, this was the time to stay together and build that world they have been yearning to have for so long.

Moving his arms away, Mamoru stood up and offered his hand out to his wife to stand up. Usagi looked at him with a confused face but took his hand anyway and stood up, "Mamo-chan?"

"Do you remember what I taught you that day at the beach?" he asked while walking away to the kitchen, Usagi blinked and tried to remember the many times they went to the beach together and think of something she had asked him to show her but her mind was a clean slate. She saw Mamoru walking back to the living room with a mop and a broom on his hand, "Uh... you taught me... how to clean?" Usagi frowned with doubt. Mamoru chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, "Well I tried but..."

"I know..." Usagi sighed and hung her head low with shame, "I know..."

"Yeah..." Mamoru sighed with defeat and handed her the mop, "But, no, not that. Remember what I taught you with the sword?"

Usagi's eyes widened, knowing now exactly what he meant. He was going back, _way_ back in time with his question. "You taught me how to defend myself."

"Okay," Mamoru nodded, "Do you remember any of it?"

Usagi scoffed softly and waved her hand, "Of course!"

"Show me a first stance,"

Usagi held the mop with both of her hands and pointed at him with it; one hand placed carefully in front of the other, her right knee bent forward and extended the other one behind her "Ah, see? I remember."

Mamoru walked towards her and touched her extended leg with the tip of his broom, "This leg is a little far back, bring it closer," he walked around her and did the same with her flexed knee, "And your weight should be equal on your right and left leg—your weight must never fall on your knee entirely, otherwise you'll lose balance and fall down and also, you will strain your muscles," Usagi turned to him with genuine surprise, "I thought you said you were not going to train me."

"Well, after a long thought I came to the conclusion that I must obey my Princess' command," Mamoru answered while still looking down at her starting position, then at her hands holding the long wooden stick "Also, if a Sailor Senshi is asking me to teach her something to improve her fighting skills—as a soldier myself I have to comply." His eyes fixed on hers and frowned, "But let me be clear about something, Serenity, I am _not_ teaching you how to kill—I am teaching you how to create openings for you to escape and counterattack, your mind must never be focused on taking a life, do you understand?"

"Y-Yes," Usagi looked at him with amazement and gratitude; this was proof that he was putting his trust in her to fight the enemy with him. "Relax your hands... relax your shoulders," he stood behind her and helped her improve her posture before stepping back and took the same position, "This is a stand you usually take when you are getting attacked up front," Mamoru looked at her, "From here, you have two options," he did the movement first to show her the basics, "You either counter attack by hitting the enemy with a straight forward move, or," he pulled himself back and turned with the broom in one hand as he moved to the side, "Make a diagonal hit,"

Usagi widened her eyes with awe and much respect for her husband; Mamoru turned to look at her with a serious face, "If an enemy comes straight to you, how would you attack?"

Usagi bit her lower lip and moved her mop stick forward, then up and down, "I would hit that bastard right in the face," Mamoru chuckled and took the position in front of her, "Show me, I'm your enemy—hit me right in the face,"

Usagi tightened her grip on her mop and try to repeat the attack but Mamoru quickly blocked it and gently tapped her ribs with his broom, "Remember that even if you hold the best weapon in the universe it will not protect you if you are not aware of your surroundings, as soon as you move your weapon must do it too to make the enemy lose its safe position and attack. It's a strategy game, you need to plan a solution for variable stances the enemy might do next—remember a fighter—"

"—Is always one to two steps ahead so I need to be prepared…"

Mamoru smiled, "Exactly," Usagi smiled and nodded proudly, "I remember that too,"

Mamoru moved again and repeated the lesson, this time, Usagi moved took a second stand and blocked his broomstick with her mop from the side, to this, Mamoru turned to her opposite side to distract her and pointed her back with his broom, "See?"

Usagi bit her lower lip and turned to hit the broomstick but her eyes widened when she realized she had gone a little too strong with her move and hit the lamp on the small table next to the sofa, and broke into tiny pieces, "I'm sorry!" Mamoru arched his brow, "I don't understand why you always hated that lamp..."

"It was an accident!" Usagi looked at Mamoru and blocked his coming attack. "Don't get distracted—good." Mamoru smiled and put his weapon down. "Now, for hand to hand combat," he walked towards her and put his arm around her neck with enough pressure to let her know the lesson continued but careful enough not to hurt her, "There will be times like these, when the contact is close enough for the enemy to get you—even then, you must be sharp and quick to free yourself and ready to counterattack and escape."

Usagi tried to move her weapon but his arm was restraining her, "But..." she frowned, "I can't..."

"See how I am preventing you from attacking me with your weapon?" he asked, "This would make the enemy think they have you under their control—but—" he moved his arm away and stood in front of her, "You have a small window in both time and space to act," he said in a serious tone, "By now, you should be aware of your surroundings and know if the enemy is left or right handed by the way they hold their weapon giving you some advantage to know their weak points." He came closer and pulled her with his arm around her shoulders, "This is when you make your move—the best way to free yourself, as silly and obvious as it sounds, it by stabbing your heel on their foot, thrust your elbow right in the jaw, push away, turn and kick," Mamoru held her again, "Try it,"

Usagi blinked, "On you?"

"Yes,"

"Wait, no, no!"

"What? Why?" Mamoru frowned, Usagi shook her head "I don't want to hurt you, you're not my enemy!"

Mamoru arched his brow, "You won't hurt me—you have to do this if you want to be ready for battle,"

"But..." Usagi looked at him hesitantly, Mamoru sighed softly, "You have to put those thoughts aside, for now, Usa, focus on the bigger picture,"

"You won't get mad if I try to kick you and I end up breaking something else?"

"No,"

You won't get mad if I accidentally hit you and hurt you in the process?"

"No,"

"Promise?"

"I promise,"

Usagi arched her brow, "Alright, but, wouldn't be easier if I just kicked the guy in the groin?"

Mamoru crossed his arms, "Yes, if your attacker is a man—but, how are you going to do that if you can't free yourself from his grip?" he walked over to her and pinched her nose softly, "You wanted _me_ to teach you, right?"

"Yes," Usagi nodded, Mamoru tilted his head "Well, there you go—there is no way I can see where you need to improve your skills if you are afraid of hitting me, in order to learn, you have to give me everything you got, Sailor Moon,"

Usagi widened her eyes with pure admiration for her husband as she responded to his command and continued her lessons. She could see why this exercise was different this time; he was not talking to her the same way he did back when he taught her a few things as her lover, this time he was speaking to her like a soldier to another, the invisible chains tying her desire and ability to learn were finally broken and he was there, willing to prepare her for war. The way he explained every detail, technique and every position made her feel respected and worthy to have him as her mentor. He was as serious and strict as he needed to be for her to understand everything he was teaching her was far from being a game. A smile or an innocent flirt would always show from time to time as a compliment, but both were focused on getting things done with perfection. This meant beyond the imaginable for Usagi because this was an opportunity she always dreamed of having since her days during the Silver Millennium. All she wanted was to be taken seriously, and even when she was the daughter of a powerful Goddess that helped create an important Alliance with the Heavenly Gods, she was still seen as the untouchable jewel—the princess that just needed to be with a proper suitor and pose beautifully with a crown over her head.

It was until she decided to take a different turn in her life and met the prince. Her relationship with Endymion sparked her interest and her desire to become someone stronger; every night escapade, every conversation and every moment they had together showed her how she could be so much more and become someone who really looked after her people and Kingdom, the same way he did. Times where different now and she earned her title as sailor senshi and now, she was better known for being Sailor Moon rather than just Princess Serenity; times where different for sure, she was finally married to the man she loved, she no longer needed to escape behind anyone's back to be able to see him, he was there with her and he was now being part of that wish of creating a better world.

Mamoru decided it was best for his wife to have more space to move so he pushed all the furniture in the living room out of their way. It had been almost four hours now since they started practicing but they were so in the zone they didn't even notice the afternoon sun had started to set in the distance. The prince turned to his wife as she turned to kick him again and blocked her hit, "Good. Keep your eyes in the red areas," he said as she stepped back and turned to do a follow up attack, "Be continuously conscious of your space," he said and pressed his broomstick against her mop as if he was pretending to attack her and turned to evade her attack, "Beware of your opponent's ability to hurt you somewhere else," he frowned and blocked her blow holding his broom horizontally with both hands and pushed her back, "Do it again—breathe,"

Usagi nodded and took a deep breath between pants and tried again but Mamoru blocked her attack again, failing her attempt to break his defense; Mamoru narrowed his sapphire eyes, "Again,"

Usagi frowned with determination and let out an exasperated sigh after another failed attempt, "This is harder than I thought... what am I doing wrong?!"

"Again,"

Usagi tried again and failed, Mamoru blocked her attack and frowned, "Try again,"

"I feel dumb..." Usagi looked at him, Mamoru arched his brow "Why?"

"Because you are a master on this... and... well, I'm not, I keep failing and failing..." Usagi blew her sweaty bangs, "I feel like I am just making fun of myself," she frowned at him "And don't you dare laugh at me,"

"I would never do such thing, I know this is hard, but not impossible," Mamoru shook his head, "Do you want to take a break?"

"No! I want to do this right!" Usagi's frustration was starting to get the best of her; Mamoru walked over to her and pulled her into his arms for a quick supporting hug, "Usa, I didn't learn any of the things I know overnight. It took me years of practice worth of blisters, cuts and ugly bruises—and a lot of nights standing under a freezing waterfall..."

"Still... I feel like there I am missing a key point,"

"You are doing good,"

"Yeah, but not great,"

Mamoru kissed her temple, "This is your first time doing this, and you are doing very good."

"Well, yes, but..."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Mamoru pinched her nose, "Relax, breathe... you need to learn how to breathe otherwise you'll keep running out of air,"

Usagi blinked, "To breathe?"

"Yes," Mamoru nodded, "I know how it sounds... but breathing comes before a strategy, technique, and before any fighting movement. It's easy to forget how to breathe because you never learned it in the first place—it's something natural until you get distracted by all the fighting. You can't fight your best if you run out of air all the time. Breathing gives you the energy to excel in every movement you make and with every change, the character of your breath must change with it."

"Ah..." Usagi looked genuinely surprised, "Can you teach me that too?"

"Of course," Mamoru smiled softly and walked back to grab his broom; Usagi blinked, "Wait, is that why you meditate every morning?"

"Kind of, yes," Mamoru looked at her over his shoulder, "It also helps me keep my mind focused and put my thoughts in order—but it's an exercise, you have to do it every day,"

"Huh," Usagi nodded with amazement, "Training is hard and I have to admit, _this_ is nothing like holding a sword,"

"Holding a sword is not like holding a mop, Usa," Mamoru flashed her a small smile, "For starters, the weight between both weapons is very different, and so is the way how to handle both,"

"A mop is _not_ a weapon," Usagi chuckled; Mamoru put his broom over his shoulder and arched his brow, "Everything you use for either defense or attack can be considered a weapon—do not underestimate the power of a stick, in this case, a mop." Mamoru walked back and kissed her again, "If you don't believe me, ask Kunzite,"

"Why?"

"He learned that the hard way,"

Usagi blinked surprised, "You really think I can do this?"

"Yes, I really do. You are doing great, Usa, come on—one more time, take your position," Mamoru pulled back and prepared to receive her attack. Usagi felt a boost of confidence and tried again, this time succeeding in making an opening to break her opponent's defense and finally understanding the technique before turning to attack him following his commands, "Turn—kick, hit me!" he smiled softly as he blocked her mop on his back with his broom, "Good girl," he turned and grabbed her again, "If you have a free hand—what you do you have to do?" Usagi nodded, "I must let it be proactive,"

"How?" Mamoru pulled her closer; Usagi frowned and followed step by step with perfection, "I must disturb, disrupt, or break my opponent's balance,"

Mamoru nodded, "Go!"

Usagi nodded and slid down, turned on her heel and threw a high kick, blocking Mamoru's coming attack, "Maintain your balance throughout your performance," he said again with a proud tone in his voice and took another stance with his broom out to her, "Hit!"

Usagi jumped and hit his broom with her mop, turned and kicked his weapon away; Mamoru turned and pulled her close to him and pressed her against the window and looked down at her, "If pinned either against a wall or on the ground, abdominal breathing can lower your heart rate and help you collect yourself so that you can think: What part of my body is free... what targets are presenting... where is the nearest exit?" He leaned close enough for her to feel the sensual chill of his warm breath caressing the soft skin of her neck, she knew what he was doing and she had to pass his test, "Now, breathe Serenity... think of me as an enemy trying to hurt you—breathe and tell me, what is your closest solution?"

"I need to create an opening,"

"How are you going to create it?"

Usagi frowned with determination and turned to push Mamoru away the prince immediately blocked her by wrapping his arm around her neck and waist. Usagi licked her lips and took a deep breath; Mamoru nodded, "Attackers often take aim at their targets from behind or the side by using a circular attack to slap, grab or punch. To combat this, use the side of your wrist to intercept and hit them in a similar position by keeping your arm at a right-angle so you can create a decent amount of space between yourself and the attacker—clear?"

"Crystal,"

"Go!"

Usagi quickly followed as she was taught and performed a clean and perfect counter attack making Mamoru smile proudly. He was very impressed she was learning and understanding every single technique and movement he was teaching her without any complaints or showing hesitation; her experience as senshi, her personal growth and her infinite and strong will to protect everyone was her fuel to learn and perform with success. They remained focused on the moment, not caring of the time marked in the clock in the living room, by now, it was late at night and they were not even close to being done; it was like if a new rush of energy and motivation had revitalized her spirit and he had to admit it was exciting to see her fighting to become better.

In the late hours of the evening, they continued practicing only accompanied by the sound of their hasty breathing and the dry, muffled sound of wood against wood. Not a single word was spoken after Mamoru gave Usagi the full lesson but it was not needed, they were both focused and with their own secret mission, Usagi learning how to grow her strength and skills and Mamoru protecting her; this was his silent way to tell her that he loved her and trusted her and Usagi couldn't feel more special and thankful.

O—o—o—o—O

"Why are you looking so intensely at the moon?"

Luna widened her burgundy eyes and turned to Artemis who was walking towards her and sat next to her on the porch at the Hiwaka Shrine. They had been there since Rei's grandfather passing since they knew the Priestess needed the company despite her constant assurance of being alright.

Luna smiled softly and turned back to look up at the night sky, "It brings me peace—I do not know if it is just me or if it is really shining more brightly than usual..."

"Hm," Artemis hummed softly, catching Luna's attention "What?"

"I did feel a different aura coming from Usagi, when she was here," Artemis's voice remained in the same calm and collected tone, "When she mentioned feeling stronger, it clearly showed. Although, she was troubled—her soul was."

"With the strange attacks and threats we have been receiving, it is only natural for her to be troubled." Luna sighed, "I wish I could do more to help her." Artemis looked at his beloved and smiled sadly, "I know, I know how much you love her but right now, she is where she needs to be and with who she needs to be."

"He is troubled too,"

"If what they say it's true... he will be alright."

Luna frowned, "What do you mean?"

Artemis sat straight and looked up at the sky, "I remember that night—when the Prince went to the Moon to warn Queen Serenity about the tragedies happening on this planet. It amazed me how he was capable of actually creating a path for him to cross realms but what amazed me, even more, is how despite having lost everything, he still had a mission on his mind," he turned to look at Luna, "And that was to keep the Princess safe." The white cat sighed softly, "The Terran Prince, the admirable warrior for his people and Kingdom took an oath to serve another realm and Kingdom with the sole purpose of protecting his beloved and find a way to save his planet. Even when he gave his life on that mission, she was the last one standing—what happened after was a choice she made, not a failure from him. If the Prince really has awoken like Ares says he has, then, his principles and mission are intact, meaning he will continue his fight against whoever threatens the Moon Princess _and_ his planet. Let us not forget he is the rightful protector of Earth—as a descendant of the Sun God."

"You do not look too concerned about all this."

"I trust my Queen, Luna. I trust her good judgment and if she always believed in the Terran Prince is because there is a reason behind it, one beyond his roots and background."

Luna sighed heavily, "I thought this was all over... the battles, the angst, the pain..."

"I remember Princess Serenity often asked Her Majesty to include her more in political matters, she wanted to learn the ways of a warrior—she wanted to separate herself from her mother's shadow and she achieved it. Being a soldier is a position that can never be lost or forgotten," Artemis looked at Luna, "I do understand what you mean and how you feel, believe me—this is unexpected... and up to some point, uncertain, but we must trust in them. They are stronger than before."

"I wish Queen Serenity would have informed us about all this back when she had the chance," Luna said with heavy remorse, "Maybe we would have been able to prepare the girls,"

"It is no surprise for us to know that the divine world is very complex when it comes to terms of laws and their ways of living. Power is usually the strongest of achievements and what every god is really after, something that always put our Queen in slight disadvantage when times for her to speak and propose ideas for the Alliance came to happen because she was a believer of love and nobility." Artemis shook his head, "And that led her to choose a bad man to serve as the Lunarian Commander and become her daughter's husband."

"Are you judging Her Majesty's principles, Artemis?" Luna looked at him wide-eyed. Artemis shook his head, "No, but it was because of those principles that made her overlook Athamas's true nature."

"It was her way to mourn King Athan's passing."

Artemis' nodded, "It was still a bad choice. She gave great power to an ambitious man, the combination only gave atrocious results to everything."

Luna frowned, "Did you see him do those things?"

"No," Artemis green eyes locked with Luna's burgundy ones, his voice turned cold and monotone "But I did witness his madness and it was frightening,"

"You never mentioned this, not even to the Queen."

Artemis sighed softly, "I tried to convince her to choose another man for the position but—like you said, it was her way to mourn the King's death."

"Do you think he is behind all that is happening now?"

"Athamas is a very dangerous man, but, something tells me he is just a pawn to a bigger force." Luna looked at the white feline with a baffled expression, "What do you mean?"

Artemis nodded, "He may be dangerous, but let us not forget the fact that he never got the rank or strength of a Polemarchos, if this goddess, Asteria, is one or someone close in terms of power—I highly doubt she would follow orders from somebody inferior. I did my research on him back then... how he got to skip all that is needed to obtain a rank like the one he had is still a mystery to me. He was a low ranked soldier who got his title of General almost overnight, it is almost as if it was planned all along, him, being close to the Lunar Queen and marry the Lunar Princess."

"Artemis, are you implying that all the events happening today were planned all those years back?" The white cat nodded, "Yes Luna, that is exactly it."

"B-But..."

"Luna, think about it," Artemis's green eyes narrowed, "We have not heard from Athamas since the first attack. We have encountered many situations involving the mysterious army of shadows, and now Asteria... but the Andromedian is nowhere to be found. It is almost as if he was used just to awaken the Terran Prince, he is a pawn Luna, he is being used to awaken Princess Serenity too. None of us remembered him... not until that day."

"This runs deeper than I ever could imagine," Luna shook her head in disbelief, "Then... if he is a pawn, who is that bigger force? Who is behind it all?"

"Lord Ares said it was Chaos but I am starting to believe it is just a decoy to distract us from the real responsible. I have heard and read many things about the God of Dementia, but, Asteria is from the Underworld and serves to another deity..."

Luna's eyes widened in horror, "Could it be..."

"A plan Hades might be working since the very beginning," Artemis looked up at the moon and sighed, "And the mere thought of it terrifies me, Luna," he looked at her, "It terrifies me."

O—o—o—o—O

The next morning, Usagi opened her eyes and stretched her arms wide only to realize she was the only one in bed and in the bedroom; a bolt of worry and anxiety made her jolt out of the bed to go and look for her husband but the unmistakable scent of freshly brewed coffee calmed her senses. Much to her surprise and relief, she saw him drinking a cup of coffee, already showered and dressed while reading the newspaper in the living room in complete silence—he had the weirdest of habits, she thought to herself.

A warm smile brightened Mamoru's face and he took another sip of his coffee, "Morning,"

Usagi widened her eyes, up to this day it surprised her how he knew whenever she was there without even having to glance around the room. "Morning..."

Mamoru turned his head to look at her but his charming smile remained intact, "Did you sleep well?" Usagi nodded and frowned when she noticed the living room was like if nothing had happened the day before, "Did you...?"

"Cleaned? No," Mamoru arched his brow and chuckled, "I just put the furniture back, I did notice you cleaned the apartment and also our laundry—thank you."

"I didn't shrink anything this time,"

Mamoru smiled, "I know, and my shirts kept their original color,"

Usagi blushed, "H-How long have you been awake?"

"For about... two hours, I think? I went to take a quick run, came back, took a shower and made some coffee," Mamoru took another sip, "Hungry?"

"Wait, you went running?" Usagi frowned and shook her head, "Didn't you have enough exercise for a day?"

"Ah, have we met?" Mamoru arched his brow; Usagi sighed "Didn't you sleep?"

"Yes, I did, I went to bed at the same hour you did," Mamoru chuckled, "Usa, why are you surprised to see me awake? Aren't you always calling me Mr. Sunshine? Well, there is a reason for that... in case you forgot,"

"Well, yes, but we stayed up practicing until dawn! I punched and kicked you like there was no tomorrow, didn't you get tired?" she looked around again and huffed, "And of all things, you had to clean instead of coming back to bed with me,"

Mamoru put his black mug on the coffee table, "Usa, there were pieces of broken glass on the carpet and floor because of that lamp you broke." Usagi sweat dropped and waved her hand, "Ah, give it a rest, it was an ugly lamp anyway..."

"It was one perfectly functional lamp and now we have to go buy a new one," Mamoru sighed softly and turned to look at her still sleepy and groggy wife, "But anyways... to answer your rant, yes, I would have loved to go back to bed with you _but_ I have to go out—I was just waiting for you to wake up to let you know so you wouldn't worry."

This was enough for Usagi to fully come to her senses and pay close attention to what he was saying, "What?" she walked around the sofa and sat next to him, "Wait... no, where are you going?!" Mamoru smiled and combed her messy bed hair with his fingers, "Like I predicted, we ran out of food... I need to run some errands, go to the store, go to the bank, and then meet with Chieko."

Usagi felt another bolt of anxiety inside her and bit her lower lip at the mention of Mamoru's ex-girlfriend. "B-But..."

"I know Usa, but we _really_ need to buy groceries. We can't keep surviving on take-out food and... well—whatever's left in the fridge. Also, if you want pancakes... I need to go buy the ingredients. You can go back to sleep, I won't take long." Mamoru's hand slid down to cup her cheek, "You practiced hard yesterday and you barely had any sleep. Go back to bed, I promise that by the time you wake up I will already be back."

Usagi frowned and shook her head, her lips pouted unwillingly giving away her sentiments about him leaving her side. She knew they eventually would have to show up their faces to the world and reintegrate into society's routine and life but like she said the day before, time was never enough when they were together. "W-Why can't I go with you?" she asked softly, almost like a whisper making Mamoru arch his brow with slight surprise, "I never said you couldn't come," he chuckled, "I just never thought you would want to come—it's nine in the morning and you usually prefer to stay home and sleep while I go do all these boring things."

"I want to come." Usagi's soft tone made Mamoru smile, "Well, that would be lovely, also, there is something I want to show you,"

Usagi's eyes lit up with excitement, "Like a surprise?"

" _Exactly_ like a surprise," Mamoru chuckled, "Okay, so, I'll go get myself another cup of coffee while you go get ready, alright?" Usagi nodded and quickly sprint back to their bedroom and came back with a small wicker box where she kept her art supplies and grabbed her scissors, "Okay... but before that, I need you to help me with something."

"Yes?" Mamoru asked quizzically as he filled his cup with coffee and walked back to the living; Usagi sat on the sofa again and handed him a sleek pair of scissors, "I need you to cut my hair."

Mamoru almost choked on his coffee and looked at her with a pale face, like if he was given the worst of news, "What?!"

"I need you to cut my hair!"

"Usa... I'm not going to cut your hair," Mamoru frowned with complete denial. Usagi let out a puff of air in exasperation, "Why not? I need your help! If I could do it myself, trust me, I would..."

"Usa, I'm not a hair stylist, I am going to leave your hair all uneven!" Mamoru shook his head and put the scissors on the coffee table, Usagi gave her husband an irritated glare, "Mamo-chan, come on, it's no big deal... Venus used to do it all the time!"

"That was a long time ago," Mamoru said in an exasperated tone making Usagi sigh, "You really expect me to go out with this crazy hair? I can barely take two steps without falling over my face and besides, it's your fault! You fix this situation!" Mamoru arched his brow, "Wait, how is this my fault?"

"Your crystal did this! Come on! We'll be late!" Usagi grabbed a handful of hair and waved it in front of him, "And I'm also getting hungry," she chuckled at his frown, "Why the gloomy face?"

"It's just that..." Mamoru sighed and crossed his arms, "I like your hair the way it is... cutting it feels like a crime to me." Usagi blinked with genuine surprise, "You love seeing my hair this crazy long? Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously. I have always loved your hair and when its down it's even more beautiful," Mamoru pursed his lips and shrugged his shoulders to emphasize his indignation, "But if you don't care about me leaving it like a dog just chewed on your precious hair of moonbeam then hand me those scissors again."

Usagi laughed, "Mamo-chan... you're a doctor, your pulse couldn't be steadiest, also, you can make a clean cut with a heavy sword but you can't cut hair with a pair of scissors? Come on..."

"Okay first of all... it's all tangled," Mamoru ran his hands through her hair and frowned, "Hand me a brush or something and _then_ we can continue arguing about this."

"Goodness gracious..." Usagi mumbled with shock and went back to their bedroom to get a hairbrush, "I knew you liked my hair but not to this extent... cutting it makes you cranky,"

"I'm not cranky..." Mamoru mumbled as he leaned to grab his mug to take another sip of coffee, "I just don't think you should cut it..." he turned to look at his wife walking back smiling sweetly, "You are so cute, have I told you that?"

"No,"

"You are so cute,"

"That doesn't change the facts," Mamoru mumbled shyly; Usagi leaned closer to give Mamoru a small peck on the lips, "Look at you all blushed," she let out a soft chuckle and handed him a large paddle brush, "Here you go, enjoy."

Mamoru pulled her back into his arms and started combing her long hair with the gentlest of strokes slowly detangling all knots until it was left like a soft and silky silvery curtain and looked at it with awe, "How long do you want to keep it?" he ran his fingers through it one last time and kissed her neck softly, sending soft chills down her back. Usagi smiled and stood up to take a look over her shoulder, "Um... you can cut it up to my waist," she arched her brow and looked at him with a wry smile, "Is that long enough to keep His Royal Highness pleased and happy?"

Mamoru widened his eyes and felt his cheeks flush once again with shyness, "Yes..."

Usagi chuckled, "Alright, waist length it is," she grabbed the scissors and handed them to her husband again and smiled widely, "Oh, wait, I have an idea! Wouldn't be easier for you to use your sword?" Mamoru felt his blood run cold in his veins and looked up at her with a cynical glare, "You have to be kidding me..."

"No, I'm not kidding," Usagi turned, exasperating Mamoru in the process "Usa..."

"Ah, ah—hear me out!" she pointed a finger up, "It would be quicker... you just glide the blade through the hair in one swift move... like in the movies,"

"I am not going to summon a deadly weapon just to cut your hair—" Mamoru muttered dryly, "Hey! Do you want me to cut your hair or not?"

"Yes... I was just trying to save you some time,"

"We would be saving time if we were over this ordeal by now..."

"Okay, okay..." Usagi turned and put her hands on her waist and closed her eyes, wishing for the best, "Go."

Mamoru sighed and positioned the scissors waist height and began gliding them through the hair, one slow cut at a time, "This is so awkward..." he mumbled as he snapped another chunk of hair. Usagi chuckled, "Why? It's just hair..."

"I'm warning you, if you don't like it, it won't be my fault. I don't want to hear you nag about it later, okay?" Mamoru slightly stuck his tongue out for concentration purposes as he continued to snap another piece of hair making Usagi giggle, "Well... if I don't like it, I will make an appointment with my stylist and have it fixed,"

"Ah great, so you'll be cutting it more,"

"Well, that depends on how well you perform this task, my handsome Polemarchos,"

Mamoru pursed his lips, "If you keep mocking me, Princess, I am going to forget about those pancakes you so desperately want,"

"Noo! Not the pancakes!"

Mamoru did another slow cut and pulled back, "Done."

Usagi blinked startled and turned to look at him, "What?"

"Here," he handed her the pair of scissors and pushed himself off the couch, "I'll go get a bag to put all this hair in,"

"That was quick!" Usagi ran to the guest bathroom to look at her hair and gaped surprised at the clean and precise haircut, "And you were all worried you wouldn't do a good job?! This is better than how my stylist cuts it!" she peeked her head out the door and looked at her husband with wonder, "Have you thought about pursuing a career in styling hair?" Mamoru started picking the long strands of hair and shook his head without looking at her, "No, I'm good—thanks."

"You would be a great hairstylist," Usagi said with a smile on her face and walked back to the living room and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, "My dear Endymion, don't be sad... it will grow back."

"I'm not sad..."

"I am going to leave it down today, just for you," Usagi nudged her nose on his lower back playfully, "Now that I know how much you love it when I wear my hair down, I'll try and do it more often,"

"Thank you dear, but, Usako?"

"Yes?"

"It's getting late,"

Usagi widened her eyes, "Oh shoot! Okay! I'll hurry up..." she turned on her heel and sprint back to their bedroom to take a quick shower and get ready to leave. Mamoru turned to the closed door and smiled, "Oh Princess, heavens know how much I love you."

O—o—O

An hour and a half later, Usagi stepped out of the apartment like a fresh lettuce in spring. Like she promised to her husband, she wore her shiny and silvery locks down, matching her minimalistic outfit; a long white shirt, black sweater layering on top of it, black skinnies, animal print loafers and a black faux leather handbag, matching Mamoru's always dark and neutral tones in his clothing, this time a light grey sweater and dark jeans matching his trusty black converse. Somehow, the black made her crystal blue eyes stand out even more from behind her long, dark lashes that were momentarily hidden behind a pair of large round dark sunglasses.

"Where are we going first?" The silver-haired princess asked with curiosity as she stepped into the car and put her seatbelt on while her husband started the engine of their car and put his phone on the dashboard; Mamoru put his dark ray ban's and drove out of the garage, joining the morning traffic, "We have to make a stop at the bank... I hope it isn't too crowded,"

"Why not just an ATM?" Usagi asked casually, Mamoru stopped at a red sign and turned to look at her, "Because I need to do other movements with my account."

"Ah," Usagi smiled and turned the radio on, "And once we leave the bank, are we going to get something to eat?"

"No, after that we are meeting with Chieko,"

Usagi froze in her seat, "Ah..."

Mamoru chuckled as he continued to drive when the light turned green, "Don't get jealous,"

"I'm _not_ jealous," Usagi bit her glossy pink lips and looked out the window, mentally thanking herself for choosing a large pair shades to hide her jealous glare, "I mean, she's the girl that kissed you _first_ but, whatever."

Mamoru started laughing, "Usa... you're being silly,"

"Well, did she or did she not kiss you before I did?"

"Did I marry her or did I marry you?"

Usagi pointed an accusing finger at him, "That is not what I asked, Chiba Mamoru."

Mamoru continued laughing, "You make it sound like we had such an intense relationship—I remind you, Buns, I was fifteen."

"So what? That doesn't mean you didn't smooch and said lovely things to each other... held hands and such."

"Like this?" Mamoru held her free hand and intertwined his fingers with hers, then brought it up to his lips to kiss it softly, "Don't be jealous Princess... you are the only woman in this or any other life of mine."

"Plus, I was fourteen when I started dating you and we have had an intense relationship ever since,"

"Usa, you're a totally different person,"

"She must be ecstatic for being in touch with you again," Usagi mumbled, Mamoru chuckled "Usa... just how do you think we were? You have this crazy idea in your head that it's way too far from what it really was..."

"I just..." Usagi blew her long bangs, "It's hard for me to picture yourself with another woman, that's all. I wished I was your first kiss like you were mine."

"You are the first woman I have ever loved,"

Usagi smiled, "That's sweet, but, still... I am not your first kiss."

"Well, if we're going to play this game, in my defense I have to say you had a serious crush on Motoki," Mamoru teased her, "But yeah, whatever,"

Usagi turned with wide eyes, "That was just a crush... like a million years ago!"

"So? It was still a crush, you liked him more than you liked me," Mamoru pinched her nose, "But that's cool..."

"Okay, you were rude to me..."

"I wasn't rude!"

"Yes, you were! You and your sarcastic comments about my grades..."

Mamoru smiled softly with nostalgia, "Buns, you had thirty points in a test... and you kept throwing things at my face, what did you expect me to say? Oh, wow look at that! Those are very interesting grades you have there, beautiful lady." Usagi exhaled and slouched in her seat, trying her best not to break in laughter, "Well, in my defense, I didn't know you were sneaking behind me _all_ the time."

Mamoru laughed, "I wasn't sneaking behind you, I was on a mission... alright, my dear, I really need to get this done as soon as possible, I'll be right back," he parked the car and unbuckled his seatbelt as he grabbed his wallet from the cup holder.

"Right, because Chieko is waiting..." Usagi said softly but still with a hint of annoyance and jealousy in her sweet voice. Mamoru turned and pushed his sunglasses up to look at her, "Usa..." he shook his head, "Don't do this..."

Usagi looked into his eyes through her sunglasses and leaned closer to him to wrap her arms around him and kissed his neck, "You're right, I'm sorry," she drew back and rolled her seat back, "I will wait for you here, I am getting a little light headed..." Mamoru frowned and pulled back to touch her forehead, "You okay, Buns? You look a little pale,"

"Yeah, I'm okay... I just need to take a little nap," Usagi gave her husband a warm smile, "I'll be fine,"

"You sure?" Mamoru looked at her with worry, "You are still exhausted from all the exercise you did yesterday,"

"I can take it, I am a Sailor Senshi," Usagi turned to look at him, "I must keep it up so I can kick-ass as cool as you do,"

"You're very cool, Sailor Moon," Mamoru pinched her nose and leaned closer to give her a sensual kiss on her lips "I'll be back soon,"

Usagi smiled and watched him walk into the large and fancy building and leaned back in her seat, mentally kicking herself for still feeling jealousy towards the now so famous Shimuta Chieko. Choosing to better kick the nasty thought aside, she noticed Mamoru had left the keys on and preferred to turn the radio to distract herself and started surfing through the channels to find a good song to sing along when she heard there was a talk show discussing some of the highlights from the discovery from the archaeologists.

 _"Casanova Akira and her team of experts have reappeared after the attack at the Metropolitan Museum of Natural History in Tokyo these past few days and sent her sympathies and support to the victims' families. A lot of doubt has been surrounding her investigation causing a lot of difference in opinions and putting her reputation at risk. Her exhibition, named "Divinity on Earth," has been postponed in order to respect those affected during the press conference. In the midst of speculation and hard questioning, this new exhibition promises an important change on how we study how civilizations and society have evolved over the years."_

 _"Divinity—she mentioned something about us being protected by gods," a man joined the discussion with the hostess, "People with power,"_

 _"She suggested it," the radio hostess said but was quickly interrupted by the other man, "That's crazy—she is literally mixing two realities and creating a new one with this theory,"_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"Well, for years we have never heard anything similar to this... now all of the sudden, new relics have been found and now we are now people ruled by gods? Isn't that crazy?"_

 _"Well, it does sound a little out there, but, she has left many things up for discussion and consideration."_

 _"Yes, but, if there is really royalty that represents us as a planet—then where is it? Why haven't we heard anything from them? If they have so much power, why they haven't come up and say—we're your Monarchy, we represent you up in the heavens,"_

 _"Maybe it is something that needs to be explored a little further,"_

 _"I think it is too incredible to be true and her reputation is being scrutinized because of it—I think she is taking this overboard,"_

 _"Okay, let me ask you this... if it were... if this secret and divine Monarchy existed, would you be against it?"_

 _"Well, I don't know—I wouldn't be liked to be bossed around,"_

Usagi rolled her eyes with annoyance at the man speaking, "Please..."

 _"Technically, we are all bossed around by politicians, we live under certain rules..."_

 _"Yes, but—this is royalty we are talking about,"_

 _"Would it bother you that much?" The hostess asked, "If these people were to protect us from the attacks we were having lately,"_

 _"If they really exist, where are they? That should be the question,"_

 _"The Sailor Senshi have been making rounds lately—what better example of divine power do you want?"_

 _"Are you suggesting they are Earth's royalty?"_

 _"It could be a possibility... but let's leave this question for our fellow listeners to analyze and comment in our next segment, I want to know what you think, do you really believe in Casanova Akira's theory, and if you do, how would you feel of living with cosmic monarchs—our phone lines are open, we will return shortly after a short message from our sponsors."_

Usagi widened her eyes, "Divinity on Earth..." she mumbled and narrowed her crystal blue eyes, "What did you find, Casanova Akira? Just how much did you find?"

* * *

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	43. Chapter 43

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Forty-Three

* * *

Mamoru returned to the car almost 40 minutes after he left and stepped inside with hurry, "I'm so sorry," he huffed with exasperation as he put his sunglasses back on and secured his seatbelt in place; Usagi turned her head and smiled softly, "It's okay... too crowded?"

"You have no idea," Mamoru turned to look at her with worry and touched her forehead with the back of his hand, "How are you feeling, love?"

"I'm okay, don't worry," Usagi hummed softly when Mamoru leaned closer to kiss her cheek and looked at him lovingly, "I missed you..."

Mamoru smiled, "I missed you too, Luna Bunny," he tucked a strand of silver hair behind her ear and pulled back to start the car, "Let's get out of here..." he turned to look at his side mirror to drive out of the parking lot when his phone caught him off guard with is incisive ringing, Mamoru looked down at his screen and took the call, "Chieko, good morning,"

Usagi turned to look at Mamoru without him noticing and studied his gestures while he spoke over the phone and came to notice what he had been trying to explain when talking about the relationship he had with the woman on the phone. It was true, she could see there was a familiarity between them by the way he spoke to her. There was no question that they both knew well but it was also very obvious that they were no longer close and while she could see Mamoru smiling, it was very far from being a smile he would give Motoki, her, or any of the girls; it looked a little forced, almost as if he was doing a big effort to be polite and she was sure that if it wasn't for his dark shades, she could see his eyes slowly change to a stormy blue shade. Usagi also noticed his voice sounded a little too distant and he had a frown on his face during the whole conversation; it was clear, they were no longer friends.

A short while later, he finally ended the call and his mood gave a whole 180-degree change when he turned to Usagi with a much more relaxed smile, one she quickly recognized as one only crafted for her, "There is something I need you to do for me," Usagi tilted her head with curiosity, "Oh? What is that?"

"I need you to close your eyes and not open them until I ask you otherwise,"

Usagi tilted her head down to peek at him through her sunglasses with a playful gleam in her crystal blue eyes, "What are you up to Mamo-chan?" In response, Mamoru grinned widely and wiggled his brows playfully, showing a drastic change in his gestures from just minutes ago, "Ah well, you'll know... in time,"

Usagi giggled, "Is this the surprise?"

"This is the surprise," Mamoru nodded, "But I can't say much else because I could spoil you the whole thing so... can you please close your eyes?"

"Alright," Usagi leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, "I might take this as an opportunity to take another quick nap—I am still feeling a little light-headed,"

"Do you want to go home? We can do this some other day," Mamoru asked worried, Usagi shook her head in response, "Oh, hell no! I _love_ surprises! I want to see what you are up to!"

"You sure?"

"I'm sure, I'm fine... it's just a little dizziness, comes and goes nothing biggie. I had too little sleep," Usagi chuckled, "I'm a Luna Bunny, remember? I sleep all day,"

"Alright," Mamoru chuckled as he drove the car out of the parking lot and took a highway towards their destination; Usagi sighed softly and bit her lower lip, "Mamo-chan,"

"Mm?"

"While you were at the bank, I listened to this talk show on the radio..."

"Yes?"

Usagi put her arm over her face to cover her eyes and took a deep breath, "They were discussing the events of the exhibition but mostly, what it was about,"

"And what did they say?"

"They named it _'Divinity on Earth'_ … the hosts were discussing how this archaeologist, Casanova Akira, mentioned these ruins were from mythological times and it got me thinking..."

"Yes?"

"Do you think it has something to do with you and your family?"

Mamoru looked over his side mirror to change lanes on the highway and sighed softly, "That is what I am trying to find out, love."

"And what if it is?"

Mamoru pressed his lips in thought, "If it is... well, I have to take charge of this matter and have a talk with her to see what she found—if it's from my family, I have to take it back, whatever that is." Mamoru sensed the worried tone in her voice and reached for her hand resting on her stomach and intertwined his fingers with her, "I won't let anything happen to you," he continued with his eyes on the road, but his warm grip on her hand tightened, "Everything will be alright,"

"I am worried for _you_ , this could easily be a trap..."

"I know, but this also could be the lead I need to know why these ruins are connected to the incidents with Asteria and the Andromedian,"

Usagi wished to be able to look into his eyes, but she had to comply with his request. She brought his hand up to her lips and kissed it softly, "Do you promise you'll be careful, Endymion?"

"I promise, Serenity." Mamoru said in a soft tone and kissed her hand, "Tell me, what else did they talk about?"

"About Cosmic Monarchy—people don't believe it actually exists,"

"Can't blame them," Mamoru mumbled as he took another exit and gave a quick glance at his rear-view mirror to change lanes, "Elysion is from ancient times—there is no record of its existence, that is why I am very interested in knowing why this woman knows about it—about us,"

Usagi tightened her grip on his hand and took a deep breath, "They really wanted you to take the crown—your family, your people... they all wanted you to become King because they knew you would do great things, for all of them, they knew they were in good hands." she pursed her lips to show her annoyance on the matter, "He bothered me—the host, I had to change the station... I couldn't listen to him anymore,"

Mamoru gave his wife's hand a soft squeeze, "Why?"

"Because he said that if there was really a Monarch for this planet, this person would be a total ass—you know, bossy and abusive and that's not who you are, like, _at all_. If only they knew just how wonderful their Monarch actually is and how much he did and sacrificed to save this planet from extinction and how much he is doing right now so they can live a peaceful life... he would be the first to praise you, I'm sure."

Mamoru widened his eyes as he looked at the road ahead; he didn't really know what to say, he was surprised to hear Usagi speak with such loyalty to his ideals and his perspective. This was clearly another side of her, one that had great knowledge of what it really meant to be a royal and a representative in a divine monarchy and it took his breath away.

"It's okay, love, don't pay mind,"

"But I do pay mind—it's _you_ who they are talking about,"

Mamoru chuckled, "You can't force people to believe something they have not seen before,"

"Well, there's faith—people have faith... then there's religion, politics, philosophy—aren't those all things people can't see and yet, believe in?"

"Well, look at you," Mamoru smiled quite impressed by her sharp take on the matter; Usagi huffed softly, "What?"

"Nothing, your view on this matter... it's amazing,"

"I'm just saying it's unfair for people to judge you that way,"

"Usa, they are not judging _me_ —they are scrutinizing the idea of a Monarch taking care of the whole planet, and, to be honest with you—I don't blame them."

"You are that Monarch,"

Mamoru smiled, finding her passionate argument endearing, "My love, you have to be partial in these types of arguments. You are being defensive because you know me but they don't,"

"What if they still don't believe if you take the crown and you actually become King?"

"That is something I will have to figure out if that moment arrives, until then, there is not much I can do."

Usagi frowned, "You are so..."

"What?" Mamoru laughed, "I am so what?"

"Mature..." Usagi pouted her lips and let out a heavy sigh, "I hate it when you're right,"

Mamoru smiled and brought her hand to his lips to kiss it softly, "I'm sorry?"

"No, you're not," Usagi chuckled, "But, I still love you, though,"

"Good, that's all that matters to me,"

-O-

After their little-heated argument, they drove in silence for about twenty minutes but it didn't feel heavy or uncomfortable, it was more like a small moment of peace between them. Mamoru would often reach for Usagi's hand to kiss it every now and then, a gesture Usagi found very endearing but also very sneaky because it was his way to make her feel secure and calm now that they were meeting with the woman that involuntarily caused a ruckus in their early days as a married couple. A short while later, she felt the car stopped moving and heard the radio going mute, meaning Mamoru had turned the engine off, "Okay, we're here—" he turned to put his hand over her eyes, "But don't open your eyes just yet—I'm going to help you to get out of the car."

Usagi smiled and nodded, Mamoru frowned "Don't you cheat on me Tsukino Usagi."

The silver-haired princess chuckled, knowing he was playing the same game she played on him earlier "I won't, I promise—but, just as a friendly reminder... I'm no longer Tsukino..."

"Legally, that is true, but to me, you will always be a Luna Bunny," Mamoru chuckled and got out of the car, Usagi smiled when she heard him open her door and helped her come out with the most of care and held her as they walked down what Usagi suspected was a grass area before stepping inside someplace else, "Can I open my eyes now?" she asked curiously.

"No,"

"Now?"

"Nope,"

"How about now?"

"Just a little while longer, Usako," Mamoru chuckled as he continued leading her until they stopped inside a room full of panoramic windows giving a gorgeous view at a garden full of greenery and flowers everywhere. He smiled as he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Now, open your eyes..."

Usagi slowly opened her eyes that soon widened as big as the windows in front of her and gaped with surprise when she recognized the room where she was standing. Taking her sunglasses off, she turned to look around and then at Mamoru over her shoulder, "Mamo-chan? This is..."

Mamoru nodded and hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek, "Welcome home, Chiba Usagi."

Usagi looked at him with wide eyes, "W-What? B-But this..." she took a deep breath to assimilate what was going on, "This is the house we saw _months_ ago... way before we got married..."

Mamoru smiled at nodded "Yes,"

"I _loved_ this house,"

"Yes,"

"I fell in love with _this_ house..."

"I know,"

"B-But it was already taken by somebody else... we had to go back to square one and start looking for another place, h-how did you?" her shock was too big her brain couldn't find the right words to express her shock. Mamoru nodded again, "Yes it was, but the people who were buying it had some problems with their paperwork and they had to give it up and it was put on the market again. As soon as I learned about this I stepped in and started negotiations until..." he took the keys out of his jeans' pocket and showed them to her, "We got it."

Usagi covered her mouth and turned to the deck and garden outside, "So... this means... the garden is mine?"

"The garden is yours,"

"That adorable front lawn is mine too?"

"The adorable front lawn is yours,"

Usagi gasped and turned to look at him with wide eyes, "The walk-in closet..."

"All yours, love," Mamoru chuckled, "All yours," Usagi felt her eyes burn with tears, "Oh my..."

Mamoru smiled and placed the set of keys in his wife's hand, "I told you, you didn't have to worry about it."

Usagi looked down at the set of keys in her hand and then back at her husband, "How long have you been doing this?!"

"More than you can imagine..."

Usagi looked down at the set of keys in her trembling hand again and shook her head, still in disbelief "I—" she looked up at her husband without even trying to keep her happy tears at bay and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Why are you so wonderful, Prince of Earth?"

Mamoru smiled and kissed her lips softly, "Because I love you, Moon Princess, as simple as that. There is nothing I wouldn't do for you."

Usagi smiled and caressed his cheek softly but soon their little romantic moment was interrupted by the sound of heels clicking on the hardwood floor, "Mamoru," A soft, yet authoritative voice startled the couple, making them turn to meet the now famous Shimuta Chieko.

Her beauty was undeniable, Usagi admitted and immediately assumed she was older than her, maybe the same age as Mamoru. She had long chocolate hair that reached just below her breasts and was styled in luscious loose curls; her green colored eyes sparkled with her perfectly done makeup and her glossy nude lips. There was an air of high-class and sophistication coming from her due to her fancy clothes and jewelry adorning her body. It was that moment when she noticed the huge diamond ring on her finger screaming to the world that she had been taken by a very, very, wealthy man.

"Good morning," Mamoru turned to look at her but kept all greetings to a minimal level when he saw her walking past the foyer.

"I'm sorry I'm late—I had this client that just would not let me go," Chieko strolled into the large room with her high-end Louboutin's and Chanel bag and handed Mamoru a fancy leather portfolio. "Here, just as we agreed," the tone in her voice was also masked with forced politeness, giving more clues to Usagi that in fact, there was real tension between the two of them. Chieko noticed they weren't the only ones in the room and widened her green eyes when she saw Usagi standing by the window and blinked with surprise, "Oh, hello—Hisakawa Chieko,"

Mamoru turned and smiled at Usagi, "Chieko, this is my wife—Usagi,"

Chieko widened her eyes surprised to find that her ex's new bride was nothing like she was imagining her to be; she had a beauty that went beyond any of her expectations and a presence difficult to ignore. She tried to come up with the warmest smile she could muster and tried her best to keep her old jealous habits under control as she offered to shake hands with Usagi, who, in return did with much grace, "Nice to meet you, Chieko-san,"

"Oh, it's you with who I spoke over the phone the other night, then?" Chieko asked slightly surprised, Usagi nodded with a small smile, "Yes."

"I see, so even you too have to deal with Mamoru's disappearances," Chieko chuckled and turned to Mamoru with a quirked brow, "Old habits never die, I suppose."

Usagi noticed the bitter tone in her words and blinked surprised at her comment but decided to let it pass for now. Chieko stood next to Mamoru and looked down at the papers in Mamoru's hands, "I need you to give these a final glance before you sign them—that's one of the reasons the other couple lost control over the house, they thought everything was in order and ready to go and at the last moment, they had some information wrong and well... the bank doesn't wait."

"Sure," Mamoru mumbled as he started reading, completely ignoring the woman's hungry glare. Usagi noticed Chieko was another name on the list of women who devoured Mamoru with lustful eyes in silence; it almost felt like was flirting with him with all the glances and smirks she gave him, making her believe it was some sort of right all ex-girlfriends had when it came to meet with former boyfriends so they could see what they had let go and swagger like a peacock to show off and spark some old flame. She decided it was best and healthier for her if she put those thoughts aside, and turned to her husband, "Mamo-chan, is it okay if I go see the rest of the house?"

Chieko widened her eyes and turned to Mamoru who was giving his wife the warmest of smiles, "Of course, love—go ahead. I'll catch with you in a minute,"

"Excuse me," Usagi smiled at Chieko and took her way to the master bedroom, leaving Chieko and Mamoru alone. The silver-haired princess felt this was a good moment to call Minako and give her the news but realized she didn't have her phone with her and remembered she had left it in the purse she unconsciously left in Mamoru's care, "Oh, shoot, my purse..." she turned on her heel to get it back but froze and leaned behind a wall on a small hall that led to a guest bathroom when she heard Chieko chuckling. Usagi knew this was not the right thing to do or not but her curiosity was too big to ignore at this point.

"What is it Chieko?" Mamoru asked with slight disinterest as he continued reading the papers in his hands. Chieko arched her perfect shaped brow and looked at him cynically, " _Mamo-chan_?" she let out another chuckle, "Since when?"

Mamoru kept his eyes on the papers, completely ignoring Chieko's jealous glare, "It's a nickname she gave me when we met,"

"Well, that's interesting..." Chieko scoffed, "You _never_ wanted _me_ to give you a nickname,"

" _Hunk_ can hardly be considered a nickname, it's a label and you know how I feel about that," Mamoru muttered and let out a soft sigh, "I see you haven't changed,"

"Me?" Chieko laughed, "Why should I?"

"Is that how you like to call your husband?"

"No, my husband doesn't like anything," Chieko rolled her eyes and began pacing around the large vacant room, "I wonder if the divorce will give him some sort of excitement or at least make him notice I exist." This was enough for Mamoru to look up at her, "You're getting divorced?"

Chieko chuckled and turned to look at him over her shoulder, "My, I thought you knew,"

"Why would I know about your personal life?" Mamoru arched his brow, "I'm not the kind of person who likes to gossip,"

"You're a different species, Chiba Mamoru," Chieko arched her brow and sighed, "I know you see my father regularly. I thought he mentioned it, you know, because of the closeness, his loyalty to your parents, and the fact that you are his client..."

"He didn't tell me and—"

"—You never asked, I know,"

"I'm surprised," Mamoru frowned, "Wasn't he supposed to be the wealthy man you deserved to marry? He didn't have enough money to please your needs?"

"Oh no, dear, don't mistake my situation... he has money," Chieko pursed her lips and crossed her arms, "But he turned out to be the kind of man that doesn't like to keep his fortune for just one woman,"

"I'm sorry to hear that." Mamoru looked down at the papers in his hands, making Chieko laugh softly, "Are you, really?"

"Yes, I am. I'm not a monster," Mamoru frowned at the pun he used and sighed, "What does Ikio say about all this?"

"He doesn't know the _real_ reasons why I am getting divorced—but obviously, he's not happy..." the woman wearing a fancy white silk blouse and white wide-leg palazzo pants turned to look at her former boyfriend, "He wasn't you after all. I see you only get better with time—you have somehow managed to surpass the normal standards of gorgeousness,"

"Chieko," Mamoru's voice had a warning tone to it, he shook his head with a displeased frown, "Don't..."

"You didn't even tell me when you got engaged!" Chieko looked at him with hurt, Mamoru arched his brow "Uh, I'm sorry?"

Chieko frowned, "And I know you attended Nishimura Reika's wedding... Daichi was there, he saw you... he told me you were the groom's best man and that you acted like you didn't know him,"

"I don't know him," Mamoru shrugged his shoulders with disinterest and crossed his arms with a confused look, "I honestly don't know what to say, he wanted a handshake in solidarity or something? I don't understand..."

"Well, a greeting would have been nice,"

"Why does it bother you so much? He's your friend, not mine."

"Mamoru," Chieko shook her head, "We crossed eyes at that New Year's Eve party at the Conrad and you gave me the coldest of glares, you looked at me like we were strangers..." she frowned, "And since when you do all the things you didn't want to do with me when we were together? Huh?"

"What did you expect me to do, Chieko? You wanted me to go to your table and catch up at the New Year's Eve party and act cool?"

Chieko sighed with annoyance, "Well, yes... that is what ex-boyfriends do,"

Mamoru shrugged his shoulders, "You were with your friends, I was with mine _and_ my fiancé. I had no reason to go to your table, I had nothing to tell you then..." he narrowed his blue eyes, "And there is still not much I can tell you now, except for the business we have at hand,"

"I wouldn't have found out you got married if it wasn't for my father!"

"Chieko," Mamoru let out an exasperated chuckle, "Again, what did you want me to do? We haven't spoken in _twelve years_ and still, you were expecting an invitation to my wedding?"

-O-

Usagi was utterly surprised to hear Mamoru speak with so much detachment and coldness to the woman; he was being polite but the tone in his voice hinted that there was more he preferred to keep to himself; he sounded upset rather than just annoyed, he was uncomfortable. The silver-blonde felt guilty for eavesdropping on their conversation but she couldn't deny that she was also very curious to know if there was more to what Mamoru told her about Chieko.

-O-

Back in the empty living room, Mamoru shook his head and let out a dry, sarcastic chuckle, making Chieko feel a little frustrated and shook her head, "What's so funny?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"What?"

"Why are you arguing with me like if any of this still mattered?" Mamoru frowned, "I found out you got married the same way years ago. You made sure to let the world know you were marrying a wealthy man, why are any of the things I do an issue to you now?" he narrowed his deep blue eyes, in response, Chieko crossed her arms while letting a heavy sigh, "Because we were close,"

"That was a long time ago," Mamoru said softly, "But things change Chieko, people change, you better than anyone knows this."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Chieko put her hands on her waist expressing her annoyance, "Eh, Mamoru?"

"It means that no matter how close our families were... you and I were not meant to be together." Mamoru closed the portfolio in his hands and looked at her, "Chieko, you had other interests, you wanted to live a luxurious life and I just wanted to survive. I had lost my family, my memories and friends—I had to start over."

"Still," Chieko shook her head with denial, "We were supposed to end up together,"

"We didn't have anything in common," Mamoru said in a more relaxed tone, "You wanted to end up with a wealthy man so you could get out of your house and live by your own rules and I just couldn't care less about the money or any of that lifestyle you love so much. I didn't even know what I had it until I became a legal adult and still, most of it is still in the bank—the majority of the things I have, I got them with my own effort and with the money I earned on my own."

"You were supposed to be that wealthy man for me, you were that man... you just didn't want to admit it, you preferred to live like a—"

"No, Chieko, I was an orphan." Mamoru's eyes turned darker as he looked at her, his voice deepened, showing his discomfort for being having this particular conversation with her, "An orphan with no money, no future, and no class—a mediocre, a nobody. Is that how it was?" he shrugged his shoulders, "The amnesia caused by the accident may have cut some of your words."

Usagi covered her mouth with shock to learn the truth behind those two was a painful story and now she understood why it made Mamoru so upset to even mention it, why he preferred a low-key lifestyle and why he disliked so much the word _hunk_. At the other side of the wall, Chieko looked at her ex-boyfriend with wide eyes and let out a heavy sigh, "Mamoru, when you're sixteen years old you say too many stupid things... like you and your absurd dreams about a silver crystal and a girl of hair of moonbeam asking you to find her, remember?"

Usagi's eyes widened, "The silver crystal..." she mumbled softly, "A girl... with hair of moonbeam..." she blushed, knowing the girl calling for him in his dreams was her, giving total sense to why he loved her hair so much.

Mamoru sighed tiredly and handed Chieko the portfolio, "I want to make some changes to these, for starters, the house is under my name,"

"Yes, so?

"I want the house deed to be under Usagi's name,"

"Seriously?" Chieko widened her eyes, "Yes, seriously," Mamoru answered dryly.

"But you're paying for this property,"

"So?"

"The most logical thing is to make the deed under your name. Do you have any idea how long it's going to take me to get the notary make these changes?" Chieko frowned when she saw Mamoru smiling with his arms securely crossed over his chest, "What?"

"Isn't that why you are supposed to be the best in the field? You mentioned this over and over while we spoke on the phone, remember?"

" _I am_ the best," Chieko arched her brow, Mamoru chuckled "Okay, so... why is this a problem?"

"I do not find the changes necessary, that's all—if you're already married to her."

"I love her, she is my wife—the house is hers, end of story." Mamoru's tone remained soft and warm, almost friendly, proving he was really over what happened between them, "I talked to your father—he is informed of this, I went to the bank and gave notice of the withdrawal, everything should proceed smoothly and without any problems from this point on,"

"Mamoru..." Chieko looked at him with surprise, realizing that the man she knew since forever had finally moved on from his somber past. Like she said, Chieko and Mamoru were close. They were friends during their childhood and somehow Chieko felt it right whenever their parents mentioned how they would look good together if they became a couple. It was a standard idea that it was slowly implanted in her mind and she liked it, she could see herself growing up and marrying him in the future.

Their social status was no secret to her; she was aware of her father's wealth and also knew Mamoru's family was very wealthy due to his father's good position in the stock market and his many financial affairs. Things took a drastic change when the accident happened Mamoru's life changed completely, starting with the fact that he had lost his memories.

Years later, she found him by accident on a trip to a local store and saw him working as a cashier. The rich kid she remembered was now being replaced by a very silent young man who worked to pay his bills. It didn't take them long to become friends again and they later started that relationship she once thought would end up in marriage, but his past and his current life was too real and confusing for her and eventually caused the relationship to end and not in the best of terms. Chieko remembered Mamoru often talked about a girl with silver hair calling for him on his dreams and she always talked about how come he couldn't use his parent's money to go back to his old lifestyle and live the life of a rich kid and how it always led to heated discussions and disappearances from Mamoru. At sixteen, Chieko felt disgusted and annoyed by his life choices and by how he didn't want to be part of that life she constantly bragged about they could have to a point where he wasn't feeding her expectations and ended up spitting all those poisonous and hurtful things at him before they parted ways.

Chieko lowered her gaze and slowly come out of her façade; she took a deep breath and remembered the many times she asked her father about him, in her mind, hoping to find some peace inside her mind and believe she did the right thing by giving up on him but she would always be surprised to know he went for an achievement after another. Chieko never really let go of that dream of marrying Mamoru, and she never really stopped digging about his life, no matter how much she preached she was over him but the more she dug, the more she learned how Mamoru remained faithful to his wishes to become someone in life and how he had succeeded, both in his career and in his personal life and it was then when she understood what she had lost.

"How—" Chieko made a paused and took another deep breath, "How long have you known each other?"

Mamoru looked at her and leaned his back on a window, "Quite some time—I was seventeen when I met her."

Chieko swallowed and nodded, "I see—" she finally took the courage to look into his enchanting, deep blue eyes, noticing there was something different in them, "She seems to care for you, very much."

A small, but genuine smile caught Chieko's attention when Mamoru nodded, "And I care for her, very much. This is little compared to everything she has done for me over the last ten years," he sighed softly and turned to look away, finally putting a silent end to their walk down memory lane and frowned, "Do you have a pen with you?" Chieko sighed and looked inside her purse and bit her lip, "No... I must have left it in the car—I'll go get it,"

"No, it's okay, I'll go get one from my car. I'll be right back," Mamoru said softly and walked out of the house, giving Usagi the perfect opportunity to walk back without being noticed and have a little tour around the master bedroom. She walked marveled at the large adjoined bathroom and spacious walk-in closet with a wide smile, mentally thinking she needs to give Mamoru a fair share of the space for his things, considering how tight it is now that she moved into the apartment but the conversation she overheard was still too fresh in her mind to put it aside.

"It's quite the closet, I must say."

Usagi widened her crystal blue eyes and turned to Chieko who was now standing by the bedroom door with her arms crossed. She must have been too deep in thought that she did not even notice when Chieko joined her in the room, she turned to look around and frowned slightly when she noticed Mamoru was nowhere in sight, "Is Mamo—"

"He went to his car to get a pen... he'll be right back," Chieko interrupted Usagi with a slightly dry tone in her voice. She turned to look at the closet and half smiled, " _'It's perfect for her'_ —those were his words when he started the bid on this house,"

"You..." Usagi blinked surprised, "Those were the papers you wanted him to sign the night you called..."

Chieko nodded, "I own a real state agency and this house has been in a long battle for months. Mamoru competed with many others that weren't backing down on getting this property... it was a tough battle but, in the end, he turned out to be victorious."

Usagi smiled at the pun, even in his daily and normal life he still had that spirit of a warrior. Chieko took a deep breath and walked into the room, the sound of her heels clicking on the hardwood floors was the only thing keeping them company, "You must be wondering why I speak to him with such trust and closeness," she looked over her shoulder and half smiled, "I don't know if he told you but—"

"You two have known each other for many years... I know." Usagi interrupted Chieko, surprising the woman in white, "I must say I am surprised he even mentioned I exist." Chieko chuckled softly, but Usagi noticed there was a heavy hint of sadness tainting her words.

"Our families were close—my parents were very good friends with his parents and well, we became close friends as well," Chieko walked to the large window and clicked her tongue with marvel, "Wow, this terrace is a dream... this master bedroom is just, perfect. I would arrange a seating area near the fireplace... it's a good place for reading and still being able to admire the garden outside in the winter time." she sighed softly, and turned to Usagi, and saw her curious glare, knowing this was something she couldn't just put aside, not with her—his wife. "We dated a long time ago..." she closed the panoramic window slowly, "But it didn't work out, obviously."

Usagi didn't know what to say but the look in Chieko's eyes was more than enough to let her know that she was being miserable inside, despite all of her success as a realtor, her beauty, and money. She looked lonely and by the way she heard her speaking to Mamoru, she was in pain and most of it was because she now knew what she had lost over her own ambition.

Chieko didn't wait for a response from the silver-haired beauty standing just a few feet away from her and smiled softly, "I would be lying if I say I am not surprised... Mamoru is one man too hard to get and impress," she turned, "But since we started all this process, his sole purpose was to make _you_ happy. He said wanted this to be a surprise for you, so he tried his best to keep it a secret... the night I called, it was because I really needed him to confirm some information... it was urgent, I had no other option but to ask my father for his home number."

Usagi felt her heart skip a beat inside her chest, all the secrets he had been holding, all the messages she read, the emails, the missed calls and his secret escapades, they all served to the sole purpose of creating the perfect surprise for her, just like Minako had suggested. Chieko took a step closer to Usagi and arched her brow "You're beautiful, there is no question about that, but you must be a very, _very_ special woman to have him look at you the way he does—it's definitely something I have never seen before,"

"Chieko-san, I—" Usagi blushed, Chieko crossed her arms and shook her head, "It's alright, Usagi-san, you don't need to say anything." she sighed softly and looked at the silver haired princess, "Mamoru can be a little _too_ independent and he tries to do everything himself, but he's the kind of person that once you earn his trust and break that protective shell of his, he will literally do _anything_ for you—I can see that now." she frowned, "Keep in mind a man like that is _very_ hard to find. Chiba Mamoru is a different species... I've always said it, he is like a fairytale Prince."

Usagi widened her eyes as she heard the woman trying her best to describe her loss and realized that beyond all, they were just two women on the verge of tears over the same man but for two very different reasons, "Chieko-san..." Usagi breathed, Chieko shrugged her shoulders and looked up, trying to fight her own tears.

"Ah, there you are..."

Usagi looked at Mamoru walking into the room with the leather portfolio under his arm, "I was looking all over for you,"

"I had to come and see this closet again, I can't believe it's mine," Usagi chuckled, Mamoru wrapped his arm around her shoulders and handed her the portfolio and pen, "Well, you might want to make it official then." Usagi widened her crystal blue eyes and looked up at him with all seriousness, "Mamoru... are you sure?"

Chieko swallowed her pain in a big, silent gulp and looked at Usagi with her new regained façade and walked to stand next to him, "This house has been yours since the moment this man began fighting for it. It's only natural that it ended under your name,"

"B-But..."

"Oh, honey, if a man wants to buy you a house, you don't say no—you _never_ , say no."

"These are not the official deeds, but, it will notify the notary the authorization to make the changes that are needed to be done," Mamoru said softly; Usagi blushed and turned to Mamoru, then at the papers in her hands and took a deep breath as she walked over a small table by the window and proceeded to sign the papers under the dotted line, right above Mamoru's strong, yet minimalistic signature. Signing these papers had a deeper meaning for Usagi than just knowing it was the acquisition of a home; it was the symbol of a dream they began creating more than a lifetime ago and a promise to fulfill together for as long as their own given divinity allowed them to. It was the beginning of a new era, one when her identity as Serenity had more presence and one where her voice was heard and supported and no longer played the role of a weak and vulnerable princess waiting to be adorned with strings of immaculate pearls.

Usagi handed Mamoru the pen and looked into his prismatic blue eyes with tears in her crystal blue eyes, "Thank you..." she breathed, "Thank you so much..."

"No, thank _you_... for loving _me_ ," Mamoru kissed her temple and leaned down to her ear, "There is nothing I wouldn't do for you, mea Serenitati."

It wasn't a lie, Chieko could see the devotion in Mamoru's eyes, confirming it was nothing she ever saw in him before. There was so much love and passion, like if they were the only ones in the room and then that smile he had on his face, one so charming it could warm the coldest of rooms. Chieko looked at the couple with a hint of sadness and cleared her throat to break their little romantic moment, "Well, the house is yours, Usagi-san."

Usagi turned to Chieko with a blush on her cheeks, "Thank you for everything, Chieko-san."

Chieko nodded and turned to Mamoru, "I will talk to my father later today to let him know of the negotiation status so he can do the necessary paperwork for the payment and the deed—expect more calls and probably a few more meetings, very soon."

"Sure," Mamoru's arm tightened around Usagi's shoulders, Chieko noticed and took it as her cue to leave, "Well I have to go, but, I have something to give you first. I don't normally am as considerate to my clients since I tend to deal with a lot of pretentious people..." she went to get her purse and walked back with a bottle of the finest champagne in existence, "Here. It's for you to celebrate your new home,"

Usagi widened her eyes and looked at Chieko, while taking the beautifully crafted bottle of champagne with a golden cap, "Chieko-san..."

"It's just a little something, you know, to compensate you for all the hassle." Chieko waved her hand and smiled softly as she turned to Mamoru, making it more than obvious what she meant by those words. Mamoru gave Chieko a genuine smile in gratitude, the first one since they met again, "Thank you Chieko."

"It's a very beautiful house... congratulations," Chieko patted his shoulder and turned on her heel, waving her hand in the air without looking back at the couple, "I have more pretentious people to meet, more houses to hunt and more checks to cash—sayonara."

Usagi looked at the woman walk out of their lives the same way she walked in, like a faint memory from the past. She turned to Mamoru and cupped his cheek with her free hand and smiled, this time not holding her tears any longer "I promise I will look out for you, care for you, and love you for all eternity—it doesn't matter the life we choose to live and how we live it, it doesn't matter our pasts... the only thing that matters from now on is our future."

Mamoru wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up, "What if this house turns into a palace?"

Usagi smiled, "It would still be our home and I would make sure to make it very special and cozy for us,"

"Usa..." Mamoru leaned his forehead on hers, "I don't know what's ahead of us... I don't know what it's going to happen but—"

"I know..." Usagi closed her eyes and smiled, "I don't care if I have to face the entire divine world... as long as I am with you and get to spend my life with you." Mamoru exhaled softly and closed his eyes, his lips brushing softly against Usagi's, "I am forever yours, Serenitati."

"Forever yours, Endymion... I am, forever yours." Usagi tilted her head and kissed her husband to her heart's content.

O—o—o—O

Rei blew the steam of her green tea as she looked up at the morning skies. It had been a quiet morning at the temple and since her chores had been cut in half since her grandfather passed away and she has been accompanied by Jadeite, Luna, Artemis, and Jun—everything has been more tranquil and quiet.

Her thoughts were soon interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming her way and turned to find Jadeite carrying a tray with what appeared to be steamed buns, "Care to have some breakfast?"

Rei looked at the blonde general take a seat next to her and put the tray in between them, "I was told by Jun that you haven't eaten anything and soon it will be noon," he turned to look at her and tilted his head, "Mars—we have talked about this... you need to eat,"

"I know, I know... it's just that..."

"What?" Jadeite frowned, "Did something happen?"

"The fire... it's speaking to me again," Rei exhaled softly, pursing her lips in thought "I am worried Jadeite,"

Jadeite sighed and turned his head to look at the garden and cherry trees, "We all are Mars but all we can do is to do our best and that is to fight." After a few minutes of silence, he continued "But it would be much better if you just ate something."

"You shouldn't worry about me this much—I'm alright..." Rei looked down at the freshly made bean buns with shame, "I have done nothing but give you worries and troubles."

"Looking after you is no trouble for me," Jadeite said softly while still looking at cherry trees contrasting against the clear blue sky, "It is what friends do," he turned and arched his brow, "In my time—that is what friends did for those they cared about, I do not know a damn thing about this time..."

Rei chuckled softly, "I believe it is the same as in your time—friendship never gets old."

"Well then, do not see yourself as a problem for me—I do this gladly," Jadeite said softly, "Even if it is the last thing I do... allow me to be your aid."

"The last thing you do?" Rei frowned, "Why do you say that?"

Jadeite turned to face her and gave her a sad smile, "We have a duty Mars, as Shitennou we are to look out for our Master's safety—we were chosen by Her Majesty the Queen to serve, guide, and protect Prince Endymion no matter the cost, no matter the consequences."

"The consequences?" Mars shook her head, confused by his words "W-What do you mean by that?"

"It means..." Jadeite took a deep breath and exhaled, "It means my dear Mars, that even if we gave our lives in battle, our Prince must be the last one standing—think of us as Endymion's protective shield." he shook his head and averted his gaze to avoid to see the worry in her beautiful purple eyes, "We do not know what it is ahead of us but whatever that is—it is most likely he will be given a task to serve his position as warrior. It seems this battle not only concerns us—if Ares is involved, it most likely concerns all the universe."

"Do you think Mamoru will be called by him?" Mars frowned and put her empty cup down. Jadeite sighed softly, "He is a Polemarchos whether those up in the heavens agree or not and he will fight like one," Jadeite's face stiffed a little, leaving no trace of his boyish gestures, "Divinity was part of our studies and as warriors, it was only natural for us to know about the God of War and his army of strong warriors—the ones that protect Olympus and the universe from a distance... Endymion is part of that league, like I said, whether the gods or Endymion himself likes it or not." The blonde brought one knee to his chest and hugged it casually, while the other still hung from the tall porch, "Endymion is aware—he may not show it, he may not say anything about it but he is aware and he is informed. Kunzite will contact him any time now to let him know of this woman's whereabouts—the archaeologist. He is just giving him the chance to spend some quality time with Princess Serenity before it happens, whatever that is meant to happen."

Rei widened her eyes, "I don't understand..."

Jadeite shook his head, "Once Endymion finds this woman, the enemy will appear. They are looking for him, everything that has been happening is to catch his attention. Endymion is not being careless Mars, it is because he cares too much for his people, this planet, and the Princess that he has been avoiding greater damage by staying under the radar so they cannot find him and have enough time to plan a strategy."

"Jadeite..." Rei felt her heart beating with amazing force in her chest, "Just... what kind of power does he have?"

"I have never seen it," Jadeite bit his lip and shook his head again, "I believe none of us have except for Megumi and whatever she witnessed, I am sure it was only a small fraction of it." He narrowed his grey eyes in remembrance, "When I was a child, I heard this tale about the mystical Queen of Earth but I honestly thought it was just that—a tale."

"How did it go—the story?" Rei asked with much interest, Jadeite shrugged his shoulders, "It was said that she once fought against evil dark forces and saved Earth from catastrophic damages with a golden light as bright and warm as the Sun itself. It was a story that slowly washed away from history and became just a folk tale, but my mother was a witness of that moment. She said an intense light engulfed the once Goddess of Earth and cut through the darkness and sealed it away with her golden sword. He smiled sadly, "My mother told me she went desperately looking for the Goddess Queen days after these events because I was born weak and sick... it was then when Queen Gaia gave her a Jadeite stone; hence, my name."

Rei widened her eyes with awe, "Is that why your names are all from mineral stones?"

Jadeite nodded, "We later learned of course, that Queen Gaia gave those blessed stones to those chosen to carry them—we all have a story behind our name." He slowly stood up, "Queen Gaia was powerful but unlike Endymion, she was not one with the sacred stone, she could use it but never mastered it. That is why we must protect him, Mars, because the lifeforce of this planet is linked directly to that stone and its protector and right now, Endymion is his own worst enemy because he will do whatever is necessary to win this war and protect Princess Serenity from the claws of darkness."

"So what can _we_ do?" Rei looked at him desperate to have more answers, something that could give her the strength and tools to have the advantage in this new battle. Jadeite looked at her, "First, we must bring Megumi with us—"

Rei widened her amethyst eyes, "Why? She is being taken care by—"

"The Outer Senshi, I know," Jadeite shook his head, "But they are hesitant, and one of them still believes it is dangerous to keep your Princess close with our Prince. To be honest, I still have my doubts..."

"Haruka-san..." Rei said softly, Jadeite nodded "To win this we need to be united and besides, she was only going to stay with them until Endymion and the Princess returned from their wedding travels. We must cut any possible links that would allow the enemy find Endymion, just because they have not gone after her anymore does not mean they are not aware of Megumi's existence, after all, she is responsible for his awakening."

"I understand," Rei nodded, "I will bring her here—it is only natural for her to stay close to her family."

Jadeite sighed and nodded, "Yes, we are a small family of strangers now."

"You're not strangers," Rei frowned, "You're everything _but_ strangers."

"A Prince, a maid, and four men from different families can hardly be called a family." Jadeite chuckled softly and sat on his previous spot on the porch, Rei moved closer and rested her hand on top of his "A family is not always related by blood—it is with who you feel safe, with who you laugh, with who you cry. Usagi and the girls are my family, Mamoru, Luna, and Artemis are also part of that family and now, so are you,"

Jadeite smiled, "I suppose you are right."

"A little dysfunctional I must say..." Rei said softly, making Jadeite share his contagious laughter with her "What?"

"A little?" The blonde said between laughs, "We are all crazy."

"What better reason to make us family than craziness?" Rei chuckled, Jadeite wiped a tear of laughter from the corner of his eye and sighed, "I believe you have a point there, Sailor Mars..." he looked at her and smiled, "I am glad I made you smile." Rei looked at him with wide eyes and blushed softly, "I... don't—"

Jadeite chuckled softly, "Do not panic Sailor Mars, it was just a compliment, not a marriage proposal,"

The priestess looked away and tried to calm the wave of new feelings she's been experiencing since the blonde general made himself clear about his intentions with her. He had been with her every day until very late at night helping her manage and clean the shrine. Since the high priest's passing, he has not left her side despite having the company of both lunar advisors and Jun, the cook. Rei had spent her nights thinking how different had been if he followed their steps and lived like a normal human being in their era; maybe she would not have been that harsh with him, maybe she would not have broken his heart or maybe he would have been with a different person. A slight frown crossed the priestess' delicate features every time she pictured the blonde man being this attentive with a different woman, she couldn't, she didn't want to—and then, she realized it, the truth behind her feelings.

Like a man of his word, Jadeite did not make any moves and did not attempt anything that would make her think he still had feelings for her, in fact, she was surprised by how he despite being so gentle and charming towards her he still managed to keep his distance. As soon as the sun began to set he would go back to his place with the other Shitennou, leaving her with all those mixed feelings and the need to see his smile a little while longer; it was difficult for her to admit it, but the truth was that she cared for the general more than she ever imagined she could.

Maybe it was his smile, the soft and playful sound of his voice, his golden hair, the cool gray tone of his eyes and how they squinted slightly every time he laughed, his curious and joyful character or maybe his silly jokes, or how serious he could get to be. These past few days Rei has met a different side of Jadeite she never thought he had, behind that never-ending sarcastic character was a caring, serious man. He didn't hesitate to take matters into his hands when she felt like the world was crushing against her with her grandfather's passing and was even more surprised when he looked after her despite her being so blunt and unapologetic with him. She looked at him in silence and thought how he has not left her side and yet has not asked for anything in return, like Yuuichiro did.

Jadeite smiled softly, "Well, are you finally going to eat or not?" Rei blinked at him then at the buns on the ceramic plate in front of her, "I suppose..."

"You suppose?" Jadeite frowned and shook his head, "I have no idea what these are but they smell and look delicious,"

"Why don't you try one?"

"What?"

"Try one," Rei smiled and put a bun on a smaller plate and handed it to him, "They're called nikuman and they're usually filled with pork. Nothing strange about that, now is it?"

"I suppose not," Jadeite looked at his steamed bun and pursed his lips, "I was not lying when I said you had strange food,"

"What did you eat back then?" Rei crossed her arms, "What's so different?"

Jadeite looked at Rei and shrugged his shoulders, "Well, we used to eat stews, casseroles, fish, freshly baked bread... oh, that royal cook really knew her trade." He grabbed the bun and took a bite, immediately savoring the sweet and tangy glaze of the pork filling in contrast with the moist, almost chewy dough of the rice flour bun, "Oh..."

Rei smiled, "Jun is an expert at making steamed buns. Her family is Chinese and learned the trait from her great-grandmother when they used to sell buns for a living. When we were in high school, the girls would come here after school and we would eat them by the dozen." Jadeite's lips curved into a soft smile and let out a chuckle, "That is a lovely image,"

"Wait until you try the sweet version of these..." Rei trailed off and blushed, Jadeite's smile didn't fade as he proceeded to finish the bun, "These are great, but you know what is not?"

"What?"

"You, not eating them."

Rei blew her bangs and grabbed one, "Alright, alright—I'll eat, but don't expect me to eat all of them, you have to help me too,"

"As long as you keep eating," Jadeite grabbed another and ate in silence, both enjoying their company under the afternoon sun; he looked up at her and watched her in silence how she ate with such delicacy. Her elegance and poise were enchanting for him, he loved everything about her; her eyes, her smile, her pouty lips, her raven hair but mostly her loyal and determinant character making him think, how much he loved to spend his days with her, partly ignoring that his time might be limited and that soon enough, he had to return to where he came from.

O—o—o—o—O

Usagi sat across from Mamoru on a table at the terrace of a café and took the menu from the waitress with a big smile on her face, "Ah, thank you..."

"Can I offer you anything to drink?" The young waitress asked both, Usagi turned and blew her bangs, "I'll have an iced mocha but can you add extra chocolate?"

"Sure," the waitress smiled and turned to Mamoru who was giving her a polite smile, "I'll have black coffee, thank you."

The waitress looked at the man with a blush and nodded before leaving to get their beverages. Once alone, Mamoru tilted his head low and peered through his glasses at his smiling wife, "Extra chocolate?" Usagi looked at him and chuckled, "What? I'm happy."

"Well," Mamoru smiled and looked down at the menu, "Then eat all the chocolate you want."

"Chocolate's your favorite too, how come you never order anything more... chocolatey?" Usagi tilted her head with curiosity, Mamoru nodded and looked down at his menu, "It's true, I do love chocolate—I just don't love it on a beverage,"

"What? You don't like hot cocoa?" Usagi widened her eyes in shock, making Mamoru chuckle "I do, but just during winter-time and not every day."

"You make no sense," Usagi mumbled, Mamoru widened his eyes and cackled, "What?"

"Well, you should be joining me on this chocolate train... you're always drinking bitter coffee." Usagi pouted her lips excitedly, "Oooh! Pancakes!" she looked at her still, surprised husband and flashed him a big smile "Can I order pancakes?" Mamoru smiled, "I don't know, can you?"

"I mean, it's past noon..." Usagi bit her lower lip as she looked at other possible options to eat, Mamoru closed his menu and put it aside to lean closer to his wife, "And?"

"You are always making fun of how I want pancakes all the time," the silver-haired looked shyly at him and sighed, "But, it kind of it's your fault,"

"How come it's _my_ fault?" Mamoru chuckled with surprise, Usagi pouted her lips again "Because you're the reason I became addicted to them... you know how to make good pancakes, they're always so fluffy and buttery, I don't know how the heck you do it."

Mamoru laughed softly, "Usako, if you want pancakes, order pancakes and ask them to add the extra sprinkles, chocolate chip, whip cream, caramel, cherries, or whatever sugary bomb you like," he flashed her a toothy grin and pinched her nose gently making her wife giggle as she put her menu down, "Fine, but don't give me a long lecture on how I can become diabetic after I eat the whole thing..."

"Well, you _can_ become diabetic..."

"Mamo-chan,"

"I'm just saying..."

Usagi chuckled, "Ok, pancakes it is—I'll go wash my hands... can you order for me?"

Mamoru nodded and looked down at the menu again, "I'll order for you, don't worry."

"Don't go anywhere,"

"Nope,"

"Okay..." Usagi smiled, "Mamo-chan?"

"Yes?" Mamoru kept looking down at the menu; Usagi stood from her chair and bit her lip, "Can I have a kiss?" Mamoru stopped reading immediately and looked up at his expectant wife, "You really don't need to ask me such thing, I'm all yours," he smiled and pulled her closer, "Come here,"

Usagi leaned down and kissed him to her heart's content now that they were the only ones there. Like any other couple in love, they would show their affection in public by holding hands or give the occasional sweet peck on the cheek or lips but they liked to keep their relationship a little more private, meaning they didn't like to show off by giving any sort of extreme passionate shows of affection in public, to them it was more special to keep that part of their lives just for them and only taking advantage whenever they knew were alone or when they were at a place where they had enough privacy to have their own little moments of passionate affection.

Usagi really enjoyed these sweet gestures and she loved how Mamoru was always willing to grant her every wish, despite knowing he was much more hermetic when it came to showing his feelings but she did notice that he had slowly learned to loosen up and be more affectionate in public, a thing, she found really endearing. Seconds after she ended the kiss and walked back into the restaurant to go to the restroom; the waitress went to leave their beverages and take their order when Mamoru felt a nudge in his chest that gave him notice what was going on. He waited until he was alone and closed his eyes to respond to the calling; in a fraction of a second, he felt his surroundings freeze as he entered into another plane, and opened his eyes to find the white-haired general before him in his military uniform. The general bowed his head in respect and quickly looked up, _"Master,"_

 _Mamoru tilted his head down to look at his friend and right hand, "Kunzite, did you find her?"_

 _"Yes," Kunzite looked up at his prince with certainty, "She is staying in a condo close to the bay, at the 20th-floor number 2098—Endymion, I must warn you, she is not alone."_

 _Mamoru nodded slid his dark shades all the way up gave his friend a knowing glare,_ _"The shadows... I know," Kunzite nodded, "The energy surrounding her is heavy, are you sure about this?"_

 _"I need to see what she has found. I need to see with my own eyes why they are going after her and how much did she find." Mamoru shook his head gently, "I won't be able to keep suppressing my energy any longer—they will appear soon enough. We must be very careful and tie any loose ends before we counter-attack."_

 _Kunzite frowned, "Princess Serenity..."_

 _Mamoru looked at Kunzite with dark eyes, "Serenity is strong enough to fight the enemy alongside her fellow Senshi and us, but it's not only about the shadows anymore, there are more involved—if anything happens, you know what to do."_

 _Kunzite nodded, "I solemnly swear to guard her with my life—Jadeite, Nephrite, and Zoisite have been informed and ready to follow your command."_

 _"Thank you, Kunzite." Mamoru nodded and slid down his shades again, "Wait for the sign, I will contact you soon."_

 _Kunzite bowed his head, "Yes, I will have everything ready,"_

Mamoru nodded and shut the connection between them and slowly returned to reality. He opened his eyes and saw Usagi was walking back to their table and tilted her head, "Why so gloomy Mamo-chan?"

Mamoru smiled softly, "It's what it usually happens to me every time you are not around,"

Usagi giggled and took a seat closer to him and reached for his hand, "What a coincidence! The same happens to me when you are not around," she looked down at her delicate fingers caressing his stronger ones and bit her lower lip, "I'm sorry for asking you about Chieko-san... and everything that happened in these last couple of days,"

"It's alright, Usa, let's move past it," Mamoru kissed her hand and slid his glasses back up elegantly with his finger, "Let's not focus on that anymore,"

"I should have known better..." Usagi sighed softly, making her husband narrow his deep blue eyes behind his dark shades, "What do you mean?"

"I didn't know she was an important part of your life..." Usagi looked up at him and took her sunglasses away from her face, "I accidentally overheard your conversation with her..."

"Ah..." Mamoru sighed softly, "Usa..."

"When you said you didn't love her that day, I never imagined there was such a sad story behind it—she broke your heart," Usagi mumbled sadly, "You _did_ care for her... and..."

"Hey..." Mamoru intertwined his fingers with hers and leaned closer, "That was a long time ago. We were close yes, but if you say you overheard the conversation then you probably remember I said we didn't have anything in common." he arched his brow and nodded, "Yes, she broke my heart because she basically called me worthless for being an orphan. I worked early morning shifts and late-night shifts at a local store Usa... I barely made enough money to survive because I wasn't old enough to claim my parent's inheritance, but I just didn't want to live in the orphanage anymore. I moved out when I turned fourteen and went to live in this tiny room way before I moved to our apartment. During that time, is when we met again and had this brief relationship at fifteen—but her ideals were different from mine and a year later it all came to an end." he paused and shook his head dismissively, "She took things for granted and thought the easier choice was to marry her childhood friend, but the truth is Usa, I was already looking for you."

Usagi cupped his cheek with her hand and smiled softly, "Really?"

"I never felt complete..." Mamoru chuckled softly, "Sounds crazy, I know, but even when I didn't understand anything and things didn't make any sense, I knew you were talking to me and I was certain that someday I was going to find you, one way or another—I was going to find _you_. The girl with the hair of moonbeam,"

Usagi blushed, "She knew about your dreams and the crystal..."

Mamoru nodded, "Yes, I told her a few times but she thought it was stupid," he leaned back and sighed softly, "Like I said, we didn't have anything in common, we were together because that was our safest option. We were alone in our own different way, her parents were always busy, mine died—it was just us against the world but she wanted a life I never cared about having."

"But she did love you," Usagi said softly, "Deep down her harsh words and own ambitions... she loved you."

Mamoru tugged her hand gently and exhaled, "I don't know Usa, she wanted me for different reasons..." he smiled sadly at his wife, "It was the same issue as it was back then—they only wanted the title, a crown on their heads... the status of being attached to a royal but they didn't really know a single thing about me. A perfect example would be Beryl, would you say Beryl loved me?" Usagi widened her crystal blue eyes and pursed her lips, "Um... well..."

Mamoru chuckled, "Putting all of her craziness aside, do you actually think she really cared for me?"

"Point taken," Usagi sighed softly, "The same happened to me... suitors wanted me because of the crystal and because I was the Moon Princess but they didn't really show any interest for my own dreams or wishes... Athamas is my perfect example,"

"You, on the other hand, you always knew how to decipher me and you were never dazzled by my title. Up to this day, you are the only one that truly understands me and I love it," Mamoru kissed her hand softly, making Usagi blush, "I love you, a lot."

Mamoru smiled, "I love you too, Buns."

"I honestly don't know how I can keep up with you..." Usagi said jokingly, making Mamoru laugh, "I don't either, but here I am, madly in love with you. I am helpless around you, Serenity. You are the strongest woman I know and you take my breath away, every single day."

"Really? Usagi felt her eyes tingle with the burning feeling of fresh tears in her eyes, "You think I am strong?" Mamoru smiled and leaned his face on his hand and let himself be captivated by Usagi's beauty and gentle self; he flashed her a sensual grin, "The strongest,"

The waitress appeared seconds later with their orders, interrupting their little private moment as she placed their food in front of them; Usagi took a deep breath when she looked at her high stack of fluffy pancakes with all the sugar her petite body could handle, "Mamo-chan! You ordered my pancakes with extra sprinkles and chocolate chips!?" Mamoru chuckled as he cut a piece of his frittata, "I know, I'm the worst doctor there is..." he looked at her with a smile, "But whatever makes you happy, Sugar Bunny."

Usagi giggled at her new nickname and proceeded to cut one fluffy pancake, "Wow, it even has fudge in between! You really went all the way when ordering this! I'm very surprised, my Prince,"

"Although, I think you should consider drinking something less sweet with those pancakes..." Mamoru looked at the large stack of pancakes and started having second thoughts for ordering such extreme request for his wife. Usagi frowned with curiosity as she took a sip of her iced mocha, "Why?"

"Isn't it a little too overwhelming? All the sugar... all that chocolate... isn't that _too_ sweet?" Mamoru gave his wife an amused glare, Usagi chuckled and arched her brow, "Ah, hello? Did we just meet?"

"Right," Mamoru laughed and shook his head, "Fine, okay..." he sighed in defeat, "I don't know why I even keep on trying..."

"Endymion?"

"Yes, Serenity?"

"I love you."

"I love you too—a lot."

"To the Moon and back?"

"All the way back the world where we belong, Princess, and even beyond."

* * *

 _A/N: For a few more references for this chapter, read "Perfect timing, terrible lighting" and the most recent, "Shades of Blue: Midnight" from Divinity: A day in the life, a small collection of extra chapters._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	44. Chapter 44

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Forty-Four

* * *

It was late in the afternoon and after what it seemed a shift that didn't appear to end any time soon, Motoki finally crossed the hospital's parking lot to his car and closed the door as soon as he got in. With a heavy sigh, the handsome blonde doctor tilted his head back and looked absently while thinking about the strange events that have been happening lately at the hospital and his home. At first, he considered reaching Usagi but then thought about Mamoru's protective character and undying wish to protect his bunny wife from any harm and halted all plans, also, because he supposed they were still away on their honeymoon. He leaned back and closed his eyes immediately feeling guilty for even thinking of asking them to go back to the front line of battle when clearly, he and the girls had moved on from that life that made them risk everything for humanity without thinking about their own lives but he had come up to a desperate point where he was close to breaking his always strong positive attitude and no longer knew what to do to help people and how to help his wife, Reika, who was still very affected for what happened at the museum and now was dealing with severe panic and anxiety attacks.

Motoki wanted to respect the lives of his friends, he wanted to be strong for them but he also needed a friend—a good one. A real one. One that could really understand what was going on through his mind and that could give a much more valuable piece of information than the ones he got from the news and one that could really give him some valuable advice. In a flash moment of bravery, Motoki quickly looked for his phone in his grey slacks pocket and dialed a number silently praying to get an answer.

 _"Well, this is unexpected..."_ the low voice at the other end of the line greeted the blonde man, making him smile immediately, "What can I say... I thought I would do fine but turns out I miss you and your on-point sarcasm,"

 _"I Figured,"_

At the other end, Mamoru rubbed his eyes and turned to see a deeply asleep Usagi curled on the sofa next to him. She began to suffer the lack of sleep from the night before and started feeling a dizzy and lightheaded again after having brunch and did some grocery shopping. Despite her insistence on trying to convince him that she was fine and that she could keep up with the day's rhythm, he decided it was best they went back home and she had proper rest so they have been spending the rest of their afternoon watching television, including the strange show with the chicken costumes. After cooking dinner, meaning Mamoru did all the cooking and Usagi helped him by doing her usual routine of sitting on the counter to keep him company and sing at the top of her lungs the most random and annoying pop song she could think of just to crack him up and make him laugh—she loved to hear his laugh since it was a rare treasure for her to enjoy but luckily, her quirkyness and random attempts always worked like a charm for her.

After having dinner, a very exhausted Usagi finally succumbed to the lack of sleep she had the previous night and very reluctantly gave in and fell asleep while watching some television in the living room, snuggled next to her husband who was also taking the opportunity to snooze a while when he heard his phone vibrated on the small table next to the sofa. "That's sweet of you, I'm moved," he mumbled softly and stood up very carefully so he wouldn't wake the sleeping princess next to him and walked towards the small balcony outside their living room.

 _"You know me, I'm all about the sweetness."_ A soft but heavy sigh caught Mamoru's attention and frowned, "Motoki?"

At the other end, Motoki closed his eyes and leaned his head back on his seat, "How is married life working for you? Everybody at the hospital is asking for _'the always so charming Dr. Chiba_ ,' and I figured it was an appropriate time to give him a call just to see how he is doing," the blonde heard a soft chuckle coming from his friend,

 _"Can't complain—it's interesting... but something tells me there is more to this call than just knowing how's my life as a married man or to let me know Satomura-san hasn't really stopped cursing my name under his breath, which I know for a fact that he does—I can hear him almost every day like a morning mantra."_

"You're too sharp Chiba Mamoru," The blonde tried to be his usual mocking self but his own doubts and worry weren't letting his usual playful character let things go and let out another sigh, "Bro, I know you're on vacation leave and I totally am cool with it, you just got married and are trying to have much valuable time with your wife and I imagine Usagi-chan is probably waiting for you to do... you know... _something,_ "

 _"Usa is asleep..."_

"Eh?"

"She's sleeping,"

"Really?" Motoki frowned, "I thought you two would be _you know_... bu—"

 _"—How is Reika feeling, Motoki?"_

"W-Wait, h-how do you—?" Motoki widened his eyes, then exhaled tiredly realizing that his friend was no ordinary people and that it didn't matter how much he tried to keep the topic at bay, he was probably aware of the incidents by now and his current mood wasn't helping either. Very much defeated and exposed, Motoki closed his eyes and finally opened up to his friend. "She's..." he sighed, "Distant, absent—scared. She has nightmares, panic attacks and says something else happened that day, she doesn't believe it was just a random attack—she claims she saw something else there that was causing those horrible attacks and you know how Reika is man, she's a person who relies on science, she doesn't believe much in supernatural things... Mamoru... strange things are happening—I don't know how to explain it... I feel stupid for even trying to put it into words..."

"Don't," Mamoru frowned and leaned on the metal rail and looked at the sun beginning to set in the distance, "Don't feel stupid Motoki. I am very aware of what's been happening and yes, Reika is right, it was more than just a hate crime and because of that I am obliged to keep my distance from you—that is why I haven't called you to tell you I was back,"

 _"How long have you been in town?"_

 _"A couple of days, long story short—it all started with Rei's grandfather's passing."_

"Oh man, no... damn, I'm sorry," Motoki sighed, "She must be devastated, I'll give her a call,"

"Soon after, the attack at the museum happened and I forced myself to keep a low profile, I'm sorry for not calling you sooner,"

"Mamoru..." Motoki frowned with worry, "Are you saying this has to do with you?"

 _"I wish there were better words to describe this situation... I wish there could be an easy way to explain it but you could say it's something we, or better said, I, have to deal with personally,"_

"Wait, no, no..." Motoki shook his head with shock, "Does this mean all of you are back to... you know..."

 _"I can't lie to you Motoki, you're the only one who knows that part of our lives,"_

"There have been more incidents, people are dying without an explanation, their bodies just give up just like it happened to you that day. The board is about to release an emergency statement—they are treating this as a pandemic disease. The victims that were brought here from the museum seems like they are infected and are infecting others too, nurses and doctors included. They have been trying to keep the situation under control by putting them in quarantine on another floor and dismiss any comments from the press but the problem is becoming more serious with every passing minute." Motoki's heart began beating strong in his chest with fright, "Mamoru... what is going on?"

Back at his apartment, Mamoru closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "We still haven't been able to find the reasons behind these attacks Motoki... or better said, who is _really_ behind all this." He opened his deep blue eyes and turned into a darker shade of blue. Mamoru hated lies and he hated to lie to Motoki of all people because he was his closest friend, but he couldn't allow him to know more because it would only complicate things for them. At this point, the shadows were slowly and silently taking control over the city and if he came close to Motoki, his life and Reika's would be taken as a target and hurt them just so the shadows could get to him. "Motoki... please do not leave Reika alone, take a leave, do whatever you need to do but you need to stay with her and you need to stay in a safe place. If you need to contact me, do it via text because I must stay under the radar for the things I am about to do—I have to go Motoki, please be very careful and don't leave Reika's side by any means. Let me know where you are staying."

"M-Mamoru, bro... n-no... w-what—" Motoki widened his eyes with shock and desperately shook his head, "What are you going to do?!"

 _"The same thing they have been doing to us Motoki,"_ Mamoru's eyes darkened, _"With the difference that I am taking back what is rightfully ours,"_

 _"No, no, no, wait! Mamoru!"_ He heard Motoki raise his voice with deep worry over the phone but cut his end on the line. Looking at the sun setting behind Tokyo tower he took a deep breath before walking back into the living room and kneeled in front of his wife peacefully sleeping on the sofa and gently caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, "I swear to you, my Princess, I will protect you... even if it means to fight and kill all gods in Olympus," he leaned down and kissed her forehead, "Even if I'm dragged to hell."

O—o—o—o—O

Jadeite walked into the apartment he shared with Kunzite, Nephrite, and Zoisite and saw them sitting in silence in the living room. The blonde waved his hand and sighed, "What is with all this dense energy around you?" Zoisite peered at his fellow blonde comrade and arched his brow, "Where have you been?"

Jadeite walked around the large curved lounge sofa and sat at the end, with a soft sigh he fixed his greyish green eyes at Zoisite, "At the temple with Mars—where else?"

"Did you tell her to look for Megumi?" Nephrite asked in a low tone, Jadeite nodded "Yes, she agreed, but again," he frowned softly, "Why can't we go and bring her back ourselves?"

"Because they do not trust us entirely," The northern shittenou looked at his blonde friend, "They do not know us the same way the Inner Senshi do. To them, we are still a threat."

"Ah, _that_..." Jadeite's frown deepened and waved his hand again like a fan to disperse the air in the room, "Seriously, what is it with this heavy fog?"

"Endymion contacted me," Kunzite said from the other end of the couch in his usual stoic tone, his eyes were closed and he had his arms crossed, "He is going to see her..."

"Alone?" Jadeite arched his brow, "Of course—why am I even surprised? Of course, he will go alone."

"No, you, Nephrite and I are going with him," Zoisite said softly and turned to look at Jadeite, "We will wait for him outside the building where this woman is currently staying."

"Kunzite is not going?"

"Princess Serenity—I must look after her. We do not know how the shadows will react to the disturbance," Kunzite saw his younger brother take a deep breath and exhale slowly, "Sounds reasonable," Jadeite nodded; another jolt of anxiety disrupted the blonde's usual playful character and joined them in the sofa, "But it goes without saying those grounds will be plagued with dark matter and energy—that is an easy trap, you do not have to be a super soldier to know that."

"Your question is?" Zoisite turned to the blonde. Jadeite shrugged his shoulders anxiously to understand the plan, "Endymion knows better than that, why in heaven's sake is he going like this?"

"Because this woman was attacked and the only reason a random person would be attacked is that this person has something the enemy wants—something of great value." Zoisite said softly, only to cause Jadeite feel more exasperated "Well yes, that I can understand, but, he has been hiding all this time to prevent any more attacks from the enemy. We should be the ones meeting this woman, why does he have to go?"

"Because he is running out of patience."

Three pairs of eyes looked at Kunzite, "The enemy is playing with innocent lives and if we go, it will only motivate them to keep toying with us by hurting more people. Plus, there is no reasonable explanation we could give this woman for our presence. We are not the ones that lived in that Palace."

"Ah, we _lived_ there too."

Kunzite arched his brow, "This dilemma surrounds the Terran family and even when we lived there for some time, there are many things only Endymion as heir of the Terran throne knows." Zoisite sighed and pursed his lips, "Are the Sailor Senshi aware of this?"

Kunzite nodded, "I spoke to Venus—she probably has alerted the girls by now,"

"When is this visit going to take place?" Jadeite asked, but then a warm feeling in his chest caught him off guard. All four shitennou widened their eyes when they felt the call and command from their prince and turned to look at each other; Nephrite took a deep breath and stood up, "Well, I believe right about now."

O—o—o—o—O

Minako sighed for the tenth time as she paced back and forth Haruka and Michiru's porch with Makoto, Ami, Rei, Luna, and Artemis. "Did he say more?" Makoto asked confused about the whole mysterious situation, Minako turned and shook her head "No."

"You said they are going with Mamoru?" Luna's question was plagued with worry, knowing that if this involved Mamoru, it also involved Usagi. Minako looked at Luna and nodded, "Yes, Jadeite, Zoisite, and Nephrite will go with him—Kunzite will stay with Usagi."

"Does this woman know they are going?" Makoto looked at Minako, who in response just shrugged her shoulders. Ami pursed her lips softly, the always pacifist senshi of intelligence looked down at her communicator, "I don't think she does. The good thing is these still work and we are ready for an emergency. If they need our help, I'm sure they'll send us a sign."

Rei sighed, "Alright, first things first—or whatever order we are following with this plan, we need to bring Megumi-san with us, that is why we are here, so what are we waiting for?"

"What are we going to say without upsetting Haruka-san?" Ami asked softly, Makoto crossed her arms, "Is there anything that doesn't upset her lately? Her rage is easy to ignite," she frowned and turned to Rei, "Why did Jadeite ask you to come and pick Megumi-san again?"

"Because it's true," Rei lowered her voice, "They don't trust the Shittenou—not entirely. They consider them a threat or a distraction and at times like these, it's better if she stays close to us. We don't know much about how they are going to take this or handle the situation but it needs to be done."

Makoto crossed her arms and leaned closer, "Okay, but, why are you whispering?"

"I feel like they can hear us..." Rei hushed Makoto, "They have super hearing,"

Much to their surprise, the front door opened just seconds after showing Haruka standing on the other side "Ah, I knew I heard voices."

Rei turned to a wide-eyed Makoto then back at Haruka, "How long have you been standing there? It's cold and it's dark..." Haruka asked with a puzzled expression on her face, "Just a couple of minutes..." Minako walked from behind the girls, Haruka blinked with concern, "Has something happened to Odango-chan?"

"No." Minako shook her head, "No, no, nothing has happened—she's fine, but we need to talk to you,"

"Come in," Haruka stepped aside and allowed the five girls and two cats walk into the house. Michiru was reading in the living room with Setsuna, Hotaru, and Megumi keeping her company. The maid's maroon colored eyes sparkled with content when she saw the inner senshi walk in, Minako noticed the sudden excitement in Megumi's face and smiled at her, "Good evening,"

"This is a surprise," Haruka said softly, Michiru looked at her mirror and smiled softly, "I see..."

"What?" Makoto asked the aquamarine-haired beauty. Michiru tilted her head to the side as graceful as ever, "You are here to follow your duty. I knew you would come—the talisman never lies, something is about to happen."

"You are aware then," Makoto said softly, Haruka walked from behind them and stood next to Michiru, "Of course we are aware—we have a duty too. The skies are foreshadowing something..."

"There is no point in hiding things then, we all know things are taking a different course," Rei crossed her arms. Setsuna nodded, "We have been receiving strange signals and I've been sensing a disruption in the time Space Continnum but we were still looking for a clearer sign,"

Hotaru sighed softly "There are other factors alerting us, in my case, there is a strong presence I feel coming from the Underworld."

"The enemy is coming from the Underworld?" Makoto frowned with concern, Hotaru looked at the Amazon girl with her hypnotic gaze, "My jurisdiction differs from the Outer Senshi's, despite having being forgiven and awoken by Princess Serenity. Due to the nature of my origin and power, I have a strong connection to the realm of the death. I have been sensing activity but I can't allow myself to respond to them. I am feeling a strong pull, urging me to make use of my Silence Glaive but it doesn't feel right—it doesn't feel natural."

"We feel something strange too. I have not seen it yet, but the fire is alerting me." Rei sighed, "We are here to bring Megumi-san with us." The priestess said with politeness but keeping a determinant tone, one that left little space for discussion; Haruka narrowed her deep blue eyes, "Why?"

"The Prince and Princess have returned, we believe it is best for her to be with her family," Ami said in her usual calm tone. Megumi widened her eyes when she heard the word family was being directly addressed to her, "Family..." she breathed with longing. Haruka crossed her arms, "There is no need for that, she is safe with us and she has a place here; the Prince and Princess need to have their privacy—we came to an agreement before the wedding, why are we changing the plan?"

"She will be safe with us too—look, Haruka-san... we are trying to handle this situation with as much care as possible. We don't need to start an argument for everything—we must stay united, we need to work together." Rei said softly.

Haruka sighed, "Why neither the Prince or Princess has come to take her with them, then?"

"Because I offered," Minako gave Haruka a stern glance. "I told them I would come and get her,"

"This request comes from somewhere else," Haruka frowned and shook her head, "Whose orders are those?"

"Nobody _ordered_ it." Minako frowned, "It's common sense,"

"This goes beyond common sense, Minako," Haruka closed her eyes and crossed her arms, "It was them, isn't it, those men? Did they ordered you to retrieve the girl from us?"

Minako took a step forward and took her rightful position as leader of the inner senshi, " _Those men_ , as you call them are the Shitennou—Prince Endymion's royal guardians; just like us, they have a duty to protect, they don't order around. They are our allies, Haruka, and they advised us to come and pick Megumi-san if that is what you need to know."

"The time for us to awaken as Sailor Senshi might come sooner than we all expected," Hotaru looked at the girls then at Haruka, "This is a different kind of battle, they are right when they say we must stay united and our jurisdiction might put Megumi-san's life at risk. You as Outer Senshi while having the same duty as the Inner Senshi to protect Princess Serenity differs in power and order. Minako is right and so are the Heavenly Guards." Haruka pursed her lips and tilted her head low; as much as she wanted to impose her authority as a parent to Hotaru, it was clear the youngest of the sailor senshi had as much knowledge and wisdom as Pluto herself because of her deep connection to life and death. As much as she wanted to be right, Saturn was her own kind of soldier and whether she liked it or not, she had to listen to what she had to say. "I see..."

Megumi turned to the girls with worry, "My Prince and Princess... are they alright?" Minako smiled and nodded, "Yes Megumi-san, they're alright." Setsuna looked at her garnet ball and turned to the girls as well, "I haven't sensed their ki for some time now, that is why we were more on the edge..."

"Mamoru has been very cautious about it and he has kept his energy suppressed to almost an untraceable level to avoid more random attacks and to keep Usagi-chan safe, but, they are alright." Ami said softly, "That is why they haven't come for Megumi-san."

"Megumi-san," Rei turned to Megumi and gave the young girl a small, comforting smile "It is important for you to understand what's happening. The shadows have infiltrated this planet and they are looking for any connections that would take them to their main goal, that is a fact, but you are not alone."

"That is true," Haruka sighed, "Yes, the Talismans are reacting—they are urging us to make use of them to fight this enemy but it's just like Saturn has said, it doesn't feel right."

"Asteria is a strong soldier and it seems she has created a link between the Underworld and this planet, her reasons are still unclear but we must close that warp." Hotaru looked out the window, "I don't understand why Father would allow this to happen..."

"I will close it," Setsuna said determinant, "But I need time to locate its exact location—the Time-Space continuum is very complex and there are many paths and alternate realities floating in the fourth dimension. Our past, as well as our future, is locked there, I must not allow this creature to meddle with the strings of fate."

"We still haven't faced this famous Asteria but we are carefully tracing her energy, we will hunt her down," Haruka turned to Minako, "But with Saturn and Pluto's help we might be able to find the link that will eventually lead us to where she is hiding. We will send you an alert when we do, so we can define the best course of action. If the Prince is keeping our Princess safe by suppressing his energy then it is up to us to fight them."

"We still need to let them know,"

"Of course," Pluto nodded, "It's important for them to be informed and be alert if anything happens. We don't know yet when they will be filtering and opening that warp again but we must be prepared."

Minako nodded, feeling more relaxed around the outers and silently thanked Hotaru for calming Haruka's defiant stance at them and the shitennou, "This is not a matter that only involves us, this is about the whole planet, which is why the time for us to work together has come again."

O—o—o—o—O

Akira sat in a window seat looking at the last rays of sun that filtered in her new hiding place. Things have been very chaotic ever since the attack at the museum; her plans to continue talking about her discovery to the world and everything in between had to be put on indefinite hold due to the heavy backlash and dangerous situations that have been happening around her. This was the third time she had to move because of the hostile threats she started getting from many people who thought her investigation was a blasphemy, blaming her father's crazy ideas and influence that it was used just to distract them from bigger issues and other directly blamed her for everything that has happened. This time, her team and the staff at the museum thought it was better if she stayed in a more secluded area in Tokyo and so they found an apartment close to the bay and that is where she has been locked away from the world, a complete irony to the life of an adventurer.

When once she lived freely, now her days were spent locked in complete silence and when she was always so open to speaking to people now she had been avoiding contact with everyone as much as possible because she was afraid. Her surroundings had become hostile and it was going to devour her alive if she dared to walk out the door. Her health had also started to be affected by these drastic life changes, she was always nervous and on the verge of having anxiety attacks; she spent her hours crying until her body couldn't hold it anymore and fell asleep and she cried the minute she opened her eyes to start all over again with her living torment. Akira barely ate and she could stay in the same spot in the sofa for hours without caring for the time marked on the ticking clock on the wall—the one brave Casanova Akira was now reduced to be terrified and no longer felt safe or free in a world she thought to be her playground. By now, she knew her reputation was slowly being devoured by speculation and doubt. It was painful to know the media had been blaming and mocking her for her life's work and calling her crazy and delusional for having such crazy ideas just like her late father once did. Akira felt another stream of tears rolling down her cheeks and took a deep breath; she had started to doubt her whole belief system and what was worse, she had started to question her father's as well, the sole inspiration for her entire career, her idol.

Akira let a heavy sob and rubbed her eyes with frustration; she tried to understand why things had gone this wrong and why Mikael had become so somber and dangerous and there was still no explanation as to what happened to him or where he was. She knew something was odd and it was frightening to see him losing control and wanting to take over the entire investigation for strange and almost obsessive reasons. Since he exposed her research on that television interview things had started taking a different, much darker turn. She let out a shaky breath and sniffled as she started remembering what happened a few days before the attack and thought of it as the moment she knew she had lost her partner almost completely.

 _-O-_

 _Akira closed her laptop and proceeded to pack her belongings to go back to the hotel where she had been staying with the rest of her team. After Mikael's tantrum, she decided it was better if they stayed in separate rooms considering he might be stressed for all the attention they were receiving lately concerning their work and discovery. Now that it was out in the open, at least part of it and to prevent any more to come out, she and Toshi decided to keep everything locked away in secret._

 _She was ready to leave when she noticed Mikael was at the door looking at her with a blank and creepy stare. Akira jumped in her seat and noticed the man had become thinner than the last time he saw him, "M-Mikael..."_

 _"Where is it?!" Mikael looked at her in frantic mode, Akira shook her head, "Where is what? What are you talking about?"_

 _"The research, the pieces, the samples—everything! Where is it?!" The blonde man looked at her angrily, Akira stood up and grabbed her laptop and turned to look away, trying her best to ignore his desperate rant and the fact that she was terrified to look him in such condition. "We agreed to keep it secret until we had more information,"_

 _"I want the crystal—I want the crystal now!"_

 _"I don't have any crystals! You know that better than anyone," Akira shook her head, "Mikael, what is happening to you!?"_

 _Mikael moved unnaturally towards her, his bones cracked with every move he made. His lips were chapped and dry, his eyes were sunk behind dark circles and his hair looked like it had started to fall off. The man was a memory of the strong and handsome man Akira remembered, and at this point, she was sure that if she hasn't moved to another room, her life would be in danger._

 _"_ _Volo gladio, volo ad speculum aureum venit, et nihil potestis facere ut non prohibere!"_

 _Akira widened her eyes, this was the first time she heard him speak like that. It was like his voice wasn't his own; like if the one talking to her with that mocking grin was something else, something beyond any logical explanation and much stronger than her. She tried to find that peculiar gleam in his eyes, the one that made her feel special but found none, this wasn't his beloved, not even close and she was now starting to be worried for her life. "M-Mikael..."_

 _"Venit cito..." Mikael looked at her with panic in his eyes and pulled her close to him as he looked into her eyes, "Infernum in Terra..."_ _Akira tried to break free from his grasp with panic, "Mikael... no, let me go... whoever this is... let me go!"_

 _"U_ _nus ex tetigit lux solis non veniet... quem vestrum adprehendet vos..." his void eyes slowly gained color, almost as if he was coming to his senses but the fright was still there, the anxiety and desperation was still overpowering him as he finally found her and locked his gaze with hers, "The one touched by the light of the Sun... it will look for you... it will find you, and when it does, you must let them know..."_

 _"Mikael..." Akira widened her eyes when she recognized his voice and shook her head, "I don't understand, Mikael, what do you mean? Who is touched by the Sun? What are you talking about?!"_

 _"Akira," Mikael's eyes started to gleam with tears of desperation as he looked at her with longing and fear, "I don't have much time longer... this body... is not mine anymore... you have to save yourself, run away, hide, hide yourself from me... please, save yourself... save your—AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Mikael pushed her back and brought his hands up to hold his head, "It's burning... it's killing me inside! Ruuuun Akiraaa, ruuuun! I don't know how much longer I can hold!"_

 _"Mikael!"_

 _"RUN!"_

 _Akira cried in silence and with a heavy heart; his screams were harrowing and disturbing, clearly showing he was in intense pain and struggling to keep a fair fight between him and whoever was using him as a host. His face slowly deformed with every cry and every time he screamed for mercy, his voice had a strange tone to it, it was clear that something or better said, somebody, was taking over and whatever thing that was possessing him had the power to possess her too if she wasn't careful. With the last of his sanity, will, and strength, Mikael was trying to save her life. Without much left to do, Akira quickly turned to grab her duffle bag and ran out of the building without looking back, without knowing where to go and if she was ever going to see her life partner ever again._

 _-O-_

Akira opened her eyes and came back to reality, her own reality, and realized the sun had finally set and it was now dark. Like an anxious reflex, she immediately went to close all the curtains and turned every light available in the apartment on when a soft buzz caught her off guard and out of her now well-established routine.

The young and once fearless archaeologist walked to the door quietly and cautious. She wanted to answer the call and say something but at the same time, she was afraid that whoever was now after her, whoever Mikael asked her to run away from might be standing outside the building. A second buzz came along to interrupt her thoughts, but this time, she decided to answer thinking it might be someone from her team or someone from the museum and pressed the button while quietly waiting for the other person to speak first.

 _"Casanova Akira,"_

Akira widened her eyes but remained silent for a minute, trying to recognize the voice at the other end of the intercom but nothing came to mind, it didn't sound familiar but it was like this person knew her. Akira frowned and shook her head, "No. You are at the wrong place, that person doesn't live here—go away."

 _"I know this is—"_

"What do you want?!" Akira interrupted with defiance, "Who are you?!"

 _"I need to speak to her, it's important,"_

"She is not giving any more press interviews for publicity, so it's better if you just go away. There is nothing she has to say."

 _"I am not here for publicity."_

There was something in the voice at the other end that made Akira feel at peace; it was surprisingly soothing, warm and calm and she had to agree, that it did not sound like someone from the media—always so desperate and demanding for answers and exclusive deals. She pressed the intercom button again and leaned closer to confirm her suspicions, "Who sent you?" she lowered her voice and tone, "What is your name?"

 _"Casanova-san, I can't tell you my name through here, but you and I share the same interest and you probably have questions I might be able to answer."_

Akira's brows knitted together deep in thought but somehow, she didn't feel threatened or in danger, "Answers..." she breathed with hope and hesitated for a couple of minutes before she pressed the button to unlock the front gate and allow this person walk into the building. Minutes after, a soft knock on the door announced that her mystery visitor had arrived; the young archeologist peeped through the hole in the door and instantly widened her brown eyes when she looked into a pair of intense blue ones looking down at her.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Casanova-san."

Akira nodded and stepped aside to allow Mamoru walk inside and closed the door immediately after, "A-Are you from the museum? Did _they_ send you?" She took a minute to study her visitor's attractive frame and handsome face and tried her best not to blush. There was something in him that was pulling her into his magnetic presence as she looked into his eyes and felt drawn almost instantly. Mamoru shook his head, "Nobody sent me, but the circumstances have urged me to meet with you."

"Why?" Akira frowned slightly, "I-I don't understand..."

"There is no easy way to put this Casanova-san," Mamoru narrowed his royal-blue eyes, "My presence here might challenge your belief system and you may believe me or you may not, but I am here to talk to you about what you found buried deep underground months ago."

"You said you didn't come here for an interview, how dare you come here to ask me about that?" Akira frowned almost angrily and deceived; Mamoru arched his brow, "I'm not from the media. Like I said, I am not here for any publicity, in fact, I would like this conversation to stay between us."

"You want to ask me things about my investigation if that isn't an interview then why are you here?!"

"Because those ruins you found are sacred grounds—royal grounds... where I once lived."

"W-What?" Akira's eyes widened two times in size with shock, royal grounds?" she felt her knees go weak and leaned on a chair, "That's not possible! Those ruins exceed the two thousand-year-old mark... how...? No! That's not possible!"

"Casanova-san, in this era, I go under the name of Chiba Mamoru, but, in reality, my existence has a much deeper meaning. I am the person linked to those ruins you found." Mamoru looked at her with a serious face, "I have followed your work and I know of your studies in mythology so you should know about the divine guardians blessed by the power of their planets."

"Yes..."

"So, you probably know this planet was also guarded by a divine protector,"

"Yes, the Goddess of Earth and her sacred golden light..." Akira frowned, "It's an ancient mythological story, that gods once looked over us, that this planet held divine power and that once upon a time, there was a Monarchy that ruled it all, but, I am starting to believe it's just that—a story,"

"It is much more complex than what you seem to know Casanova-san, and it is not a tale, nor a myth,"

Akira widened her eyes, "What?"

Mamoru crossed his arms, "In ancient times, Earth was once a great nation that worked as a whole and it was ruled by Gaia, Regina Excelsis De Terra and Eros, Rex Excelsis De Terra, and those ruins, are from the Palace were that Monarchy used to watch over Earth in a land called Elysion."

"No, no, no..." Akira took a deep breath, "This is insane... no, no!" she shook her head with disbelief, "If you are here to mock me..." she turned on her heel towards the door, "I suggest you leave before I call the police!"

"My real name is Endymion De Terra, *Altissimum Princeps, Regii Exercitus Magnus Imperator ex Elysion," Mamoru walked to the dining table and put the royal medal he wears under his tuxedo tie and looked at the girl, waiting for her to recognize the piece of jewelry and narrowed his deep blue eyes, "Those ruins you found... they are in fact more than two thousand years old, but, they were never meant to be found."

"How can I know you are not lying? All this was broadcasted... how can I be sure that you are telling me the truth!?" Akira raised her voice at Mamoru who didn't move from his place by the table, instead, he crossed his arms, "You probably saw the symbolism—the circle and a cross... that is the astronomical symbol of Earth. The cross symbolizes its four cardinal points, the elements, and its sacred bond with the Sun who sits at the very center of that cross—it was nurtured by God Helios himself, that is how the story goes... right? Helios in his eternal search for beauty and peace, he nurtured this self-sustainable planet by linking his energy with it and it has been in the care of his dynasty for thousands of years."

Akira widened her eyes and saw the shining medal on the table and went to take a closer look at it, "The symbols..." she said with wonder and amazement as her fingers traced the lines of the golden insignia and widened her eyes when she finally recognized the piece of jewelry, "T-This is..." she looked up at Mamoru with shock, "This is the stolen medallion from my father's collection years ago—the one taken by a mysterious thief... h-how...?" she looked at him completely stunned, "W-Was it you?" she shook her head in disbelief and looked down and let out a couple of breaths. She clearly remembered the havoc that was to try to find the responsible for that theft and her father being completely heartbroken for having lost that medallion and never got a chance to know who took it, "You stole this medallion?"

"Yes,"

"And the pocket-watch?"

"Yes,"

"You are the mysterious thief? "

Mamoru nodded, "Yes, I am the famous _Mysterious Face 2098,_ thief, or, later known as Tuxedo Kamen."

"These were important for my father... we looked every black market hoping to find them and buy them back. My father looked everywhere for them," Akira frowned "Why? Why did you do it?"

"Because they belong to me, Casanova-san. I am the original owner of those pieces and I had to take them back. Those were given to me two thousand years ago and they hold a very valuable meaning to me, especially that pocket watch—it was a personal gift." Mamoru looked down at the medal and sighed, "I am surprised you and your family have been able to find all these traces that were meticulously hidden and preserved."

"Wait..." Akira looked at him with shock, "Does this mean I was right? Are those ruins from a royal house? There is really a connection between us and mythological gods?!" she widened her eyes with shock, "You're... you're one of those gods?!"

"No, I am not a god." Mamoru shook his head, "But yes, those ruins are what is left of the Royal Palace where the King and Queen of Earth ruled what was commonly known as the Golden Kingdom." Akira ran a shaky hand through her chocolate brown hair, finally recognizing the name and meaning, "Elysion... the land of dreams."

"I am not here to harm you, Casanova-san... but I do need some answers and clearly you want them too." Mamoru frowned slightly, "I need to know what else you found in that place—strange things have been happening all over Tokyo and if I don't act fast, whatever it is threatening us will soon infect the whole planet again."

Akira turned to look at Mamoru, "Y-You know... about the attacks..."

"Casanova-san, whatever you found down there has caught their attention and they won't stop until they get what they want—I have been suppressing my _ki_ and been in hiding so they can give me more time to plan a counter attack and to do that, I had to find you first but it was difficult for me to find your whereabouts—your energy is all over the place."

Akira widened her eyes and looked down at the heavy medal resting in her hands. There was something about him Akira found real and mesmerizing, he had proof of his words and if he was someone who could help her and Mikael, she had to open up to him, "Mikael..." she looked at Mamoru and motioned him to sit next to her on the dining table, finally breaking the invisible wall that was keeping her trapped in her own self-doubt. "He is my partner and with whom I started this project. We weren't really looking to find those ruins, we were actually on a quest to find something completely different—an ancient tribe crown."

"Where is he, your partner?" Mamoru took the seat offered and looked at Akira with interest, this reminded him greatly of those times when he joined his parents whenever they had meetings with the people around their kingdom to listen to their problems and needs so they could work in a fast and effective solution for them; it was nostalgic, and also, like if it wasn't that long ago.

"I don't know..." Akira shut her eyes and tried to hold the tears that were now threatening to fall, "He's gone missing and I have been hiding from him ever since the attack at the museum happened..." this caught Mamoru's attention and frowned, "Why?"

"Ever since we started with this investigation strange things started to occur... we've seen people acting strange, shadows and objects moving and we've heard strange voices..." Akira sighed, "Mikael was the first to act strange... he stopped sleeping, he stopped eating, and began acting very erratic and hostile towards everyone, including me. When the first news of our discovery was announced, it was because he stole part of our research and went to the media as if he is looking for something or somebody... he could be right one minute and the next one he would be aggressive and say strange things in Latin—that is when I realized something else was happening to him. I have the horrible feeling that he brought in whatever attacked us during that conference, I tried to stop him but all he said was something like... "Venit cito... Inferno in Terra."

"So, that's him..." Mamoru's eyes darkened when he remembered the man talking to the camera when the attack happened, "He's coming... hell on Earth..."

"Y-You..." Akira widened her eyes, "You can understand those words?"

"Latin is our ancient tongue," Mamoru nodded, "They have been trying to communicate with me..." he frowned, "Can you remember anything else he said?"

Akira shook her head, "Something about a crystal... the Sun... the one touched by the light of the Sun... a seal..." Mamoru narrowed his eyes with concern, "Casanova-san... where is that research? Where can I see what you found?"

"I started hiding everything from Mikael ever since he started acting strangely. When he asked me to run away, I took the most valuable things with me." Akira looked into Mamoru's eyes and was surprised to find they lively changed into different shades of blue, "Prismatic eyes..." she breathed with amazement and remembered the many stories her father would tell her about those blessed with power and that protected their world would show their cosmic heritage in the intensity of their eyes. She knew all those stories and legends like the palm of her hands, she grew up hearing all the stories and now, the unimaginable happened; a link to their lives' work was now sitting right in front of her. Akira couldn't deny it, she could feel an imposing energy coming from him that made her feel completely drawn to admire his regal presence and more than obvious outstanding handsomeness.

She looked down at the medal with a polished sapphire sitting at the very center of the cross in her hands and remembered every detail on it with nostalgia. When her father found it, she remembered him spending years trying to find its source and connection; it was that was initially pulled him to search for answers in semiotics, philosophy, and mythology, it was until then when he started finding some light to follow the truth of the origins of this planet and humanity but he passed away before he could finish his investigation, inspiring her to step in and take his place.

Akira looked down at the medal and acknowledged its value and worth. The piece was obviously made of solid gold; its sheen and weight were unmistakable. She had seen many precious metals and stones during her many crossings and had a wide knowledge of the matter it was easy for her to difference fake from real. It was heavy and untarnished, this was without a question made with the purest gold in existence. The red collar sash attached to it was also made of fine silk and now that she got to see it up close after so many years, her caramel eyes narrowed when she noticed a small but clear inscription engraved in the circle base where the gold cross sit, "*Regius Altum Princeps De Terra..." she mumbled and looked at Mamoru with admiration and a new-found respect for the man sitting across from her and nodded with confidence, "Follow me."

O—o—O

They walked in silence to a small study next to what seemed to be her bedroom and turned the lights on; Mamoru widened his eyes when he several shelves with many samples encased in crystal boxes of all sizes sitting over a large table at the center of the room. He walked over and saw the many pieces of carved stones and marble pieces, the medallions he now remembered seeing hanging in the hallways inside the palace and pictures of several rooms, court sides, and staircases.

A strong wave of nostalgia engulfed the prince as he silently saw the many pieces that were part of his home, once upon a time. His hand reached for a box encasing a golden brush, a hand mirror, and a soft white silk handkerchief with golden embroidery he clearly remembered seeing his grandmother using whenever he went to visit her at her chambers when he was a little boy. Flashes of his childhood began playing in his head when he touched another piece of fabric that pulled his mind to remember the moment he bid farewell to his family before he left to the army training fields and his training days with the Shitennou. As he looked down at the many pieces his mind started to collect more and more fragments from his life like the day the army returned from war victorious. His birthdays, the many dinners he had with his family, his long walks with his mother and their philosophical conversations under the shade of her much-loved cherry tree. He remembered the countless meetings he spent with his father and Leonidas in the study planning strategies and agreements with other kings and soldiers. He had flashbacks of his loving godmother Aurea taking care of him that time he got sick for playing outside in the rain when he was five years old and the clear image of his grandfather playing with him with the wooden horses he personally carved for him as a birthday present. He remembered his always graceful grandmother meticulously planning her famous tea parties and balls with the court and those lovely scenes when he spotted the King and Queen dancing in the hallway when they thought nobody was looking. Mamoru took a deep breath as he felt another rush of emotions go through him as the memory of the day he met Serenity for the first time along with their many secret and passionate meetings followed by the moment the palace an entire kingdom crumbled to pieces by Beryl's and Metallia's hand.

The look in his eyes was too intense for Akira to ignore, she noticed the nostalgia crossing his handsome face and leaned closer, "We were still trying to understand how these ruins got buried so deep underground and how these materials were still intact after all this time," she turned to look at the many relics carefully preserved and smiled softly, "When I was down there... it felt like it was some kind of resting place, it was so quiet, so peaceful—" Akira looked up at the prince and felt her heart flutter alive in her chest, it was still too incredible for her to believe he was one of those souls with divinity but his energy and poise was unmistakable she really wished her father was alive to witness this moment and meet with him so he could get the closure he needed to validate his work, "It is a beautiful place, but... we never found a reason why this important piece of history was kept in such penumbra."

"I buried it there." Mamoru said with heaviness in his voice as he kept looking down at the many samples on the table and grabbed another piece of white marble, "I put it there to rest and to guard the memory of my family... they were not meant to be found, but it almost feels like you were guided there by someone else who knew this place just to get to me one way or another," he sighed softly, "And I have an idea of who that person might be..."

Akira's eyes widened "H-How is this even possible? _You_ being here... you said these ruins are indeed ancient—but—how?" she looked at the samples over the table and frowned, still very confused and surprised, "How did you do it? How did you bury such big ruins without destroying them completely? How is it that they are so deep underground? How come you are alive in this era?"

Mamoru closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, "Thousands of years ago, a tragedy fell upon this planet unexpectedly and it was infected by a malicious entity that put everything and everyone in danger. To protect it, I found myself forced to use the power of a sacred stone that has been guarded and protected by my family for more lifetimes you can count. Earth was put to sleep so it could start its healing process and go back to its rough origins wiping all traces of our ancient history so it could start all over again." He opened his deep blue eyes and turned to Akira, "The reason I am here now is because the benevolent Moon Goddess granted me a new chance to be reborn into this era to live as a normal human being along her daughter and other souls blessed with the power and light of their planets," he smiled sadly, "I was living a somewhat 'normal life' but that past caught up with me and I was urged to serve and protect this planet and its people once again."

"The Moon Goddess..." Akira took a deep breath, "Other blessed souls... does this mean there are others like you living on this planet?"

"Yes,"

"You mentioned a sacred stone..." Akira walked over to one of the drawers and grabbed another crystal box and put it in front of Mamoru, "Is this the sacred stone?"

Mamoru's eyes widened when he looked at the teardrop-shaped crystal pendant attached to a long and delicate golden chain, "That's..."

"You know what this is?" Akira asked with great interest, Mamoru nodded slowly, still in awe, "It was my mother's..."

"Is that—" Akira looked at him surprised, "Is that the sacred crystal you mentioned? Is that why it glows?"

Mamoru frowned and looked at Akira, "It glows?"

Akira nodded, "It did once, while we were studying the many possibilities of existence to this place but it hasn't shown much activity lately—" suddenly Mikael's words made perfect sense and made her widen her eyes with realization, "Touched by the light of the Sun... it will look for you... it will find you and when it does, you must let them know..." she turned to Mamoru with awe, "He knew about you..."

"What?" Mamoru gave her a puzzled look, Akira's face went pale and took a step back, "It's you... you are the one touched by the light of the Sun... they're..." she shook her head with astonishment, "They're looking for you! Mikael warned me, he told me you would come..." she brought her hands to cover her mouth. "Mikael said I had to let them know..."

"Casanova-san, don't," Mamoru's eyes darkened, "Don't do it—don't listen to them!"

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Akira shook her head and turned on her heel, "I must save Mikael... I can't see him like that anymore!"

"Don't do it!" Mamoru went after her but it was already too late; Akira ran back to the living room to open the curtains and widened her eyes when she saw a black shadow standing by the window.

"Akira! No!" Mamoru brought his arm over his face to protect himself from the heavy fog with a heavy sulfur smell and frowned when he heard a loud growl, "Damn it..." he muttered dryly and went back to get back the golden pendant.

O—o—o—o—O

Jadeite covered his mouth when he felt another yawn coming, startling his two other comrades "What is taking him so long?" he turned and frowned when he felt the icy glares of his comrades on him, "What?"

"Are you being serious?" Zoisite crossed his arms and shook his head in disbelief, "What?" Jadeite turned to Nephrite who had the same expression on his face, "What? You are going to judge me too?"

"What is it with all this yawning?" Nephrite looked at the blonde with a puzzled expression, "Have you not slept well?"

"He probably stays up late thinking about Sailor Mars," Zoisite said softly with a joking smile on his face; Jadeite chuckled and shook his head, "Says the man that stays up until very late thinking about his precious _ballerina._ "

Zoisite widened his eyes and turned to Jadeite with a pink hint on his cheeks and very surprised the blonde knew how to play his cards. "Oh yes," Jadeite smiled and crossed his arms, "I know about that pet name of yours... I must say, I never pictured you as a romantic kind of man, but it is quite adorable."

Zoisite turned red and tried to divert his gaze as it was the only way to make the blonde man forget about the topic unfolding. Jadeite sighed and looked away, "You are not that wrong my fellow brother—I do stay up until late thinking about Ares' daughter." A sad smile crossed his boyish face, "But I have come to terms with the situation and I understand it is a one-way street that only leads to a dead end." the blonde sighed tiredly, "How long do you think Endymion is going to take? I wonder what they are talking about—if she believes what he has to say or not..."

Both Zoisite and Nephrite turned to Jadeite with a concerned look in their eyes, "Jadeite?"

"Yes?" The blonde turned to look at them, Nephrite leaned closer and frowned, "Have you really accepted the fate of that relationship?"

"What relationship?" Jadeite chuckled, trying his best to hide the hurt behind the truth of his current romantic situation. Comedy and sarcasm was his perfect decoy to distract anybody from his true feelings. Whether he felt troubled or mad about something he would just dismiss the topic by being funny, but with time, it started to become harder to maintain that poker face and careless attitude around his friends. They had spent too much time together to fool them, and to his bad luck, they knew him too well.

The same sad smile shadowed his charming and boyish facial features, "There is no relationship and there has never been one with her—she has never been interested, all this time it has been just me barking at the wrong tree—Mars being the tree—me being the barking creature, I am using metaphors here just to keep things in the clear and you can understand what I am saying."

Nephrite sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly, "I know it is a metaphor..."

"I thought you two had started something..." Zoisite said with a surprise hint in his always calm voice, Jadeite chuckled and shook his head, "Why?"

"Well for starters, you are at the Temple _all_ the time,"

"She just lost a family member, I am just being a friend—we are friends."

"Well yes but—"

"Look," Jadeite raised his hand, interrupting Zoisite, "I know what I am doing and trust me, I accept whatever she is willing to give. If she wants to be friends with me, I am no one to say no—things did not happen for me the same way it did for you and do not get me wrong, I am happy for you. I am glad because well, you were becoming a little..." he waved his hand while grimacing.

"A little what?" Nephrite frowned, Jadeite grinned "Well, dull."

"What?!" Zoisite widened his eyes, "Of course not!"

"I am happy for you, I really am—I'm happy to see things worked out in the end for all of you, even for Kunzite who was the more reluctant to fix things with Venus."

"It is so strange to hear you speaking this way... you of all people, being mature." Zoisite said softly, "You are being unusually reasonable."

Jadeite chuckled and crossed his arms, "Nah, I do not think I am being reasonable—I am just being realistic. Besides," he sighed softly, "There are other things happening that require my full attention." he motioned his head to the building across the street. Quickly after, all three men frowned with worry, "Do you feel it?" Nephrite muttered, Zoisite nodded, Jadeite turned "The energy is so thick it could be cut with a blade... it is poisonous,"

Zoisite turned to the building, "If this woman has the answers or clues that would help us win this battle... it only means one thing..." his green eyes narrowed when he saw a dark cloud over the building, "They're here!"

O—o—o—o—O

"You got what you wanted! Leave Mikael alone!" Akira yelled at the shadow figure and widened her eyes with horror when she saw more of its kind making their way through the other windows. Mamoru clenched his jaw in anger and closed his eyes to use his power to contact and alert the Shitennou,

 _"Zoisite! Jadeite! Nephrite!"_

He ran to the living room where Akira was being held by one of the shadows and shouted, "The barrier! _Now!_ "

At the other side of the block, both blondes and brunette channeled their energy and followed the princes' command. Nephrite raised his hands and summoned for his power, "I call upon you for your celestial blessing to channel your light to cut through the darkness..." an orb of light began forming in his gloved hands, _"Laminis constellatio!"_

Zoisite followed suit and blasted a joined the brown-haired general, _"Laminis glaciem!"_

Jadeite brought his hands together and summoned for his own power and soon joined his fellow shitennou's attack, _"Laminis Ignis!"_

Three strong lights summoned blasted the dark matter forming around the building that was quickly moving inside the apartment. Mamoru felt a warm twitch in his hand and looked down at the case with the pendant and widened his eyes when he saw it was glowing with intensity; Akira covered her face to guard her eyes against the blinding light giving Mamoru the perfect timing to make use of it to attack the dark shadows. He narrowed his eyes and extended his hand with the encased pendant facing the creatures and prayed for its power to come through, _"Beato igne ignescunt animis cum macula... interfere per me, benedicat eis quod soli ne transire... Hoc iter!"_

Akira moved her hands away from her face and saw the warm golden light coming from the pendant in the prince's hand piercing through the dense bodies of dark matter; Mamoru quickly jerked his head to look at her and frowned, "You must leave this place! Take whatever is necessary, leave the relics—they don't matter anymore... you need to get out of here while this place is being cleansed!"

"B-But—"

"Hurry!"

Akira turned back and grabbed a bag of things she had packed in case something like this happened and she needed to escape. She went to the study and grabbed her laptop and other few things she thought were valuable enough to bring with her and went back to the living room where Mamoru was getting rid of the remains of poison in the air and turned to her once the golden light coming from him finally subsided, "Your friend is worried—he's praying for you, go to him, you're safe. The shadows won't go after you since they have gotten what they wanted and that was to find me—either way, I will keep a close eye on you, go now."

Akira looked at him with shame, "I am so sorry... I—"

"I know there are more things you wished to know to honor the memory of your father," Mamoru gave her a sad and apologetic smile, "One day we will meet again and I will give you the answers you need to clear his name from all speculation. I must leave before they attack again—thank you, for listening." Mamoru turned and jumped out the window without looking back, shocking the archaeologist, "Wait!" Akira widened her eyes with horror and ran to the broken window only to find no trace of the man and let out a soft breath, "Wait..." she whispered while feeling incredibly guilty for having put their lives in danger and not having more time to know more about him and his incredible story.

O—o—o—o—O

Usagi opened her eyes when she felt a strong tug in her chest and quickly sat on the sofa and started to breathe hastily; the sound of the television was still in the background but there were no lights turned on or any signs of her husband. Rubbing her eyes, Usagi stood up and went to turn on the small lamp on the side table but then remembered she had broken it during her training and pursed her lips, "Right... the ugly but functional lamp..." she sighed and turned to look down the small hall and saw it was also dark, "Mamo-chan?" she frowned and walked towards the bedroom but found it empty and walked back to the kitchen but there were no signs of him anywhere, not even a note. Usagi widened her eyes when she felt the same tug in her chest again and could not help to start feeling anxious and shook her head fearing the worst, "Mamo-chan... no, no no..." she said between sobs and desperately went looking for her keys and ran out of the apartment.

As soon as she walked out of the elevator she saw Kunzite staring back at her from outside the building and felt her heart sink in her chest, "No..." she breathed again as she walked out the fancy lobby, "Where is he?"

"Princess..."

"Where is he!?"

Kunzite closed his eyes, "He went to see the archaeologist—"

Usagi's eyes widened "Take me there," her voice quivered, "You have to take me to him!"

"Princess..."

Usagi's crystal blue eyes widened when she felt another tug in her chest and turned to the other side of the street and saw Mamoru walking back with Zoisite, Nephrite, and Jadeite, and quickly went after him. As they came closer, Kunzite noticed the serious look in his brothers' eyes silently telling him something else happened during that meeting. He released a heavy sigh as he waited for them to come closer and crossed his arms, "What did you find Endymion..." he muttered to himself with worry, "What did you find?"

* * *

 _A/N:_ _For a reference about Tuxedo Kamen's medallion and pocket-watch, you can check: Divinity: A day in the life, "Shades of Blue - Royal Blue"_

 _The glossary in order of appearance:_

 _*High Prince and Commander of the Royal Army of Elysion._

 _*Royal High Prince of Earth_

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	45. Chapter 45

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Forty-Five

* * *

Akira began packing whatever came in front of her in a frantic mode. From clothes to personal items, she threw in whatever as much as her duffle bag could carry and ran to the other room where she kept her research and just had the strangest and most amazing conversation of her entire career. She began packing all of the pictures, her laptop, scriptures, and items found despite being told by the prince to leave them behind. Now that her theory was right, she had a more meaningful purpose to now follow the truth and clean her father's name and honor. As she turned to leave, something in the corner of her eye caught her attention and turned, her eyes widened with surprise when she saw the gold medal the terran prince showed her as a credential to prove his true identity. Akira walked over the table and grabbed the precious and rather unique item and took another closer look at it; her mind began to drift again in her own train of thoughts completely ignoring her surroundings and the reason why she was told to leave as soon as possible.

O—o—O

Inside the apartment, a pair of high spiked heels walked around the glass covered floor crashing the tiny pieces with a strong stride; Asteria glanced around the now destroyed living room and narrowed her dark eyes, "You are toying with me..." she muttered dryly and turned to look over her shoulder at Akira who was standing in the middle of the hallway looking back at her with wide eyes. The archaeologist tightened her grip on the gold medal hidden in her coat's pocket silently praying for an alibi and find a way to escape.

"You were here... all this time."

Akira widened her eyes and turned to Mikael standing behind the kitchen island, "Mikael..." she said with surprise and a weak voice, "H-How did you..."

"He came, just like I told you he would—you saw him."

"W-What?" Akira blinked, trying to pretend to be as calm and casual as possible "I don't know what you are talking about..." she said nervously. Mikael narrowed his eyes and walked over to her like a beast hunting for its prey; his eyes were vacant and cold, his lips chapped and dry and his once luscious hair appeared to be almost gone which frightened Akira even more. Mikael sniffed the air around them and rolled his tongue over his chapped lips, "I can smell it—I can feel it."

"Mikael..." Akira said on the verge of tears, "I don't understand, I don't know what you are telling me!"

"You are protecting him," Mikael's eyes turned completely black and grabbed the young woman by her neck without any consideration. Akira tried to break free, frantic that she might be losing her life right there and by the man she once loved, Mikael looked at her with rage, "Tell me! Where is it!?"

"I don't know what you want!" Akira gasped for air as she looked into his vacant eyes, "Please, let me go... just let me go..." her teary eyes spotted the other figure in the room and shook her head, "L-Let... him... go..."

"Where is the crystal, mortal?" Asteria looked at her with disgust; "Mortal?" Akira widened her eyes in horror, silently confirming the nature of the woman in black and whatever was taking over Mikael's body. She turned to Mikael with tears in her eyes and tried her best to make him react and come back to his senses, "Mikael, please... it's me... I know you are there, somewhere, I know you are there..."

"You mortals disgust me, always so emotional..." Asteria crossed her arms over her chest, "This man cannot longer reach you. You see, what you mortals do not understand is how low you are. How useless you are, how pitiful you are..." Asteria walked towards Mikael who still had his hand around Akira's neck, "So primitive... all of you."

"W-What did you do to him?!" Akira looked at her angrily and couldn't hold her tears under control anymore, "Why are you doing this!?" Asteria arched her brow, "He is trapped deep inside his own fears, your voice is a blur to him, it will never reach him." The goddess of fallen stars looked at Akira and narrowed her eyes, "Where is the hybrid, mortal?"

"I really don't know what you are talking about..."

"I am not one who waits for things—either you tell me or your soul goes straight to hell just like his," Asteria growled with exasperation. Akira began crying desperately, "I don't know! I really don't know!"

"Ugh," the goddess of fallen stars rolled her eyes with annoyance and turned to the possessed Mikael, "Do whatever you want with her... I do not waste my power on such low creatures, torture her, kill her, do as you damn please—I do not care for the carcass." Asteria turned to Akira and frowned, "Your soul is condemned either way." she turned on her heel and disappeared into thin air. Mikael grinned wickedly and tightened his grip around Akira's neck bringing her close to lose consciousness, "Please Mikael... _please_ come back..." she sobbed and took the medal out of her pocket and cut Mikael's face using the sharp edges of the cross, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" Mikael screeched in pain and brought his hands to his face. Akira fell roughly to the floor and coughed desperately trying to gasp for air, thinking if she had taken a few more minutes to attack him she would probably be dead by now. She turned to the man who was now bleeding from the cut that crossed his pale face, "Mikael..."

Mikael gasped for air and turned to look at Akira with wide eyes, "A-Akira..." he said with a strain in his voice, proving he still was in and out of deep trances of pain and unconsciousness; Akira crawled to his side and tried to wipe the blood from his face, "Mikael..." she broke into sobs, "Mikael?!"

"It's too late for me Akira..." Mikael turned his head to finally look into her red eyes, "It's too late..."

"Too late for what?!" Akira leaned closer and tug his torn shirt, Mikael coughed and closed his eyes for a brief moment, "Salvation."

"No, no—don't say that!" Akira said between desperate sobs, "You are going to be fine... you'll be fine and we will return to our crazy adventures..."

"No..." Mikael weakly shook his head and looked at his love and companion with shame and sadness, "Akira, you were right... they exist... the cosmic monarchs you always talked about... they truly exist..."

"Mikael..." Akira tried to comfort her lover with sweet caresses, "Mikael I need to take you out of he—"

"Listen to me—they are searching for the Guardian or Protector of Earth, I hear the voices in my head... they want a sacred weapon, they want blood, they want a crystal... look for that person again... find that person..." Akira widened her eyes and looked at her shaking hand still holding the medal, "But—what can I do?"

"Save yourself Akira—save yourself, it's coming..." Mikael growled in pain and curled into a ball on the floor, scaring Akira "Mikael!"

"I will lose control again, any time now... you must run Akira, run away!"

"I can't leave you here! I can't leave you like this!"

"No!" Mikael gritted his teeth and turned to push her away, "There is not much time! Akira!" Like he predicted, the same demonic face and voice began to overpower the man's tired and weak body leaving Akira no other option but to follow her lover's request and flee the apartment with hurry and worry. Mikael took a deep breath and let tears of sorrow roll down his eyes as he watched her leave and felt his body being consumed by the poisonous entity inside him and slowly closed his eyes, "I'm sorry my love... please... be... safe..."

O—o—o—o—o—O

Mamoru widened his eyes when he saw Usagi running to him with a worried look and pulled her into his arms as soon as she came close, "Usa..." The princess took a deep breath and placed her hands on each side of his face as she looked into his deep blue eyes and took a deep breath of relief, "I was so worried about you..." she said on the verge of tears. Mamoru leaned down and kissed her lips gently, "Let's go back..." Usagi noticed Mamoru's prismatic eyes showed a spectrum of deep blue hues, a sign that he was still upset about something, giving her notice that there was more to his sudden disappearance. Nodding, she walked back to the building in silence while holding hands with the shitennou following behind. The minute they crossed the door, Mamoru knew he had to address the situation and talk about with his wife, but what worried him the most was how was she going to take it, because it was sure a drastic change to the events earlier that day. He let out a deep breath and turned to his worried wife to finally address the situation, "I'm sorry—"

"Something happened, am I right?" Usagi asked in a calm but serious tone; she didn't show any signs of frustration and anger, but her worry was there, the look in her icy blue eyes gave her away no matter how much she tried to pretend she had her emotions under control. Mamoru carelessly tossed his keys over the dining table and pulled out a chair, not really paying attention if they were alone or not, "It's not a coincidence these people found the ruins to the palace that once belonged to my family, Usa."

"W-What?" Usagi's eyes widened and turned to the generals who were now standing by her side and looked up at Kunzite, "What does this mean?"

"It means, Princess, that the enemy has other intentions rather than just finding a lost civilization—" Kunzite crossed his arms, "It means someone guided those archaeologists there to find those ruins as a way to contact the Prince and waking him from his sleeping state and make him fight." Usagi turned to Mamoru and frowned, "You saw her? The archaeologist?"

"Yes." Mamoru looked at her and sighed, Usagi pulled out another chair from the dining table and sat next to him, "You talked to her?"

"Yes,"

"Mamo-chan, why did you go so recklessly?" Usagi shook her head, still very confused, "Why did you expose yourself this way? You better than anyone knows how to decipher these tactics... you are a strategist, why—?

"Because a part of me still wants to believe there is more to know about what my family tried so much to hide from me, Usa. I feel responsible for not being able to stop this mess sooner." Mamoru took a deep breath and looked at his wife with shame in his magnetic blue eyes, "I know the truth but I can't believe this is it. I don't want to accept the fact that this is all there is." Usagi leaned closer and reached for his hand, a warm smile graced her beautiful face showing sympathy and understanding to her husband, "I see..."

Kunzite watched the sweet intimate moment between the royal couple and figured the prince needed his time alone with the princess to talk about this without any distractions and it was going to be difficult for them to come to an agreement if there was the need to come to one if they stayed there. Kunzite knew the struggle Endymion was going through, he knew the confusion and the anger was slowly eating him alive and he also knew that the only person that could appease his inner demons and insecurities was no other than the moon princess, "Master," he interrupted, "We will stay alert until things calm down again so we can continue with our strategy—"

"I will try to reach for the stars and see what information they can offer that could be used for our benefit." Nephrite nodded and put a hand on his chest in respect to both royals and turned to Zoisite who also joined their leader's silent cause, "We will monitor the area and get rid of any malicious trace,"

"Please try to have some rest, Master." Jadeite bowed his head in respect, "We managed to leave before a catastrophe unveiled before us—we still have time to figure this out."

"Thank you," Mamoru looked at them with gratitude and gave them an understanding nod, especially to Kunzite, "Thank you for everything,"

All four shitennou turned to Usagi and bowed their heads to show their respect to her as well and walked out of the apartment in silence. The soft click of the door closing was the confirmation they needed to know it was just the two of them now. They took a moment to stare into each other's eyes in silence, both aware of a truth they could no longer ignore. "Mamo-chan..." Usagi was the first to break the silence but before she could say something else, Mamoru interrupted her by caressing her cheek with the back of his hand, "I'm sorry Usa, I—"

"I know," Usagi whispered as she put her hands on each side of his face again and leaned closer, "I know... and it's okay. I am your wife and I am here for _you_ —I am here to fight by _your_ side, no matter what."

"I feel so embarrassed," Mamoru looked down with remorse and pain in his eyes, "I always knew there was something about the Queen and up to some extent, I learned to ignore it, but..." he sighed tiredly, "I never imagined the extent of my family's history. The more I dig, the more things I find and I don't know how to deal with it, I don't know how to take it—it's all so bitter."

Usagi looked at him and leaned back in her chair with her hands were still holding his, "Your mother, her story—I think it's admirable."

"Usa..." Mamoru arched a quizzical brow, Usagi nodded with a smile on her face, "Mamo-chan, come on. The Queen is one of _the first_ Sailor Senshi, she protected Earth and not only that, but she also earned a rank as Polemarchos, I mean, _who_ does that?! Not even Galaxia could achieve that and she was tough." Her enthusiasm made Mamoru crack a soft chuckle as he mimicked his wife's gesture and leaned back in his seat feeling a little more relaxed than he was just minutes ago. How she could dismantle his hermetic and stubborn self and lifted the heavy energy flowing between them with just a smile was still a wonder for him to see, "You are amazing."

"So are you." Usagi smiled and kissed his cheek lovingly. In all her years of knowing, dating and profoundly loving Mamoru, Usagi started collecting the few bits and pieces he willingly and sporadically gave her about his past and considered them to be valuable clues for her to understand why he was the way he was and how he came to be the person he is now. Independent, strong-willed, valiant and also stubborn—very stubborn, like a lion, as she would always say. She understood his reasons why he was overprotective of those close to him and why he lived for her the way he did. As she looked into his blue eyes, she came to realize that even when he didn't know more about his past and family, his roots and education were deeply carved in his soul and nature; it was crystal clear to her now, Mamoru, or, Endymion, is the way he is because he lived by their example, because his mother did the exact same thing for the ones she loved and everything she held dear. For what she had learned over the past few months, just like him, Gaia was strong-willed and a woman who believed in justice and fairness above all. A woman that did not want to live by the god's generic standards and wanted more in her life. She wanted love, she wanted adventure, but most of all, she wanted peace—at any cost. She, just like her son, had the heart of a warrior and that power in them is the fire they need to protect the most sacred thing for them—their loved ones.

Gaia protected her son the same way Endymion protected Serenity—the same way Mamoru was protecting Usagi now. It was crystal clear.

"Before the shadows could locate my whereabouts... I had a chance to talk to her—the archaeologist." Mamoru interrupted Usagi's train of thought. She blinked once she realized his voice was more serious and rich than his usual casual tone, showing a glimpse of his royal heritage. "The shadows? They showed up?" Mamoru nodded and slowly intertwined his fingers with Usagi's to calm her, "Thankfully, Zoisite, Jadeite, and Nephrite created a wall strong enough to keep them away and give me enough time to escape." he sighed heavily, "I am aware I looked like a jerk leaving the poor girl behind, but it would have been worse if I stayed—"

"Mamo-chan!" Usagi widened her eyes with clear surprise, Mamoru pursed his lips, "I asked the Shittenou to make sure she was safe before we left—I'm not a monster... I mean," he rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue with annoyance at the mention of the word he was perfectly aware the one gods used to describe him, "You know..."

"I didn't say you were a monster, it's just... it's so unusual... coming from you," Usagi pouted her lips, "You are always this suave guy, a charming and mysterious masked hero." The comment made Mamoru crack a weak chuckle, "Charming—yeah, of course." he leaned closer and tuck a long strand of silver hair behind her ear and cupped her cheek, "You look pale... are you alright?" Usagi leaned her head on his hand and smiled softly, "Yes, I just feel a little tired. Actually, I was hoping we could go to bed early but when I woke up and I didn't find you anywhere and I got very scared."

"I'm so sorry, Usa," Mamoru caressed her lips with his thumb, "I truly am..."

"You are here now, that's all that matters," Usagi smiled and stood up with her hand still holding his, "Care to join me now?" Mamoru kissed her hand and looked up at her, finally flashing her a handsome, much more relaxed smile, "I will, in a minute."

"Alright, but don't take too long... you know I can't sleep well if you are not by my side,"

"I know bunny, me neither,"

Usagi leaned down and kissed him fully on the lips before walking to the bedroom and start her nightly skincare routine and comb her hair before going to bed. Being the distracted and sometimes lazy woman, she was, it was a probably one of the few unfaltering customs she acquired since very young and while she was at it, Mamoru stayed at the table in silence and looked for the small crystal case he carried in his pants' pocket and looked at the pendant carefully resting over the purple velvet cushion. He opened the case with tremendous care and grabbed the lustrous fine piece of jewelry by its chain and looked at the stone catching the soft light of his apartment and narrowed his eyes, "Gaia..." he mumbled as he slowly felt being pulled back in time.

-O-

 _Endymion walked down a long, very familiar hallway after debating with himself whether he should come forward with his troubled feelings or not. The conversation he had with Kunzite the night before had left him wondering if he was being fair to the woman that has not done anything else but to love him without measure—his mother. He stood outside his parent's royal quarters and looked at the heavy oak door with a little hesitation before deciding to step inside._

 _The terran prince walked past the elegant foyer and lounging area to the king and queen's bedchambers where he knew his mother was getting ready to go downstairs to meet the others for breakfast. The minute he stood by the door, he saw his godmother, the always bold and passionate Aurea, braiding the queen's long hair while talking to her with a confidence only they could share. It was not news to anyone in the palace that the queen and brutally honest maid had a close friendship, and that, was something Endymion was very grateful for because if it wasn't for Aurea, he knew his mother's health would probably have decreased considerably over the course of time, and with him absent for so many years, it only made things for her more difficult. He was about to enter the room when he heard Aurea's worried tone in her voice that made him stop._

 _"Why are you so gloomy? I made a special blend of rose tea for you this morning."_

 _"Oh, Aurea... you know me too well," Gaia looked at her reflection in the mirror and gave her maid and friend a weak smile, "I do not know at this point if it is a good or a bad thing,"_

 _"It is a good thing, Gaia, it is always a good thing," Aurea muttered as she continued weaving the queen's luscious dark hair. Endymion saw the maid smiling at his mother while she finished the long french braid and put some crystal pins all the way down to give it a little royal sparkle as she would often say while Gaia, his beautiful and courageous mother, sighed and lowered her hazel gaze and took another hairpiece she was planning to wear for the day. Her delicate lips frowned and released another heavy sigh, "I am not in the mood for tea, Aurea. I have not seen my son in days," she looked up at the mirror at her friend standing behind her, "That for me is enough to take away all inspiration,"_

 _Aurea knew what Gaia was talking about and she also knew the prince had his reasons to do so. She felt impotent for being practically useless in moments like these when both parties were in their most stubborn state; she gave her queen a sad and worried glare because she knew how much all this affected her health. Aurea perfectly understood her son was the light of her life and now that he was obviously avoiding her it was tearing her spirit apart to uncontrollable measures because the worst part was that she felt responsible for his actions. "Has he spoken to His Majesty?" she asked, curious. She knew the prince has been having rough days and that he was far from being pleased and happy for all the attention he was receiving and he had to return to the ladies of the court now that he had returned from his training in the army. Gaia shook her head, "No, not even Eros has seen him. He had told me he does his work when nobody is around him. I do not know how he manages to do such thing, my son grew up to be incredibly hermetic with his life... it appalls me in a heavy measure."_

 _"I understand, but, you cannot really blame him for that."_

 _"What do you mean?" Gaia frowned; Aurea shrugged her shoulders softly, "He is a military soldier Gaia, he was trained to be that way. You better than anyone should know that. He had a very strict education when he was a child, it is only natural that being stoic and reserved is part of who he is now, besides, you are also the same way,"_

 _"As always, so brutally honest, Aurea," Gaia frowned, "How sweet of you."_

 _"Always," Aurea looked at the queen's sad reflection in her golden mirror and nudged her friend's shoulder playfully to lift her spirit, "He will come around, I am sure of it—just give him time." Gaia gave Aurea a the weakest of smiles and turned on her seat to take her friend's hands into hers with a sad expression on her face, "I do not even know how he is, I am worried he—"_

 _"Mater,"_

 _Both women widened their eyes with surprise and turned to see Endymion standing in the doorway this time wearing a dark forest green and much simpler version of the usual military uniform he normally wears. The serious look on his face was far from being casual, it was just like Aurea had said, stoic and reserved. Endymion grew up to be a master with poker faces, a trait very useful in political meetings but complicated for the two women because they could not read his emotions. The prince did not give any chance for questions and quickly turned to his godmother, "*Matrina, could you give me a moment with her, please?"_

 _"Yes, of course," Aurea nodded and put the golden hairbrush over the queen's vanity table and closed the bedroom's double doors as she walked out to give them privacy. Gaia looked at her son with hopeful and kind eyes, her perfectly deep red lips slowly curved into a soft smile, she was relieved and happy to be able to finally see him,"Endy—"_

 _"*Bonum mane, Mater," Endymion stayed still in his place by the door while looking at her with a hint of hurt in his deep blue eyes. The magic in them was evident with all the different tones of indigo, cerulean and sapphire changing like a prism, just like hers did once. She would often say it was like looking into a kaleidoscope, ever changing, ever beautiful. Endymion grew up feeling completely indifferent about it, to him, the change of color in his eyes was a natural thing since his mother always told him it ran in the family and he never paid attention to it. Gaia tried to stand up but she was quickly stopped by Endymion's raised hand, "No—it is alright, do not get up, I will not stay long." his words and the sudden dismissive tone in his voice froze her blood, making her look at him with worry. The queen nodded and took a deep breath, "Alright… as you wish,"_

 _The prince lowered his gaze trying to find the exact words to say, careful enough to not disrespect his mother in any way. No matter how upset he was, he loved her deeply and he owed her all of his respect; clearing his throat, he raised his head again and looked at her, "You are probably wondering where I have been these past few days. I understand it was careless of me not to let you know of my whereabouts."_

 _Gaia sighed and nodded, "I asked the Shitennou but not even they could give me a straight answer; either they were obeying a royal command from you or they were just respecting your wishes, but they never said a word." She frowned, "Endymion, I want to know what is happening."_

 _"I needed some time for myself," Endymion turned to look away, "To get away somehow,"_

 _"Why?" asked the Queen curious and partly confused. Endymion turned his face back to his mother and frowned, "Because I needed to breathe," he sighed with more security in his words, "I needed to breathe."_

 _"I see..." Gaia sighed softly, "I know these past events have been taking their toll on you, the—"_

 _"It is not only that Mater," the prince interrupted her and frowned, "To be honest with you, I have been feeling very upset by all of this,"_

 _"By what, exactly?" Gaia asked._

 _"This—" Endymion put his hands together as he tried to describe all that has been happening lately at the palace, "All these social gatherings, the brunches, the fancy dinners, the tea parties—I am sick of it all," he said with annoyance and raised a hand to stop her mother from retorting his words, "Before you say anything else, I just want to clarify that I know my grandmother is the one behind all this and I understand her motives. I know all these little reunions are in my honor and with the sole purpose to introduce me to the ladies of the court… but Mater, I did not leave for ten years to come back and turn my life into a party… that is not who I am."_

 _Gaia looked at her son and nodded with acceptance, "No, it is not. You are right, Endymion, it is not who you are…" she looked into his ever-changing blue eyes and arched her brow, "But something tells me that is not all that troubles you."_

 _Endymion sighed and leaned on a wall; he crossed his arms as if the gesture would defend him from whatever their conversation would lead them from this point onward. "No, that is not all." At his response, the terran queen gave her son a quizzical look, "Then tell me the truth." Endymion shook his head and frowned, "No Mater,_ _you_ , _tell me the truth."_

 _"I beg your pardon?" Gaia arched a brow the same way Endymion did and was quickly reminded of how Aurea constantly said how much the prince looked like her in so many ways. They would imitate each other's gestures without even realizing it, the way they spoke, the way they moved, they expressed themselves almost the same way and shared very similar opinions with the difference that the prince was much more reserved than the queen's well-known restless character. This was enough for Gaia to stand up and walk over to her son, "What are you talking about?"_

 _"You know exactly what I am talking about," Endymion narrowed his eyes and gave his mother a serious look, one that made perfectly clear he was not joking about the matter, "Are you going to continue hiding whatever it is hidden?" Gaia arched her brow, "Why are you acting like this Endymion? Why are you so angry at everybody, why are you so angry at me?"_

 _"Because you treat me like if I do not exist!" Endymion raised his voice with frustration, "I have this burning feeling in my gut, this calling trying to tell me something I cannot understand and I am certain you do."_

 _Gaia placed a hand on his arm and looked at him with loving eyes, "What is it to understand my son? You are a gifted man, blessed with health and beauty, talent, intelligence, and strength—five qualities you don't get to see in one person very often."_

 _Endymion lowered his head and closed his eyes briefly, "I have been hearing the same thing since I was a child but I always felt there is something else… I am tired of all this, Mater. I know what I feel—I know there is more to know but somehow, I am being kept in the shadows." the prince pushed himself from the wall and away from his mother grasp and stood by the balcony and looked outside, "Neither you or Pater have never really talked about my grandparents."_

 _"But you know very well who your grandparents are dear," Gaia said softly, Endymion turned to look at her over his shoulder, "I meant my other grandparents…" he said in a nostalgic tone of voice. Gaia exhaled and went to seat on her vanity chair again and looked away, "There is nothing I can say about them, Endymion," the dry and distant tone of her voice made Endymion frown with doubt, "Nothing?" Gaia turned to him with a stern look on her face, "No, nothing."_

 _"I do not know anything about you."_

 _"I am your mother, Endymion, that is the most important thing to know about me,"_

 _Endymion's frown deepened and looked down at the sword proudly hanging from his waist-belt and took it from his belt and went to put it over her vanity and looked at his mother with clear frustration, "You gave me a sword you said belonged to my great-grandfather and grandfather and now you are telling me there is nothing to say? That there is nothing else for me to know?"_

 _Gaia sighed tiredly, "Quid tibi vis dicam eis proderit Endymion? Quid possum dicere, quod ut leniret furorem versus tibi subrepat tibi sunt mecum?" she raised her voice with frustration._

 _(What do you want me to tell you about them Endymion? What can I say that will calm that anger you have been harboring towards me?)_

 _"Aliquid mater! Quid! Volo scire ubi sunt, qui venerunt ex infernis, et mihi!"_ _(Something Mater! Anything! I want to know where I come from and who the hell I am!)_ _Endymion raised his voice to match his mother's frustrated one and ran a hand through his dark hair with exasperation; Gaia arched her brow to show her pride was being tarnished, "You come from your father and me—you are the heir to the throne, the future King of Earth and Elysion. A warrior and a Commander—a Polemarchos. You are a man with dignity and intelligence, one that will rule this planet with care and understanding for its inhabitants." She frowned and grabbed the sword and put it back in his belt, "This sword is part of it. It is an extension of you."_

 _"Why do you insist on carrying that big burden of yours alone? Can't you see that I did all this so I could be able to protect you someday, but you acting this way…" the prince combed his hair back as a common gesture to show his frustration, "It makes me feel that all my effort was pointless."_

 _Endymion's words pierced Gaia's heart, this time the tears in her eyes couldn't hold any longer and roll down her flushed cheeks. It was true what Obelix told her before, her son felt responsible for her weak health; she realized her son's burden was bigger than hers and it broke her heart to see him that way, "Endymion," she sobbed softly, "I—" she trailed off and bit her lower lip nervously. Endymion looked at with sad eyes, "It is sad to think about it but—" he looked down and took a deep breath, "The truth is that Pater will not be around forever and I will have to follow his steps and continue his legacy—_ _ **your**_ _legacy. The one that you instilled in me since I was a child. I was born because fate wanted me to protect you but how can I do so if you do not let me?" his words hit a soft spot in Gaia's heart; he talked so regal, so mature, and so conscious of his position and his obligations but also his words were full of love and hurt at the same time. After all, he was her son, he lived inside her for nine months and shared a special bond; he has been protecting her since he was in her womb and even after all these years he was still doing the same, despite him not knowing._

 _Endymion kneeled before her while looking into her hazel eyes, "You are the treasure of our lives but you are too stubborn to let us help you. You are too stubborn to let me help you." he whispered and dried her tears with the back of his hand. Gaia sniffled softly and pulled him close to her, "I do not want you to get hurt—I would die if something happened to you." she mumbled in his chest._

 _The prince looked down and pulled back, "Nothing is going to happen to me Mater," Gaia started crying with an uncontrollable force and fear, worrying the prince "I would die if something happens to you!" she repeated more to herself than him. Endymion frowned and held his mother in his arms, "Mater, nothing is going to happen—why are you so scared?"_

 _Gaia parted away from him and looked up at his handsome face, "You are not the culprit for my weak health, do you understand Endymion?!" Endymion widened his eyes, surprised by her words "What?"_

 _"You are not guilty of anything. You are the best thing that ever happened to me, never ever forget that." Gaia placed her hands on each side of his face and looked into his eyes, "You are so beautiful—inside and out. You are a true warrior, and I am very proud of you," she smiled softly, "But it doesn't matter how strong you are my setting sun, I am your mother and I am always going to be by your side to protect you. I will always worry about you, whether you like it or not." she combed back a lock of his hair that was falling into his hypnotic blue eyes and sighed, "I know why you joined the army and I know you feel responsible for my bad health and you still do after all this time."_

 _Endymion sighed and dried her tears again, "It was my decision to join the army, it is something I wanted to do. I did it because I wanted to be a good example to our people—I wanted to become someone by my own merits. I did not want to be a careless or a spoiled Prince while there are real warriors risking their lives for the sake of this Kingdom—for the sake of this family. Of course, you were on my mind all the time and you were my fuel and the reason to keep going because yes! I want you to stay here with us for a long time, I want you to meet your grandchild—if I ever get married, that is. I want you to be well and I want you to be happy because I love you." Endymion said in a loving and understanding tone, "But please... please stop being so stubborn and let me help you carry the weight you have upon your shoulders—let me be there for you."_

 _Gaia looked at her son and smiled, "So, my grandchild eh? That means you are thinking about it..." she arched her brow, "My, my, have you met someone already?" Endymion blushed and shook his head, "No..." he frowned, "But with so many social events happening almost every day, it is almost as if you are urging me to bring an heir to this Kingdom." Gaia took a deep breath and combed his dark hair back, "Endymion, all I ask of you is to be careful and follow your heart. Beautiful women are everywhere, my dear sun, but a true jewel is very hard to find."_

 _"A true jewel..." Endymion cracked a weak chuckle, "Oh Mother, forgive me for disappointing you, but, love is not something I believe exist, or something I have in my mind either way."_

 _"Well, you should." The queen arched her brow, "I am not saying you must be married by_ _**now.**_ _Unlike your grandmama's beliefs, spending the rest of your life with somebody is not something you should ever take so lightly, and it is not easy either. Being married is a daily challenge, but when you find the right person... all of your differences are just that, differences, and you learn how to turn them your strengths. The minute you share your life with somebody, your souls merge and become one. That is the magic of it, you become an unbreakable team. It is a beautiful feeling Endymion, it truly is, and I wish for you to live it." Gaia patted her son's cheek softly and smiled, "_ _When that time comes... do it because it feels right, do it because you love her and because she loves you back. Marry the woman that makes you feel complete, the one that makes you smile even when she is not around. Marry the woman that brings reason and madness into your life—marry a woman that makes you laugh but also gives you the support you need when you feel weak and low. Marry a woman that matches you and complements you in every way. Marry a fearless woman, one that is not afraid to speak her mind and fights for what she wants, one that takes your breath away every single day, a woman that makes you feel you have a place in the world by the way she looks into your eyes. Marry a woman with beautiful dreams so you can make each and every one come true, like the Prince charming I know you are."_

 _Endymion gave his mother a cynical glare, "I am beginning to ask myself if that is even possible, if a soulmate truly exists." Gaia nodded with certainty, "I asked myself that same question, a long time ago—then I met your father. She exists, my dear sunshine, and she is somewhere out there waiting for you to sweep her off her feet and love her for the rest of her life."_

 _Endymion smiled softly and put a strand of her dark hair behind her ear "Te amo, a fundo cordis mei,"*_

 _*"Te amo quoque pulchra mihi et sole,"_ _Gaia sniffed a little and turned to look at herself in the mirror to make sure her makeup endured her tears and turned to look at her son again as he helped her stand up with most care, "You don't have to come with me to this brunch, I will tell your grandmama you had to attend something with great importance,"_

 _"It is alright," Endymion half smiled and sighed, "I will go, but only for a little while. As a matter of fact, I do have to attend some matters of great importance later today, so there is no need to burn that excuse." the prince offered his arm for his mother to take and both walked out of the room, it was when he was about to open the door when he saw a tray sitting on her nightstand, "Mater…" he said. Gaia turned to look at him "Yes, dear?"_

 _"Please take your medicines,"_

 _"I already did."_

 _Endymion narrowed his eyes, "Do not lie to me." Gaia gasped pretending to be hurt, "How dare you?"_

 _Endymion sighed tiredly, "Mother..." Gaia pursed her lips and turned to her son slightly hurt, "How can you even tell I have not taken them?"_

 _"Oh, please..." Endymion sweatdropped and pointed his finger at the tray, "Your pills are over there,"_

 _"Wonderful, Aurea left them in plain sight. Clever woman." Gaia rolled her eyes with annoyance and sighed, "I thought I would be free of them for today," she mumbled, "Clearly I am not."_

 _"It is for your own good, you know that," Endymion arched his brow and nudged her arm, "Come on, take them."_

 _"They may be for my own good but I do not like being drugged all day, I am perfectly fine!"_

 _Endymion arched his brow, "Mother, what did we just talk minutes ago?"_

 _Gaia sighed "Fine, I will take them," she walked over the small table with the tray, took the pills and swallowed them with a sip of water, then turned to prove her son she had indeed taken them without cheating. The prince chuckled at her gesture and wrapped his around her shoulders in a protective hug, "There, there, pretty Lady, see? It is not so bad."_

-O-

"Queen..." Mamoru breathed softly as he wrapped his fingers around the golden chain and looked at the pale golden stone gleam in the light; it still felt a little warm from the energy that flowed from it to vanish the shadows a while ago, "I found her, my soulmate... I married her," he turned to the hallway and smiled with complicity, "The woman that brings reason and madness into my life, the woman that gives me a place in this world—the woman that takes my breath away every single day."

Mamoru went to turn all the lights off and joined his wife in the bedroom. He stood by the door and saw Usagi sitting on her side of the bed rubbing her favorite rose scented lotion in her delicate hands while humming the same annoying pop song she was signing while he was cooking dinner earlier that day. She finally had changed her clothes to a white silk nightgown with lace straps and heart neckline proving she was more than ready to go to sleep. It didn't take her long to look over her shoulder and see him standing by the door and she flashed him a beaming smile, "Ah, there you are! I was starting to wonder what was taking you so long," she patted the spot next to her on the bed, "It's late, come to bed... I miss you."

Mamoru leaned on the door frame and exhaled pure love for his wife; the woman his mother predicted so many years ago existed—his soulmate. At his lack of response, Usagi frowned with worry, "Mamo-chan, you okay?" Mamoru crossed his arms and smiled at her, "Do you have any idea of how precious you are?"

Usagi stopped rubbing the buttery cream on her hands and cracked a sweet chuckle, "What?"

"You heard me," Mamoru grinned, "You heard me loud and clear,"

"I did," Usagi giggled, "I just like to hear it,"

"Well, do you?" Mamoru looked at her lovingly, "You have not answered my question,"

"Uh... no," Usagi tilted her head, "But as long as I am precious to _you_ , that's all that matters to me."

Mamoru went to sit next to her on the bed, "You are more than just precious to me," he whispered in her ear and kissed her bare shoulder, making Usagi blush. "Really?" Mamoru nodded and looked into her eyes, "You changed my life, Moon Princess."

Usagi put her rose scented hands on his face and smiled widely, "You changed mine, Earth Prince—you truly are a dream come true."

"You are mine." Mamoru's hand played absently with the delicate strap of her nightgown for a minute and pulled it down to kiss her exposed collarbone making her jolt with pleasure; Usagi closed her eyes and ran her arms around his neck before finding his lips get lost in the passion of their kiss that lasted a couple of minutes. With their eyes closed and still immersed in the aftermath of their kiss, Mamoru smiled and caressed her swollen lips with his and slowly pulled back to put the pendant around Usagi's delicate neck and let it sit and shine proudly like it did in its old glorious days. Usagi looked at the stone with astonishment, "W-What...?" Mamoru smiled softly and caressed her milky skin, "Well, look at that... it fits!"

"Mamo-chan..." Usagi looked down at the amber colored stone and then at her husband, "W-Where did you get this?"

"Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful!"

"It's a very valuable antique," Mamoru said softly while closing the chain clasp behind her neck, "It belonged to a very strong woman that wanted nothing more than to protect her loved ones,"

"How do you know?"

"It belonged to the Earth Queen—it was my mother's." Mamoru's warm tone was slowly granting the maternal word some permission to slowly make sense to him once again. Usagi widened her eyes completely surprised by his words but before she could say anything Mamoru continued, "The archaeologist found it in the ruins of what it was once my home—many lifetimes ago."

"Is this why you went to see her?"

"I wasn't lying when I said a part of me was there to find something else that could lift this heavy past of mine but—" Mamoru shook his head and let out a soft sigh, "I am trying to pick up the pieces and move on, the Shittenou warned me about this being a decoy to catch my attention and get what they want but I needed to go... I needed to see it with my own eyes so I could let it go and carry on. It was then when she showed me all the things they found, pictures, records, personal items I know belonged to my mother and grandmother—handkerchiefs I recognized being my father's. Then she showed me this..." his hand caressed the stone then slowly slid his finger down, tracing the line of her gown's neckline, "She never took it off, she loved this pendant. It was an extension of her—it was her sacred amulet," his eyes turned darker, sadder, "She must have dropped it the moment she disappeared."

Usagi understood what he was trying to say and what he has been trying to understand ever since he regained his memories from his life in Elysion. More than looking for something that would lift the heavy weight he was carrying on his shoulders and more than being angry at his mother for not telling him the truth, he was frustrated for not knowing what happened to her and his whole family after Beryl and Metallia attacked.

He went to meet the archaeologist despite the shitennou's advice and risked his life knowing the damage it would cause because he wanted to find an answer to that question—he needed answers, and he was running out of time. A wave of emotions took over her, of frustration and impotence; unlike her mother whom she knew died when using the silver crystal, nobody really knew what happened to Gaia, the Terran Goddess and her charming and noble King. Her hand reached for his hair and combed it back softly, knowing the gesture would instantly make him feel better, more relaxed, more like himself. Mamoru leaned closer to her and caressed her lips with the tips of his fingers, "I want you to have it now—I know it's something she would have wanted, I know it's something she would have done." he smiled softly. Usagi curled her fingers around the stone and looked at it in awe, "I will guard it with my life, I swear." she intertwined her fingers with his and caressed his hand with her thumb ever so gently. She brought his hand close to her chest and closed her eyes for a moment allowing her to feel the warmth coming from him, that constant energy that has always made her feel protected and safe. She moved closer to him until her face was only inches away from his and locked her gaze with his, "Stay with me..." Mamoru leaned his forehead on hers and nodded, "Always,"

Usagi moved her head back slightly and opened her eyes, he opened his seconds later and looked at her in silence for a minute before moving his head away to kiss her neck, the feeling of his warm breath against her exposed skin made her swoon and moan with pleasure. Usagi tilted her head to the side to look at him and put her hands on each side of his face, "Your eyes..." she sighed her words with wonder, feeling completely helpless and drawn to its mysticism "They have that rich color again…"

She always felt exposed when looking into them, it was like if he could see into her soul and also show her his deepest feelings without the need to mutter a single word, he had that power over her, ever since she met him he has made her feel like the only girl in the world. Her hand caressed one side of his face until the tip of her fingers reached for his lips and followed their natural line, always so sensual and inviting—she thought. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she kept contemplating the magic behind his prismatic blue eyes, "What are you trying to tell me, Prince of Earth?"

Mamoru combed her long fringe away from her face to allow him to move closer and nib her earlobe gently, "That I love you, Moon Princess, that I love you madly." he whispered and closed his eyes as he took in her sweet, delicate scent. "That my life has no meaning if you are not in it—that my heart and soul has been yours since the very first time we met."

Usagi moved her head, desperate to find his lips and lock them with hers in a sweet kiss again. Her hands played with his hair to make their moment more intimate. She couldn't help it, she was addicted to him, all him marveled her, "I am forever yours..." she said between soft moans imploring him to never stop kissing her. Mamoru smiled softly when he remembered the countless times they said those words when they were alone and hiding from everyone in the past and let another wave of nostalgic emotions flow inside him. This has been their way to let themselves know that no matter the circumstances or the obstacles ahead of them, they would always stray true to themselves and overcome whatever trial that would try to break them apart. It was her promise to him, that as Goddess of the Moon she would never stop watching over him and that she would always be by his side and it was a promise from him, as a mortal man, that he would always devote his prayers to her so he could always be blessed with her purifying light and undying love.

Usagi looked at him with flushed cheeks and hasty breaths in silence before she claimed her place in his world once again. Mamoru secured his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to his body and bent his head low to capture her lips again in a deep kiss that would soon unleash their most raw and pure desires. Usagi loved the feeling of his strong arms holding her, making her feel safe and certain she wanted to be nowhere else in the universe but there, with him.

Mamoru's fingers ran through her silky moonbeam hair as he leaned down to deepen the kiss and parted to catch his breath after a couple of minutes; Usagi opened her eyes slowly and looked into his feeling completely hypnotized, she felt a pull in her chest, something up to this day she still couldn't find the right words to explain but felt deliciously right. Usagi had reached a point where she could no longer keep her hands and emotions to herself and slowly started to pull his clothes off him in any way she could and gasped with pleasure when she felt his warm hands moving all the way down her back until they reached the end of her nightgown and pulled it with most care away from her body, leaving her completely exposed. Mamoru felt completely spellbound as he looked at every inch of her milky skin and curve in her body; he bent again and kissed her cheek and slowly moved his lips down her neck and chest, sending all kinds of shivers and sparks all over Usagi's body, making her gasp and take short breaths, to keep her from losing her mind completely. Usagi felt hazy, in a trance, she lazily opened her eyes and with all the strength she could muster pulled pull the t-shirt he wore underneath his sweater away and threw it far away without paying any attention where it landed. She tilted her head back and basked in the feeling of his lips gently tugging her skin; her hands slid down his back and traced his toned muscles with each stroke. Mamoru caressed her legs with the tips of his fingers with the softest touch and let his body respond to hers and be one with her. The feeling of her bare skin against his sent shivers down all over realizing he had come to a moment where he just couldn't stop touching her; everything about her drove him crazy, her sweet flowery scent, her warmth; everything in her reminded him that she was the only one that had that kind of power over him, the only one that could make him lose all control over his own mind and body. With one hand caressing her side and the other keeping her close and secure in his arms, he slowly lay her down on the bed with his lips never leaving hers and let the few remains of clothing came off them in a natural flow as she protectively pulled him closer. Usagi took a deep breath as she felt a warmth running all over her body and tilted her head back in pleasure. Her breathing, her heart beats, her entire body and emotions were something she could no longer control because they were no longer hers.

Tangled between slow and deep movements, soft panting, and gentle love whispers, they gave in to the raw act of love and let the moment take its natural course. Usagi secured her arms around his waist and looked into his deep blue eyes with so much love and devotion; she was not foreign to intimacy or to be sexually active with her now husband, but ever since they welcomed this part of their lives there was something that made them feel more connected—stronger, almost like if their hearts beat in their chest with the same force and rhythm, becoming one. They were no strangers to passion, but this was a whole new level of intimacy and devotion they had for one another. Their senses intensified, their touch ignited more of that deep, new found energy neither of them could get enough of and that made them feel free in a world away from anything that could do them harm. Away from the past, one that treated them like criminals and a confusing and uncertain future.

Usagi closed her eyes when she felt her body was ready to succumb to all the pleasure that had been nesting inside her and let go to enjoy the pleasure and tranquility that was to be with her husband. Mamoru felt his heart could leave his body any moment as he tried to catch his breath, but just like his wife underneath him, he savored every second of being with her in complete peace. He slowly opened his blue eyes and hummed with pleasure when he felt Usagi's delicate hand caressing his back and used the other one to flick back a chunk of dark hair meddling between their visual contact. Usagi's cheeks were flushed and her lips were slightly red and swollen from all the kissing and nibbling, but she loved it, she loved it all, and she proved it to her husband with a sweet and beautiful smile.

Mamoru leaned down and kissed her lips one more time before trying to move and rest on his side but Usagi tightened one leg around his waist and looked at him with a playful grin, "Where do you think you're going?" she bit her lower lip with mischief, "I have you."

Mamoru smiled and propped down on his forearms, "You always do." Usagi giggled and flicked another piece of hair falling over his eyes, "Forever?"

"Forever," Mamoru smiled and tried to move again but Usagi wrapped her other leg around his waist to secure him in position. He narrowed his blue eyes and leaned closer to her, "What are you doing?" Usagi giggled again, "Keeping you with me, you can't—" she widened her eyes when she felt his arms wrap tightly around her waist and turned on the bed so she could rest on top of him. Usagi gaped at him and pinched his nose, "Oh my god, you are such a cheater!"

Mamoru let out a hoarse seductive chuckle as he saw her lean down to rest her head on his chest and heard her take a deep breath, "I love you so much... more than you can imagine." Mamoru smiled and leaned to kiss her head, "I love you madly, Usako."

Usagi closed her eyes when he felt his hand caressing her lower back comfortingly, "We will win this fight..." Mamoru tilted his head to look at her, "Usa..." Usagi looked up at him with tears in her eyes, "We will win this fight, right?"

"Yes, we will." Mamoru wrapped both arms around her and kissed her temple, "We will."

Usagi clung to her husband like if her life depended on it and took a deep shaky breath and let out a soft sob, "All we did was fall in love."

Mamoru closed his eyes and nodded, the pain and truth in her words made her voice quiver with intense emotion, breaking his heart, "I know baby, I know..."

"Why they can't understand that?" Usagi let out another sob charged with raw emotion, "Endymion, why can't they just leave us alone?!"

"Because..." Mamoru opened his eyes at the sound of his name—his real name. One that made him feel tied to a dynasty he now felt obliged to preserve and protect. "They don't see what you and I see... their conviction is clouded with ambition."

"All we did was fall in love, why is it such a sin?!" Usagi sobbed angrily, "Why are we treated like the worst of criminals?!"

Mamoru tilted her chin up so she could look at him, "It's not the act itself Serenity, it's whom you fell in love with." Mamoru's eyes darkened, "They cannot see beyond that but we are stronger. What we feel for one another is stronger than all of their disgust and rage."

"They are the real monsters... love should not be considered a crime," Usagi nodded and cuddled her head in his chest again, "We will prove them wrong my love," she closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she tightened her arms around her husband's waist, "I love you, to the Moon and back..."

"I love you too," Mamoru nodded and closed his eyes, "To the world where we belong."

O—o—o—o—O

Asteria appeared at the top of Tokyo Tower and looked at the lights below her with disgust. The cool breeze played with her long hair that looked like black fire around her and narrowed her eyes, "We have played this little game long enough—it is time for you and me to meet and have a little chat." She raised her hands, "Army of Shadows! I grant you power to cross into this realm and get rid of any trace of light—kill those with the blessing from the stars!" in one swift move, she stomped her spiked heel on the concrete again and allowed her poisonous energy flow like veins of venom across the floor taking over everything in its way, "I, Asteria of the Fates and Fallen Stars command you to rise against those who oppose our laws!" her lips curved into a malicious grin, "Traitors must die."

Like a thick blanket of darkness, her poison slowly began to spread all over the city allowing the vicious spirits controlled in the deepest parts of the underworld crawl and rise from a large pit opened on the ground where she opened the portal with her heel. Asteria's eyes began gleaming with a red tint as she looked at the energy power die below her feet "Come out, come out wherever you are... let me see that face of yours and see who has more control over whom,"

Another shadow appeared next to the dark goddess and looked at the scenario unfolding before him with satisfaction, "Is this what you had in mind two thousand years ago?" Asteria asked with pleasure in her voice and turned to Athamas who was staring at the shadows spread like fog all over the city, "Close enough," he turned to the dark goddess and frowned, "You are being more condescending than I thought you would be."

Asteria turned and arched her brow, her long sharp nails caressed his jaw and smiled, "Do not believe everything you hear, Andromedian. My kind is more helpful than it seems and I am always looking for a good bargain." Athamas turned to see the void allowing the tar and smoke creatures crawl its way out into the planet and crossed his arms, "They should be out by now like cockroaches, looking for a way out."

"I thought you were doing this to avenge those who stole your right and power," Asteria said in a low, monotone voice, "Is not your beloved alive in this era?"

"I want that damn mortal dead," Athamas growled, "I want her to see his corpse so she can open her eyes and realize the truth."

"My, my... this love triangle is much more complex than I thought; the plot thickens with every curse you say," Asteria chuckled, "You really hold a deep grudge against the hybrid," Athamas narrowed his eyes with anger, "I hate he had to have her—I hate he has always been in the mouths of every immortal being—I hate that despicable monster."

Asteria sighed and rolled her eyes in a mockery fashion, "Yes, yes... he is a disgrace..." she turned to the andromedian and arched her brow, "Then kill him. Kill them all and retrieve your lover from his grasp, regain your power, Andromedian. Was not she yours in the first place?" she saw Athamas frowned, "They should be out by now!" his voice spiked with frustration. Asteria tilted her head up "Patience Andromedian—the hybrid has noticed by now, that I am sure. I can almost taste its energy," her black eyes narrowed as she licked her lips with pleasure, "And I can already tell it is delicious."

O—o—o—o—O

At the other end of the city, Rei was doing her usual prayers by the fire when she felt a heavy and dense energy coming close to the temple. Her eyes widened in horror and ran to look out the window and saw Phobos and Deimos flying in circles above the shrine, "This vicious energy..." she turned on her heel and ran outside the temple and chanted a prayer to exorcise the evil spirits coming her way.

"That will not help!" she turned to see Jadeite who was walking towards her, "Jadeite..."

"They're coming, the shadows, they are coming again!" Rei widened her eyes and saw Megumi standing by the door with a horrid expression on her face "They are coming again!"

"Megumi-san! Go back to the house!" Rei urged the girl to get away from the dark creatures then turned to Jadeite with horror in her amethyst eyes, "It's too strong—they're stronger than before, I can feel it... I don't know if I will be able to stop them,"

"You need to alert the other Senshi..." Jadeite turned and grabbed Rei by the shoulders "Mars, you need to come back and you need to do it _now_. Step away from that shadow of self-doubt, you are the daughter of the God of War—it is in your veins, stop denying yourself! You are stronger than this!" Rei looked at Jadeite with hesitance, "I—" she shook her head and tried to grab a charm from her sleeve but the blonde general stopped her abruptly, "Mars... your Princess needs you! My Prince needs your help— _I_ need you! It's time Mars, time to wake up!"

"Rei-chan!" Luna ran out to the porch and widened her burgundy eyes in shock and horror, "No..." Artemis caught up with her and tried to urge his lover to come back inside, "Luna, they're strong we need to come back inside! We need to look after Megumi!" Luna shook her head, "Usagi-chan!" she turned with panic to her beloved, "Artemis... I need to go to Usagi-chan!"

"Luna, Usagi is with Mamoru—she is not alone. We need to alert the girls... they need to gather and fight." Artemis's green eyes narrowed, "The power in the city is dead, if these are the same shadows, it won't take them long to find us." Luna's breathing fastened, she was beginning to have an anxiety attack "I—"

"Luna!" Artemis tried to hold her, but she was becoming unresponsive to his voice "Luna!" Rei turned and watched the black kitty suffocating "Luna!" she turned on her heel when she heard a loud growl that made her turn, "Sulfur?" she muttered, her amethyst eyes widened when she spotted an inhuman form coming closer to them like a vicious creature hunting its prey, "You evil spirit..." she muttered angrily, "I will not forgive you for trespassing holy grounds!"

She raised her hand with her transformation pen and allowed her ancient form take over her as she shouted the words that until now felt foreign to her.

 _"Mars Crystal Power—Make... Up!"_

The rage from the sacred flames began bursting from her transformation rod and wrapped around her body quickly morphing into her sailor senshi uniform. Jadeite looked at her slowly become the woman he met and fell in love with all those years ago and with amazement, he noticed her fuku was now different from what he saw back then, he noticed her V-shaped and the center of her front bow was now a red five-pointed star. Her shoulder pads no longer were white but instead, were large light red puffs with two patches of red fabric attached to the bottom. Her gloves became longer, reaching to her upper arms and her belt consisted of two ribbons in a lighter and darker shade of red, with an extra two long, thin back ribbons, clipped together by a golden five-pointed star. Her back bow was now light red instead of purple and her skirt became two-layered also, in two shades of red, the top being red darker than the bottom layer that was on a lighter shade. Her red high heels were now replaced by knee-length high white boots and each had a red V-shaped border with a five-pointed star at the top and her tiara had a five-pointed star gem in its center, replacing the red stone she had in the past.

Jadeite widened his eyes with wonder and turned to summon his own power go back to his grey military uniform with deep blue lining and turned to Rei as he raised a wall of clay to stop the enemy coming closer to Megumi and the mauian advisors, "Mars! _Now_!"

Rei felt her hands feel warmer and warmer, she looked down at them and saw tiny sparks waiting anxiously to be called upon and gave it to her nature, her power, and slowly opened her amethyst eyes with determination. "I won't run away... Father... Ojisan... lend me your strength," she frowned and extended her hand and summoned for a holy ofuda, "I won't forgive you for threatening my loved ones... for disrupting peace, I am the Soldier of Flame and Passion—in the name of Mars, I will chastise you!"

 _Akuryo—_ she moved her arm to trace a circle and cursed the shadows moving before her, and summoned for her sacred fire, " _—Taisan!_

The raging flames coming from Mars' hands soon engulfed the vicious shadows trapped inside the barrier Jadeite created to block their path and burned until there was no trace of malicious energy. Mars exhaled and looked down at her hands and closed her eyes, accepting her truth and life "Papa..." she whispered and opened her eyes slowly and turned to look at a very surprised and pleased Jadeite looking back at her, "Now, _this_ is the Mars I remember..." he smirked with pride, "Welcome back."

Mars's eyes widened "Jadeite..."

The blonde general frowned, "Now, we must meet with the others—they are multiplying, we must stay focused. The other Shittenou are probably aware and taking matters into their hands." Mars nodded and turned to Luna, Artemis, and Megumi "But I can't leave them here alone!"

Jadeite's lips tightened, with a heavy sigh he turned towards the tower's direction, "Then they will have to come with us... I feel this energy coming from the High Tower,"

"Me too." Rei narrowed her eyes, and looked at Megumi "Please... can you take care of them?"

Megumi nodded with determination and carried Luna and Artemis in her arms as tight as she could and looked at the general and senshi, "I will not run away anymore." her words made sense to Mars, who was still getting used to this strong wave of power she did not know she missed so much. Running away—the Miko thought, "That is what I have been doing..." she muttered and frowned, "But not anymore," her deep amethyst eyes narrowed, "Not anymore."

O—o—o—o—O

Mamoru laid on his side in silence and watched his wife sleeping peacefully, his hand was absently caressing her arm while thinking what she said just hours ago with so much pain and desperation.

 _"The only thing we did was fall in love..."_

Her quivering voice still echoed in his mind as he remembered all the times they repeated the same words while hiding from everybody like criminals. That was the part that made Mamoru his past so much, because, in the end, he could not fulfill the promise he made to the princess, it was because of it that their love was forbidden in the first place. "Gods..." he muttered bitterly when he felt a strong pull in his chest and noticed how the room had gotten considerably darker than it was before. He got out of bed and quickly got dressed and walked to the window to look outside. He frowned when he saw the city was in total blackout and narrowed his deep blue eyes when he saw a strange energy surrounding the tower in the distance allowing no room to wonder; there was no mistake about it, they had arrived, "Damn it..." he cursed under his breath and quickly walked back to the bed, "Usako," he shook her slowly to make her come back to her senses, "Baby, wake up."

Usagi slowly woke up and widened her eyes when she saw him kneeled on her side of the bed, fully dressed, "Mamo-chan? What's—" Mamoru covered her mouth with his hand and pressed his finger on his lips to ask her to be quiet, "They're here." he whispered in her ear and passed her the clothes she was wearing the day before, silently asking her to get dressed as quickly as she could. Usagi turned to her husband with horror when she heard a growling sound echoing in the dark and turned to her husband with worry; once dressed, Mamoru held her hand and walked towards the window of their bedroom to show her what was happening outside in silence; Usagi widened her eyes when she saw the city had gone completely dark and shook her head, "No..."

"We need to get out of here," Mamoru whispered and turned to look out the window again, "Emergency—staircase—now." Usagi quickly nodded and held Mamoru's hand as they walked out of the apartment in silence. The hall was lit with the emergency lights but it was still dull enough for the dark spirits to lurk in the corners. She turned and gasped at one strange looking creature standing at the end of the hall and tightened her grip on her husband's hand, making him turn. Mamoru cursed under his breath when he saw the creature crawling after them, "Don't look at them—whatever you do, don't look at them!"

They ran down the long emergency staircase that would lead them to the building's parking. Halfway down, Usagi gasped when she felt something tugging her sweater but this time she didn't want to turn around; Mamoru turned quickly over his shoulder and knocked the creature with his elbow as he pulled his wife closer to him and looked down, "We will have to jump from here—get on my back," the tone of his voice was clear enough for her not to ask any more questions or hesitate to his request and so she climbed on his back and wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist and bit her lip, hoping for the best, "Okay Usako, this is going to be a long jump... take a deep breath..."

"It's so dark..." Usagi mumbled with worry and took a deep and shaky breath, "I know this rail like the palm of my hand, love, don't worry—I have to take you out of here, that's all that matters." Mamoru frowned, trying to study where to land and jumped on the metal handrail before jumping down. Usagi found it incredible how he was able to see a rail to grab on so they wouldn't plummet to their deaths on the way down when it was pitch dark. Usagi got off his back feeling a little weak and nauseous and held her husband's hand to remain focused and keep up with his rhythm. She turned and saw more shadows were sprawling in the vacant space like tar and frowned, "We are surrounded!" Usagi said with desperation in her voice, Mamoru gave a quick look around and spotted an emergency exit sign that and pulled Usagi with him, "Over here,"

Usagi could feel them coming closer to them and closed her eyes, silently praying for an alibi that would allow them to get out of the building safe and quickly. It was so dark they could barely see where to go, she was surprised Mamoru could even think under such penumbra; she let out a panic scream when one of the creatures crawling pulled away from Mamoru, "Noooo!"

Mamoru turned and widened his eyes, "Usa!" he turned and ran to grab her hand but he also was being pulled another shadow, "Mamo-chan!" she turned to see one of the creatures tugging her leg and making her lose balance and fall to the ground. "Let me go!" she yelled on the verge of hysteria and used her other leg to kick the creature away but heard another one was crawling faster towards her. "Stay away from her!" Mamoru frowned with a anger and extended his hand, _"Statuam Dea, quæ de Terra est, intende orationi meae, responde mihi mandatum et viveret Pascitur umbra comburendum vivit!"*_

Usagi widened her eyes when she heard him chant the words in Latin and looked down at the stone in her pendant shining bright and bursting golden flames and fed on the shadows that were pulling the royals apart. Usagi widened her eyes with amazement and quickly turned to Mamoru who was running towards her and wrapped his arms around his wife in a secure embrace, "Usa..." he breathed with relief and gave her a determinant look once the emergency lights in the garage flickered back on; Usagi nodded, knowing exactly what they had to do and grabbed her brooch from her pocket and raised her hand,

" _Silver Moon Crystal Power Make—Up!"_

* * *

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _Divinity is an M rated story. Intimate and explicit scenes might happen from time to time, please keep that in mind._

-O-

 _Glossary:_

 _*Matrina: Godmother._

 _*Te amo, a fundo cordis mei: I love you, from the bottom of my heart._

 _* Te amo quoque pulchra mihi et sole: I love you too, my beautiful sunshine._

 _*Sacred stone that belonged to the Goddess of Earth, listen to my prayer, answer my command and come alive! Feed on the shadows, burn them alive!_


	46. Chapter 46

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Forty-six

* * *

Kunzite opened his eyes and noticed how Minako's room had suddenly become pitch dark. She had the silly costume of always leaving a night light for whenever she got up in the middle of the night in case she needed to go to the bathroom with the purpose on keeping her from crashing against a wall or hit her pinky toe with the rim of her bed—a thing he already noticed happened very often. Despite Kunzite's insistence on turning it off because he liked to sleep in complete darkness and his never-ending promise that he would wake up to make sure she wouldn't hurt herself, she still turned it on for safety purposes as she would always say. He turned on the bed when he felt a strange energy in the air and stood up to look out the window and widened his eyes when his concerns were confirmed by the scene happening outside. Not too long after, a loud growling sound made him turn to the sleeping beauty on the bed, "Venus!" he called out loud, startling the blonde completely and making her wake up all disoriented, "What!? What!?" She sighed and rubbed her eyes, "Seriously, Kunzite, you have zero touch with women... a little love wouldn't hurt anyone, you know?" she mumbled with annoyance and let out a soft sigh, "—I guess I like to torture myself with beautiful men."

"Excuse me?" Kunzite turned and arched his brow; Minako rolled her eyes and turn on the bed to give her back to him, "You heard me—good night."

"Something is happening outside," Kunzite said in a deeper voice, letting Minako know there was no room for negotiation. The blonde quickly turned and looked at him over her shoulder with worry and jumped off the bed to join him by the window to see with her own eyes what he was talking about. Her cornflower blue eyes widened with shock when she saw the city in complete darkness and turned to the leader of the shitennou when another growl echoed outside, "Kunzite..."

"The shadows," the white-haired general muttered, Minako nodded and saw a light flashing in her communicator on her nightstand and went to respond right away, "Rei-chan?"

 _"Minako-chan! We are under attack! It's the same... the shadow creatures... they're too many of them!"_

Minako looked at Kunzite "The Prince and Princess..." she mumbled and turned to the communicator again and frowned, "Rei-chan, is Megumi-san with you?!"

 _"Yes, Megumi-san, Luna, Artemis, and Jadeite are here with me,"_

Kunzite turned when he heard his comrade's name and frowned, _"We are heading towards Tokyo Tower—something or better said, someone, is unleashing these evil spirits from that point. It wasn't safe for me to leave them back at the shrine—they're stronger, Minako,"_

"Kunzite and I are going to check on Usagi and Mamoru—please alert the other girls and keep me informed!" Both soldiers put on their shoes and ran out of the apartment in a hurry towards Mamoru and Usagi's apartment while still talking to Rei over their communicator, _"Please be careful!"_ Rei said in a worried tone.

Both guardians left Minako's apartment and faced a similar situation to what Usagi and Mamoru encountered just minutes ago. Kunzite frowned and turned to face the shadows that were already lurking in the small hallway and coming after them, "Venus—you go ahead. I will take care of them," The general summoned his power and a wave of energy morphed his clothes into his grey military uniform with dark silver lining and white cape. He drew out his quartz sword and pointed at it at the creature coming closer to them, getting ready to attack. The weapon in his hand began to glow a pale pink color, surprising Minako "That is..." she said softly, realizing this was the strong power the general carried within him. It was something completely different from what she saw during the time he was under the influence of Beryl's curse and used the power Metallia granted him as her general, but this, she didn't even remember him using his sword before, but now, it confirmed his military background. Kunzite turned to Venus over his shoulder and frowned, "Get out of—"

"No!" Minako interrupted him, "No, I won't leave you!"

"I will catch up with you later!"

"I said _no!_ " Minako's voice quivered, "I am not going without you—not anymore!" Kunzite's pale eyes widened, "Venus..."

"We are soldiers and we have a mission—either we do it together or we don't do it at all!" Minako said with determination, "I am tired of being pulled away from you. Do you hear me?! You stupid, gorgeous man! Can't you see that I love you!?" her blue eyes widened realizing what she just said and blushed five shades of pink but the truth was out, she belonged to the man in front of her, her life was linked to his and somehow, they were granted an actual chance to continue their mission together and live their love freely, like it should have been since the very beginning. She ran towards him and pulled him from his arm to the emergency staircase, "If we attack from here, people will be in danger." Minako turned to look around as she ran down the first set of stairs, "Although it feels like we are the only ones that can stand this massive strong energy around us."

Kunzite sensed the shadows were following him and if they didn't move faster, they were going to fall into their trap; the general turned to look down the handrail and frowned, "We need to jump, this is taking forever." He turned and wrapped his arm around Minako's waist, taking her completely by surprise as he pulled her closer to him and jumped on the rail while still looking down, calculating the best spot to land, "Kunzite! What the hell are you doing?!"

"We are jumping from here,"

"W-What?!" Minako's eyes widened, "Are you crazy!?" Kunzite arched his brow and turned to look at her, "Says the normal girl—" he sighed, "With extreme situations, we must come with extreme solutions."

"What?!" Minako frowned with panic, "What is that?!"

"That is something we learned back in our training days in the army," Kunzite said in a lecturing tone at Minako who still kept a puzzled look in her face, "You're crazy, you're going to get us killed!" The silver-haired general sighed again and shook his head, "There is no time to go down memory lane—take a deep breath, close your eyes, or whatever makes you feel less panicked— hang on, we are going down." Without giving her more time to mentally prepare herself, Kunzite jumped down holding a frantic Minako screaming at the top of her lungs, "By all heavens! You are bursting my ears!"

"You asked me to do whatever made me feel less in panic, well, this helps!" Minako screamed as they continued to fall down for another minute until the general grabbed a pipe and finally jumped down to the ground, surprisingly uninjured. Kunzite let go of his lover and shook his head trying to shake the piercing echo of Minako's high-pitch screaming still bouncing in his brain.

"Of all the things I thought would help... I never thought screaming was the way to go." Minako exhaled and looked around the vacant parking garage and mentally thanked whoever decided to put emergency lights all over the large space, "We need to get to Endymion and Princess Serenity quickly," Kunzite interrupted Minako's thoughts and frowned, "Venus..."

Minako looked at him and nodded, taking her transformation rod she raised her hand and shouted the magic words, _"Venus Crystal Power—Make Up!"_

A warm and enchanting light burst from her wand and began surrounding her like ribbons of gold. This was the first time Kunzite was a witness of her powers as her clothes slowly morphed into what was now her new soldier uniform; her choker was V-shaped and the center of her front bow was an orange five-pointed star. Her shoulder pads were see-through yellow puffs with two patches of orange fabric attached to the bottom. Her gloves became longer, reaching to her upper arms. Her belt consisted of two ribbons - one orange and one yellow, with two long, thin back ribbons, clipped together by a golden five-pointed star. Her golden chain still clung to the natural curves of her waist like he remembered. Her back bow was yellow and her skirt became two-layered, the top layer being orange and the bottom layer yellow. Her usual orange strap heels were replaced by white knee-length boots with an orange V-shaped border and a five-pointed star at the top. Her tiara gem was now replaced by an orange five-pointed star and her earrings were orange, dangling five-pointed stars. She looked regal and much more powerful than he knew she was; the day they were sent back to protect the Prince he noticed there was a different wave to her, but this time he could actually take the time to notice all the changes time has made to her life as a sailor senshi.

She looked at him and gave him a soft, barely noticeable smile; one only he could recognize and let out a soft breath. "It's a long story..." she said softly, as to answer his silent question as to what happened to her previous uniform. Kunzite smiled at her and nodded, then noticed more dark creatures were forming again, "We will have to postpone this conversation for now." Venus turned and frowned, "They're not human, right?"

Kunzite narrowed his grey eyes and shook his head, "I believe they once were—" Sailor Venus's eyes widened in shock and turned to the leader of the shittenou, "What?!"

"Human or divine, these creatures were something at one point, but somehow they morphed into this." Kunzite muttered and tightened his grip on his sword, "This place is not the best to fight, it could cause serious damage to the structure and those who are inside the building would be in danger," he turned to look at her and cocked a brow, "I know they already are but if we expose them to the creatures, it could be worse." Venus turned and gaped at him, "Wait, h-how did you know—"

"—What you were going to say?" Kunzite smirked, "Come on Sailor Venus, I am a Shittenou—the first in command, give me some credit."

"Huh," Venus quirked a brow and pursed her lips, Kunzite moved closer to her and held her hand for a second "Love can give you superhuman powers too."

Sailor Venus looked at the man next to her and returned the same confident smirk, "You are right, my fellow peer—love does crazy things to the human body, I know that very well," she started to walk towards the dark creature crawling slowly towards them, taking Kunzite by surprise "Venus!"

Venus walked confidently towards the enemy, her golden chain made a soft crisp sound as it strutted with the swaying of her hips with every step she took and stopped to look over her shoulder at her handsome lover, "You just said it yourself Shittenou, we cannot fight them here—but we still need a way out." she turned and pointed her finger at the demonic shadow growling at her, "Hey, you, shadow thing! I cannot allow you to come any further. Your existence in this realm is forbidden! I am the Soldier of Love and Beauty and in the name of Love, I will punish you!" she extended her hand and brought it to her lips, _"Venus!"_ she shouted out and allowed her mystical energy shine through her gloved hand and threw a blast of energy at the shadow in front of her, " _Love and Beauty Shock!"_

The creature burned with the intense golden light coming from the senshi of love and feel to the ground as a pile of ashes; Venus turned to see a very impressed Kunzite over her shoulder and smirked, "Come on Shittenou, I am the leader of the Inner Sailor Senshi—give me some credit."

The soldier walked over to her and flicked her long, choppy fringe to the side and leaned down to caress her lips with his feeling completely smitten with her as he pulled her into his arms, "This is the worst timing, I know, but—" he looked into her bright blue eyes and smiled, "I must confess that there is nothing more seductive for a man than to be with a woman who knows what she is doing." he closed the gap between them in a passionate kiss and parted seconds after leaving her speechless "I love you too, Venus."

Venus looked at him wide-eyed and parted her lips with desire for the man holding her securely in his arms. This is what she wanted, what she dreamt for—what she waited for so long. The man that could understand her nature, one who would share her dreams with and one that could match her in every way. Kunzite was the man she waited for so long, her transcendental love.

O—o—o—o—O

At the other side of Tokyo, Ami was running down the hallway at the hospital trying to reach for the nurses' station to call security and get help for the patients. She was currently doing a consultation with another doctor and Akashi when the power went out and it did not take long for her to realize what, or rather, who was behind such a feat and ran out of the room to get help and alert the girls not after pleading Akashi and the other senior doctor to stay inside the room with the patient. While on her way to the nurses' station she stopped and widened her eyes when she saw all the floor staff unconscious on the floor. The bluenette quickly thought of Motoki and knew he was currently in another floor, but now, he was aware things were not normal and with him, being so close to them, he had to learn how to take care of matters when a situation like this broke unexpectedly. Mamoru and the girls had taught him things he could do in moments like these, so thankfully, she knew he was going to be alright. Motoki was very smart and he was skillful enough to find ways to escape and help others.

Ami looked up when the emergency lights went on and quickly hid behind the front desk when she heard a loud growl echoing at the end of the hallway and frowned. She turned and saw one of the nurses widen her eyes and brought a finger to her lips, silently asking her to remain quiet and look for a place to hide. The nurse nodded and quickly went to lock herself in one of the patient's room. Ami took a deep breath when she saw the lights started to flicker and turned; her blue eyes widened when she saw a dark silhouette standing in the middle of the hallway every time the light when off, it was one of the creepiest things she has ever seen in her life and it sent shivers all over her body. She covered her mouth to mute any breathing sound and held her breath when the lights began flickering to an extent of going off once again, leaving her feeling in complete solitude and darkness. The growling intensified only making Ami feel more threatened by whoever was now standing at the other side of the desk. Her eyes widened in panic when the blue light from her communicator started to blink intensely, confirming her suspicions and quickly covered it with her hand so it wouldn't get caught.

She closed her eyes and jerked her head a little to get a better view of what was happening and noticed the creature had moved from its place in front of the desk and was getting close to one of the rooms down the hall; with trembling hands, she brought the communicator closer to her mouth and opened the signal to talk not giving Mars a chance to talk, "Hospital—emergency—enemy." she whispered while keeping her eyes on the dark shadow, "I can't—" she took a deep breath, "—Talk."

 _"It's coming from Tokyo Tower—"_ Ami heard Rei speaking low at the other end, _"Please be careful and get out of there as soon as you can—right now they seem to be targeting us and not civilians, but I wouldn't be too relieved about it, they soon might change strategies."_

Ami looked down at her watch and then back at to where the shadow was standing just seconds ago and widened her eyes in panic, "It moved..."

 _"What?"_

"The shadow... it moved..." Ami took a panicked breath and turned to look to the other side and saw the distorted face of the shadow looking back at her intensely, making her jolt in horror out of her hiding place. _"Ami-chan! Are you okay?! Ami-chan!"_

Ami looked at the creature just feet away from her and stood up slowly, "Rei-chan... I'm going to have to call you back!"

 _"Ami-chan!"_

"I will meet you there!" Ami frowned and took her transformation rod and lifted in the air, " _Mercury Crystal Power—Make Up!"_

A cold splash of water ribbons soon began to wrap around her like a second skin, in seconds her clothes changed from scrubs to her Sailor Senshi uniform; that was no different from the others. Her choker was V-shaped and the center of her front bow was a blue five-pointed star. Her shoulder pads were large see-through light blue puffs with two patches of blue fabric attached to the bottom, her gloves became longer, reaching to her upper arms and her belt consisted of two blue ribbons, a blue one, and a light blue one, with two long, thin back ribbons, clipped together by a golden five-pointed star. Her back bow was light blue and her skirt became two-layered, the top layer was in a darker shade of blue than the bottom layer that was a lighter, icy shade. Her boots were knee-length and white, and each had a blue V-shaped border with a five-pointed star at the top. Her tiara gem and earrings were replaced too by a blue five-pointed star. She looked down at her gloved hands and then back at the shadow in front of her and frowned, "Putting people in need of medical care in danger is something I will never forgive, this is a sacred place and your presence here is forbidden! I am the Soldier of Water and Intellect, blessed by the planet of ice and water, in the name of Mercury, douse yourself in water and repent!"

The shadow moved awkwardly towards her and Mercury was sure she could hear as there were bones cracking accompanying the loud and intimidating growling; she turned and saw more shadows crawl from every dark corner and crannies in the hallways and frowned, "If me is who you want, then come and try to get me."

The shadows began moving aggressively towards her when she summoned for her powers; she could not deny there was an adrenaline rush she didn't know she missed as the calming and cold power of water intensified inside her; like a calling she extended her arms, _"Mercury Aqua Mist!"_ a heavy fog filled the empty hallways impeding the vision of the enemy as she moved out of their way; she turned once she spotted another shadow crawling towards her she summoned for the second stage of her attack _"Shine Snow Illusion!"_ shards of ice began clung to the shadow's bodies and made them fall and break on the floor like glass and smoke as they slowly faded, leaving only the heavy smell of "Sulfur?" Mercury muttered and turned to the shadow that found her first, still standing still in the middle of the hallway and looking at her with intense red eyes, "W-What?" Mercury extended her hand and summoned for her power again, but the shadow moved faster and unlike the others, this emanated a stronger energy that slowly started to suffocate her, "N-No..." she frowned, trying to fight the dizziness but her body began to feel weaker and slowly fell on her knees, "W-What do you want...?" she looked up at the shadow floating towards her, "W-What..." Her blue eyes felt heavy and she started to feel confused, the creature had the power to distort her thoughts, pushing her to the very edge of losing her strength. Like an answer to her prayers, a sword pierced through the shadow and sliced it in half. She was sure that is what she saw, a man with a sword—a man, with ashy blonde hair. Zoisite turned and kneeled next to Mercury and tried to pull her back from her hazy state, "Mercury! Mercury!"

Mercury opened her eyes just slightly when she heard the soft, but warm voice from the man holding her in his arms, "Mercury!"

"Z-Zoisite...?" Mercury frowned and tried to move her body, "Is that..."

The blonde shittenou turned when he heard another growl and saw the shadow had summoned more of its minions. With a frown, the commander of the European Division of Earth tried to locate the weapon he threw at the shadow to attack it again, knowing that it was impossible to summon his energy due to their surroundings, "Mercury..." he called her again, this time with more authority "I need you to help me—I need you to be strong and come back from the curse that shadow put on you," he turned to look at her in the eyes, "I need you to summon your power once again, Mercury!" he leaned down and put his hands on her face. There was something in his soft touch that made her feel warm and more in touch with reality, she opened her eyes and took a deep breath, "We can do this, come on!" The shittenou shook her softly, Mercury looked at the creature before them and nodded, knowing what the general was trying to do to counter-attack, _"Mercury!"_ she called for her power and placed her palms facing the floor, _"Shine Snow Illusion!"_ A blanket of ice shards began growing and multiplying from the senshi's hands freezing the floors and covering them in a cloud of icy fog; the general narrowed his green eyes, trying to spot the shadow that was crawling its way out but and ran after it with impressive speed. Thanks to the ice on the floor, he used it to his advantage and threw himself to take his sword giving him the time and space necessary to jump and attack the demon, cutting its head in one swift move. Like magic, the emergency lights came back on again leaving Mercury and the general free from its dense malicious energy; she allowed her powers to dissipate and slowly stood up with Zoisite's help and looked up at him both blushed and surprised "H-How did you get in here? H-How did you—"

Zoisite put his finger on her lips softly, "It is not too difficult to find you, Mercury, your energy is very distinctive." he smiled softly "I must say, we make a wonderful team." Mercury smiled and nodded, then remembered what Mars' told her, "The tower—whatever it is infiltrating here, it's coming from Tokyo Tower. Mars and Jadeite are on their way!" she looked back into the hall and took a deep breath, " Mercury, I will create a barrier to keep them safe,"

"I won't leave you here..." Mercury held his hands, "I will help you create the barrier—"

Zoisite nodded and held her hand as he walked to the staircase and get out of the building before they could attract more enemies to the hospital. Once outside of the building, Zoisite turned and summoned for his purifying energy and turned to Mercury, to lend him her power as well. "This will keep them out of danger—almost unnoticeable for the enemy,"

Mercury widened her eyes with marvel, this was the first time she joined forces and merged her powers this way. It was exactly like Zoisite said, they had to work together and stay strong and this was the best start.

O—o—o—o—O

After debating what dessert she should try making next for her business project, Makoto decided to go and buy more ingredients with Nephrite when the blackout occurred, taking them by surprise. Nephrite looked up at the sky and frowned, "The stars... they are troubled." Makoto frowned and turned to Nephrite, "What do you mean?"

"They are being manipulated," Nephrite muttered and looked to his side and noticed dark figures moving fast in between bushes and buildings, mentally thanking the moon for being full and bright that night. "We are being followed." Makoto widened her forest green eyes when she heard loud growls coming from across the parking lot and found them crowding around them like a fog of malice. She turned and saw the people inside the store and that was out in the parking were now unconscious on the floor, being her and the general the only two ones standing against the herd of shadows.

"They are on a hunt." Nephrite narrowed his moss-colored eyes and clenched his jaw, cursing himself under his breath for not being more alert. "They were sent here to hunt us down."

"Hunt us..." Makoto whispered and widened her eyes, trying to fight the feeling of desolation at the man's words. She looked up at the partly cloudy sky and closed her eyes, trying to understand her life as the illegitimate daughter of a celestial god and how that has affected her life in this time and era before she even knew her past. Was it the god's wrath for being there? Was it just amusing to them to cause so much damage to innocent people? —she thought. Since this strange enemy began to manifest, it has been swirling in her mind and making her feel threatened by her own nature, making her feel upset about their ways of life and hunger for power.

Makoto felt the normal part of her life was slipping away from her hands as if she was losing control over her decisions, over her life, "I can't..." her voice began to quiver and shook her head with panic, "I can't..." she heard the growls and strange whispers becoming more and more clear and opened her eyes with realization; she was given a second chance to fulfill her duties as the senshi of courage, to protect and fight against any enemy's ambitious desire to control it all but her tremendous desire to lead a normal life as a chef girl on her search for love was still pulling her to the ground, despite her reality.

"Jupiter..." Nephrite called her softly and stood in front of her, he looked down at her and cupped her cheek with his warm hand, "Why are you so afraid?" his deep low voice was like a soothing blanket over her troubled and fragile body. Makoto fought the tears pooling in her eyes and tightened her glossy lips, "I just can't go back to being the always intimidating girl—I just..." she closed her eyes for a moment and opened wide soon after she felt Nephrite's soft caresses on her cheek, "Sweet Jupiter... being different is not a curse, but a blessing." he smiled softly, "I understand how you feel, back then, I too was the lonely child with strange powers-nobody came close to me because of it. People were afraid of me, called me names and thought I was cursed... but it all changed the moment I decided it was enough." he frowned softly while looking deep into her forest green eyes, always so full of passion, always curious. "You want to fulfill your dreams I understand, but, why do you have to choose just one side of you? Why do you have to be just half of who you really are?" Makoto's eyes widened twice their size in realization, "Just... one side?"

"You are strong and valiant—you are a beautiful soldier. You were chosen to live the most incredible life... this is not the end, Jupiter, but a new beginning. You are different, yes, but we all are our own kind, like the stars in the sky," he looked up, "They all have a different sheen, shapes, and forms... they all tell a different story and they all have different missions." He looked down at her and smiled softly, "Embrace who you are and create a better future..." he took a deep breath and traced the line of her jaw with delicacy, "A future where I can be by your side."

"N-Nephrite..." Makoto breathed with surprise. Nephrite could turn any word or any sound into magic with his deep, rich voice. With an elegant chuckle, he tilted his head down, never leaving his eyes off hers, "Is it not too obvious sweet Jupiter? That a man dedicated to the stars has found love in the brightest and most beautiful of them all?"

Makoto could not hold her tears any longer and they slowly rolled down her cheeks; this was the first time a man ever declared such words to her without any doubts or hesitation, without fear or without taking her for granted. In her free time as Kino Makoto, she met people but never really felt understood, she never felt like she belonged, and she always ended up being alone, dealing with her own feelings because she was always too intense, she was always too much of everything. Since the time she lived with her mother back at home at Io Castle, she remembered being the strange girl due to her origins and total abandonment of her father, she was the strange one—the castaway and due to that, she created a tough character and succeeded in becoming a strong senshi but deep down all she wanted was to be understood, valued, and loved. The first time she met Nephrite, there was always a tranquil vibe coming from him and the moment she learned he had a special power, just like she did, she felt like she was not alone in the cosmos—despite his mortality.

"Is it true, what you are saying?" Makoto breathed, still surprised by his words. Nephrite played with the loose strand of hair whirling in the breeze and nodded, "Yes." he tilted his head closer to hers and a spark in his eyes encouraged her to wake up from her weak state, "Jupiter, we are different. You have the power to fight and create a better future, whatever future you want, but you cannot accomplish anything if you still feel isolated and afraid. If you need me, I am here. If you feel you cannot do it alone, lean on me—if you need advice, talk to me. Stop being afraid, there are many people who love you and care for you, it is time to embrace your true nature and let it shine, like the star you are."

"My true nature." Makoto said more secure of herself and looked at the shadows forming in the distance and moving towards them, "My true nature..." she repeated and searched for her rod in her pocket. Nephrite's words felt like a calming rain, washing away all of her fears and doubts, her unusual low self-esteem and self-pity. She had a mission, and that was far from who she had permitted to become over the years and with the same determination she dedicated to protect and serve her princess in this era, she felt her true nature come through again, like a storm ready to fall with force, "I will not let anybody step on me again," her forest green eyes narrowed with anger, "Courage is necessary to survive—" she repeated the words the Amazons taught her when she was in training, the same ones her mother taught her to follow all of her life until she met the lunar princess and joined her fellow soul sisters as the senshi of thunder. "I will not yield anymore!" she raised her rod and called for her hidden power.

 _"Jupiter Crystal Power—Make Up!"_

Nephrite looked up at the sky and smiled with pride when the sky began to bring thick clouds and a mass of thunder and lightning engulfed her with strong ribbons of energy, slowly changing her clothes into her sailor senshi uniform, one, that was very different from what he remembered wearing when he met her. Just like the others, her choker was V-shaped and the center of her front bow was a green five-pointed star. Her shoulder pads were large translucent light green puffs with two patches of green fabric attached to the bottom. Her gloves were longer and reached to her upper arms. Her belt consisted of two ribbons, one green, and one light green, with two long, thin back ribbons, clipped together by a golden five-pointed star. A floral chain with a crystal ball with petals inside nested in the curved of her waist and the back bow of her suit was light green. Her skirt became two-layered as well, with the top layer being a deeper shade of green than the bottom layer that was light green. Her boots were knee-length and white, and each had a green V-shaped border with a five-pointed star at the top. Her tiara gem was replaced by a green five-pointed star and her earrings were also green, five-pointed stars that dangled with every move.

She looked at her electric charged hands and embraced the strong feeling of security and courage within her. Sailor Jupiter looked up and then at Nephrite, who was now dressed in his military grey uniform with deep red lining and smiled at him with deep gratitude. The shitennou looked at the shadows moving closer to them and turned when a larger in size attacked them by surprise; Nephrite drew out his sword and attacked the shadow but moved faster than him and sent a blast of dark energy at the couple. Jupiter frowned and noticed they were now surrounded, "I am the Soldier of Thunder and Courage and I will make you feel so much regret it will leave you numb!" she said dryly and extended her arms, summoning to her power, not wasting any time to attack, this felt right and it felt intense—her duty, her force, her life. _"Flower hurricane!"_

The petals of a crystal orb hanging from her floral chain began to unwind a strong force around them, stopping the deadly creatures to move any closer to them. Nephrite closed his eyes and called for his celestial power, concentrating his energy on his hands and crossed his arms together, multiple balls of light orbited in circles around him then turned to Jupiter to join forces and smiled at her confidently, Sailor Jupiter returned the smile and nodded, then brought her hands together and summoned for her own energy, _"My Guardian Jupiter! Bring on the clouds! Let the storm rage on! Let the lightning strike!"_ A bolt of thunder roared through the skies down to her, surrounding her in veins of lighting _"Supreme Thunder!"_

Nephrite frowned and did a similar movement with his arms open and threw his own energy _"Cantico Luce Stellarum!"_ Both bolts of massive energy targeted each dark creature turning them into pools of tar on the ground. Jupiter turned wide-eyed at the general and blushed, Nephrite smiled and clicked his tongue "See? We are much better this way."

Sailor Jupiter blinked startled and felt like if a heavy weight was lifted off her shoulders, she felt free and with no need to keep her powers a secret. Smiling, she nodded at him and wished to continue their conversation but soon her communicator interrupted them with Rei at the other end, "Rei-chan!"

 _"Mako-chan, we are under attack—I cannot reach the Princess or Prince, Venus and Kunzite are heading over their place. I already spoke to Mercury, she is meeting us at the tower to plan a strategy and see who's behind this! I am on my way too—Jadeite, Luna, Artemis, and Megumi-san are with me."_

Jupiter turned to Nephrite and widened her eyes, "What do you mean you can't contact either Usagi or Mamoru?!"

 _"The call does not go through—it gets cut. None of their communicators are working."_

Nephrite frowned and turned to where the shadows were melted into pools of tar, "It will not be long before they rise again," he looked up, "The stars are being aggressive—we need to get to that tower!"

"Rei, we were attacked by the shadows again... I am with Nephrite, we are on our way to the tower!" Makoto said and ran behind Nephrite, "Please let me know if Venus locates the Prince and Princess!"

 _"I will—out."_

Nephrite threw another blast of light at the shadows blocking their way and frowned, "The energy is too strong, too dense..." Jupiter jumped a pool of tar and continued running next to Nephrite, "I am worried about them..."

"Endymion is not going to let anything happen to Princess Serenity," Nephrite threw another blast at another shadow coming their way, clearing the path before them, "He has been suppressing his power—I do not think it will be for too long now." Jupiter widened her emerald eyes and turned to look at him, "What do you mean?" Nephrite stopped and looked at the tower in the distance and frowned, "It means you will finally see why the gods curse his existence."

O—o—o—o—O

Minutes before the blackout happened, Akira was walking through the streets of Tokyo in a hurry, trying to locate the others involved in the exhibition to let them know of what was happening when she decided to enter a small café to buy herself something to drink to calm her nerves and steal an internet signal to try to contact Toshi, who at this point, was the most involved in her beliefs of all this discovery was part of a mythical treasure. She looked down and typed with urgency where to meet but her phone's battery soon died along with the rest of the energy all over the city. She turned around and widened her eyes when she saw all the people inside the small room were falling unconscious on the floor, one by one. "No..." she breathed in horror, already knowing who was causing this. She began feeling heavy and lose all control over her body; it felt as if she was being pushed to the ground and there was no way for her to even move a finger, "W-What..." she mumbled while trying to look up but her vision was now being compromised by the energy clouding her mind and reason "I—I can't..." she tried to look up when she saw shadows moving across the large windows, growling and spreading malicious energy. "I—I have to get... out... of... here..." Akira mumbled and looked at the medal she still had in her hand and armed herself with valor and the remains of strength still in her body to drag herself to the counter to try to push herself back up when she saw a beam of bright light piercing through the shadows crawling and stealing energy from the people on the ground. Her eyes widened in shock when she looked out the large window and saw a woman in a strange but beautiful sailor suit in gold and orange walking next to a man wearing a military uniform and a long cape flowing on his back.

"They must be close—I can feel it." Kunzite said in a deep, authoritative voice. Sailor Venus stopped and looked up at the tower in the distance and frowned, "I can't see anything but the energy coming from it is too strong." Kunzite frowned and turned at more shadows coming their way and extended his arm at them and prepared another energy attack, "They keep multiplying..."

 _"Mercury Aqua Mist!"_

Both soldiers turned to Mercury running alongside Zoisite and Mars with Jadeite. The senshi of fire used her flame powers again and formed a circle of sacred fire around her _"Burning Mandala!"_ clearing the path for them.

"Mercury! Mars!" Venus said when she saw her them wearing their uniform, she could not help the feeling of nostalgia when seeing them using their powers, whom just like her they were rediscovering. The senshi of passion and intelligence looked at their leader with a knowing smile, "I suppose the world is not ready to let us go," Mars said softly while shrugging a shoulder and crossing her arms with characteristic charm and elegance. Venus smiled at her, "I guess not."

Mercury pressed her earring to let her vision goggles cover her eyes to study the tower that was still several blocks away, "I cannot see anybody in the structure but it is clear that there is a strong fog surrounding the tower, that is where the malicious energy is pouring in, it is a dimensional gate to this world."

"A dimensional gate," Kunzite frowned and turned to Zoisite and Jadeite, "Where is Nephrite?"

"He was with Jupiter before all this dimensional thing happened." Jadeite sighed and crossed his arms, "How are we supposed to close a gate like that?"

"We need to surpass the energy that was used to open it." Mercury said softly, Jadeite arched his brow "Alright, so—" he turned to the senshi in blue, "Can we do that?"

"I am trying to find a crossing point but it's still unclear." Mercury continued looking at the goth and eerie image before them as she typed in her small computer, "This is something we have never encountered before, it is different, it does not match the Tao System or the Cauldron of Stars in any way" To this comparison, Mars frowned with worry, "This malicious energy is spreading quickly—" she turned to Venus and Kunzite, "Were you able to locate Usagi and Mamoru?"

Sailor Venus shook her head, "Azabu is highly contaminated, it is practically impossible to cross to that side of the district. There is no signal and Kunzite can't make contact with Mamoru either,"

"They found them, that is clear," Kunzite muttered, "The only reason they would invade this area is because they followed their trail but I highly doubt they caught them." he turned to Zoisite, "I will need you to use your powers to purify the area, we need to cross." The blonde nodded, and motioned his head to the tower in the distance, "And what about that?"

"We cannot go any closer with this wall of energy blocking our way," Kunzite muttered dryly and peered to one side of the street, "The shadows keep multiplying, no matter how much we fight them."

"But it is the only way to get close to that tower." Venus said and turned to Kunzite, "Even if it is only for a brief moment before they rise again, we need to get there as—" the sound of clapping distracted all six soldiers and turned to find a man standing on a light pole, looking down at them with amusement, Venus narrowed her blue eyes when recognizing the sound of his dry laughter, "You..."

"As always, Sailor Venus—your keen sense of logic is astonishing."

Megumi soon joined the soldiers and saw the blonde general making contact with the senshi and shittenou, her lips parted but no words could come out, his presence only meant that he was still on his quest of gathering the sacred blade. Athamas arched his brow and crossed his arms, "I see, so you all survived... even the felines."

Artemis looked up and widened his green eyes when a memory flash came to his mind about the man standing before them, "Athamas..." Luna widened her eyes "It's true then..."

"Oh? You do remember me, Mauian advisor..." Athamas said in a monotone voice, his eyes looked at him with no emotion "Look at you, all primitive—is that all your Majestic Queen could do for you?"

"Alright, enough with this nonsense..." Jadeite narrowed his grey eyes and turned to Mars with a finger pointing at the andromedian, "Who the hell is this?!" Mars frowned, "That, is the previous Commander of the Lunar Army—Athamas of Andromeda."

Athamas quirked a brow and tilted his head, "Previous?"

"Did you really expect to keep your title after all the atrocious things you did?" Mars took a step closer and stood next to Venus, "You committed treason and brought disgrace to the Alliance and the Silver Millennium—you brought disgrace with your ambitious antics,"

"Do not blame me for that." Athamas frowned, "Your idealistic Princess did that herself—she is the one that brought disgrace to her Kingdom with her childish behavior." his eyes narrowed; Mars shook her head, "That is not true..."

"No? Was not she breaking taboos by crossing realms? Did she not meet with the mortal more than once right under your watch? Have you forgotten, Sailor Senshi?"

"You are a bastard." Mars muttered with anger, Athamas chuckled, "And you still have that mouth full of nonsense—you did not learn anything from your Father, well, not that there was much to learn from him." Mars crossed her arms and let out a soft chuckle, "Well, clearly you never became a Polemarchos because otherwise, you would have learned a thing or two."

"Try me, Sailor Senshi." Athamas arched his brow. Artemis frowned and turned at Megumi, "Megumi, you need to find a place to hide..."

"You are not going anywhere! _Nobody_ is going anywhere!" Athamas growled, "The mortal has yet something that belongs to me!" he raised his hand, Megumi widened her eyes and shook her head "No—" loud growling echoed around the six soldiers and Megumi holding the two cats, "Megumi... you need to find a place to hide!" Artemis said when he saw Athamas' hand began to glow calling for more dark soldiers.

"At this rate, we will never get to that damn tower... I do not have the time or patience to keep listening to this pedantic character." Kunzite muttered under his breath and drew out his sword, he turned to Jadeite and Zoisite and gave them a knowing smile, "Here is for the old times." Jadeite smiled widely, "Nephrite will miss all the fun, then."

"That will be his loss." Zoisite followed Kunzite's command and drew out his sword and dashed after the shadows coming towards them, clearing the path for the senshi to get to the tower. The white-haired general turned to his lover and gave her a secure nod, letting her know they were going to take care from there on, "Go."

Venus nodded and turned to Athamas, "I am getting tired of you existing." she turned and frowned at Athamas, she wrapped her chain around her hand and called for its power, _"Venus—"_ the golden chain on her waist began glowing a golden color and started to move on its own, curling around the senshi's arm and ready to follow her command, _"—Love me chain!"_

The now amber colored chain went to blast the shadows in front of them giving the shitennou the advantage to attack and open the path for them. Athamas's brows knitted together when noticed the man who he had never seen before in the past but clearly had impressive battling skills; Kunzite charged his quartz blade until it began to gleam with a pale pink color and threw three strong blasts at the shadows making them splatter like dark paint on the ground. His fighting and strategic skills were similar to the ones of the terran prince being the closest to match his agility and strength, unlike the other three shitennou, who had a longer range of attack, Kunzite and Endymion were more to go straight up to their target and finish it with lesser blows. The way they organized and planned their attacks made them stand out from the rest of the army back in the day due to their balanced and studied strategy when facing an enemy and it was clear it was their strongest points when in battle.

The three shitennou divided and each of them began fighting a quadrant of dark enemies at full speed surprising the senshi who were running their way through; Mercury being the most surprised to see the always so calm and silent Zoisite slash bodies one after another with his crystal blade. The blonde flipped back to avoid a blow from one of the shadows and extended his hand at it and summoned for his given power, a jade green energy that soon turned into a shower of blades of crystal, piercing the bodies and leaving large pools of dark matter on the ground.

Jadeite, being the jokester of the four generals, he reflected his always chill and playful character into his way of fighting. He was good at coming up with quick strategies and he preferred to attack from the outside and slowly make his way in to cut the root of the problem. Mars looked at him and came to the conclusion that it was like watching him peel an onion, he took care of every layer until he reached the center and took care of the source. Of the four shitennou, Jadeite was probably the one that took longer to accomplish his task but there was no doubt that his knowledge matched the ones of his fellow comrades and that when given a mission, he would deliver as expected.

Athamas growled with anger for underestimating the unknown soldiers and he raised his arm again to call for more shadows when spotted Megumi running with the two cat advisors in her arms. She clearly knew that as powerless as she was, the only way she could help the senshi and shitennou in battle was to stay out of any danger, if possible. "I can see a door open," Luna said softly as looked behind, "Quick Megumi! Jump in!"

"You are not going anywhere!" Athamas blasted a ball of energy at them but it was soon blocked by a wave of thunder, dissolving his attack and making it explode between the maid and the man standing on a light pole. Megumi widened her eyes and turned to find Sailor Jupiter running towards them with Nephrite walking next to her, "Megumi-san!" she called out and took a deep breath when she saw the mauian cats securely tucked on the girl's arms, "Are you are alright?!"

"Yes," Artemis frowned, "Jupiter, Athamas is controlling the shadows, the Shitennou are clearing the way so the girls can go straight to the tower." Jupiter looked up and frowned, "So he appeared again."

"He is stronger than the last time—be careful," Artemis said dryly, Nephrite narrowed his moss-colored eyes and ran to join his fellow shitennou in battle. Drawing his sword, he summoned for his power and used it to blind the enemy to walk through easily and then used it to cut through the dark mass of shadows. Jadeite turned and frowned, "Oi! Where the hell have you been?!"

"Long story," Nephrite muttered and slashed another dark entity and turned to shot another blast of energy at another group of demon-like entities. "They will not cease, as much as we fight them—they will keep re-spawning."

"That bastard over there is in control but we cannot go straight to him because we have to clear the way for the Senshi—at least one of us has to make it to that damn tower!" Jadeite frowned; Kunzite's attention was caught by Jadeite's voice and turned, "Nephrite!" he turned, kicked and slashed another demonic creature out of their way, "Have you been able to contact Endymion?!"

"No—" Nephrite mimicked his leader's battle tactics and frowned, "I cannot even read the sky—there is no clear path."

"This is going out of our control, it does not matter how much the Senshi use their powers or we cut an endless number of heads—they keep coming back." Jadeite ducked, turned, and kicked another creature out of the way. Just as frustrated as the shitennou, the senshi were doing their own labor in fighting the crowd of shadows with Venus on the lead wiping and slashing the enemies with her golden chain, "At this rate, we will never going to make it!" Venus said frustrated, Mercury summoned her powers and blasted another curtain of ice fog, freezing the shadows and making the crumble like pieces of glass, then turned at Athamas and pursed her lips, "He is not the one in control—somebody else is. His power is lent and we need to distract him so he can lose concentration!"

"Leave it to me!"

All four girls turned to a very excited and re-energized Jupiter who was cracking her knuckles and already calling for her power once again, "I have been wanting to smudge that stupid smirk off his face— _"My Guardian Jupiter, let the storm rage on, bring on the clouds, let the lightning strike—"_ a loud roar broke the skies, clearing it from the dark clouds giving way to what looked like hundreds of strips of lighting wrapping themselves between her fingers. _"Sparkling Wide—Pressure!"_ she threw the powerful blast at Athamas taking him by surprise, "Agh! Damn it!" he growled and tried to keep balanced on his post, Mars took notice and ran towards the man and summoned for her powers too, her hand tracing a perfect circle before her and threw several balls of fire, _"Burning Mandala!"_

Athamas turned and gritted his teeth as he tried to avoid the balls of fire thrown at him. He landed and counter-attacked her with his own power, causing another big and loud explosion between them. The andromedian general turned and did the same with Jupiter, blocking her much violent attack but much to his surprise, the control he had over the shadows was soon lost, giving them the perfect opportunity to run. Venus stopped and turned, "Wait no—Megumi-san!"

"I will go after her!" Kunzite frowned, Athamas frowned and blasted more energy at the general "Nobody is going after anyone! The mortal is mine!" he widened his corrupted eyes and looked around, "The... mortal..."

O—o—O

Inside the café, Megumi turned and petrified when saw all the people lay limp and unconscious on the ground. Artemis and Luna jumped from her arms, being the white advisor to break the awkward silence, "There is nothing else for us to do but to wait here—"

Megumi sighed and brought her hands together to pray and closed her eyes, "This is all so familiar, it is like I have gone back to Elysion, two thousand years ago..." Luna turned to the young woman and shook her head, "What do you mean?"

Megumi opened her eyes slowly and leaned on a wall, still able to look at the senshi and shitennou fighting the general and shadows in the distance, "This is what happened—this is why my Prince went to war all those years back." She turned to Luna and shook her head, feeling heavy with emotion, "People were disappearing, they were dying and brutally murdered and they turned into the shadows we are witnessing now. It was him, the man in silver—the one that infected our once peaceful land and he is doing it again. He was the culprit my Prince was so desperately trying to locate and defeat."

Artemis felt a tug in his chest and frowned when remembered how the lunar princess constantly argued with the queen about how Athamas was plotting something on the side and they could not find anything—he was not covering his tracks, he was just attacking a planet he knew nobody would go to look after. His ticket to becoming king and polemarchos was to kill Prince Endymion due to the myth created around him and his family since Chaos went against his own divine kind and Gaia left the immortal realm. Secretly, the mortal prince had become a target for the gods, a toy to keep them entertained and make them feel in control of something they were perfectly aware they could not keep forever. Despite knowing the Ares's story about why Helios's dynasty was thrown into exile became clearer with all that was happening now; the legends, the stories, the myths—the constantly twisted secrets and Queen Serenity's silent torment. Athamas knew about all this and ever since the day he stepped foot on the moon palace he had a mission in mind—how did he know about the Imperial Silver Crystal? And how did he know about the mortal prince? For soldiers or anyone part of an olympian army, the knowledge of a descendant from one of the first titans to ever lead a divine army and that served as strategist and political advisor to whom were known as _'The first Twelve'_ —Mnemosyne, Thetys, Theia, Phoebe, Rhea, Themis, Oceanus, Hyperion, Coeus, Crius, Lapetus and the one and only Chronos was a well-kept secret only known by those who served to royalty, like he did.

His whole career as advisor was inspired by the legends of the titans, and he heard the one from the titan of the sun—the one who he knew have given life to Earth with its power and, who, after the turmoil created by the birth of Chaos, he blessed Gaia with her mystical and motherly powers to nurture the planet and make it prosper like the land of dreams he always wanted to achieve. True, if it wasn't for Chaos, Earth would not have had Gaia, but it was her enchantment and determination what really made it bloom and prosper and now, all of this, was in Endymion's hands.

The more he thought about it, the more Artemis felt amazed by the rich story behind the Terran Prince's dynasty and the more he admired and respected the strong bond between him and his moon princess. "This is what the Gods were afraid of, it is all so clear now..." Luna turned to look at him, "What?"

Artemis shook his head, "Ever since Princess Serenity began showing signs of disgust towards the Andromedian General I took the liberty to use my position as political advisor and lurk into his past to see if I could find something about him that would give me an alibi to remove him from his position as Army Commander—I could not find anything. If Prince Endymion had not made it to the Moon that night—Athamas would have won this whole battle. He would have become the King of the Moon."

"I—I am not following, Artemis, what are you trying to say?" Luna looked at him confused, Artemis turned to his beloved and let out a soft sigh, "Remember when Queen Serenity tried many times to include Earth back into the Alliance?"

"Yes, but she was constantly demotivated," Luna said in a sad tone, Artemis nodded "The more I think about it, the more convinced I am. Somebody helped the General become an army leader and somehow reach for our Queen—if he was responsible for Elysion's fall, is because he knew about Prince Endymion's nature. He wanted him dead because he knew that would give him the honor of becoming a Polemarchos."

"Elysion's fall was caused by Beryl who joined forces with Metallia—the same happened with the Moon Kingdom."

"Both Kingdoms' falls began the moment Athamas started to take innocent lives..." Artemis said in a dry tone, "Think about it Luna, nobody knew much about Helios' legacy after the war—well, you know how the story goes..." he shook his head, "The High Gods are behind all this—Hades is behind all this, there is no doubt about it, not anymore."

"But then why God Ares helped us? He helped Megumi come here and he is a High God." Luna frowned, "It cannot be."

"In my many meetings with both, Queen Serenity and God Ares they both shared the thought of protecting the Earth—to preserve Goddess' Gaia dynasty. When Beryl went to the Moon, God Ares left in search for Chronos to ask for his help..." Artemis frowned, "After that, I do not remember what happened."

"By the time he returned, everything was rubble and silence."

Both Mauians turned to Megumi, who was looking out the window with teary eyes, "My Prince was dead and the Princess had already taken her life. Your Queen released this beautiful, soothing light that sealed away that malicious energy. Sailor Venus had avenged my Prince's death and killed Lady Beryl..." she shook her head, "There was nothing left, I survived because God Geb and Goddess Nut hid me in a secret chamber inside the Palace—"

A soft moan caught the attention of both cats and Megumi and turned to find Akira struggling to keep herself awake. Megumi widened her eyes and ran to her aid, holding her face up to meet her eyes, "Stay with us... I am not going to do any harm to you..." she said softly, soothing the archaeologist's anxiety. Akira turned to Luna and Artemis and widened her eyes in shock "Y-You can talk..." she looked up at Megumi and shook her head, "I-I heard them... and you, your story..." she turned to Artemis again, "The story of the Gods... it's true, my father's lifelong journey to find the truth about this planet..." her brown eyes widened a size larger, "He is real then, he really told me the truth,"

"Who did?" Megumi frowned, trying to keep Akira awake and steady in her arms, "What truth?"

"He really is related to them—gods." Akira muttered with amazement, "Monarchy of Earth really exists..."

Megumi's eyes looked at her with desperation, "You saw my Prince!" Akira nodded, Artemis took a step closer, "You are the archaeologist—you are the one who found the ruins of the Terran Palace." Megumi looked at Artemis then at the girl in her arms, "You saw him?! Where is he!?"

"I-I don't... I don't know..." Akira took a deep breath, "I just wanted to save Mikael... they found me, those shadows... he saved me from them and disappeared." Megumi turned to both cats and shook her head, "We cannot leave her here for them to find!"

"It will be more dangerous, Athamas will not cease until he kills us all! We cannot expose this poor girl to his wrath!" Artemis raised his voice, then turned to Akira "Yes, we can talk and yes, what he told you is the truth. He is the Crown Prince of the Planet... if you have more information please tell us, it is important to us to know where he is because our Princess is with him—"

"—Princess?" Akira widened her eyes and shook her head, "I-I really don't know where—" she was interrupted by an intense beam of light, followed by another explosion, "Down!" Artemis commanded to Megumi, who laid on top of Akira and Luna protecting them from the shards of glass that flew inside the small business. "W-What was that?" Akira whispered hoarsely, Artemis looked up and jumped to one of the tables and looked outside, "The Sailor Senshi and the Shitennou, they joined their forces to get free from the army of shadows." he turned to Kunzite, who quickly entered the place where they were hiding "Are you alright!?" he looked at the girl in Megumi's eyes and frowned, "You..."

"What happened, General Kunzite?"

"The Andromedian blasted us with another wave of dark matter and managed to escape, we created a barrier and the Senshi attacked from the inside, we need to leave now before they emerge again—we have little time to get closer to the tower." He ran over to Megumi and helped her stand up and carried Akira in his arms, his grey eyes looked around at all the people on the floor, "They are only targeting us for now, but I do not know how much time it will take before they start claiming their lives." he turned to the maid, "Hold the advisors with you and follow me—as soon as you find a place to hide, stay there." Megumi nodded and ran after the leader of the shitennou, "General, where—"

"—I do not know Megumi, I cannot feel his ki or create a mental link with him," he looked over his shoulder, "But I am sure he is doing it in to protect Princess Serenity, I know they are safe," he turned to the tower and narrowed his eyes, "They have to."

* * *

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _The Divinity series is an M rated story, intimacy and violence may happen from time to time, so please keep in mind._


	47. Chapter 47

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Forty-Seven

* * *

Sailor Mercury looked up and began calculating the density of the mass surrounding the tower, they finally had made it but due to its strong and poisonous energy Mars suggested to stay a good few meters away. "It's clear that this is being used to link both worlds..." Mars muttered and narrowed her amethyst eyes, "If we cross, it could consume us... it's too poisonous."

"Oh great—" Jadeite sighed and peered to his side, "And we are surrounded by these creatures once again—we must divide into teams to give Sailor Mercury enough time to find a way to break the barrier and allow us to find an entrance, Nephrite, come with me—Zoisite, stay with Kunzite."

"Right, let's purify the area before it spreads more." Mars ran after Jadeite and felt the fire spark in the palms of her hands, _"Akuryo Taisan!"_ A blazing curtain of fire exploded in front of her and before the shadows could called for the second stage of her powers, "Whatever that carries evil in its core, I will make sure to burn it to ashes— _Mars—Snake Fire!"_ the angry flames coming from her soon engulfed and surrounded the shadows, making them squeal and howl with suffering. Mercury continued typing in her portable computer with impressive speed "It's working!"

"Alright!" Jupiter joined Mars and summoned for her flower attack, _"Flower Hurricane!"_ the petals from her belt began dispersing and went up to the second stage of her power, _"Jupiter—Thunderbolt!"_

"Keep attacking—it's working!"

 _"Venus—Crescent Beam—Shower!"_

 _"Burning—Mandala!"_

 _"Jupiter Coconut Cyclone!"_

Venus extended her palm and brought it up to her lips, _"Venus—Love and Beauty Shock!"_

 _"Fire—Soul!"_ Mars pointed her hands at the enemy in front of them and turned to Jadeite who pointed his sword at the shadows, "Keep the fire going, my Celestial Priestess, I will take care of the roast!" He smirked playfully and went full speed after the shadows and began slashing them one after another, Mars looked at him wide eyed and could almost swear her cheeks were as hot and red as the fire flowing with rage from her hands.

Venus turned to Kunzite who was running towards them with his sword glowing in his hand, "Venus! Open a path for me!" The senshi in gold and orange nodded and grabbed her golden chain and summoned for her power, _"Venus—Love Me Chain!" s_ he twirled and whipped her chain in a circular motion, allowing the first in command to jump into battle and summon for his own energy, throwing another set of three quick slashing blasts at the shadows, surprising the girls, including Venus, "So this is why you didn't want to use your magic back at the building..." she muttered as she aggressively whipped her shining chain at more shadows coming their way.

Zoisite and Nephrite both blasted energy attacks, joining their forces to Jupiter, Mars, and Venus and then followed their fellow Shitennou in face to face combat with the army of shadows. A faint victory smile crossed Sailor Mercury's lips when she finally got the code to clear an entrance to the Tower "Almost—"

 _"Deep Submerge!"_ A strong sound of ocean waves knitted together around the Senshi of Deep Waters as she guided the attack towards the mass of energy, soon after, the Senshi of the Skies joined the battle and raised her hand to call to her own energy, _"World—Shaking!"_ A loud rumbling sound echoed once she kneeled and punched her fist on the ground, channeling her strong blast underground, burning and dismembering corpses and shadows along its way.

Mercury widened her eyes and turned to see Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, and Sailor Pluto also clearing the way; Pluto raised her rod and called for the first stance of her ancient power, _"Death—Scream,"_ and threw the deep garnet colored ball against the enemy dissolving them in a matter of seconds; all four inner senshi greeted the outer senshi in silence with a faint smile on their faces while they continued attacking the incessant amount of dark energy.

The same growling sound that took them out of their civilian form echoed with a stronger force, Mars widened her eyes in horror and turned to Venus, "It's getting out of control—we need to step back!"

Venus frowned while attacking the shadows with her chain, "What are you saying?! We can't step back!"

"It's spreading and they somehow are becoming stronger!" Mars twirled with fire dancing around her hands and body and blasted the fiery energy at the dark mass that was now becoming a wall of tar, heavy with a rotten smell. Sailor Uranus frowned and covered her nose, "What the hell is that smell?"

"It's coming from the inside..." Sailor Neptune said as she looked down at her mirror. She looked regal in her eternal uniform, matching with her fellow comrades, her V-shaped choker and the center of her front bow was a green five-pointed star. She had round light green puffed sleeves with two strips of darker fabric attached to the bottom. Her short gloves were now a longer version that reached to her upper arms. Her belt consisted of two ribbons, one sea green, and one light green, with two long, thin back ribbons, clipped together by a golden five-pointed star. Her back bow was light green. Her skirt became two-layered, the top layer being sea-green and the bottom a lighter green. Her strappy heels were now knee-high white boots with a sea-green V-shaped border and a golden five-pointed star at the top. Her tiara gem was a sea-green five-pointed star and her earrings were sea-green, dangling five-pointed stars. "But I can't see who is causing this—the image in the mirror is being distorted..."

"You will not find anything in that trinket of yours," Asteria materialized seconds later in front of the aquamarine senshi. Her needle sky high heels clicked on the ground as soon as she landed; her dark eyes narrowed as she looked around at the soldiers and smirked, "So these are the famous Sailor Senshi," she turned to Athamas, who was now standing now next to her, "The ones blessed by the Gods and Planets..." he said dryly. The dark Goddess quirked a brow, "I see—" she sighed with annoyance, "Your presence here only tells me that you have yet not found the one you are looking for,"

Sailor Uranus took a step forward to face Asteria, and just like the inner senshi, her uniform also changed to match theirs. Her choker was V-shaped and the center of her front bow was a navy five-pointed star, she had round light blue puffed sleeves with two strips of navy fabric attached to the bottom and her once wrist length gloves became longer, reaching to her upper arms. Her belt consisted of two blue ribbons, one light, and one dark, with two long, thin back ribbons, clipped together by a golden five-pointed star. Her back bow was light blue. Her skirt became two-layered, the top layer being navy and the bottom light blue. Her dark ankle boots were now replaced by boots were knee-high and white with a V-shaped border with a five-pointed star at the top. Her tiara gem was a navy five-pointed star and her earrings were navy, dangling five-pointed stars. "You must be Asteria," she said dryly.

Asteria looked at the Senshi of the Skies and looked down at her rattling chain moving around her arms like living serpents, "The word spreads quickly."

Sailor Pluto's senshi uniform changed just like the others, her choker was also V-shaped and the center of her garnet-colored front bow was a grey five-pointed star. She had round grey puffed sleeves with two strips of black fabric attached to the bottom her gloves now reached her upper arms and her belt now consisted of two ribbons, one grey and one black, with two long, thin back ribbons, clipped together by a golden five-pointed star and her back bow was grey. Her familiar chain of keys still hung to one side of her waist, making a tingling sound every time she moved. Her skirt was now two-layered with the top layer being black and the bottom grey. Her boots were now knee-high and white and each had a black V-shaped border with a golden five-pointed star at the top. Her tiara gem was a black five-pointed star and her earrings were black, dangling five-pointed stars. The Senshi of Time and Space looked at the dark woman and tightened her grip on her Rod, her deep garnet eyes narrowed defiantly, "You are violating the laws of nature and Gods by breaking one of its taboos."

Asteria tilted her head low and scoffed, "Just like you did—or do you think I have not heard of your misadventures in the Time-Space Corridor?"

"Go back from where you came from and take your minions with you, you demon!" Pluto looked at her and stomped her titanium rod on the ground making a loud echo against the concrete, "You are not allowed to be here!" Asteria took a step closer, "I am tired of this little game, I did not come here to speak to such low less spawns." she narrowed her eyes "How dare you to speak to me with such impudence?"

"How dare _we?_ " Haruka frowned, her hand started to glow with more energy "Just because you are a Goddess you think you can come here and do as you like?! You think we are afraid of you?!"

"A Goddess..." Asteria chuckled, and let her laughter intensify as she tilted her head back, "You fool—a Goddess?! I am more than just a Goddess. I am a Polemarchos—the Guardian of the Gates of Thanatos in the Underworld and the one that controls the lost Fates and Fallen Stars. I am here on a mission and _you_ , are in my way." The chain in her hands began to react to her heavy energy and the ones wrapped around her neck began to move around her like a protective aura. She raised her hand and looked up, "I call upon the forces of Inferno to pour in and devour everything that is in its way! Rise my Army of Shadows and look for the guardian of this planet."

"Guardian..." Uranus' eyes widened and turned to Neptune, then at the inner senshi, "Where is she!?" her voice panicked as soon as she noticed her princess was nowhere to be found. Asteria blasted them with dark energy and a new wave of shadows rose from the ground, flooding them with tar and waste.

Pluto flicked her rod, _"Chronos Typhoon,"_ she said in her usual soft tone, contrasting the incredible force of her attack against the shadows crowding them, she turned and swung her rod stumbling corpses around her and turned to the others, "This force is too heavy! It's going to crash against us—we need to move!"

"Not if I crash them all first _—World Shaking!"_ the same strong golden light parted the ground, rumbling the corpses until they splattered around them, but just like Sailor Pluto predicted, a wave of poisonous dark matter flowed like an ocean of malice towards them. Megumi held a very weak Akira in her arms tight as she looked at the horrific scene from an ally with Luna and Artemis. Following the shitennou's request, as soon as they saw a place to keep themselves safe they ran for it and stayed there, but they were not counting with the fact that the shadows soon would spread like if a sewer would have broken. Megumi turned horrified and noticed that the unconscious bodies from the people scattered on the ground were now becoming possessed and reacting to their command, heightening their strength and putting their lives at risk as they slowly moved towards them, the terran maid looked down at the girl close to losing her conscience in her arms and shook her, "We need to—"

 _"Silence Wall!"_

Much to their surprise, the shadows stopped as if there was some sort of force pushing them down and making them unable to move. Megumi's eyes widened when she turned and saw the Senshi of Silence walking slowly towards the tower swinging her long silence glaive as it weaved her power to protect them from the deadly creatures and stomped its pointed end on the ground. The pristine and polished glaive stood proudly catching the gleam only darkness could give to it. Asteria stopped and looked at the girl in the distance and could not deny her surprise. There she was, the Soldier of Ruin and Rebirth, wearing a similar uniform as the others. A V-shaped choker on her neck, and a lavender five-pointed star at the center of her maroon front bow. Her shoulder pads were large lavender puffs with two patches of purple fabric attached to the bottom. Her gloves became longer, reaching to her upper arms. Her belt consisted of two ribbons, one purple and one lavender, with two long, thin back ribbons, clipped together by a golden five-pointed star. Her back bow was lavender and her flowy skirt became two-layered, with the top layer being purple and the bottom a soft lavender hue. Her boots were now white and knee-high and each had a purple V-shaped border with a golden five-pointed star at the top. Her tiara gem was a purple five-pointed star and her earrings were dangling, purple five-pointed stars.

Saturn looked at the Goddess of Fates with disdain and waited for the screaming shadows recede so she could come closer, "I am an emissary from the abyss of death, Protected by Saturn, the planet of Ruin—Sailor Saturn." She looked up at Asteria with a frown, "Your presence here only confirms that in fact, you were granted permission to cross to this realm despite being a taboo."

Asteria pulled her chains down and looked at the young girl holding her long weapon, "Your existence tells me that you were also given a task but somehow you decided to ignore it. That is why I am here."

"A Gate Keeper must never leave its post—you shall not be here," Saturn responded in a warning tone, very different from what everyone was used to hear from her always calm and somber voice when in duty. "Why has Father called allowed you to cross to this planet?!"

All sailor senshi and shitennou turned wide-eyed at the Soldier of Ruin, "F-Father..." Nephrite muttered in disbelief, no matter how much he heard about it, it was incredible to see this girl was linked to such magnetic and strong forces. Asteria took another step closer and crossed her arms, "I follow rules—"

"You follow the ambitious desires of those who sell their souls to you." Saturn said and then turned to look at Athamas who was standing a few feet behind her, "Ah, I see—the soul of the Andromedian has been given to you as payment." The inner senshi gasped and turned to the andromedian general who was looking at them with dark, vacant eyes.

"Step aside Saturn, you may be God Hades' daughter but I still have a mission to accomplish and I will not allow anybody step in my way, not even you, Soldier of Ruin and Silence." Asteria raised her arms and whisked her chains to curl around them, "Where is it!?"

Saturn narrowed her deep violet eyes but decided to remain silent, making Asteria angry, "Fine. Take your side—I will accomplish my mission whether any of you like it or not!" she looked up and extended her hand, "Army of Shadows—the Gates are open! Cross to this realm..." she narrowed her dark eyes, "Bring me the hybrid,"

Sailor Uranus turned to Sailor Saturn who was raising her Glaive at the female warrior, "She cannot seriously be thinking..." Sailor Neptune widened her eyes, "N-No! Saturn!"

Sailor Saturn looked at Megumi with another girl in her arms and then at the shadows pouring in from the portal opened by the Goddess of Darkness, _"Silence Wall!"_ she moved her glaive and created a barrier that protected Megumi and Mauians, "Sailor Saturn..." Luna called for her, the Senshi of Silence turned to look at them over her shoulder and gave her a soft smile, "You know what happens if I lay down my weapon Luna—and I am not allowed to do so."

Asteria whipped her chain at Saturn's attack, trying to break the barrier to destroy her but the youngest of the senshi had created a barrier that matched her own strength. Sailor Pluto raised her key rod and summoned her power, _"Chronos Typhoon!"_ Sailor Uranus and Neptune took the opportunity to blast her with their attacks, _"World—Shaking!"_

 _"Deep Submerge!"_

Asteria gritted her teeth and turned brusquely at them, canceling their attacks immediately, "Clearly you have not fought against a Polemarchos before..." she whipped her chain at them, sending them several feet away, then repeated the same with Pluto, knocking her away as well. "Pluto! Neptune! Uranus!" Saturn called out with worry and frowned at Asteria, "Retreat if you do not want to add more penalties to your punishment!"

Asteria arched her brow, "You dare to threaten me?" she smirked, "Just because you are the Senshi who deals with death does not mean I am afraid of you—I have a mission and I intend to fulfill it." She turned to the andromedian and whipped her chain again, "This is your time—savor it and kill them all." Athamas laughed and turned to the inner senshi, "In one lifetime or another—you were meant to meet death, Sailor Senshi."

"No!" Venus frowned and turned to the other senshi, who immediately understood their leader's command, "We will not yield before you!" she summoned for her power, _"Venus—"_ the sacred Lunar sword appeared in her hand, _"Wink Chain Sword!"_

 _"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"_ Jupiter shouted, soon after, Mars joined the attack and summoned for the sacred fire _"Burning—Mandala!"_ Mercury formed a clear sphere of water in her palm and turned, _"Shine Aqua Illusion!"_

Athamas raised his hands when he heard another voice with another command, making him lose concentration of his own attack and turned to a strong beam of light piercing the shadows and clearing the way. In a flash, he disappeared out of the light to avoid getting hurt and went to the top of the tower to follow Asterias' command to allow more shadows to cross to Earth.

" _Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!_ "

All senshi, shitennou, Athamas and Asteria turned to find Sailor Moon walking next to Tuxedo Kamen, safe and sound. Kunzite widened his eyes and let out a sigh of relief, "Endymion... thank heavens,"

"What is wrong with this planet?!" Asteria said out loud then narrowed her eyes when she noticed another senshi standing next to a man wearing black, "Another one?!" she retrieved her chains and turned, "Such a rural planet and yet so many blessed by the power of gods are gathered here, like rodents."

Both Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen exchanged an annoyed glance in silence and turned back to Asteria, "What?" Asteria rested a hand on her waist, "Why the glare? Are you mute?" she frowned, "Oh I see, you two also are going to tell me something ridiculous like how I do not belong here, how are you going to punish me in the name of something... well, that sounds lovely, really, but I do not have time to any more of your games."

Sailor Moon tightened her grip on Tuxedo Kamen's hand and remembered what they talked about right after they escaped from their apartment.

-O-

 _Ribbons of color surrounded Usagi, soon after transforming her clothes into her senshi uniform, one different from the one she used when she first started her journey as a soldier of love and Justice. Now, her_ _tiara was gone and was replaced by the regal symbol of a crescent moon on her forehead. Her earrings had stars attached to the crescent moons. Her choker was red, but it had a heart with a crescent moon on the bottom. The collar on her fuku was now a darker shade of blue with three yellow stripes instead of white. Her shoulder pads were large translucent pink puffs with two patches of red fabric and the length of her gloves extended now to her upper arms, wing-like clips were attached to the gloves, and attached to her wrists were chevron-shaped red bracelets with golden crescent moons. The usual front bow was gone and replaced with a wing-like design and in its center, was a golden heart embraced by a crescent moon. Her belt was a thin red ribbon clipped on with a crescent moon and it replaced her back-waist bow, and it had two thin red ribbons streaming. Her skirt was now made of three layers one yellow, one red, and the bottom one blue. Her boots were now inverted; they were white and its edge was now pointing down, with a red border and a crescent moon on top. For some reason, her large feathery wings no longer appeared on her back, thinking that maybe her suit had evolved subtly, once again._

 _She turned to Mamoru who, summoned for his powers and was quickly changed into his dark suit and cape, with his now characteristic white mask on his eyes—no hat. He turned to look at the crystal pendant still gleaming softly while hanging from his wife's neck. He touched the crystal teardrop marble and gave Sailor Moon a sad smile, "It's your amulet for protection now,"_

 _"Mamo-chan..." Usagi said softly, her hand reached for his while looking into his deep blue eyes, hoping to find an answer to the anxiety curling in her chest, "Usa..." he said softly and shook his head, "I know this is not what we wanted as a life. We had other plans and somehow the reality—my reality, caught up to us. I know this isn't what you wanted, I know you wished I went on a different route but—"_

 _"It's a calling," Usagi said softly, in an understanding tone. Mamoru took a deep breath and exhaled softly, "Yes, Usa, it's a calling—I need to fight for those I lost. Innocent people are in danger and I cannot let history repeat itself, I can't." he looked down, "I have a future to fight for, I have to fight for you and give you the life you deserve." Usagi widened her eyes, "Mamo-chan..."_

 _Mamoru graced her cheek and looked into her crystal blue eyes, "I once swore to you that I would fight whoever I needed to fight in order to be with you. I promised I would protect you, look after you, and love you for the rest of my existence—"_

 _Usagi felt her eyes burn with tears as she remembered that promise, the same he made to her before he left for war—a war that still wasn't over, now she realized. "I need you Usa, I am asking you to keep your blessed light over me as I go through this battle and also, I need you to keep in mind that no matter what, I will always find my way back to you."_

 _Usagi put her hands on each side of his face and gave him a reassuring smile, "How can you even ask me that when you know you have my heart in your hands? I don't care which way this adventure takes us... as long as it is with you, the rest doesn't matter. We are in this together, remember? We will win this because we are stronger."_

 _"I don't know how long this is going to take..." Mamoru took a deep breath, "And I don't know what it's going to happen to me, I don't know how long I'll be able to resist but I am scared to lose you because of that." Usagi leaned her forehead on his and closed her eyes, knowing exactly what he meant by that. "You are never going to lose me," she put her hand on his chest, "You inspired me to be who I am now, you taught me how to be strong—my Warrior Prince..."_

 _Mamoru smiled, recognizing the nickname she gave him two thousand years ago. He felt her nod, "We cannot let them win. We got this." Usagi opened her eyes, "We will find a way to be together, like we promised to each other, this time, we will fight together," she smiled, "Right, Tuxedo Kamen?"_

 _"Yes." Tuxedo Kamen smiled with pride and looked at the pendant hanging from her neck, "Definitely, Sailor Moon."_

-O-

"You don't belong here." Sailor Moon gave Asteria an angry glare, "You are putting innocent lives in danger! You are crossing realms without permission! I am the Senshi of Love and Justice, and yes, in the name of the Moon, I will punish you!"

The small speech caught the dark goddess' attention, "Oooh, so _you_ are the beloved—" she smirked with pleasure, "I see, you are the famous Moon Princess." she arched her brow and turned her attention to the man next to her and narrowed her eyes when she felt a different— "Energy...?" she muttered with surprise, "So you must be..."

"I heard you have been looking for me," Tuxedo Kamen said in a low tone, he let go of Sailor Moon's hand and took a step forward as he took his mask off, "You have been doing these little tricks to get my attention and sending me all these cryptic messages," he crossed his arms, "I am flattered by your insistence, really, to go all that trouble of speaking to me through my mother tongue... it's a nice touch, not great—there were many misspells here and there, although, I didn't know there was actually somebody from the divine realm that wanted to meet me with such desire."

"It's you. _You_ are the Guardian." The dark goddess raised a brow with admiration, "Well, I must say... that this is quite a surprise. You are nothing of what I was expecting." Asteria muttered, Tuxedo Kamen narrowed his eyes, "Not here to please a crowd," his voice turned darker and more menacing, "What do you want?"

"Quick and simple hybrid, I am here to pull you down to the Underworld—your soul has defied the laws of nature far too long and now it shall be dragged to Inferno." she licked her lips, savoring the feeling of acquiring a new soul to her collection, "I have heard the myth about the Goddess' offspring—she must have done something really, _really_ bad to have left you dealing with such mess."

"You bore me," Tuxedo Kamen muttered with disinterest, "You and your banal and predictive reasons, are all your kind like this?" he sighed with annoyance, "I really couldn't care less what you think of me, in fact, you can save all that little speech you probably had prepared to chant when this moment arrived—I don't like wasting my time."

"A little too confident, eh? Do not think of yourself as a divine being,"

"Oh no... no, no, no..." Tuxedo Kamen frowned, " _God forbid..._ " he muttered with sarcasm, "I am _not_ like you, and as I told you, I don't care."

"Oh?" Asteria began walking towards Tuxedo Kamen whipping and slashing her black chains mercilessly around her, not caring or paying any attention to whoever or whatever was in her way, "You _don't_ care?" she frowned and chuckled, "I am truly surprised by your overflowing confidence, hybrid, because you _should_ care." she stopped and allowed her heavy power surround her like a heavy, poisonous fog. Her eyes began to gleam red as she concentrated her dark magic on her trusty spiked chain around her body and extended her arms to grab on to them and whipped against the ground, making a rumbling sound followed by a strong blast of energy.

Tuxedo Kamen narrowed his blue eyes and summoned his power, his gloved hand began to spark with a golden light and responded to her attack, _"Tuxedo La Smoking Bomber!"_ to his command, a strong beam of light flashed from his hand and caused an explosion against Asteria's dark energy. Sailor Moon widened her eyes and like if he read her thoughts, Tuxedo Kamen gritted his teeth while trying to control the flow of energy strong and steady as he kept focusing on the woman in black blasting at him, "Sailor Moon, go to the others! Help them break the barrier! Leave this to me!" he said loudly, taking her by surprise. Asteria raised her arm and summoned more shadows and stomped her spiked heel on the ground again, allowing the same tar-like substance ran like veins of malice.

Against the idea of parting ways with her husband, the lunar senshi frowned and called for her scepter but before she could summon for its blessing, Kunzite ran towards her and pulled her out of the way when the veins breaking through the concrete began to spark with electricity and slashed a dark spiked branch moving towards them, his sword began to gleam again and slashed it as he turned with a worried face, "Princess, are you alright?!"

Sailor Moon nodded and turned at the clash of energies between the goddess and her husband and widened her eyes in horror, "Mamo-chan..."

"Trust him, Princess," Kunzite said softly and growled angrily when he saw the shadows began to re-emerge from the pools of dark tar around the goddess and took the princess with him, following the orders of his master in keeping her safe. Saturn narrowed her eyes and turned to Pluto, "I will not yield from this post—I cannot leave them unprotected! Aid the Prince and Princess!"

Sailor Uranus nodded and summoned for her sword, _"My magic tool, Talisman!"_ she opened her hand and grabbed the sleek sword appearing before her, _"Show thy power and protect me!"_ she raised the sword above her head and channeled it's the strong energy to attack, _"Space Sword—Blaster!" s_ he threw the blast against the rising shadows, dissolving a wide area, Sailor Neptune repeated Uranus' tactic and summoned for her talisman, the golden mirror appeared before her and summoned for its power, _"Submarine—Reflection!"_

Sailor Pluto raised her rod and looked up while spinning the long key, creating a vacuum around her, _"Chronos Typhoon!"_

Sailor Moon stopped and turned to Kunzite, letting him know her stance in the battle and called for her rod and its blessed power "I am not going to let you take away the life on this planet!" she raised her hands holding the long, silver rod with a crystal moon on its top and looked up at the gleaming stone, _"Silver Moon—"_ a strong cool wind surrounded the princess as she gathered enough energy to blast Asteria, _"Crystal Therapy Kiss!"_ her energy surrounded them and cleared the shadows and tar, but Asteria's power was too dark and poisonous to compete with her silver light. In seconds, the dark demonic creatures began to overflow them, making her repeat her attack and join her fellow senshi in battle. Kunzite smiled proudly, knowing for a fact that the lunar princess had become braver than before and that her dream to fight for good was fueled by her deep love for the terran prince and their strong desire to be together, against the odds.

He turned to Nephrite and the rest of the shitennou and saw them dealing with their own quadrant of malicious corpses and turned to the prince who was attacking Asteria with another energy attack and widened his eyes, is this, the first time to see this kind of power coming from him. "Kunzite!" Tuxedo Kamen called out to him, "Lend me your power!" he peered at the general who in response nodded and ran towards him throwing his quartz sword at him. The prince quickly extended his arm to catch it and turned out of Asteria's way and channeled his energy into the weapon in his hand and imitated Kunzite's energy attack by blasting three slashes of energy at her, but as expected, she avoided them with her chains giving him enough opening to jump and cut through two of her chains.

Venus turned and looked with amazement at the perfect synchronization between the general and the prince but soon was taken by surprise by another shadow coming her way, _"Venus Love Me Chain!"_ she whipped her golden chain at them and turned to look for the general who was nowhere in sight "Kunzite..." she breathed, desperately.

 _"Venus!"_ he called out to her from the other side of the street, the blonde ran towards him without thinking it twice and summoned for her power to clear his way, _"Venus Wink Chain—"_ her blue eyes widened when the shitennou stepped in and stole the silver weapon completely interrupting her attack and imitating what just happened between him and the prince, "W-What?"

"Thank you, dear. I needed this," he said softly and gave her the faintest smile, one only she could notice. He turned and slashed another group of shadows with his new weapon and smiled with pleasure at its sharpness. Nephrite turned to Jupiter, who was close to him and frowned "We need to join forces if we want to clear a bigger area, they are stronger than moments ago—it appears she has granted them more strength and power!"

The thunder senshi nodded and gathered more of her power, knowing exactly what to do, _"Jupiter,"_ she brought her hands together and formed a massive whirlpool around her _"Coconut—Cyclon!"_ she threw the ball of electricity at the shitennou who caught it with his sword and called for his astral attack given by the stars _"Luce stellarum impetum!"_ he threw the massive storm at the enemy, clearing enough space for them to run and aid the others. Jadeite smiled and turned to Mars following the same antics, he raised his arm and a strong sandstorm began to surround him taking the mass of shadows in its centrifugal force, "Mars!" the general called out to her, the senshi of fire nodded and twirled as she began manipulating the blazing fire spreading from her hands like ribbons of fire _"Mars—Snake Fire!"_ at her command, the fire was soon suctioned by the storm controlled by Jadeite, both smiling at the raging sound of their painful howls. He turned, "Now that is more like it!" Mars nodded and saw another quadrant coming their way, and without any warning she called for the third stage of her power _"Mars—"_ as more fire began forming in the palm of her hand and manipulated it until it took the shape of a bow covered in flames _, "Flame—Sniper!"_ she threw the fire arrow piercing one of the creatures, surprising the shitennou in the process, "You are full of surprises..." he said as he dissolved the storm, Mars chuckled and ran next to him to go aid her comrades, "I know."

At the other side of the street, Sailor Mercury threw a thick curtain of icy fog to freeze the enemies and turned to Zoisite who was fighting with his sword, "I feel like there is no end to this—as long as _she_ is here, these creatures will continue warping into this planet!" she said with desperation, Zoisite slashed another shadow and swung his blade with force, shaking the malicious goop from his shiny crystal blade with one strong swing, "The energy surrounding her is too strong, I cannot purify it alone." he turned and saw the attacks both Nephrite and Jadeite did with the girls and saw more shadows coming their way to attack, "Sailor Mercury, grant me three stages of attack— _now!_ "

Mercury nodded and extended her arms, _"Shine Snow Illusion!"_ a cold fog compromised the enemy's vision, giving them enough time to perform the second part of their plan, being the two very similar in both, strategy and attack they did not need much to understand what they were trying to achieve. His codes were now also hers and so were their attacks, she prepared for the second stage as Zoisite sneaked through the freezing breeze to slash the corpses _"Mercury Aqua Mirage!"_ A strong stream of cold water surrounded them, piercing the bodies of those who were still trying to catch up to them, Zoisite summoned for his inner powers and blasted shards of crystal at the freezing torrent of water, cutting and disintegrating the bodies in the process, similar to what happened with Mars and Jadeite's attack. Mercury saw with amazement at their both powers being fused into one, making her feel the connection between them. It was mesmerizing how after such long time they could finally share one purpose, it thrilled her and made her feel stronger than ever, it was then, when she extended her hand, ready to take the attack to a higher level of danger, _"Mercury!"_ A sphere of water appeared in her hand and soon was turned into a crystalline harp with golden details and rim, _"Aqua Rhapsody!"_ her fingers glided through the string of the magical harp, hypnotizing the enemy before disintegrating it between the ribbons of water that streamed from the weapon. Mercury smiled when she saw the area cleared and turned to Zoisite who was tapping his forehead with his finger, "We make a good team, Sailor Mercury."

A loud rumbling caught their attention and all turned to Asteria fighting with the terran prince. She whipped her chain once again at him, silently being surprised by how he could manage to avoid her attacks with impressive speed and ease. She ran and twirled the heavy chains at him but Tuxedo Kamen was quick enough to leap out of the way and counter-attack with Kunzite's quartz sword, he repeated the same attack, blasting one of the chains out of her control. He ran towards her and jumped high but Asteria kicked her leg up, using her spiked heel as a weapon to block the prince's sword attack.

"So, you can wield a sword—that is impressive. I thought you were as primitive as this planet," she said with a monotone voice, "But do you really think that is all you need to actually defeat me?"

Tuxedo Kamen frowned and turned on his axis to block her other leg trying to kick him with her other sharp, pointy heel. His silence only triggered Asterias' anger and desire for annihilation. She had to admit that she was enjoying the battle but she was also becoming more upset and impatient by the minute for not being able to crack his defense. She has heard much about terran people, she knew they had limitations aside from their mortality; they did not have any sorts of power, they did not have a long-life span, and they did not have any blessing from any god. How come _he_ could challenge her? —she thought angrily.

Mercury widened her eyes with astonishment at the sharp and fast skills Tuxedo Kamen was showing with the sword in his hand, it was something she had never witnessed before and seeing him so into the battle and with a more aggressive and closer approach to the enemy was completely new to her. Zoisite noticed the amazement in the senshi's eyes, "I imagine is the first time you see him use a sword." Mercury blinked and turned to the brown-blonde haired general, "I don't believe any of us has..."

"That is only just a fraction of what I know he can do," Zoisite said with proud in his warm, collected voice "Although none of us have witnessed his full potential, I have seen him fight and it is pleasing to see that he is back—the Prince I know, is back." he narrowed his green eyes in thought, "But he is still concealing his power, or, better said, something else is happening that is bothering him,"

"What do you mean?" Mercury frowned, Zoisite clenched his jaw, "He has not summoned for his own weapon, he is fighting with Kunzite's sword."

Mercury widened her eyes and realized that indeed, Tuxedo Kamen, the man that not too long ago learned to channel his energy into blasting attacks and who defended himself with a cane was now holding a sword in his hand and not only that, but he knew how to wield it like a true master. The strength of the goddess fighting with him was more than obvious and clear, she was strong, she was not at their level and it would require a lot of power and strategic attacks to actually cause her to stumble and succeed but there was something surprising for Mercury to see: Tuxedo Kamen was right there, matching her strength and power—the man was giving a fair and fierce battle that captivated her senshi friends who were also watching the match with the same face of amazement, even the outers who had stronger methods of attack and weapons.

"We need to aid him—" Mercury turned to Zoisite, "Keep the city clear... we can win this, I know it."

Something caught Zoisite's attention and looked up at the ball of dark fire coming right at them "Mercury—look out!" he pushed her to the side while he jumped to evade the blast. Athamas growled and repeated the attack to the other senshi and shitennou "Do not think this is over—do not, _ever,_ think this is over,"

Mercury rolled on the pavement and covered her face from the rubble crashing against her and looked up at Athamas attacking them, "I will not stop until all of you are reduced to mere dust." his eyes showed nothing but hatred and anger, the blue-haired senshi noticed. The man had not aged, but the remains of the life they all shared during the Silver Millennium permeated and sunk in his handsome features. He did look older somehow, maybe he gave that appearance due to his deeper voice; his once shoulder length hair was now matching Zoisite's and despite being messy, he still kept it out of his face in a tight ponytail. He looked paler, thinner maybe—but his ambitious and violent personality was still there, taking over him and becoming stronger by the minute.

He threw another blast, knocking both soldiers down again. "Mercury!" Zoisite turned and stretched his hand out for Mercury to reach, Mercury slowly opened her eyes feeling groggy and weak from the impact. His attacks were strong, he was stronger and with horror in her face, she turned to the other senshi "Sailor... Moon..." she said before passing out for a minute. Zoisite widened his green eyes and blasted a massive sharp crystal at Athamas, but his own force and focus were compromised by the impact. The andromedian general managed to break the crystal into thousands of shards and threw them back at them, but before they could pierce Mercury's and Zoisite bodies, Nephrite deflected them with his own power.

Jupiter cracked her knuckles and turned to Sailor Uranus who was now standing next to her, "We need to wipe that smirk off his face." Uranus muttered with anger to an impatient and angry Jupiter, "Once and for all." she ran full speed towards the man and summoned for her galactic power once again, _"Sparkling—Wide Pressure!"_

Athamas turned and blocked the thunder attack with his own dark energy and blasted it back at both senshi. Mars growled and reached the third stage of her power again, bringing back her fiery bow and arrow _"Mars—Flame Sniper!"_

Venus turned and held the chain from her waist and whipped it up high, _"Venus—Love Me Chain!"_ the chain wrapped around the andromedian's chest but as if it was made of paper, he broke free with ease. The blonde senshi widened her eyes in shock "W-What..."

"I told you I was going to take you down, one by one—" Athamas said in a dry, menacing tone and turned to dissolve the fire arrow from Mars with his own dark magic. Jadeite ran towards him and clashed his sword with Athamas' then turned to block Nephrite's attack. His face darkened and charged his sword with the same dark energy blocking and knocking the swords from the generals. Kunzite took him by surprise and managed to knock him down for a minute but the andromedian turned and block Kunzite's sword with his, blade against blade making a loud, crisp sound, "I do not know who the hell you are but I will not allow anybody to interfere with my plans."

Kunzite narrowed his eyes and saw Athamas was about to repeat the same attack he performed on Jadeite and Nephrite and turned out of his way; Athamas looked at the white-haired general and let out a loud frustrated growl. Kunzite jumped high and raised the moonstone blade above his head to do a strong, linear attack but soon was taken off guard by the andromedian's sudden change of position and pace. His own sword digging on Kunzite's side and making him fall flat on the ground.

"Kunzite!" Venus called out to him with panic; Athamas chuckled and turned to the senshi in gold and orange, "You may have been given stronger powers but you are still women who need to be taught a lesson. You are still a nuisance for me." His stare on Venus became more hateful and menacing, "You and your constant desire to keep her away from me, you even dared to go against the law of the gods and allow her to cross realms! The victory was mine and you interfered! You ruined my plans!" he turned and now his stormy glare was fixed on the lunar senshi, "You are mine..." he muttered with deep desire.

"Demon." Sailor Moon frowned at Athamas, "I knew the truth about you would come out eventually—even if it cost me my life, my happiness!"

"Your happiness?" Athamas arched a brow and extended his arms, creating a barrier from the senshi's attacks, sending them far away from where they were standing. "Are you finally satisfied with being a soldier? For achieving that idealistic and pointless dream of yours, eh, Serenity?" he chuckled and began walking towards Sailor Moon, "What would your always troubled Mother say if she looked at you this way, her precious daughter pretending to be a warrior?"

"Keep her out of this, do not even dare to mention her name." Sailor Moon said with despair, Athamas snickered, "You now may have some power in your hands, Serenity, but you would never win against me—you could not do anything back then and you cannot do anything now so you better stop playing this stupid little game of being a warrior."

"Who told you I was playing?" Sailor Moon tightened her grip on her silver rod. Athamas raised his hand, "How many lives are you going to risk this time Princess? You killed your charming Prince once, do you really want to go through all that again and see him die once again?" he moved his hand, "Look around you Serenity! Look at your precious Sailor Senshi defeated on the ground! How much longer does it going to take for you to realize that your dreams of being a soldier are stupid and pointless?! Enough."

Sailor Moon frowned and raised her rod above her head, _"Silver Moon Crystal Power The—"_

"Enough..." he said louder as he moved closer. Sailor Uranus' protective instinct soon took over her and ran towards them, _"World—Shaking!"_ Neptune followed and summoned for her crashing, violent seaquake attack _"Deep Submerge!"_

Athamas growled with anger and drew out his sword, "I said ENOUGH!" he turned and blasted a strong attack at them, knocking them down. He turned and cut through Sailor Moon's attack with ease as well and finally made his way to the princess and pulled her closer to him; his grip on her wrist made her flinch in both, pain and fright as she tried to escape, "Face it Serenity, you cannot defeat me with love, or your stupid twinkling light. It takes more to beat a soldier with experience and a twisted fate."

Tuxedo Kamen ducked and turned again, blasting three strong blades of energy at Asteria with the sword in his hand and managed to break one more of the chains she was using as a shield. Asteria's eye twitched in anger, giving him the advantage to read her emotion and decode her strategy. The goddess noticed the serious gaze on the man evading another whip from her chain growled lowly, "I expected less from you, hybrid," she tried to distract him with her taunting "But to actually defeat a Polemarchos—it is needed more than just basic battling skills." she pulled her floating chain closer to her like strings of metal; she made it look like they didn't weight at all as she manipulated their turns and attacks and whipped them again, wrapping the spiked chains on his leg making growl with pain when he felt the spikes tearing his skin. Despite him wearing black, Asteria could tell by the tight pull on her weapon that her chain followed her command with precision and that he had fallen into her trap. It didn't matter if she could not see his blood right away, she knew the thick metal thorns were causing him pain and she enjoyed every single second of it. "Fall before me!" she did another heavy whipping motion with the chain attached to Tuxedo Kamen's leg and crashed him on the ground with force.

A strong tug in his chest made him look up where Sailor Moon was fighting with Athamas and his deep cerulean gaze turned midnight blue, showing his rage, slowly giving in to his over beastly and protective nature. He turned to Asteria and immediately she noticed the magic in his eyes as he evaded her swings not really minding the chains coiling around him mercilessly. He looked down and wrapped the end if her chains around his arms and with one strong pull, he brought her closer to him taking her completely by surprise, "W-What? she growled in shock while she tried to pin herself to the ground but the force was too strong for her to actually achieve the technique and the centrifugal force the prince was making with his movements. He gave her a murderous glare as soon as she was finally within his grasp "I don't care if you are a fucking Polemarchos or not—stay out of my way," he roared with anger and thrust his knee in her stomach and jammed his elbow on her back sending her straight to the ground, giving him the opportunity to break free from the chains on his ankle. He turned and ran towards the lunar princess and called for his power again; it had been the third time he tried to call for it but nothing came, not even a single spark and it was starting to make him feel frustrated, "What the hell?!"

Asteria took advantage of the moment and wrapped her spiked chains them around him again and threw him hard against the ground. Sailor Moon's eyes widened in horror and ran towards Tuxedo Kamen, "Mamo-chan!"

Sailor Pluto raised her rod _"Death Scream!"_

Athamas blasted his energy at her, making her lose her balance and fall to the ground, Asteria growled and lifted the chains in the air again and whipped them down, throwing him again and repeated the attack several times, like she did when she first encountered Zoisite and Mercury, "Nobody touches me and escapes, much less survives!" the goddess roared with anger as she continued to slam the prince against the ground with fury; she raised the chains that had him tightly secured to throw him down again when the prince opened his eyes and looked down at Sailor Moon's mortified face, "Serenity..." he took a deep breath as he felt something started to pull him into unconsciousness. Sailor Moon noticed there was something wrong was happening and tried to run towards Asteria but she was quickly pulled back and restrained by Athamas before she could attack, "Noooo!" she yelled with desperation. Athamas pulled her closer to him and his arms wrapped around her tight clothed body with lust and smiled, "See what you have done Serenity?" he looked up at the man in black, wrapped in spiked chains, "You killed your precious Prince... _again._ " Sailor Moon widened her eyes "No..." she started shaking, "No, no, no!"

Athamas laughed when he saw Asteria whipping her chains again and getting ready to give the prince the final blow, "Nooo!" Sailor Moon shook her head with desperation as she was trying to break free from the andromedian's grip "Noooo! Endymion!" her lunar symbol began to shine a bright silver light, catching Mamoru's attention for a second before closing his eyes and used what was left of his energy, " _Lapis sacro voco virtutem tuam pro tutela cæce—unda tuo soli, servare malum contra eam—_ " the golden stone hanging from Sailor Moon's neck started to react to his ancient prayer and began glowing with that intense golden shine again. Her eyes widened and looked up at Mamoru making an effort to grab on to the chains and frowned, _"Impugnare malum, lavabit tenebrae—occurret, potentiam tuam ostende!"_ a rabid wave of golden flames pierced through them, releasing him from Asteria's trap and surrounding the princess in a protective shield, keeping her safe from Athamas and finally he let himself go.

Asteria widened her eyes and turned over her shoulder when she heard Sailor Uranus' command and used her chains to divert the senshi's attack _"Space Turbulence!"_ Uranus shouted, sending a good amount of energy spheres at them, Athamas flinched at the blinding light coming from Sailor Moon and soon was blown away by all three forces, hers, the power from the golden stone and Uranus' attack.

The goddess in black diverted her dark gaze from Uranus to Saturn who was now walking towards them as she lifted her glaive, she turned to Athamas and growled "This is not the end to this! I will finish this!" she turned to open a warp and in a flash of dark matter, she disappeared, taking Athamas with her.

Sailor Saturn raised her glaive and gave a deadly glare at the crawling shadows still threatening the lives of her comrades, the royals, and civilians,"You have violated the laws of nature and you must be sentenced by it! Return to your graves and face the consequences of your trespassing! _Silence Glaive—"_

"Noo! Saturn!" Sailor Neptune turned with horror at the senshi of silence and covered her face when she saw her swing down her deadly weapon, _"—Surprise!"_ As soon as the metal of her glaive touched the ground it began to rumble and soon devoured all the black tar matter, the shadows, the corpses and demons into a void and suctioning everything in its way. This was one of the main reasons why Saturn retreated herself from battle as much as she could, because no matter the attack, it would cause great damage to her surroundings. She may not have destroyed the world, but at least Juuban was now too far from being what it was before it all started.

Sailor Saturn turned to check if Luna, Artemis, Megumi and the girl in her arms were alright and sighed in relief when she saw them come out of their hiding place. Akira felt as if a strong puff of energy and fresh air entered her lungs, pulling her from her hazy state and turned to Megumi with gratitude and then at the horrific scene in front of them. Megumi widened her eyes and covered her mouth when she realized what had happened, "No... no..." she breathed with horror.

Sailor Moon widened her eyes when she saw the prince passed out on the ground and ran towards him without caring anything else, "Mamo-chan! Mamoru! Endymion!" she cried loudly as she shook him to try and make him come back to his senses. Kunzite, Zoisite, Nephrite, and Jadeite ran to her aid, all four with their heart pulsing in their throat with worry and desperation. The white-haired man pulled the prince's limp body from Sailor Moon's arms and checked the pulse on his neck and let out a heavy sigh of relief, "He's unconscious—I can feel his pulse,"

The inner and outer senshi went to Sailor Moon's aid and helped her stand up, Sailor Venus being the one to support her princess she wrapped her arms around her and tried to calm her heavy sobs, "He's with us... he's with us—breathe, it's okay." she whispered in her ear. Kunzite carried the prince over his shoulder with the help of his fellow shitennou and turned to Venus and the inner senshi, "We will take Endymion to his apartment but I need you go on first to see if there are no enemies or victims around the damaged area—"

Venus nodded and turned to Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto who took the lead, followed by Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter. Saturn stayed by the princess' side and soon was joined by Megumi to give her a supporting hug, one, the princess took without hesitation.

Akira watched the soldiers in grey guarding the man wearing black and looked down at the golden medallion in her hand, "Endymion..." she mumbled, recognizing the name the silver-haired soldier used to call him. Her brown eyes widened "It's him..." and looked up with surprise and silently felt the need to follow them. "The divine protector of this planet... papa... it's truly him..."

* * *

 _The Divinity series is a rated M story. Expect violence, cursing and explicit scenes to happen._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	48. Chapter 48

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Forty-Eight

* * *

Kunzite kicked the bedroom door to walk inside with urgency as he carried the prince in his arms with the help of Nephrite; in all their way back from the battle scene to Usagi and Mamoru's apartment, he still didn't show any signs of consciousness and it was mortifying Usagi. The general laid him on the bed and looked down at his master with a worried look, "Dammit Endymion... what the hell did you do?"

"We need to treat his injuries right away, he is bleeding too much," Zoisite said from behind. The blonde turned to walk back to the living room to look for Mercury and seconds later Jadeite joined them in the bedroom, "He is very pale..." Jadeite muttered with worry and turned to Nephrite who also had a troubled expression on his face. The white-haired general kneeled next to the bed and exhaled heavily, "Where is Princess Serenity?" he asked softly, the short-haired blonde crossed his arms, "With the Senshi, why?"

Kunzite shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment but before he could continue talking Usagi walked in her civilian clothes and made her way to the bed with worry and saw the trail of blood still trickling from Mamoru's forehead and tried to wipe it off with a trembling hand but Kunzite stopped her "Princess,"

"Mamo-chan..." she leaned her head on his chest and closed her eyes, "Wake up... please, wake up..."

Kunzite, Jadeite, and Nephrite went to stand in the back to give the princess some space but silently were thinking about the gravity of the situation being Kunzite the most worried of them all. Minutes after, Ami walked into the room with Zoisite behind holding an emergency light to let her take charge of the situation like the doctor she was; she turned to put her hands over a rattled Usagi to comfort her and to alert her she was there, "Usa-chan... I need you to wait for me in the living room, I need to treat Mamoru's injuries," she said softly, "I promise I will not take long,"

"No, no! I don't want to leave him!" Usagi cried desperately as she clung to Mamoru's bloodied white shirt and vest, "I can't leave him! He's not responding and he's cold... why is he so cold?!" she sobbed with panic, "He's never cold!"

Ami bit her lower lip and turned to the shitennou and silently asked for a little help. Kunzite immediately took charge and walked over to Usagi and put his arms around her shoulders to hold her for a couple of minutes and pulled her back gently, "Princess..." he whispered in her ear to take her out of her hysteria; Usagi looked so fragile that made him feel that if he was not careful enough they all would be worrying for both royals instead on just one. "No..." Usagi shook her head but she was too weak to even put up a decent fight against the general who was holding her tight in his arms; her teary eyes looked down at her husband being carefully undressed by the other shitennou. While Zoisite worked on taking his tuxedo jacket, Jadeite was carefully unbuttoning his vest and shirt and Nephrite was slowly unpinning his cape off his shoulders.

The whole scene started to play in slow motion before Usagi's eyes like a horror movie. The panic was there, but none of them verbalized it, instead, they kept their jaws clenched as they analyzed the gravity of the situation. Megumi walked inside with a bowl of warm water and sterile gauzes while Ami took the liberty to go to their bathroom to find a first aid kit she was certain Mamoru with being the kind of doctor he was, had very well stocked.

"Princess, it will be better if we give them some space," Kunzite's deep voice reached Usagi's hazy state of mind and slowly shook her head, but again, her body felt like if it was disconnected from her brain and could not follow her wishes but before she could object she was taken back to the living room where the other girls were waiting with a worried look on their faces. Minako widened her eyes and ran over to her and wrapped her arms around her for support as she slowly led her back to the sofa. The blonde looked up and noticed neither Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna, or Hotaru were no longer there and frowned, "They went to monitor the city—Setsuna-san will go to the Gates of Time and Space to search for leaks in the corridor that might have allowed this woman and Athamas to cross to into this world." Makoto said softly, "Michiru-san asked us to keep them informed about Mamoru's condition."

Rei walked back from the kitchen with a tray with a pot of hot water and enough cups for them and prepared one cup of an herbal tea she brought from the temple she knew could help soothe her friend's nerves. She sat on her knees in front of the coffee table and put the steaming cup in front of Usagi with much delicacy, "Usagi... please, drink this."

Usagi pulled back from Minako's arms and looked down at Rei with a tear-stained face, "I don't..." she shook her head and rubbed the mascara off her puffy eyes brusquely, "I don't want tea, I want him to wake up—I need him to wake up!"

Rei sighed softly and placed her hand on Usagi's knee, "Usa-chan, he is going to be alright. Ami is treating him, he will be alright." Usagi exhaled deeply and shut her eyes, "He is injured because of me..."

"Usagi," Minako widened her eyes, "Don't say that,"

"This is my fault—if I haven't—" Usagi leaned down to hug her knees and cover her face, "I promised him I would be strong and look after myself, I promised him I would be careful! I insisted him so much to teach me how to fight, I insisted him so much to trust me and I failed him!" she said between choked sobs, "There's blood everywhere! He doesn't move... he is barely breathing, I hardly heard his heartbeat... I'm so scared..."

"Don't blame yourself for this Usa-chan, I am sure it's something he wouldn't like to hear," Makoto's words snapped Usagi from her sobbing trance and looked up at her, "Whatever _he_ said, it's not true."

"Think about both sides of the spectrum Usa-chan," Minako said softly, "Remember why you disliked him so much."

"And think about how different they are," Rei said softly and took the cup, "While Athamas always tried to make you feel small and guilty for everything, Prince Endymion always challenged you to think outside of the box—and as a result, you decided to never be a tragic Princess, ever again." she handed her friend the steaming cup, "Mamoru had his reasons to interfere between you and Athamas and if he did what he did it was because at that very moment it was the best and quickest solution—Father once told me that it's a warrior's duty to take drastic measures when you run out of options."

The mention of Rei's divine father fitted like a glove into their current situation, Usagi noticed with wonder how her friends were also dealing with the process of accepting their true selves just like she and Mamoru did. Talking about the past no longer felt painful but more like a continuation of their journey for a future, she promised to build with her terran prince once he returned from war all those years ago. Minako turned to look at Kunzite and blinked when Rei's words paired with what he told her the moment they jumped down the stairs from her apartment building when escaping the shadows. The white-haired General crossed his arms and arched his brow to confirm her thoughts.

"Also, Usa-chan you have to admit it was pretty badass when he gave that demon-woman a taste of her own medicine when he pulled the chains and shoved his knee on her stomach to break free," Makoto said in a lighter tone to try to clear the gloomy mood around them, at least a little. Rei smiled at her, understanding what the Amazon girl was trying to do and nodded, "It took us all by surprise—even Haruka-san stood there gaping with amazement."

"I didn't know he could fight like that! It was awesome!" Makoto nudged Usagi's shoulder gently until she made the princess give them a faint smile in response. Minako smiled softly and turned to Kunzite let him know he could leave Usagi into their care so he could go back and check on Mamoru and the rest. Once inside, he saw Ami finishing bandaging Mamoru's chest and asked Zoisite to help him rip the fabric around his wounded leg so she could take a closer look at his injury. Her brows knitted together when she saw it was more serious than she thought and turned to the shitennou, "I am going to need to give him several stitches. The wound is deep and he has lost a considerable amount of blood—that is why he is so pale."

"What can we do?" Jadeite asked desperately, Ami sighed and began cleaning the brutal punctuations and cuts around his ankle that went all the way up to his knee and turned to a very pale Megumi, "Megumi-san, could you please bring more warm clean water?"

"I-Is he going to be alright Lady Mercury?" Megumi asked with a trembling, weak voice. Ami turned and nodded, "I am doing everything in my power to keep him out of danger, I promise."

Megumi bowed her head and quickly turned to change the water in the bowl that was now tainted crimson red. Ami sighed and turned to Jadeite and Nephrite, "Could you check that case if there are any surgical needles and thread? If not, I will have to—" to the bluenette and everyone's surprise the lamp on Mamoru's side flickered back on meaning the power had gone back. Kunzite walked over to the window and saw the city slowly began to go back to normal again, "It's coming back in the city, this only means that the portal has been closed."

"I do sense a different, clearer vibe," Jadeite said softly as he walked back with a black case in his hands, "This is all we could find in his clothes room,"

Ami put the bloodied gauze on the bowl Megumi brought back and found more gauzes that eventually was going to need, different kinds of antiseptic, ointments, band-aids, antibiotics skin adhesives and, like a child in a candy store her eyes gleamed with relief, "Oh, thank goodness he does have one for emergencies." she opened the small surgical kit including needles, scissors, a small scalpel, a needle holder and a pair of forceps. She turned to Zoisite and Nephrite and took a deep breath, "Can you please keep cleaning the wound while I prepare the needle?"

Both generals nodded in silence and followed the young doctor's instructions, Nephrite turned to Jadeite and asked for more clean gauzes as he continued applying pressure to stop the bleeding, "I did not know he could do that..." he muttered with clear awe, Jadeite looked at his comrade and frowned, "What?"

"We knew he was different. We knew he had the Queen's blessing but..." Nephrite narrowed his eyes, "The way he gathered and manipulated that amount of energy, I suppose I never expected to witness it." he moved back, giving Ami enough space to work. "This must be what Her Majesty was referring to when she assigned us the mission to look after him," Jadeite frowned, "That is why she did not want him to learn the truth. To protect him... from them... and from himself."

Ami narrowed her blue eyes and started to close the largest wound across his leg with tiny, delicate knots. Her hands moved with extreme delicacy around the area as she closed the small sutures. Her mind focused on the proper care and the gravity of the problem but also on the way he fought against the dark woman; it was admirable how he managed to only get these wounds and despite being serious it could have gone worse, much worse. She agreed with Nephrite, she didn't know Mamoru had the ability to manipulate such amount of energy the way he did and how he evaded to almost perfection each of her attacks she was more than familiar with her shady tactics and brutal strength. Ami blew her bangs softly and cut the long thread and began wrapping a wide bandage around the entire sutured wound to speed the healing process, mentally praying for him to come back to his senses for his and Usagi's sake. She turned and cleared the area, putting all the blooded tools away in a tray for sterilization and took her latex gloves off; her eyes landed first on the young maid and gave her a small smile, "Thank you for all your wonderful help." Megumi bowed her head, "You have my eternal gratitude, Lady Mercury, thank you for saving my Prince."

Ami sighed softly, "We still need to wait—the first 72 hours are critical," she turned to the shitennou, "But since he is not just any regular patient, let's hope he comes back to us sooner than expected." she turned to look at her friend and mentor with worry and sighed with mortification, "You have to—for Usagi-chan."

-O-

 _"Iam repetere post me et,"_

 _"W-What?"_

 _"Iterare quod sicut docuit vos_ — _et Latine quaeso, Tua Nobilitas,"_

 _(Repeat what I just taught you—in Latin please, Your Highness,)_

 _Twelve-year-old Prince Endymion frowned and peeked his eye open at the High Priest sitting next to him both, sitting Buddha-style at the temple, close to the praying tower inside the palace's grounds. The always calm and peaceful looking man in white tunics took a deep breath, "Non possum te audiunt orantes,"_

 _(I cannot hear you praying,)_

 _Endymion sighed, his frown deepened as he chanted the newest addition to his long list of holy prayers taught by the *sanctum priest, "Lapis sacro voco virtutem tuam pro tutela cæce, munda tuo soli, servare malum contra eam impugnare malum, lavabit tenebrae—" he stopped abruptly, catching the priest's attention who turned to look at the young prince struggling with the words, "Impugnare malum, lavabit tenebrae—occurret, potentiam tuam ostende,"_

 _"—Occurret, potentiam tuam ostende," Endymion rolled his blue eyes and blew his long dark bangs, "Hoc est quidquam tam vanum," (This is pointless)_

 _"Quid est?"_

 _(What is?)_

 _"Haec Obelix, haec—non videre punctum_ _huius_ _,"_

 _(This Obelix, this—I do not see the point of_ _this_ _,)_

 _"Non serves ad plus quam tu potest imaginari, Tua Nobilitas—aliquam sit amet pacificis quos vesci licitum servare mentem, ut praestare expectata."_

 _(It serves more purpose than you can imagine, Your Highness—it is important to keep a peaceful and clean mind to perform as expected.)_

 _"To perform as expected?" Endymion shook his head, "To perform as expected for what?"_

 _"Et Latine quaeso, Tua Nobilitas," (In Latin please, Your Highness) Obelix said in a fatherly tone. It was his daily lecture of both cultures but as expected, the young prince sometimes found himself trapped in boredom, "Et Latina lingua nostra est velut mater Regali prosapia, oportet te scire esse perfectum. Est pars quae non sunt,"_

 _(Latin is our mother tongue and as Royal, you must know it to perfection. It is part of who you are.)_

 _Endymion sighed, "Part of who I am..." he muttered with annoyance, then winced when he felt the priest's scolding look on him and pursed his lips, "Et ego partem... quam ego removes? Cantantium ego ignoro tamen omnem orationem qua cotidie,"_

 _(Part of who I am... what am I anyway? I have been chanting all these prayers every day and I still do not understand for what,)_

 _"Ut manifestum est animo et spiritu—aliquam sit amet enim manere coniuncta ad hoc planeta et salutem et felicitatem in ora pro suis diis,"_

 _(To keep a clear mind and spirit—it is important for you to stay connected to this planet and pray for its safety and prosperity to the gods,)_

 _"What gods?"_

 _"Et Latine," Obelix corrected, again. Endymion rolled his eyes and sighed heavily with annoyance "Quos deos?"_

 _Obelix, the *sacred priest, always looked impeccable in his gold and ivory tunics contrasting beautifully with the dark color of his skin and the pale grey color of his long hair always styled in a sleek half updo. He opened his honey colored eyes and took a moment to think about the best possible answer he could give to the young monarch. The moment his queen had been fearing was slowly making its way to their lives with all the existential questioning from Endymion. He was entering the complex phase of his teenage years and everything now was followed by a why, a whom, a what, and a when, giving the poor priest a few options left to justify his daily lectures. "In deos, qui habitas ascendas statim et caelus," (The gods who live up in the heavens,)_

 _"Huh," Endymion blew his bangs again, "Ego sum maxime orantes est aliquis? Quia non audierunt..." (Am I praying to someone in particular? Because they do not seem to listen...)_

 _Obelix took a deep breath and exhaled, "Why are you so anxious, young Prince?" Endymion fidgeted in his seating position and sat straight again, "I am not."_

 _"I may be old but I am not blind," Obelix frowned, "You have been fidgeting all morning."_

 _"How is this going to help me in the future?" Endymion said softly and turned to Obelix, "I come here every single day at dawn so you can teach me all these new chants and prayers I do not see the purpose in learning—I know I must know them but..." Obelix arched his brow, "But?"_

 _"I do not feel anything different—I do not see anything happening. All remains the same. Why am I doing this?"_

 _The priest looked up at the skies and smiled sadly, "Ad te solum confugimus ad tempus a Deo, Chronos, quaesumus, ut eas voluntas gubernantis duxerit ad Dea Terra pro nobis ad eam sana sumus eius assidue orare Deum Helios praesidium." He turned to the young prince who was looking back at him with curious eyes, "Ut orando humilitatem nostram, et corpore et animo confirmat. Dat tantum nobis opus pace."_

 _(We pray to the God of Time, Chronos, for granting us his guidance, we pray to the Goddess Terra, to be healthy, we pray to God Helios, for its constant protection—praying is our way to remain humble, it strengthens our body and soul. It gives us much needed peace.)_

 _Endymion looked at the man stand up and walk towards the garden, "Obelix?"_

 _Obelix turned to look at him over his shoulder, "Scio vota tua, ut fiat miles, sed non plene facti rationem si crescunt cum ad ambitionem quoque et potestate. Cor humile et bellator bonus esse possit pugnare contra mala Forti animo ita succedunt."_

 _(I know of your wishes to become a warrior but you cannot fully become one if you grow with ambition based on ego and a thirst for power in both, mind and heart. A good warrior maintains a humble heart to grow a strong spirit so it can fight against evil and succeed.)_

 _Obelix turned to fully face the prince and gave him a warm smile,_ " _Cum adversa ferit illa momenta quae ad pacem nos progredi oportet. Videlicet quod ad iter nostrum nos protegat illos."_

 _(When adversity strikes, these moments are what are going to bring us the peace we need to move forward. It will clear our path and protect those we hold close to our heart.)_

-O-

Mamoru widened his eyes when realized he was having another regression on his previous life and he looked around with disbelief on how real it was to feel the sun warming his skin or the cool breeze playing with his hair. The high priest looked up and saw beyond from where the young prince was sitting and smiled, this time, with melancholy, "Have you realized the truth, My Prince?"

"Obelix..." Mamoru muttered with surprise, his blue eyes gleamed with unshed tears at the sight of the holy priest of Elysion, "You're alive..."

The high priest tilted his head up and hid his hands under his tunic like he always did, "No, young Prince—I am just an illusion."

"So then, I am dreaming again?" Mamoru frowned, Obelix shook his head, "No, I would not say you are dreaming,"

"But you're here."

"Yes, I am here, but at the same time I am not." The priest extended his arms; Mamoru's brows furrowed deeper, "I never fully understood your riddles,"

"I am here because somehow, your subconscious brought you back to this particular moment between us—Helios is the High Priest of Elysion now, and it is because of him, that you and I are meeting again. I asked him to grant me permission to cross this plane since my physical body ceased to exist a long time ago. My spirit is all that is left, Your Highness." Obelix looked into Mamoru's eyes and gave him a soft smile, "My soul is linked to his, that is how we Celestial Priests work." The man narrowed his honey-colored eyes, "I can see it now. Your soul is tainted with trouble and remorse—anger, so much anger and fury. You have unleashed some of the power within you, but as expected, you are facing its consequences as your fate currently lays suspended between life and death,"

"Suspended? What do you mean? What is this place?" Mamoru shook his head; Obelix arched his brow "Welcome to Purgatorio, Endymion." Mamoru widened his eyes with shock, "Purgatorio?"

"I remember explaining this to you in your younger years," Obelix tilted his head, "Every time you re-visit a scenario from your past you are defying the laws of nature by crossing to this suspended realm—if it makes you feel somewhat relieved, you are not dead but you are in a deep level of unconsciousness,"

"What?!" Mamoru turned to look around, realizing that in fact he was suspended in an unnatural dimension, "No, no, no, no, no..." he shook his head with panic written all over his handsome face, "No... no... I need to go back to my time! I need to go back to reality!"

"You cannot leap through planes as you please, Endymion," Obelix arched his brow, "You channeled your inner power—summoned and chanted an ancient prayer to use the Golden Crystal, but like I told you before, one cannot function when your soul and mind are tainted with poisonous emotions. The Crystal put you in this trance as a way to protect you from dying,"

"The power I did not know I had but you all did," Mamoru muttered bitterly, "You knew about my mother's past and you never told me, every time I came to you to tell you how strange it was for me to see and feel all these emotions and sensations, the sparks flying from my hands... you knew it was because of this and you never told me the truth."

"Your aura is disturbed with anger,"

"Of course I am angry! What did you expect?!" Mamoru frowned, "All of you hid this important thing from me and treated me like a damn piece of glass! Like if I wasn't worthy of knowing the truth! Do you have any idea of how stupid this makes me feel?"

"Your mother had her reasons, Endymion." Obelix tilted his head low, "It is true, I knew about it—we all did, but Her Majesty's wish was to give you a normal life, is that too much of a crime?"

"I didn't even have that normal life you all presume and defend so much. Back then, I was born with a royal title... that fact itself cancels all normality. All I did afterward was to follow the protocol a monarch must follow to meet the standards of a crown I never liked wearing over my head." Mamoru shook his head and turned to look the fountain trickling crystal water at the center of the court between the palace and the temple where he currently stood with the sun setting in the distance, giving all these beautiful hues of golden, orange and magentas painting their faces, "Why can't I see her?" he asked with obvious hurt. Obelix took a deep breath and exhaled softly, "For the same reason you are in Purgatorio, Endymion, you are corrupted. Seeing her would only ignite your frustrations and heartbreak even more."

"Bullshit," Mamoru hung his head low and closed his eyes; Obelix widened his eyes "Endym—"

"I need to go back to my wife, Obelix, she must be very worried, this isn't a game... I am wasting time," he sighed and turned to the priest, "Things are happening Obelix, we are under attack,"

"I know,"

"Then you understand why you need to help me go back,"

"I cannot do that, Your Highness."

"Obelix..." Mamoru frowned and rubbed the bridge of his nose with exasperation, "This is no longer my time! This is no longer my life! Stop trying to force this damn past on me!"

"And yet you were selfish enough to summon the power of the Golden Crystal, how convenient." Obelix looked back at him with sharp defiance in his honey-colored eyes, "You claim this is not who you are, you deny your heritage and dynasty, and yet, you still want celestial aid," he shook his head with a sarcastic smirk, "Have you forgotten everything that I taught you? This is not how divinity works Endymion, you know it very well."

"I didn't know I was—" Mamoru felt a lump in his throat, like the priest had predicted, he was angry and heartbroken and if he wasn't careful with his next choice of words, his whole belief system could shatter like a piece of glass, "I didn't know I had this..."

"Dea Lunae et uxorem," _(You married the Moon Goddess,)_ Obelix said softly, startling Mamoru "W-What?"

"Tu nupta sit viro," _(You are a married man, now,)_ Obelix looked at the blur of the prince's younger self and walked past him disintegrating the image of the young boy sitting at the top of the stairs like smoke. Mamoru nodded, "Yes, I am. That is why I need to go back."

"Et Latine..."

"Obelix..."

"Et Latine,"

Mamoru sighed with annoyance, "Mihi necesse est ire ad illam vitam in se periculum et se defendat non sum ratus, cum capti inter dimensionibus."

 _(I need to go back to her; her life is in danger and I am supposed to protect her and not being trapped between dimensions.)_

Obelix licked his lips, "Well, at least you have yet not forgotten how to speak in your native tongue," he sighed, "You cannot go back under such conditions, you are not even half the man I helped your mother raise and train."

"Thank you, how thoughtful of you," Mamoru mumbled sardonically and looked away, "Whatever that means,"

"It means that you have not yet fully awaken to your full potential, Endymion. Have I not said it enough for you to understand? You are corrupted and to protect you from dying the crystal reacted the same way and put you in a deep sleep." The priest crossed his arms, "No matter how much you try, you will not wake up until you fully regain your strength and take full control of the power that now weakly pulses inside of you. You cannot do anything as you are right now."

"Obelix, Serenity is in danger—I can't be here sleeping while she is in another dimension thinking I am close to death!"

"The Moon Princess will be safe as long as she has the pendant with her. No harm will come to her, also, the Shitennou are there too, I know they will not leave her side, I learned they crossed to the mortal realm... I am glad, they did not deserve such tragic fate,"

"Ego postulo video vidi illam, Obelix." _(I need to see her, Obelix.)_ Mamoru pleaded softly. Obelix sighed softly, "You will, once you understand that no matter how many lives you try and cross to live just to forget and start over, you will always be Endymion, Prince of Terra, and who someday will step in to take the throne as King. Stop denying your nature, stop denying your family—stop denying her."

"I am related to Chaos, Obelix."

"Chaos does not define you, young Prince." Obelix said dryly, "And if you must know so your soul can find peace, Chaos was not born evil. It was a choice he made—just like your mother, who chose to live a mortal life alongside your father."

"You knew him, Chaos?"

Obelix nodded, "Of course I did—he was the first to take control of Terra, chosen and trained to be a Polemarchos by Helios and later by Ares. He was a promising warrior of the Olympian Army—he was the next in line to take Helios' place and serve as a political and strategic advisor to the alliance that was being created at that time, but as I said to you during many of our lessons, if a warrior's soul is not in peace and if you do not keep your feet on the ground and remain humble, it will only meet misery. He chose to be who he is Endymion, you need to let that go—do not attach yourself to him or any of the life choices he has made."

"He is my mother's brother, it's impossible to ask me not to feel attached to him." Mamoru frowned, Obelix arched his brow, "You are Gaia's son, not Chaos',"

"And yet they want to take me to the Underworld,"

"The Gods have been misguided far too long, their laws are obsolete, yes, but, there are theirs. It is not much you can do about it now, much less in this poor state of yours. You need courage and strength to fight the Olympians and you are far below of having any, you are not even a worthy opponent as you are right now." Obelix shook his head and let out a long sigh, "There is no point in hiding you the truth any longer, you said you have awakened but it clearly does not show. You probably know little to nothing about the dynasty you are part of," the priest sat on the edge of one of the stone steps and looked up at the dark sky, "In ancient times, when Olympus had yet not existed, the divine world was ruled and guided by Titans—known as The First Twelve: Mnemosyne, Thethys, Theia, Phoebe, Rhea, Themis, Oceanus, Hyperion, Coeus, Crius, Lapetus, and Chronos. Their legacy with time expanded and with that, another generation was born: Eos, Lelantos, Leto, Asteria, Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, Menoetius, Metis, Astraeus, Pallas, Perses. your great-grandfather Helios and much to everyone's surprise, Selene." Obelix sighed, "It was a strong alliance, yes, but it was also very chaotic and murderous. Ambition was too powerful and Olympians wanted to change the course of things by gaining their strength and take the control the Titans had been misusing over the divine realm. That movement itself unleashed a disastrous war that caused the assassination of many deities on both sides and in the Titan's imprisonment in Tartarus where they still remain as void and tortured spirits."

"What role do we play in all of this?" Mamoru frowned angrily, Obelix took a deep breath, "Helios was one of those Titans that fought during the Titanomachy, and in his search for peace, he created an alliance along with Chronos to protect those who remained. Being the well-respected warrior and strategist he was known to be, he managed to reach a peace settlement with the Olympians that later gave him the position of strategist and political advisor and led the creation of the first generation of Polemarchos while Chronos with his high power and control over the Gates of Time and Space, took the role of Ancient God, or, High God, giving them and their descendants an important rank in Olympus." The priest stood up and began walking down the long stairs to the court, "Walk with me, Endymion,"

Mamoru followed seconds after and sat on the edge of the large fountain. The sound of trickling water was their only companion, unlike his days on ancient Earth, there were no fireflies floating around, there was no wind echo—there was no Moon. Their lighting source was only the thousands of candles lit around them, each one meaning one prayer to the gods. "Up to this day, some gods are still reluctant and some are ambitious, they have a difficult time understanding those descending from Titans. Unlike them, and due to their ancient power, they are given other jurisdictions and granted more complex powers that every descendant of their dynasty must always protect with its life and carry on until they find the next chosen protector and meet their end. Helios' dynasty protects the sacred stone created to hold the mighty Sun's pure energy—unlike other treasures, the Golden Crystal has an aggressive power that sweeps everything to its purest form until it completely vanishes it, which makes that crystal and the sword of golden blade two valuable treasures to those who want great power. That sword is blessed, crafted by Zeus' trusty blacksmith with Helios specific instructions but since your divine grandmother, Nut, was not the next chosen protector, both crystal and weapon ended in the hands of her children," he turned to Mamoru and gave him a sad smile, "Your mother was chosen to guard the crystal with the help of that sword. That was Chaos' first motivation to break the peace treaty between Titans and Olympians, unleashing another divine war."

Mamoru looked down at his hands and narrowed his eyes in wonder and thought, he was confused and amazed at the same time. How could he be related to such strong line of divine beings and how his entire life had been a truth half explained. "Ares confessed what happened to Gaia," he muttered, "How she defied the laws of nature..."

"Goddess Gaia, no," Obelix exhaled and brought his hands together, "Your mother. She inherited Helios' character. Strong-willed and a little too defiant, this made her relationship with Goddess Nut a turmoil. Goddess Nut wanted a Lady, and instead, she had a warrior; they had different takes on how life should be and it always led to bitter arguments. There was no doubt Goddess Nut loved her very much, but, that was not the life she would have liked her only daughter to lead and it frustrated her greatly. With Chaos gone, your mother had to step in and follow her duty in protecting the sacred crystal and Earth and took her obligations very seriously, just like you did for Elysion. She was always involved with everything that happened on her beloved Terra, constantly blessing and listening to the prayers of its inhabitants. It was her decision to have a sacred shrine on Earth and due to that, I was soon commissioned by Lord Chronos to serve her as Sacred Priest and advisor from a very young age." He sighed softly, "Yes, Goddess Gaia defied the laws of nature and broke a taboo by falling in love with Prince Eros—a mortal man, but you cannot really condemn love. Lord Chronos fought for her rights and he always looked after her due to his close friendship and loyalty with Helios. Because of his influence and ability to negotiate, she was granted a mortal life, but, with no relations or any rights to her life as Goddess, stripping her from her titles, duties and divinity—Gods have a very long-life span, mortals do not, and the transition she made was the real culprit of her weak health, it was not because you were born, Endymion."

Mamoru's eyes widened, Obelix noticed his sudden change and continued, "I know you always felt responsible for her lack of health, but if it was not for you she would have given up a long time ago. She did cry when she realized you were chosen to be the next Guardian of Earth and owner of the Golden Crystal because all she wanted was to live a peaceful life with you until her passing. With you being chosen by Helios, everything changed, and as much as she tried to give you a normal childhood, fate and nature had to follow its course and soon, you felt it—the warrior's calling."

Mamoru sighed and stood up, still trying to process all the information the priest was giving him. He ran a hand through his dark hair and shook his head, "You mentioned Selene in the story, does it mean Serenity is linked to Titans as well?" he looked up, trying to search for a moon that sadly was not there to clear his troubled mind. "Is that why the Silver Crystal exist?"

"The Silver Imperial Crystal has other origins. Goddess Selene is considered part of the second great generation but neither she or any of her descendants have Titan blood. The Moon Goddess was one courageous Olympian that believed both races could co-exist in the same universe in peace and she fought for those ideals alongside Helios and Chronos crafting a close friendship and loyalty towards each other while bonding the first Alliance, one that included Earth. The Silver Crystal was created by the strong, purifying power of the Moon, making it an ancient, sacred treasure as well. Its close link to the Golden Crystal is what makes it its valuable companion—the Golden Crystal can react if the Silver Crystal is being used and it works the other way around as well, that explains why you were always able to transmit your strength to the Lunar Princess in battle against dark forces and vice versa. Their power put together is incredible, but if you put them against each other, the Golden Crystal can burn the light of its Silver counterpart with ease if used for malefic purposes due to the aggressive and savage power of the Sun."

Mamoru frowned, "And Asteria? She is a Titan too then,"

"Asteria is a complex being." Obelix took a deep breath, "After the war between Titans and Olympians ended and was settled to form an Alliance, she was of those who believed themselves as superior beings and was against the peace treaty between two races and became part of a league of titans known as the rebels. When they were defeated as well, she made a deal with Hades and became the guardian of one of the Gates of the Underworld and the Goddess of Fates and Fallen Stars. The lives of those sentenced and who have crossed to Thanatos are taken by her and if worthy, she collects them for Hades' Army of Shadows."

"She is a Polemarchos too, then."

"Asteria has great power—one that can easily give a fair fight to strong warriors, she is vicious in battle but she is not a Polemarchos."

"Well, that is not what she says,"

"What?"

"I fought her,"

"What?" Obelix's eyes widened, "You fought against Asteria?"

Mamoru looked over his shoulder at the priest, "That is why I am trapped in this place—she was going to hurt Serenity. That is why I prayed to use the power of the crystal, I wished for it to protect her first, instead of me."

"Endymion!"

"She's my wife, Obelix! What did you expect me to do?!" Mamoru turned with anger crossing his handsome face, "It was a drastic measure, _I know_ , but it was all I could do at the moment. Serenity is my priority and I was not going to allow them to do her any harm."

"You cannot risk yourself that way, I understand your position but if you cease to exist the fate of Earth does too. You cannot be this reckless, Endymion, I taught you better than that!" Obelix frowned, Mamoru let out a sarcastic chuckle, "It is interesting how you scold me for this and not find it strange how come a Titan stepped foot on Earth looking for me."

"That troubles me too," Obelix's frown deepened, "Why was she there?"

"She said she is on a mission to bring me to the Underworld, where I apparently belong." Mamoru crossed his arms, "All these strings of fate and pieces of our past are piercing through this era and all the way to the afterlife." He frowned with shame, "Obelix... when you told me to call for my power that night, I put Earth to sleep. I reversed its history and wiped everything that once existed. I erased our existence from the mind of those reincarnated and buried our ruins deep underground."

"I am well aware of what you did," Obelix said with a dry tone; Mamoru arched his brow surprised by his serious and defiant stance, but continued, "I went to the Moon with Chronos' help and later learned that the Lunar Commander, Andromedian by birth, was the responsible for the mysterious deaths in Elysion and the Four Cardinal Kingdoms." This new piece of information softened the priest's facial features, changing them to ones of surprise "What?"

"His intrusion triggered Metallia's awakening and soon after what happened with Beryl, she was released causing what well—you know what it caused, there's no need to go into that all over again." Mamoru sighed, "I was fighting two enemies, both with similar plans and similar power. This Commander managed to survive the fall of the Silver Millennium and has joined forces with Asteria; a very similar scenario to what happened in Elysion in ancient times is happening all over again,"

"She must have other intentions..." Obelix muttered in thought, "Why would she join forces with an Andromedian... that is out of my understanding."

"The Andromedian wants to have control over Serenity and he wants me dead," Mamoru said dryly, "Asteria says she is accomplishing a task given to her, by whom? We still don't know."

"Asteria is a double edge sword Endymion, she will not perform something unless it is something that will benefit her too. That is why Hades granted her the power to control the troubled souls of the Underworld—it was a bargain she could not ignore." Obelix said and stood up and looked into the prince's deep blue eyes, "I can see the power within you, your eyes have always given away your divinity, but you cannot return to the living realm until you have fully wake and master the power of the Golden Crystal and accept who you really are."

"I have the sword with me, isn't that enough?"

"Well, if it is enough then tell me, how come you could not call for its power and use it in your battle against Asteria?" Obelix crossed his arms as he was scolding the prince to a mocking point. His own frustrations slowly took over his always calm character, "Tell me, High Prince, I am _eager_ to know,"

Mamoru clenched his jaw like a child being deprived of his favorite toy, angry at himself too for his own incompetence. The priest was right and he was not taking it too well; Obelix arched his brow, "Ah, not even the sword awakens to your command—well, you are farther behind than I thought." He sighed, "How disappointing... why not finish dragging your family's honor into the mud with this poor imitation of a warrior Prince, hm?"

"You are crossing the line..." Mamoru frowned to what Obelix shook his head with anger, "You cannot protect anything in this state of yours, even if you have recovered the sacred sword—without you fully aware and in acceptance of your power and responsibilities that sword is worthless! You are useless! Face the truth Endymion! Stop thinking this all can be solved with bits and pieces of magic made from your own conclusions! Stop trying to change a discipline that was created and imposed by a league of warriors wiser and stronger than you, thousands of years ago!"

Mamoru felt Obelix's words as a dagger piercing his chest, this was the first time the priest raised his voice at him and even dared to challenge his abilities. The truth hurt and he was beginning to feel hopeless and defeated; he hung his head low and remained silent, wishing for this moment to end. Obelix went past him without turning to look at him, "Your ego is the only thing that remains, and, to be honest, it is not even worthy of my attention—I do not work with egotistical beings, I am surprised the crystal granted you the blessing of keeping you alive."

"You don't understand!" Mamoru growled angrily at the priest for his harsh words. "You have no idea what your lies have put me through! You don't know everything I went through in this present era!"

"Do not justify your anger and weakness with your existential dilemmas." Obelix turned, taking Mamoru by surprise, "Your name is Endymion De Terra—Chiba Mamoru was a name given by the woman who gave birth to you in this era and it was a marvelous decoy so the gods would think you were no longer blessed with divinity, giving you the pun of local guardian. Truth is, you are the Guardian of Earth and the rightful carrier of the Golden Crystal, the sacred stone with the blessings of the Sun—you have Helios' blood running through your veins." He pressed an accusing finger on Mamoru's chest, "Yes, both names are linked, but it does not matter how much you try to ignore your descendance, every time you say your name—either name, you are accepting your fate as Guardian. That is how strong your bond to this dynasty is." His caramel eyes narrowed, "By denying your heritage, you are denying and cursing your mother and father's nature and all the obstacles they had to go through to build the foundation of Elysion and that is something I cannot forgive. You do not deserve to be married to Goddess Serenity. You are no match for her, a weakling like you cannot be linked to a beautiful and powerful being as her."

"Enough with this damn inquisition!" Mamoru growled with anger, "What the hell do you know?! You don't know anything about me! You just spent your days lighting stupid candles and praying to gods who never gave a damn about us! Your power lies in wasted prayers and look where it led you! You're dead!"

Obelix slapped the prince across his face with the back of his hand, "If you continue with this nonsense, you will die too! At this point, I do not care if you are the crowned Prince of Earth, I do not care if you were trained to be a skilled Polemarchos; I do not care if you reincarnated and became something else in the process. Whatever it is, I demand respect from you!" He frowned, "Open your eyes Endymion and stop acting like an infatuated child who only wants to do whatever comes easier! I have seen enough of your mortal life to know where you stand and you are far from being a man worthy of your royal title. Back then, you fought your mother's wishes and left to train for the army and gave your people a valuable example of discipline and loyalty of servitude—you went to war, you dealt with death on many occasions, you put a whole planet to sleep but you did it with courage and with unbreakable determination, where is it now?!" Obelix pointed a finger up at the prince, showing his authority, "Life is not easy, open your eyes and realize that there is much more at risk than this baffling existential caprice of yours, yes, you were put through heavy trials in this life—you have suffered very much, yes, but you also came through it all—you survived; you wanted to become a warrior and stop being a liability to others? Then dismantle your damn pride and tainted ego and start acting like one! This man... I do not recognize him. You are not my Prince. You are not the boy I witnessed become a man..." Obelix shook his head with deception, "What a disappointment."

Mamoru widened his eyes as he looked at the priest slowly walk back to the temple like a ghost looking for the well-being of those that got trapped in this endless limbo he was now part of. He needed to get out of there, he needed to go back but as Obelix said, nothing in him granted him enough energy or power to escape this suffocating maze of emotions and truth. "Serenity..." he muttered with sadness and worry as he looked up at the moonless sky and took a deep breath.

-O-

 _"Serenity..."_

Usagi's eyes snapped open and realized she had fallen asleep on the sofa, she turned and saw Minako sleeping next to her with Rei and Makoto curled on the other sofa. She turned groggily from her deep sleep and saw the light filtering through the curtains, letting her know it was another day. She turned in the direction of the kitchen and found odd that there was no noise or the characteristic smell of freshly brewed coffee lingering in the air and it was then when she realized what had happened the previous night. "Mamo-chan..." she turned quickly and walked towards their bedroom and noticed the door was half open. Pushing it aside slowly she was met with the image of the four shitennou sitting by the window with their head low, indicating they too had fallen asleep sometime during the night; Ami was cuddled in Zoisite's arms and Megumi had fallen asleep on the floor by the bed, next to Mamoru.

Her eyes soon landed on the prince bandaged all over his chest; his always impeccable tuxedo was now torn and stained with blood over a chair. The image of seeing him laying between bloodied sheets and in an unconscious state was too much for her to bear, this was probably the first time she had seen him so vulnerable to everything, so unprotected and weak. Her eyes could no longer hold her tears and began to roll down her flushed cheeks as she made her way to the bed and nestled next to him with tremendous care. She bit her lips, trying to fight the urge to put her arms around his waist like she always did every morning and just cuddled her head on his shoulder. Usagi gathered the courage to look up at him and traced the lines of his handsome face with a feathery touch and paid close attention to all the small bruises and cuts on his forehead, his brows, and lips. With the gentlest care she leaned forward and combed his hair back, like she knew he liked it and closed her eyes, "Why did you do it?" she whispered between soft sobs, "Why did you risk your life this way for me?" she shook her head, "Can't you see I can't be alright if you are not with me? I know you would have said that you did it because you love me but I love you too and we were supposed to do this together... you promised me that nothing would happen to you... you promised me, Mamo-chan." She leaned closer and rested her head on his, "I love you... I love you with every cell of my being and I know you love me too, so please... wake up..." her sobbing started to become heavier, "There are still so many things for us to do, our dream home is waiting for us to fill it with new precious memories... please, Endymion, wake up... come back to me, like you promised you would..."

O—o—O

Back in the living room, Minako opened her eyes and rubbed her sore neck a couple of times before realizing Usagi was no longer sleeping next to her. The previous night, Rei had to put a sedative Ami had given her with discretion before she went to treat Mamoru's wound to put in on her friend's tea and help her sleep; it took a lot of effort to make her drink the tea but in the end, they succeeded. She turned and walked over to the bedroom and widened her eyes when she found her sleeping next to her husband, "Usagi-chan..." she let out a sad sigh then turned to Kunzite, who was slowly waking up. He winced and waited for his eyes to get used to the light in the room then turned to Minako and stood up to greet her with the most tender of kisses, and looked at her "Princess Serenity?" he asked softly, and turned to follow Minako's finger pointing at the couple on the bed, "I don't how long she's been there..."

The image of the lunar princess guarding his prince's life was too endearing, Kunzite immediately thought about the many discussions he had with Endymion about how his romance with her was just a caprice due to her divinity but now it was more than clear that it was pure and true love. It was too beautiful to see the dedication and loyalty they had for one another, transcending the laws of time and nature. "Come, let us give her some privacy, after all, she is his wife and she has every right to be with him in private." Minako nodded and gave the general a soft smile, taking him off guard "What?"

"It's strange to hear you say those words when we were the ones who did the impossible to keep them apart, even if it was for their sake." The blonde shrugged one shoulder, "I just wished she didn't have to go through this..." she sighed tiredly, "I thought this was all over."

Soon after, the other shitennou woke up and slowly stood up, with Zoisite helping Ami stand from the floor. "Minako-chan..." Minako repeated the gesture and motioned her head to the bed for her friend to see, Ami took a deep breath and nodded "I see..."

"Let's go back to the living room," Minako whispered so she wouldn't disturb Usagi, "It's only fair she wants to be with him..."

Megumi opened her eyes and turned to Minako and shitennou and stood up, not before bowing her head in respect, "Good morning Megumi-san." Ami turned to the others, "I will check up on him quickly, I will join you in a few minutes." she turned to the terran maid, "Megumi, can you help me?"

"Certainly, Lady Mercury," Megumi walked back with Ami to the bedroom.

"I will go and make us some coffee—I know Mamoru has plenty of that," Minako said in a much lighter tone to try to lift the heavy fog of uncertainty in the air and walked to the kitchen followed by Kunzite and the rest of the shitennou. The sound of cupboards opening and the coffee machine brewing a strong batch of coffee was all Rei and Makoto needed to come back to reality, the Amazon being the first to cut the silence, "Is there enough for me?"

Minako walked back from the kitchen to the living room with a cup for Makoto who, gladly took immediately, "Cream, milk, and sugar are on the table," the blonde said as she took a sip of the invigorating hot beverage, and hummed with pleasure, "Thank goodness Mamoru is not one of those men that scrimps on coffee—this is good."

"How is he?" Rei asked and smiled at Jadeite in gratitude as he handed her a cup of that same hot beverage, "Mercury is checking up on him," Nephrite said softly and took a seat on the rest arm of the couch, next to Makoto. Rei widened her eyes, "Usagi-chan?"

"She is there too—she is sleeping next to him," Jadeite said softly, "Breaks my heart to see them like that,"

"I didn't feel her move," Minako took another sip and leaned back on the couch, "But I do understand how you feel."

Minutes after Ami walked back to the living room, followed by Megumi. All eyes were now on her as they waited for a prognosis of the prince's state, "He's stable, his wounds are not infected." Makoto arched her brow, "But?"

"There are no signs of consciousness." Ami sighed, "He is completely out."

"Which means?"

"It means we have to wait—it's too soon to come up with a diagnosis, the first 72 hours are critical..." Ami said and turned to Zoisite, who was handing her a cup of coffee, "Thank you..." she blew the steam and looked down at her beverage, "It also means we all just have to keep our hopes and guard up, because Asteria or Athamas will not back down from this point forward."

"This is going to be too hard on Usagi-chan," Makoto bit her lower lip, "This was all so unexpected."

"I will stay here with them—I want to be at Her Highness' service," Megumi said softly and looked down, "Whatever it is... I will do everything in my power to support her."

All senshi and shitennou smiled at the young maid in gratitude, "You are so sweet and loyal to them, Megumi, thank you." Ami patted the girl's shoulder, who in response nodded effusively, "I know my Prince is going to be alright... I just know it."

"He gave that woman a fair fight and he also used the power of the crystal, that probably exhausted his energy," Jadeite said softly, "I have never seen him access that kind of power..."

"His heartbeats are slow but steady," Ami said and looked at her friends, "I would almost dare to say he is in some sort of hibernation—what Jadeite said is very possible, the crystal might have maxed his energy and he is slowly gaining it back." Minako turned to look around and frowned, "Wait, where are Luna and Artemis?"

"They went to patrol the area and see if there are any abnormalities, Lady Venus," Megumi said softly and smiled at Nephrite who walked back from the kitchen with a cup of coffee for the young maid. "T-Thank you, Lord Nephrite."

"Just Nephrite, Megumi—we have known each other for too long to keep the formalities," the northern general said and turned to his comrades, "We should let them go and get refreshed," he turned to Makoto, and the girls "We will stay here in case something comes up."

"We need to change the sheets and his clothes..." Jadeite pursed his lips, "We cannot leave him or the Princess lay on a bloodied bed."

"We will do that once the Princess awakes," Kunzite said and turned to Minako "She's in good hands." Minako smiled softly and nodded, "I know she is," she put the cup down and stood up "I will take your offer, but when I come back it will be your turn to go get changed."

"Fair enough," the first in command said and went to get another cup of coffee. Minako turned to Rei, Ami, and Makoto "I will see you soon."

"I will go with you," Rei put her cup down and soon was followed by Ami and Makoto "Me too." Ami turned to Zoisite and smiled softly "I will see you later today, I also need to make my rounds at the hospital and also to justify Mamoru's absence at the hospital."

"What are you going to say?" Rei frowned and turned to Ami, who bit her lower lip in thought, "That he had an accident, I will have to talk to Motoki and tell him what happened, he needs to know the truth, also, having another doctor around would be very helpful."

"That is true, I agree. Well, I am going to take the day off... I am not in the mood to see my boss' fugly face," Minako muttered as she went to look for her purse, Makoto chuckled "Lucky, I wish I could say the same..."

"You're going to the restaurant?" Minako arched her brow, Makoto sighed "Half a day—just to make an appearance." The blonde sighed, "You are one courageous lady." She turned to Kunzite and placed her hand on his cheek ever so sweetly and kiss him softly on the lips, being this the first time to show loving affections in public and silently confirming their relationship status to the others, "Let me know if anything happens."

"Will do," Kunzite smiled and nodded, and with that, the blonde and her friends walked out of the apartment, leaving the shitennou alone with Megumi. "Well, while we wait... I will go get myself another cup of coffee," the white-haired general turned to the kitchen only to walk back seconds later, startling his comrades, "Well, that was quick..." Jadeite arched his brow, Zoisite cracked a soft chuckle, "His face is pure confusion, what is the matter Kunzite?"

Kunzite sighed, "Does any of you know how to use that machine?"

"Oi," Jadeite frowned and blew his bangs, "We may be old, but, come on..."

"I will take care of it," Megumi took the dirty cups sitting on the coffee table, including Kunzite's and the other generals and walked back into the kitchen, surprising the four men, "Megumi, you know how to use that?" Nephrite asked with genuine surprise. The young maid shook her head and smiled, "No, but it is worth the try—we all need more coffee and if I managed to conquer the dust demon, I can conquer this machine too."

"Dust demon?" Nephrite frowned, "What is that?"

"Do not get me started—let us better focus on how to get more coffee out of this," Megumi turned and put to brew a new batch. All four generals smiled and nodded in agreement "We sure do Megumi, we sure do." Kunzite muttered, hopeful for a brighter day.

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is an M rated story, violence, cursing and intimacy may happen._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	49. Chapter 49

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Forty-Nine

* * *

Usagi opened her eyes slowly when she felt a soft tap on her shoulders, looking up she saw Megumi smiling softly back at her, "Your Highness..." she whispered in a caring tone. Usagi stirred on the bed next to Mamoru and looked at him but there was no improvement or change in his face that could lead her to think he had come back from his deep sleep. "W-What time is it?" she was still under the effects of the sedative and still felt groggy and disoriented. "A little past noon... Your Highness, you need to eat something." Megumi tried to help the princess sit on the bed. Usagi rubbed her mascara smudged eyes and shook her head, "I'm not hungry Megumi..."

"Please, what would my Prince say about you not eating?" the young maid combed her long silver fringe with her fingers and gave her a warm and comforting smile, "Do it for him,"

"I don't want to leave his side Megumi..." Usagi turned to look at Mamoru and combed his hair back, "I have never seen him like this... he is so cold, I can barely hear his heartbeat. I'm scared he might just leave..."

"He is not going to leave," Megumi looked at the white-haired princess with certainty, "The Shitennou agree he might be exhausted and recovering his energy for having used the crystal." The maid looked down at him with a longing expression on her face, Usagi noticed. It's true, back then, she remembered Endymion treated her more like a little sister than a maid and he had said countless of times she was part of his family, like the generals so it was only natural she would feel the same need to be close to him, just like she did, and now she was trying her best to be strong and give her, his wife, the hope she needed to stay sane and for that, she was grateful. Usagi looked down and smiled at her husband, "He likes it when I comb his hair like this... it soothes him," tilting her head, she looked at his handsome face, "I miss his eyes..." she took a deep breath, slowly breaking into sobs, "I miss his voice and his silly jokes... he says the most random things..." her voice began to quiver as she continued combing his hair back, "I miss his voice... the way he says my name..."

"Princess..." Megumi felt her heart breaking into tiny pieces to see her crying with such sentiment for her prince. Usagi sniffled and wiped her tears with her hand, "I know he would be saying—Usa don't cry. Usa you are stronger than this—Usako I'm fine, this is nothing! —But the truth is Megumi... I am strong because he is by my side. All we dealt back then, I could handle it because I knew that at the end of the day I would be able to escape and see him, even if it was just for a little while. He was always there waiting for me with a smile that could vanish all of my worries and pain for being apart from him for too long." she shook her head and closed her eyes, her fresh batch of tears were caught by the bandages on his chest, "To see him like this is torture to me, I don't know if he can listen to me, I don't know if he can feel I am touching him, I don't know if he is aware that I am here next to him... this is pure torture," she looked up to meet Megumi's eyes, "It's torture..."

Megumi walked to the other side of the bed and pulled Usagi into a tight hug; she looked as weak and vulnerable as Mamoru, the only difference was that one was conscious and the other wasn't which made it even worse because they both were vanishing right before their eyes and there was nothing that could stop them until one of them brought the other to the light. Usagi wrapped her arms around Megumi and responded to the much-needed hug and broke into desperate sobs so full of angst. Her loud cries soon caught the attention of the shitennou who quickly walked into the room to find the princess crying her heart out; Kunzite took a deep breath and walked over to her, "Princess Serenity," he put his hand on her shoulder in support, "Please, you need to eat something. If Endymion finds out we failed to his command of looking after you, we will never hear the end of it."

Usagi slowly looked at the white-haired man, giving Kunzite the perfect opportunity to continue, "Zoisite cooked with Megumi's help—something about vegetables and noodles?" he gave her a puzzled face, "We should give his dish a try before he gets all depressed, if it helps, he is the best cook of all us four—five, if we count the Prince." The gesture made Usagi feel better, it was the first time she had to spend time with them without restrictions, laws, or being told she needed to stay away from the prince for their safety. She knew deep down they were good men and she was grateful they were there at times like these; in this short period of time, they had earned their rightful place in the group and were now part of the family, like it should have been since the very beginning. A soft nod made the general smile and slowly helped her get off the bed, "Venus and the girls went to freshen up and run some errands, they will be here later today—if you prefer them to be here instead of us, you are most certainly welcome to—"

Usagi turned to Kunzite and wrapped her arms around him, startling him completely, "Princess?" Usagi looked up and shook her head, "You are Endymion's brothers... you have all the right to be here and I am glad to finally be able to be with you without any stupid rules forcing us to go against each other. I am grateful for all of your support."

Jadeite, Zoisite, and Nephrite looked at the scene played before them with wide eyes, Kunzite smiled and returned the gesture by wrapping his arms around her in a brotherly hug and turned to Zoisite, "Well, you heard our Princess, she is willing to eat that dish of yours."

The blonde blinked then looked at Megumi coming back from the bedroom and straight into the kitchen to serve the princess some much-needed food. Usagi sat on the table and looked down at the bowl of udon noodles with extra vegetables, "Please do not judge my culinary skills, Your Highness, I just learned how to prepare this—it was actually Mercury who introduced me to this dish."

"Wait," Usagi softly frowned when she saw them standing by the back wall, "Are you not going to eat with me?" she shook her head, "Oh no, no... if you want me to eat, please note, I will not do it alone. Mamo-chan knows this and he always waits for me to eat together—it's tradition. Please, sit with me—" she turned to look at the maid and nodded, "You too, Megumi."

All four shitennou pulled out a chair and sat with Usagi at the dining table and waited for Megumi to serve them a bowl of noodles and began eating in silence. Usagi widened her eyes and turned to Zoisite with surprise, "Zoisite, did you really make this?"

Jadeite gave a playful look to his blonde comrade and cracked a laugh, Zoisite nodded, completely ignoring his brother's mocking grin, "Yes, Princess."

Usagi took more of the thick noodles with her chopsticks and slurped them softly, feeling the warmth of the broth soothing her like a warm blanket, "You cook better than I do, this is delicious," she pouted her lips, "You will have to teach me... Mamo-chan likes to eat a lot of vegetables and I never get them done right." the quick lightness in her voice was soon shadowed by the mention of the prince's name. Megumi bit her lower lip and turned to the shitennou hoping they will come up with something that would help her snap out of her gloomy state.

"I will be more than glad to teach you, Your Highness, it is actually not that complicated to make, you start by doing the broth—" Zoisite said softly and blinked when he saw Usagi raised her hand, stopping him mid-conversation, "—See, you just lost me at broth," she smiled softly, "I am terrible in the kitchen, terrible—Mamo-chan is the official cook in this apartment."

"Endymion can cook?" Jadeite quirked a brow with genuine surprise, Usagi slurped another noodle with delicacy and nodded, Jadeite blinked, "Really? Huh, who would have thought... that is new information."

"Is he good?" Kunzite asked still doubtful of the prince's secret ability in the kitchen. He never imagined him handling a pan. Usagi smiled and nodded, "He is very good actually, he knows a lot." the memories of him making breakfast while she sat on her usual spot by the counter while making herself what he would describe as the sweetest, most cloying coffee in the world while placing another fluffy pancake on her syrup drenched plate. The smile slowly faded and looked down at her half-eaten bowl and tried to fight her tears pooling in her crystal blue eyes again, "Do you think he can hear me?"

"Yes,"

Usagi looked at Nephrite wide-eyed, the brown-haired general nodded with reassurance, "Deep down in his subconsciousness, I know he can listen to your voice. You two share a special bond and I know he reacts to your presence even if he does not show it." Usagi smiled in gratitude and turned to Jadeite who was slurping the last noodle in his bowl, and put it aside while turning to Zoisite, "Well I am impressed,"

"Thank you." Zoisite said softly, "But?"

"Eh?" Jadeite frowned, "What makes you think there is a but?"

"Because of all people, it is you the one giving me the compliment, if it was Kunzite or Nephrite that would have been the end of it, but you are a whole different story," Zoisite narrowed his eyes at Jadeite, who started chuckling, "There is really no but, I really enjoyed the meal." He turned to Usagi, "And I am really glad to see Princess Serenity enjoy something tasty too." he tilted his head, "Your Highness... I would like to ask for your permission to change the sheets on the bed and also Endymion's clothes..."

Usagi blinked, taken by surprise by the blonde's formal request, "W-Why are you asking me for my permission?"

"Because you are Endymion's spouse, and while he is unconscious you have to make those decisions for him—you are the only one that can," Jadeite said softly, "We do not want to do anything that would make you feel uncomfortable but we know he is quite heavy, so it is not something you would not be able to do it by yourself." Usagi tilted her head low and nodded, looking down "Thank you," she took a minute to regain her strength to look up at the shitennou, "I would very much appreciate it if you helped me... I can't stand seeing all that blood, it makes me feel dizzy."

"Say no more," Jadeite bowed his head in respect and turned to his fellow comrades who silently followed him back to the bedroom. Usagi let out a soft breath and stood up but before she could start cleaning the table, Megumi put a hand on hers and stopped her, "I will take care of this Your Highness—go with the Prince." Usagi smiled and caressed her cheek with the back of her hand, "I don't know what I would do without any of you, you are my guarding angels, thank you so much for everything."

Megumi blushed and watched the princess walking back to the bedroom before heading to the kitchen to clean all the pots and plates used to make dinner.

O—o—o—o—O

The soft clicking of heels caught the attention of the lord of the underworld as he could hear them coming closer to his throne. Hades did not need much to know the deity asking for an audience was no other than Asteria; he turned and saw her flushed face and deep cuts on her lip and quirked a brow, "By the look on your face I can already tell what you have come to inform me."

"Milord," Asteria went on one knee and hung her head low in respect for the god of the dead, "I have not come to justify what happened."

"Then why are you here?" Hades frowned, "You opened the Gates of the Underworld, used many of my arsenal of shadows and you still did not accomplish the one task I entrusted to you."

"The hybrid is strong," Asteria said with her head low, Hades tightened his jaw with anger "Of course he is strong, what did you expect? Why do you think I want his soul with such urgency?" he growled and turned to look away, "Time is slipping from our hands Asteria and the more time that creature stays alive, the bigger the sin and the bigger the danger."

"I will get the task done, Milord."

"And the Andromedian?"

"He is part of the second part of my plan... he has made an appearance; their attention is focused on him." Asteria said with more confidence in her words and looked up, "I just found the hybrid's weak point—"

"Which is?"

"The Moon Princess."

"I see," Hades licked his lower lip with marvel, "And what does the Andromedian have to do with any of this? He has been wandering the Underworld like if it was his realm and he is nothing else but a pawn—a weakling."

"The Andromedian has unfinished business with the Moon Princess and of course, holds a deep grudge for the hybrid which gives us the advantage to weaken and break the mortal's spirit. If we move the Princess out of the way it will be easier to tackle the problem."

"I will not tolerate any more of this nonsense, Asteria. I could care less if you are of Titan descendance or not." he sighed with anger, "Get the task done,"

"I will take care of this matter, Milord, I will get it done." She bowed her head and turned to leave. Once the gates of the throne room were closed, her eyes turned red and she felt her chains coil around her body like snakes eager to devour anyone's soul just to take out on her frustrations. She traveled back to her nest, far secluded from Hades' palace. She sat on her dark throne and looked at her chains hiss and rattle like snakes around her as she thought about what happened on Earth; her dark eyes gleamed red with anger as she watched the andromedian suspended in an unconscious state again. "I will get the task done—I will not yield." she narrowed her eyes, "I never fail... the hybrid is mine."

O—o—o—o—O

Kunzite walked back from the bedroom and saw Usagi sitting on the sofa looking down at something in her hands, "Princess?" Usagi looked up and gave the general a weak smile, "Did you find everything you need?"

"Yes, Jadeite, Nephrite, and Zoisite are changing Endymion's clothes, we just changed the sheets—I suppose the best thing to do is to dispose of them," the white-haired general and sat next to her on the sofa, his eyes looked down at a black book in Usagi's hands and narrowed his eyes, "Everything alright, Princess?"

Usagi looked down and nodded, "Yes..." she opened the large hardcover book in her hands and showed Kunzite its contents, "It's our wedding photo album... the building's manager probably signed for it when it was delivered and one of the girls must have picked it up and left it in the foyer," her fingers traced Mamoru's face on the picture, "I'm scared, Kunzite..." she muttered as she turned the large page to look at another picture of them looking at each other with a wide smile on their faces; she remembered that picture happened right after they were pronounced husband and wife, right before their first official kiss as a married couple, "I am scared this is the only way I am ever going to look into his eyes or to see him smile this way again,"

"Princess..."

"Why is this happening Kunzite? Why is he in that state?" Usagi turned the page but her pain was too strong and her sobs too constant she preferred to cover her face with her hands, "This has never happened before, why is he leaving me?"

"I wish I could give you a straight answer Princess..." Kunzite closed his eyes for a minute, "But what I am sure is that he would never leave you." he sighed, "Prince Endymion's past is much more complex than what we all know and not even us, his guardians, can understand it. But I know him, and I know how important you are to him. I share Nephrite's thoughts and say you two share a very special bond that has transcended time."

"Like the one you share with Venus," Usagi moved her hands away from her face and turned to see a blushing Kunzite, "Y-Yes,"

"I'm glad," Usagi gave the general a soft smile, "You belong to each other... and it was about time," she leaned forward and patted his hand softly before standing up and putting the heavy album on the coffee table. Kunzite knew she was going back to the bedroom; the more he spent time with her, the more he silently admired her devotion for the prince, "Princess—" a soft knock caught them off guard, both turning to the door with a quizzical frown, "Who could that be?" Usagi mumbled with curiosity, "The girls know they can just walk in,"

"I will go get that, Your Highness, please wait here." Kunzite stood up and walked towards the door, "Kunzite, you really don't have—" she bit her lip when she saw him look back at her with a serious face, one that was not open for negotiation, "Endymion was very serious when he asked me to look after you—I cannot fail his petition. We may treat ourselves like brothers but I know my place, he is my Prince, and I must obey when given a task."

Usagi smiled, knowing that is something Mamoru would ask his right hand and closest friend to do and with a soft sigh, agreed. Kunzite turned to open the door and found a very nervous Akira standing at the other side looking back at the white-haired man with wide eyes. "Yes?" Kunzite said in his usual monotone deep voice. For those that did not know the man, he would easily fall under the label of rude and emotionless, even cold. He was not the kind of man that would put a face for everything; just like Endymion, he mastered the art of a poker face and he barely ever raised his voice, allowing his commands fall deeper into consideration before attempting going against his wishes. Akira immediately felt intimidated by the man at the door and hesitated to speak; Kunzite quirked his brow and leaned on the frame, "Can I help you?"

"I-I'm looking for Chiba Mamoru," Akira said softly, "No—better said, Endymion... this is where he lives, right?"

Usagi widened her eyes at the mention of both names and walked quickly towards the door to meet the girl on the other side, standing next to Kunzite she frowned but before she could say anything Akira continued, "My name is Casanova Akira—I am the archaeologist that found the ruins of the ancient palace."

O—o—o—o—O

At the other side of the city, Ami scanned her card on the slot to check in her arrival and walked to the nurse's front desk in silence to sign a sheet and check her schedule for the day. After making sure where she had to go, she immediately made her way to the elevator and pressed the button to take her to the fifth floor as she waited for the doors to open for her again. She noticed there was more security around the halls and the usual tranquil aisle was more packed with doctors and nurses going in and out of different rooms and offices clearly proving the worry in everyone's mind. Ami walked to the reception and was immediately greeted by Maki, the charge nurse, always friendly and always ready to help, but despite her calm greeting, her face showed signs of concern and her usual singsong voice was quivered with worry, "Ohayo, Mizuno-san."

"Good day Maki-san—sorry I'm late."

Maki turned on her chair and handed the bluenette a binder with several sheets and her daily schedule, "After what happened with the blackout, it's normal. Everybody is shaken up by it." Ami nodded, "It sure rattled us all alike."

"Security is still analyzing the security cameras—" Maki said softly as she typed something on the computer; "Why?" Ami frowned, Maki turned to look to both sides and leaned forward, "I heard from one of the guards that they caught something strange in one of the tapes... it's not clear, but, it is said to be something very unsettling."

"Something strange?" Ami played ignorant, "Like what?"

"Strange shadowy figures, people, or something that looked like it..." Maki sighed and leaned back in her chair, "The emergency power plants went out for a while too—many patients in intensive care are in danger. Many of the nurses that were working their shift when the events happened can't really remember much; it's all a big blur." she widened her eyes, "Weren't you here last night covering a shift?"

"Y-Yes," Ami nodded, "Yes, but, just like everyone else, I hardly recall what happened. I was so scared I fainted."

Maki looked down at the schedule sheet and bit her lower lip, "Hm... you know, not that I think about it... I haven't seen Dr. Chiba lately; do you know what happened to him?" Ami froze and clenched her teeth nervously, "Oh, he is on vacation leave but he had a little accident that hasn't allow him to come back to work,"

"What?" Maki widened her eyes with shock, "An accident?! Is he okay?"

"Y-Yes, he's fine," Ami nodded, "It happened while he was on his honeymoon; he tripped and fell over a curve and ended up breaking his ankle,"

"Oh, well that—" the word finally fell into place in the nurse's mind and widened her eyes, "Wait, what?! Honeymoon!? He got married?!" Ami found the gesture adorable and chuckled while nodding again, "Yes, he got married almost three weeks ago but then the accident happened and well—he can't move around much."

"So, he broke his ankle, eh?" Another person joined their conversation, Ami turned to see Motoki walking over to them and smiled softly, "Good afternoon, Dr. Furuhata,"

"Good day, Dr. Mizuno," Motoki left his current binder on the desk for Maki to archive and took another one and started to give it a quick read. Ami felt something wasn't right with the always so cheerful and playful Motoki. His facial features showed tension and his green eyes mirrored nothing else than worry. Maki turned on her chair and sighed heavily, "Aww, what a lucky lady to marry such jewel of a man..."

Both Ami and Motoki turned to a flushing red Maki, who now realized she actually said the words out loud, "Oh... shoot..."

"Excuse me?" Motoki quirked his brow "What about me?"

"What about you?" Maki turned with a quirked brow; their work relation was similar to the one Ami, Mamoru and Motoki had since they shared a long time knowing each other and working together, giving them enough confidence to treat each other as friends more than just doctor and chief nurse. "You are very handsome too, Dr. Furuhata, but we all know you are married. Dr. Chiba has this mysterious vibe around him that always made us wonder more about his life and we all kind of figured he was single because he never mentioned anything about having a girlfriend or going out on a date or something." She sighed softly, "Now that Dr. Mizuno burst the bubble, we will hear a lot of hearts breaking as many nurses are surely going to freak out when they learn he's taken off the list of available bachelors."

Motoki shook his head, "Mysterious vibe? Well, that's new." he closed the binder and crossed his arms, "Sorry to break the news, but, Dr. Chiba has never really been on that list, Maki-chan. That man has been taken for a very long time by a very beautiful woman, I must add."

"It should not come as a surprise," Maki pouted her lips, "I always had the feeling he was hiding something." The comment made Motoki chuckle, "He wasn't, Maki-chan, he's just very private with his life." he sighed, "Well, I have to make another round, it's hectic around here—Dr. Mizuno, care to assist me today? I don't think following an assignment protocol is needed under such urgent circumstances."

Ami nodded, "Of course," she turned to Maki who waved her hand as they walked away from the nurse's station. Once they turned to a more secluded area, Motoki turned to Ami and frowned, "Did he really break his ankle?" Ami sighed and shook her head, "I was not lying to Maki-san when I said he had an accident but it is much more serious than just a broken ankle—he's unconscious. I would even dare to say he's in a coma."

"What?!" Motoki's green eyes widened, "Ami, what the hell happened?!" he looked both sides to make sure they were alone, "What did really happen?" Ami leaned on the wall and looked down for a minute, "It wasn't just a simple blackout, Motoki. Something did happen, something you know only we can fight." She took a deep breath and exhaled, "He stepped in to protect Usa-chan and got attacked, leaving him unconscious. He got hurt really bad, he does have a sprained ankle with multiple deep cuts that needed almost thirty stiches—to give you a rough number; he lost a considerable amount of blood from the injury too. Fortunately, there are no signs of internal trauma or other life-threatening injuries but he is in a vegetative state, he doesn't respond to any stimulation. His blood pressure is low, his heartbeats even when they are steady they're slow. He's out—completely out." she looked at him shyly, "I wanted to call you for help but that would have put you in great danger."

"Ami..." Motoki sighed, "I should have gone anyways, he's my friend. All of you are my friends."

"I know, but—" Ami paused when she saw a nurse past by them and sighed softly to continue, "The situation was too complicated and too dangerous to put you on the line and well, fortunately, he had everything I needed to treat his wounds at his apartment." Motoki clenched his jaw in deep worry and crossed his arms, "And how is he doing today?"

"His wounds don't look infected, he is slowly healing but he is still out."

"And Usagi-chan?"

Ami exhaled heavily and shook her head, "She's broken, desperate. She has never seen him like this and well—there was blood everywhere. I had to give Rei-chan a natural sedative to put on her tea so she could rest a little."

"I want to see him and Usa-chan too." Motoki said softly, Ami nodded, "Of course, although, she is not alone right now, I don't know if any of the girls have gone back to the apartment by now but—" she looked at her friend and pursed her lips, "Well, there is no point in hiding you this when you already know the truth about us," she sighed, "Mamoru, just like Usagi-chan, has us as her guardians, he has four guardians too—he's an ancient Monarch and so is Usa-chan."

"What?" Motoki's eyes widened twice in size, "You mean there is more to know about you?!"

"They are royalty, Motoki," Ami nodded, "I am telling you this because if you do go see him, you will hear a lot of _Your Highness_ , _Prince_ , or _Endymion_ —his royal and real name." Ami looked at Motoki shaking his head in total astonishment, "That is a whole lot of new information, although, I am not surprised, he has always had that mysterious vibe and he's quite charming—when he wants to be, so Endymion eh? Fancy," he let out a soft chuckle, trying his best to lift the gloomy mood with a little comedy, "And Usagi-chan, does she have a royal name too?" Ami smiled softly and nodded, "Serenity,"

"Ah..." Motoki smiled, "Beautiful name for a beautiful lady, makes perfect sense." he sighed softly, "So, the guardians you mentioned before, are they the guys that were with him at the wedding?"

Ami nodded, "The Shitennou, yes—Kunzite, Nephrite, Zoisite, and Jadeite." she took a step closer, "Motoki, this is far from being over and with Mamoru in his current state it's going to be hard for me to come to the hospital, I need to stay by Usa-chan's side but, I don't know what to do..."

"Don't worry about that, I will fill a report justifying yours and Mamoru's absence, we will use the honeymoon accident excuse to our advantage. They have been asking for him, the board, doctors, and nurses—he should have come back to work by now, his leave was supposed to last only two weeks but I will take care of it." he put a hand on her shoulder "We are losing a lot of patients, last night's blackout and this strange disease taking their energy and lives is complicating everything—I can't do what you guys can but staying here is my way to help and support you." Ami smiled and wrapped her arms around her blonde friend, "I know Motoki, and we all thank you—trust me."

"I will go see them after I am done here," Motoki smiled at her, Ami nodded "We can go together,"

"That would be great, thank you, Ami-chan." Motoki patted her shoulder, "Well, let's go tackle these urgencies so we can go soon."

O—o—o—o—O

Akira looked around at the neatly arranged apartment and looked at the photo album on the coffee table sitting next to the cup of tea Megumi had brought her just minutes ago. She looked at the endearing and beautiful picture then at the woman with silver hair sitting across from her on another sofa with Kunzite standing behind her, "May I ask, why are you looking for him, Casanova-san?" Usagi asked softly but with an authoritative tone, Kunzite noted.

"I was there last night," Akira glanced up, "She saved my life," she turned to Megumi who was standing next to Kunzite, "I was there... I saw what happened—what happened to him."

"If you were there, then you probably know it is not possible for you to speak to him." Kunzite crossed his arms, surprising Akira "W-Why?"

"Mamoru is recovering from his injuries, Casanova-san," Usagi said in the same soft yet authoritative tone. It was strange even for her to be calling him by his name with no honorifics, Kunzite was even surprised by her serious stance on the matter since she was always so sweet and considerate. "I know he went to see you before all this happened. His visit may have been the reason that triggered the blackout and the attacks but it was something that only concerned to him, he had his reasons to reach out to you. I cannot say much about it, but, even if he decided not to meet with you, I believe at this point the attacks would have happened anyway and on a much greater scale."

Akira widened her eyes when she recognized the pendant hanging from the silver-haired woman and remembered the item she had in her purse and turned to grab it, "I understand how you feel—" she turned with a shy face when she realized she didn't ask for the blonde's name, "Chiba Usagi," Usagi filled in the blank. Akira nodded, "I understand how you feel Chiba-san," she put the solid gold medal on the coffee table between her and Usagi who immediately widened her eyes, recognizing the piece of jewelry, "That's..."

"At first, I didn't want to believe he was telling me the truth... it was all too surreal, but then I thought I have dedicated all my work to follow my father's quest to unveil the myth of those with divine powers that once protected this planet and the universe. When he showed me that medallion, it matched perfectly with my father's work and stories." Akira shook her head softly, "My reputation is most likely destroyed by now and believe me, that is the last thing I in my mind, I too have someone special, and he too is in danger—I wanted to see Chiba-san and thank him for saving my life that day and I also wanted him to know that he has my support in anything else I could be useful... I wished Mikael could have been saved from their grasp and witness all this with me,"

"Who's grasp?" Kunzite narrowed his grey eyes, "And who is Mikael?"

Akira looked down, "Mikael is my life partner and he has gone with me in almost all of my expeditions. He was there with me when we discovered these ruins—but he was possessed by these entities and now, I don't know what happened to him."

Usagi felt the agony in Akira's voice and slowly her stoic newfound character began to crumble, revealing a much rawer emotion in her eyes. At this point, they both shared the same feeling the only difference was that while Mamoru was unconscious, she could still see him and be by his side while Akira felt the agony of not knowing where he was or if he was still alive and the mere thought of it consumed her. She leaned forward and grabbed the medal she knew by heart, "He wears this around his neck," Usagi traced the intricate lines of the circle and the cross, "Thank you, Akira-san for bringing it back to me... it means more than you can imagine." she looked up at her and let out a soft sigh, "I know it may not sound promising due to our current situation but I will do everything in my power to find Mikael and save him from them." Akira's eyes widened and began gleaming with unshed tears, "Chiba-san..."

Usagi looked down at the medal in her hands again and pressed her lips together, "Endymion and I have endured many trials together over the years, I know this is just another test we must overcome." she looked up at her with teary eyes, "I know he will come back to me and once he does, we will save this planet from those deadly shadows. That is a promise from one woman in love to another,"

Zoisite walked back from the bedroom unaware of their unexpected visitor, "Your Highness—" his green eyes widened when he recognized Akira but decided to remain silent. Akira turned and then looked back at the silver-haired woman, "Y-Your Highness... so you are a Monarch too... that means... that you truly are..." Usagi nodded and gave Akira a comforting smile, "My real name is Serenity, Crowned Princess of the Moon."

The archaeologist shook her head with amazement, "I have heard that story... my father told me when I was little," she tilted her head, "Never in a million years I would have thought that legend could actually be true."

"What story?" Usagi frowned with curiosity, Akira smiled, "He used to say the Moon and the Earth were so in love they functioned as a whole. Earth's tides and waves, the breeze, the stations, the starry nights... it was all a result of that cosmic love. I can see that now... my father was right." she smiled softly and stood up, "I cannot thank you enough for allowing me to talk to you, Your Highness." Akira bowed her head in deep respect, "Even if that promise you just made to me cannot be fulfilled," she looked up at Usagi, "I am deeply grateful for you to consider this heart of mine."

"I highly suggest to take refugee someplace else, if you return to your previous home it won't be long before they find you again, I do not think they will go after you anymore but, it is better to be prepared." Kunzite said softly, Usagi nodded and wrote her number on a piece of paper and handed it to her, "If anything happens, please let me know." Akira blinked surprised and nodded, taking the small piece of paper she looked down at the photo album and gave Usagi a soft genuine smile, "You make a very beautiful couple," she bowed her head again "Thank you for your time under such difficult circumstances," she turned to leave with Kunzite walking behind her.

Akira's words made a special impact on Usagi's heart as she looked down at the picture of them smiling at each other. She turned to Zoisite and with the faintest of smiles walked back to the bedroom and felt her heart sink in her chest at the image of her husband almost lifeless on the bed. Jadeite walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder in support, "We changed the sheets too, it was not easy, he is heavier than he looks..." Usagi turned to Jadeite and patted his hand softly, "Thank you for everything, Jadeite, I don't know what I would do without you,"

"We are here to help you, Princess," Nephrite said, Usagi smiled softly, "And I appreciate it very much but you know what else would make me feel better?"

"What is that Your Highness?" Zoisite blinked, eager to be of service.

"You going to have some rest,"

All four shitennou widened their eyes, "We cannot leave you alone, Princess." Jadeite shook his head, Usagi turned to look at them, "The girls will be here any minute now, Megumi is staying here with me and..." she turned to look at Mamoru on the bed, "I want to have a moment with him," she turned to her friends and smiled, "I will take care of him and I will be fine, I promise. If anything, anything happens... I will reach for you."

"If Endymion—"

"—Nobody will tell him," Usagi tilted her head and looked at Jadeite, "It will be our secret,"

All four shitennou bowed their head in respect, Kunzite surprisingly being the most reasonable of the four, "Anything," he reassured his Princess, a gesture, Usagi felt very much appreciated. "I promise."

With nothing much left to argue with the princess, they all understood her position and how much she wanted and needed time alone with the prince. To their surprise, Usagi has been more mature and strong than they imagined making them feel tranquil enough to trust her when she said she would call for them if anything happened during their short absence. All four nodded and left the room, Kunzite turned and saw her sitting on the bed and with a heavy sigh, he closed the door behind him.

Usagi carefully placed the gold medal next to his phone, wallet, and wrist-watch on his nightstand and cuddled next to him, "Mamo-chan..." she whispered and combed his hair back in slow motion, "Did you know there is a story about the love between the Earth and the Moon?" she leaned closer until her nose rubbed his eskimo style, smiling softly at the soft feeling, "It says that the ocean's waves and tides, the breeze, the stations and starry nights are a reflection of their cosmic love." Her voice started to quiver with emotion, "Now, I know you would say something like, _'Oh Usa, you are such a romantic bunny'_ while flashing me with that precious sensual smile of yours and we would stay up late talking about the silliest of things while listening to music or watching the weird game-show with the chicken-dressed people," she sniffled as she slowly traced the line of his jaw, "I am being strong like you asked me to be but..." she shook her head and snuggled closer to him and intertwined her fingers with his, "I don't know how much longer I will be able to take it, I miss you so much..." she broke into tears, "I know you are here... but you are cold and you are never cold," she sniffled and shook her head again, "Endymion please come back to me... please... wherever you are, please find your way back to me..." she took a couple of hasty breaths and closed her eyes as she clung to his arm with desperation, "There is something you need to know..."

O—o—o—o—O

Mamoru felt like it had been forever since he was trapped in a dimension he did not even know it existed. If this was what was left of Elsyion it was now far from what it once was, leaving only a shell that would only bring the gloomiest of memories. Obelix had left him feeling a deep void inside, he had crushed what was left of his pride and all of his beliefs; he looked up at the infinite sky and exhaled still feeling angry and deceived. The silence was overpowering, there was no breeze, no air, no scent—everything was suspended, like him, like his life, like his past, his future, and like the power he was supposed to have. Everything was suspended.

The word purgatorio made him feel like he had lost the battle like if he was paying for his sins ahead of time, wasn't that supposed to be in hell? —he thought bitterly. Despite the priest's warning, he tried to summon his energy to flee the void of solitude where he was stuck in but nothing came out, not even a spark between his fingers. He remembered then when the shitennou told him how they managed to survive all these years without actually going to a resting place in the underworld and how they have managed to survive all these years in a suspended state, he now understood this is what they meant.

"Purgatorio," he mumbled, feeling more familiar with the name. He turned to look around and frowned; there was nothing to see, nothing to do—it was all quiet, still, and gloomy. He turned to look behind him and noticed the fountain that just a while ago trickling with fresh water and waterlilies was now dry, empty and cracked. The gardens that were in front of him so full of life and filled with fresh blooming roses and lilies were now dry branches with thorns. He looked up again but there was no moon and no stars, nothing that could make him feel alive.

He slowly allowed his feelings to flourish from him again: rage, frustration, deception, sadness, fright. Everything that has been pulling and molding the man he was now, one that was far away from the one he apparently once was. He hated to admit Obelix was right, he thought he could handle it well on his own without expressing any emotion, without asking for help, without admitting that he was a train wreck and that despite acting cool and collected, he felt like if his chest was being ripped apart. The impotence of his present-self was devouring him inside, the sense of failure was too overpowering to even let him think straight. He barely could recognize himself, making him feel disgusted for being so stupid and weak.

It did not take long for purgatorio to start messing with Mamoru's head, slowly ticking the last of his patience and self-control. In a fit of uncommon rage, he turned to run away from the ruins of the temple without knowing which path to follow and soon he was standing in the middle of a long hallway that led him somewhere else in time and just when he was about to walk inside, his blue eyes widened when he saw a child all covered in mud running inside and leaving footprints behind.

The child's joyful laughter echoed inside the tall walls and dome stained glass ceilings as he went from one room to another obviously enjoying the mischief of his actions while a woman was desperately looking for the child. She was wearing a very simple pastel blue gown with long sleeves but he could not see her face; the urgency of her movements soon caught Mamoru's attention forcing him to go into one of the rooms once he lost sight of her. As soon as he stepped inside he immediately had this welcoming feeling, like if he had been there before. He turned to the side and widened his eyes when he saw the child inside the room stopped running when he noticed he was no longer alone. He looked at Mamoru with curious eyes and tilted his head, "If you do not move, she will find you."

Mamoru turned to look over his shoulder and then at the boy again and frowned, "What?"

"Come, hide with me!" The boy ran past the large foyer to a very fancy room with crystal vases filled with fresh cut flowers everywhere and turned to Mamoru again, "Come on! Hurry!"

"I—I can't," Mamoru said dryly, startling the child "Why?"

"I'm too old to hide under there."

The young boy frowned and turned when he heard a noise coming from another room and turned to grab Mamoru's hand, "We have to hide before she gets here!" Unwillingly, Mamoru agreed to follow the kid's game and crawled under the fancy oak table and pulled the long cloths to cover them like a protective mantle. The child smiled widely when he heard the footsteps had left the room and turned to Mamoru who had a quizzical look on his face, "Why are you hiding?"

The boy chuckled, "Because, it is fun—I am playing a game."

Mamoru looked at the kid and frowned; he was all covered in mud making it impossible to define the delicate features on his small face—he was around six years old and was wearing a blue tunic and dark pants, he was barefoot and since his hair was covered in mud too, it was hard for him to tell what color it was. The boy sighed and sat buddha style next to Mamoru while enjoying being at the top of his hiding game; he turned and frowned in puzzlement, "I have never seen you before."

"I'm new," Mamoru muttered dryly and looked from under the cloth to see if he had a clear path to get out from under the table but he felt the kid's hand tugging his shirt, stopping him from going away. Mamoru turned with the worst glare proving his annoyance, his mood was not in its best shape and while he was a man who knew how to be around children, sadly, this innocent boy caught him in the worst moment possible. "What are you doing?"

"Stay,"

"You don't even know me."

The kid sat with his back straight and pouted his lips playfully, "You one of the new people that work with Papa, no?"

Mamoru sighed with exasperation and shrugged his shoulders with disinterest, "Uh, yeah... sure..." trying his best to end the conversation right then and there but to his misfortune, the kid was not having it. He burst with joyful energy that even Mamoru, who was extremely patient, found too much to look at, "What is your name?" he asked and looked at him with curious eyes, Mamoru turned with a frown but before he could answer, the sound of footsteps caught them off guard interrupting their weak conversation. The boy lifted the cloth and smiled widely, "I think I am winning,"

"This person knows you are hiding under this table." Mamoru's dry voice made the boy turn and frowned, "What? No... why do you say that?"

"The most logical thing to do when looking for somebody playing hide and seek is to look under a table," Mamoru pointed his finger at the footprints, "Also, you are leaving mud trails everywhere."

"I have run inside this room so many times, my trails are confusing—I know the basics of a hide and seek game, I know she already looked for me under this table."

"How long have you been doing this?" Mamoru frowned, the kid giggled with excitement, "I do not know. I do this every day,"

"Every day? Isn't that boring?"

"You are boring," the kid turned to Mamoru, who in response shrugged his shoulders "So I've been told."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Are you so boring?"

Mamoru widened his eyes and turned to the child, "Why do you think that?"

"Because you ask too many questions about everything, you are taking the fun from this game." The kid arched his brow, "You are boring and—" his eyes widened when he saw Mamoru was covering his mouth to make him stop talking once the sound of footsteps inside the room again. Once gone, he moved his hand away and sighed, "I have to leave this place, I don't have time for this," he mumbled.

"Why?" The young kid asked; Mamoru sighed with annoyance, "You ask too many questions,"

"But I am not as boring as you are, I am having fun. You do not look happy."

"I'm not happy."

"Why?"

"This isn't going to stop, I suppose..." Mamoru muttered with defeat and turned to the kid with a frown, "I can't do this..."

"You could stay and play some more." The kid said in a chirpy tone, "We could always play together! I have toys in my room—"

"—Don't you have any friends? Why would you play with a stranger?" Mamoru snapped angrily and arched his brow, expecting a valid response from the child, "Well?" The kid lowered his gaze and shook his head, looking completely demotivated. Mamoru mentally kicked himself for being such an ass to the poor kid and pursed his lips, realizing what he had done. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"You are grumpy too."

"I have been told that as well."

"By whom?"

Mamoru turned to the kid and the ghost of a smile crossed his face as he remembered Usagi, "My wife."

"What is that?"

"What is what?"

"That you just said—a wife?"

"A wife is a life companion—someone with whom you bond your soul, making it one."

"Ah..." The kid turned his full attention at Mamoru and pursed his lips, "And why would you need to do that? Why do you need a wife? You can just have friends," the comment made Mamoru chuckle and shake his head, "I could, yes, but she is also my best friend." he turned to look at the kid and arched his brow, "Aren't you a little too young to be asking me these questions?"

"I am not little, Mama says I am big and strong."

"Alright,"

"When I grow up, I want to be a warrior."

Mamoru narrowed his eyes with slight disdain at the word, "Bravo... sounds like you have your life all figured out." The boy nodded effusively contrasting Mamoru's darker mood, "Warriors are big and strong,"

"So they say," Mamoru rolled his eyes and turned to look away; the kid smiled widely completely ignoring Mamoru's bitter response, "They fight with big swords and move very fast—they wear armors and punish bad people." the kid curled his hand into a fist and lifted it up, "I want to kick bad people's butts."

"You are a little young to be wishing such things when you should be studying and planning your next mischief." Mamoru arched his brow, the boy shook his head, "I do not want anybody to hurt my family, and I already told you, I am not little—" his curious eyes softened, showing emotion as he spoke, "I want to keep Papa and Mama safe," he looked down at his chubby hands, "Mama is always telling me stories of great warriors that fight against the monsters of the night—there are even warriors that fight up in the heavens. I want to be one too." the boy turned to Mamoru and tilted his head, "Are you a warrior? Is that why you are here?"

"I don't know," Mamoru looked at the young boy, "I wanted to protect my loved ones too—"

"So, you are one then."

"I don't know—maybe."

"Why?" The boy looked at Mamoru with curious eyes, "If you wished for it—"

"I supposed I did."

"And did you protect them?"

Mamoru looked away, feeling the sting of another blow at his ego, "No, not really."

"Why?"

"Because—" Mamoru sighed tiredly, "I guess I wasn't that good. That is why I tell you that I don't know if I am one anymore." The kid pouted his lips and mimicked Mamoru's gestures by sighing and looking away, "Your wife, is she not family?"

Mamoru's eyes widened and turned to the kid who still had his eyes looking at the long tablecloth covering them from whoever was playing hide and seek with him. His eyes despite being curious and simple, were honest and intense. How a kid so young in age could go so deep into something that mostly concerned adults; being a warrior was not an easy task, he knew that he has been there and done that but there was something about the child's conviction that ignited that curiosity in him, that same flame with a strong desire to protect. "Yes, she is my family." he finally stated.

"Then, if she is family—do you not want to try and be stronger to protect her?" The child tilted his head, still trying to understand the problem, "If Papa chose you to be with him, then it means you are strong. If you are here, it means you are strong—I want to be strong like you and work with Papa too."

"I am flattered," Mamoru reached out and ruffled the boy's muddy hair making him giggle with delight, "But you should be your own kind of strong—and you need to take a bath."

"Ha, ha," The boy pouted his lips, "So what kind of strong are you?" he asked curiously; Mamoru half smiled, "I don't know..."

"You do not know much about a lot of things," the youngster frowned slightly annoyed, making Mamoru shrug a shoulder "You are right, I don't."

"Do you want to know what I think?"

Mamoru quirked his brow at the kid's question and let out a much more relaxed breath, feeling more comfortable around the boy "Sure," The boy turned on his seat and faced Mamoru, "I think you are strong but maybe you just do not know you are strong or maybe, you do not want to be strong."

"You think I don't want to be strong?" Mamoru frowned incredulously at the boy who nodded in response, "Maybe you are just afraid." The comment made Mamoru chuckle with defiance; he did not want to admit that his ego was being trampled on by a six-year-old, "Afraid of what? Why would I be afraid?"

"I do not know," The kid simply shrugged his shoulders and made a frown, "Maybe you are just afraid of doing things wrong and get scolded for that."

Mamoru looked at the mud-covered child with wide eyes as he thought about the possibility of him being actually right. "When I cannot do something the way it has to be, I get grumpy and want to quit but mama says I never have to give up so I keep trying and I do things right in the end." The child looked down and peeled the crumbly pieces of mud from his small, chubby hands "I think that is what makes you grumpy too because you are afraid of making more mistakes and get scolded."

"It's true, I am one grumpy man and I don't want to make mistakes." Mamoru looked down, for a moment ignoring the fact that he was exposing his feelings to a child. It was amazing how a boy could decipher the meaning of courage and life with such simplicity and embrace the mistakes made in the process. This child had more valiance and determination in his words than any long, encouragement speech Mamoru could give to anyone, even to himself.

"When you are grumpy you cannot smile and be happy," the boy pouted his lips in thought, "Where is the fun in that?"

"True," Mamoru smiled softly; the boy's eyes gleamed with joy and giggled, "You are not that boring looking once you stop making that gloomy face." he turned and moved the cloth to get a clear view of the room and smiled widely, "I won," he turned to Mamoru, "See? It was fun."

"It was," Mamoru said softly, "But if you do not go, the lady looking for you will get worried."

The young boy nodded and lifted the cloth and crawled from under the table and turned to look at Mamoru with an infectious smile, "You are welcome to play with me anytime—whenever you feel gloomy, come and look for me."

"Thank you," Mamoru smiled at the boy who was finally found by the woman in the blue dress; his sapphire eyes widened when he saw her wrapping her arms around him in a motherly embrace and started wiping a damp cloth to remove all the mud finally revealing his face, "Did you fall asleep under the table again, Endymion?" the woman asked softly, "Oh, look at you all covered in mud, come, we must get you cleaned up before dinner time."

Mamoru crawled from under the table and looked wide-eyed at the woman who had spent a countless amount of time looking for the child and could not hold the tears pooling in his eyes. Aurea was crouching in front of the young prince and smiled softly, "I know you are upset because you know what you did with that vase was wrong and your mama scolded you—every time you do something you know you should not have done you tend to go into hiding," she pinched young Endymion's button nose, "But remember, when you are grumpy you cannot smile and be happy and where is the fun in that, my dear?" her hands cupped his cheeks in a motherly fashion and leaned her forehead on his, "Just be careful next time, do not do things so recklessly—take your time. Mistakes happen all the time and we must learn from them so we can be better in the future. Sometimes, my dear, those things that take longer time are the ones that come out better in the end."

Six-year-old Endymion hung his head low and nodded, "I did not mean to break mama's favorite vase, Aurea Mama... I did not mean to make her mad,"

"I know dear, and she is not mad because you broke it—she was worried that you would get hurt with those shards of glass—there is a difference. Mama just wants you to be alright." Aurea stood and offered her hand to the boy, "Come, let us get you ready for dinner." Endymion nodded and took his godmother's hand and walked with her in silence down the hall until they vanished into the distance. Mamoru's lips parted in amazement at what just happened; the child was no other than himself giving himself a life lesson and remembering the meaning of his long dream to become a warrior.

Someway along his life journey, the essence of his enormous desire to serve and protect got lost in the hazy webs of confusion and anxiety to do everything right and the way it was supposed to be. He got fixed in following every rule and every norm and when he was old enough to realize the weight of his title it became an obsessive obligation rather than just a desire to be someone that would fight to bring peace and happiness to those he cherished and loved. He was angry at himself for feeling like he was not doing what he was supposed to be doing and the way it was supposed to be done; the power in his hands wielding a deadly weapon suddenly became more important than keeping a centered mind and a calm spirit like Obelix insisted so much with his lessons. He reached a point where praying was not giving him what killing did, meditating was not satisfying him the way fighting did; being spiritual was not solving the problems in his kingdom like commanding an army did. The moment he stepped foot on the palace after his training, he returned being a man with predisposed missions and tasks already programmed in his mind and never gave himself time to remember that before all that, there was a child with an enormous desire to bring peace and to protect. It had become a war against war, and if that fed his ego for motivation, so be it. The moment he felt attracted and fell into that self-sufficient hole of pride, self-achievement, and control, was the moment he lost the last remains of humbleness in his heart, carving his name into the endless list of common warriors.

He turned to his side and saw the fog slowly clearing into a large garden full of greenery and rose bushes. A creek flowed peacefully until it met its end at a large pond, next to a cherry tree where what appeared to be a couple was sitting underneath watching a young boy running around and playing in the water. The sound of cheering soon caught Mamoru's attention, distracting him from the peaceful scenario and made him walk randomly to the opposite direction, following the sound of clapping and laughter.

A heavy wave of anxiety and hope motivated him to continue his search until he reached for a large door and looked at the other side. His blue eyes widened when he saw himself in his mother's loving arms and surrounded by his family. "Well, it is time to cut this delicious cake!" Queen Narella said happily while clapping her hands with joy and excitement. Aurea walked in with a medium sized chocolate cake with a small red candle lit in its center and put it on the table in front of one-year-old Endymion. Gaia and Eros leaned closer to the cake with a wide smile on their faces and turned to their son, "Happy birthday my little sun, may your life be granted with endless amounts of joy, laughter, strength, health and most importantly—love." Gaia said softly in her child's ear.

Mamoru leaned on the door frame and saw the scenario play like a movie in front of him, his tear-glossed eyes were full of wonder as he looked into the face of those he thought were lost with his amnesia.

Eros kissed the top of his son's head and smiled with excitement, "Endy, let's blow your first birthday candle together!" the terran king encouraged his son but the prince shook his head, "Li!" Endymion answered. Eros and Gaia widened their eyes in surprise and turned to look at each other, "Did he just say something?" Eros asked Gaia softly, "Li!" Endymion called again with more insistence, Gaia blinked and looked at her son "I believe he is trying to tell us something."

"What does Li mean?" Aurea frowned and turned to Leonidas who was shaking his head with no clue of what the young prince was trying to say. Gaia pouted her lips, "Li? What are you trying to say, Endy?" Gaia asked her son. "Li!" baby Endymion said louder, Eros arched his brow, "I believe he is looking for someone," not long after everyone's attempt to decipher the code, Endymion pointed his small, chubby finger at that particular someone, "Li!"

Gaia and the rest of the royal family followed the clue and widened their eyes at whom he was calling "Obelix," the queen breathed in with surprise. "Li!" Endymion smiled and clapped his hands with excitement. Gaia turned to the high priest and blinked, still astonished, "He is calling for you," Obelix's honey-colored eyes widened, "Me?"

"You are Endymion's first word," Eros said with pride in his voice, "By all heavens—my son just said his first word!" Gaia chuckled, "I believe some things never change," she turned to see a teary Obelix standing next to the young prince, "Are you ready to blow your birthday candle, young Prince?" he said with a quivery voice so full of emotion. Endymion clapped his hands again in response, "Alright! At the count of three everybody!" Aurea said cheerfully.

"One!" Gaia said first, "Two!" Eros followed suit, "Three!" Everybody said in unison. Encouraged by the rush of excitement, Endymion blew his first candle with all his might, until the small flame died out.

"Hooray!" Gaia nudged her son making him giggle with joy as they watched Aurea starting to cut the cake she especially made for the occasion. The mother queen, Narella, clapped her hands next to her husband Odell and wiped the tears of joy with the delicacy that always characterized her, "Alright, how about we open some presents!" she said happily.

Mamoru hung his head low when the image in front of him slowly vanished the same way it appeared, leaving him feeling lost in the immense hole of remorse he was now trapped in. He turned to look back but it looked the same as if he turned to look forward, there was no start and no end—no south, no west. The temple was no longer within his reach and either a light that would guide him to another stream of remembrance. He began feeling like he had been wandering for such a long time despite being trapped in a place where time did not reign his existence; his legs suddenly gave in and without much strength left in him, Mamoru succumbed and kneeled on the ground, feeling dismantled and alone, he sighed and ran a shaky hand through his dark hair with shame, "Perdidi via mea non obstante habens omnia,"

 _(I lost my way despite having it all,)_

"Ita, te tandem intellexit quod mortuus vero post tergum tuum ingenium contumax et non admisit opinationis errorum, qui duxit vos, quid facti sunt,"

 _(So, you have finally realized the truth behind your defiant character and have admitted the flaws that brought you to what you have become,)_

Mamoru's eyes widened and turned to meet the high priest standing behind him and let out a shameful sigh, "Et facti sit magis quaestio est de honore de persequendo hoste pacem et felicitatem in amoris illorum servo prope secundum cor meum, Iam enim intelligo. Ad tuendam familiam habui passio tuerentur pacata cupidine legatum, nec passim per viam mea, oblitus sum quod restituo is per conscientiam, et furorem; morbo matris meae est et quid mihi ultra-imperium."

 _(I let it become a question of honor rather than a pursuit for peace and happiness based in the love of those I keep close to my heart, I understand now. I had a passion and a desire to protect my family and preserve their peaceful legacy and somewhere along my way, I forgot about it and replaced it with anger and remorse for my mother's illness and for what was beyond my control.)_

Obelix crossed his arms and let a small smile with delight crossing his mature features, "Quasi minus sanam tincidunt Principem velut parvulus nescit quid faciendo vitam tantrum de eo quod male relevium—quod vobis salus."

 _(You start to sound more like a Prince and less like a child making a tantrum because he does not know why life treats him badly; what a relief—you have salvation.)_

Mamoru looked at the priest with wide eyes, Obelix quirked his brow and tilted his head low, "Tantum posse docere vos, quae te docet, non esset in potentia ad intellegis. Memento quod et tu meminisse, tibi proderit Endymion esse hominem et te ab initio destinatum est sine ira et vetera cumulare delicta—neptunia solvere vincla, convertere ad exolvuntur. Agitur ibi multo tempore, et in bello vincere non potest, si tu non plene paratus, obumbratio et creavit te et circa ortum esse in fatis ut Polemarchos te," Obelix's smile softened, "Vos iam have plus quam unum ratione pugnare,"

 _(Only you could teach yourself that lesson—it was not in my power to make you understand. You had to remember—remember who you are Endymion and be the person you were meant to be from the start without anger and guilt—break the chains, change the cycle. There is much at stake and you cannot win a war if you are not fully prepared, step away from the shadows you created around yourself and rise as the Polemarchos you were fated to be.)_

 _(You now have more than just one reason to fight,)_

The priest turned on his heel and began walking back, "Per veni, ibi tantum temporis habens in Purgatorio, fieri non obstante quod populus sunt expectantes vos revertetur." he looked over his shoulder, "Sed potissimum tuus Reginae manet."

 _(Come along, there is much to be done and despite not having time in Purgatorio—there are people waiting for you to return. But most importantly, your Queen awaits)._

Mamoru smiled at the mention of his wife and soul mate. With renewed faith and determination, the prince walked behind the high priest in silence ready to embrace his past and make of it a better future.

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is an M rated series, violence and intimacy may happen._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _A/N: This chapter comes in place for Friday's chapter because I will be out for a few days. One year and we are still on it. Thank you for reading and supporting._


	50. Chapter 50

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Fifty

* * *

"I think she's asleep."

"How long has she been sleeping?"

"For about three hours, four maybe?"

Minako sighed softly and closed the door behind her and walked with Megumi down the hall, "She needs to eat something, she needs to take a bath,"

"She needs her husband."

The blonde looked at Rei leaning on the back of the sofa with her arms crossed and facing the blonde coming her way, "That is who she really needs." Minako sighed with a nod and turned to Megumi, "How long have the Shitennou been gone?"

"An hour maybe, they were reluctant to leave her but Her Highness was very insistent to be left alone with His Highness." The maid turned to grab a tray with a hot pot of tea and placed it over the dining table, feeling more familiar around the apartment, slowly memorizing where everything was and what each thing did or was meant to do. Thinking about her first time alone in this new era, she was now ahead of her own time and had to admit that she was proud of being of actual service and aid to the girls and the generals.

"Any changes with him, Megumi-san?" Minako went to pour herself a cup of tea while waiting for an answer, Megumi tightened her lips together and shook her head, "No, the Shitennou helped Her Highness change the bed sheets and His Highness' stained clothes but he is still unconscious."

The blonde pulled out a chair and sat tiredly and stirred her tea to dissolve the spoonful of honey she put on it, "Artemis and Luna will spend the night here too. I spoke to Artemis, they are giving silent rounds around the city. There is nothing out of the ordinary except for the news about what happened at Juban with us returning into the scene and this thing about cosmic monarchy everyone is talking about—most likely to be related to the archaeologist's discovery. People are scared, some do believe in it, some are hopeful, some still find it difficult but you can't keep everyone happy, I suppose the truth will come to the light eventually." she took a small sip and exhaled, "I wonder what he's thinking—"

"Who?" Rei walked to join her blonde friend on the table, Minako looked down at her steaming cup of tea "Mamoru," she turned to her friend, "As a Miko, do you think he is floating in some kind of place looking down at us?"

"He's not dead, Minako." Rei arched her brow, Minako waved her hand, "I know, I know, it's just... I don't know... he doesn't look like he is just unconscious, he looks like if he was in a much deeper state." sighing, she leaned back in her chair, "I can't stand seeing Usagi like this,"

"None of us can," Rei turned to Megumi and pulled a chair, motioning her to join them at the table, "Tea?" she asked softly. Megumi smiled and took the offered chair, nodding she waited for the Miko to pour two more cups and passed one to her, "To answer your question, as a Miko, I could say that his spirit is not currently attached to his physical body and being the kind of people, we are, that is probably the most logical thing for me to believe. Also, his injuries are not ones for a person to be walking around like if nothing happened the very next day, he exhausted his power when he used the strength he had left for fighting Asteria. At this point, is like Ami-chan said, all we can do now, is wait." she looked at Minako, "Have you heard anything about the outers?" Rei asked softly before taking another sip of her tea, Minako shook her head and put her cup down, making a soft sound against the polished wooden table, "No, and I honestly don't want to stir those waters. Usagi is my priority right now—if they haven't called or come here is because they are busy doing something. You know it is more like them to work under the radar."

"I still find it strange though, Haruka-san is very fond of Usagi."

"She's mad."

Rei blinked at her blonde friend and leader, "What?"

"Haruka-san—she's mad." Minako leaned on her right arm resting on the table, "Despite saying how she supports the Princess' relationship with the Prince, she is still dubious about all this and seeing him fighting the way he was caused an impact on her; she is the strongest of us all and the fact of not being able to be more helpful to keep our Princess safe triggered whatever she is feeling right now. Also, I guess none of us was expecting to see Mamoru act so aggressively towards an enemy, it is something we never witnessed before."

"That is tr—" Rei widened her eyes when she saw Ami walking through the door with Motoki walking behind her, "Ami-chan—Motoki!"

Minako tilted her head and blinked with surprise to see Motoki there, "Motoki... w-what...?"

Motoki leaned down to give both girls a hug and a polite yet friendly hand shake to Megumi, "Come on Minako-chan, a major blackout happened, half of Juban is wrecked, and you still want me to believe you guys were not involved? Plus, it's all over the news," he sighed softly, "How is he? Ami told me what happened."

"Very much the same," Minako stood from her chair, "And Usagi-chan?" he asked with concern, "Sleeping next to him," Rei turned on her chair and looked at the blonde doctor. Motoki shook his head, "Can I go see him and examine his wounds? Would that be a problem?"

"Not at all," Minako walked with Motoki to the bedroom and stood by the door allowing Motoki to go in by himself. The blonde doctor looked at Usagi with sympathetic eyes, knowing exactly how it felt to be worried about your special someone and not being able to do much but only wait for times to get better. It was nerve-wracking, it was exasperating and heartbreaking to see the always quirky and cheerful Tsukino Usagi holding on to dear life from her husband's arm.

Motoki turned to Minako, who nodded and closed the door behind him to give him privacy and walked over to the bed. He leaned closer and began examining Mamoru's wounds in silence and careful enough to not disrupt Usagi's much-needed sleep but as if the temperature in the room had shifted, the silver blonde opened her eyes and turned to Motoki who was checking Mamoru's pressure, "Furu-chan," she said softly and sat on the bed, "Hey, Usa-chan..." he let go of Mamoru's arm and immediately went to sit next to Usagi who immediately responded to his tight, brotherly hug. Usagi took a deep breath and rested her head on his chest, trying her best not to cry for the hundredth time. Motoki, on the other hand, looked down at her with worry; it had been almost three days since the attack happened and she already showed the signs of fatigue, stress, and desperation in her petite body. He pulled back slowly and noticed she was pale—too pale, and put his hand on her forehead, "Usa-chan, are you feeling alright?"

Usagi looked up at Motoki and frowned, showing the obvious answer to his question. Motoki nodded, "I know, but I mean, physically—you look _very_ pale,"

"Ah... yeah..." Usagi mumbled nervously and turned, still looking disoriented "Just tired, very tired,"

"Have you eaten?"

"Yes,"

"How long ago?"

Usagi shook her head, "I-I don't..." she frowned, "I don't know."

"Usagi-chan, you need to eat," Motoki warned, "Please eat."

"I don't feel like it, I'm not hungry," Usagi frowned and rubbed her eyes, "I have been feeling a little fuzzy all morning,"

"That's because you haven't eaten. Have you at least had anything to drink in the last couple of hours? You are probably dehydrated."

"You are starting to sound like him," Usagi said dryly, Motoki sighed softly and pinched her cheek, "Well, we're doctors, Usa-chan, it's what we do and he's my friend, _you_ are my friend and I'm worried about you too."

Usagi turned to Mamoru and held his hand, "He is very cold Motoki-oniisan, I am starting to panic..." she turned to Motoki with teary eyes, "I can barely see his chest go up and down, sometimes when I wake up, I go all frantic because I think he's not breathing and I have to look closely to make sure that he is..."

"Usa-chan, do you mind if I check his injuries?"

"No, not at all..." Usagi said softly and looked at her friend go over her husband's side and pulled the thin navy-blue sheet covering him; his green eyes narrowed as he looked closely at the bruises and cuts on his chest, his left shoulder, his arm, and face. He turned on his side to turn on the lamp on his night stand and proceeded to check Mamoru's vitals, with one hand holding his wrist, "His blood pressure is low, but it's due the state he is currently in—it's not in an alarming scale." The blonde put his stethoscope around his neck and opened his eyes to take a closer look at his irises; Usagi moved closer to look into the deep blue color of his eyes she missed so much to see and felt so strange to look at them appear so lost, without focusing on anything or showing any sort of emotion or any change in color. The fact that Mamoru didn't even flinch by the light Motoki was flashing into his eyes worried Usagi even more, making her think that his state was even more grave than she imagined. Motoki turned to Usagi and sighed softly, "Ami-chan told me about the injury in his leg... I can take a look at it later if you want, so you don't have to see it."

"It's okay, *Nii-san," Usagi saw Motoki put a pair of latex gloves and pull the sheet that was covering his leg and began to take the gauzes and bandages off with extreme care, once the skin was exposed, Usagi's eyes widened when she saw the stitches and the still very vivid skin making its best to heal, the deep colored bruises and swelling wasn't helping either to minimize her shock; she gasped unwillingly as Motoki examined Ami's detailed and perfect job, "I know—it's shocking," Motoki put the bloody gauzes in a trash bag and looked for new clean ones in his duffle bag and proceeded to clean the wounds with extreme care, "He did get injured very badly and it will probably take some time before he is able to walk around without any help but as surprising and gross as this looks, it means its healing. There is no infection in any of the stitches or less severe cuts, so this is healing alright."

"Motoki," Usagi looked at him with worry, "Is he gone?"

Motoki wrapped the clean gauzes and bandages around Mamoru's leg again and put his latex gloves, gauzes and bandages in the same paper bag to throw away before taking a seat next to his longtime friend. His arm rested protectively over her shoulder, "No Usa-chan, he's not gone." He took a deep breath and tried to sound as casual as possible to minimize the stress on his silver-blonde friend, "Let's put a medical term to his state and say he is in a coma. There are several levels of unconsciousness and he is at the deepest of them meaning that right now, his brain is functioning at its lowest stage of alertness. He cannot feel any pain or react to any noise, light, or any sort of stimulants. His injuries are not life-threatening anymore but the impacts that caused them probably knocked him out. Now, I know Mamoru is not a regular guy—he probably used or did something that his body was not prepared to resist. I am not going to lie to you and say he is going to wake up tomorrow because he most likely won't. His leg injury is serious, he has a lot of bruises all over his body and he lost a considerable amount of blood." Usagi closed her eyes as she felt her friend keeping her close to him in a supportive hug " _But_ , the man is very stubborn and I know he will get through this. In the meantime, _you_ need to take care because you don't look like yourself. He's going to freak out if he sees you under these conditions Usa-chan,"

Usagi leaned her head on Motoki's shoulder and sighed, "I know all of you mean well, I don't feel alone, I don't feel helpless—I know I can count on you but—"

"I know Usagi-chan, trust me... _I know_."

"He is the one that is always looking after me," Usagi sighed, "He's always taking care of me, like when he nags me by saying how I should lower my sugar intake or when he cooks for me even when he had the hardest of days at the hospital; he never complains and he never says no, he is always so understanding and patient." she sniffled softly, "If none of this had happened we would be taking a nap on the sofa, watching t.v. while eating takeout or he would be reading one of his boring books while I am sketching or flipping through the pages of a new magazine…" her voice started to quiver again, "I would listen to him humming a random tune while he is ironing the shirt he would be wearing the next day for work or whistling while he's taking a shower—it's the little things that make me miss him even more, what makes me feel more anxious and useless. Everywhere I look around, there's something that would immediately pull me back into a deep state of melancholy and nostalgia..." Usagi wiped her tears brusquely with the back of her hand, almost angry for not being able to do much and looked up, "I know you are with me, I feel your love, I feel your support—I honestly don't know what I would do without you all but... he is my best friend, Mamo-chan is literally my other half, my strength, and my voice of reason and not having him around really pushes me to the very edge of insanity."

Motoki closed his eyes and stayed silent for a moment, taking in the blonde's words. The way she was speaking and describing their everyday routines with such detail and longing really made him think about just how devoted and deep their love and relationship really was. He was sure everybody that knew them separately could picture them as two people that had nothing in common and would often think they are the weirdest of couples, some even questioned their relationship, how a man like him could be with a woman like her since they are complete opposites. Usagi was vibrant, free-spirited, curious and despite showing how much she has matured over the course of eight years, one could tell she was very friendly, easy going, and approachable. She was one of those people that had a special talent to charm people, plus, her beauty was breathtaking. Over the years he has known her, Motoki has seen the subtle but very noticeable growth in both character and beauty in her, she was feminine, elegant with an edge, as he liked to say every time he saw her sporting her famous odango hairstyle. Usagi was very beautiful, and if she hadn't met Mamoru, she would be taken off the single's list by somebody else—nobody that laid eyes on her would willingly ignore her and let her pass by without having tried to capture her heart.

Mamoru, on the other hand, was her complete opposite. Like day to night, starting with the fact that Usagi's hair was as light as calming rays of moonbeam and Mamoru's was as dark as a moonless night. His character is much darker, much more reserved and sadly, much more experienced—unlike Usagi, he was not a naïve person and he had layers and layers of self- protective sarcasm he learned to master over the years of stumbles and bitter experiences. He is a quiet person and because of that he is often misguided as cold and non-approachable but in reality, Mamoru was friendly, very kind, and a very respectful person, one that remained true to his beliefs and manners but contrary to Usagi, his charm was not on his social skills but on his intelligence and his undeniable attractive physique. Chiba Mamoru was incredibly smart and fluent with words; he had an elegant tone of voice that would make the perfect combination for everyone to be immediately engaged in a conversation with him and be wowed by his humble yet regal personality. He knew he had the charm and because of it, he was usually more stoic than normal due to his undying desire to be taken seriously for who he is instead of what he looked like—he learned it the hard way and Motoki understood his frustration. Being a pretty boy himself and very much unlike his darker friend, he did take some advantage of his looks but from time to time even he had to admit it was a little overwhelming to try and keep up and that it was hard to be taken seriously due to that. The change in Mamoru was also there but much subtler than Usagi's since he had to mature faster for his age and learn the trades of life due to his complicated upbringing. Mamoru was too independent, too private, too serious, overprotective and responsible. They were truly completely different, Motoki mentally agreed, but when you put them together, it was something really special and unique to see. Their relationship was the embodiment of the word soulmate.

Mamoru would absorb Usagi's quirkiness allowing a very well-hidden free and playful spirit come through and show more often. The magic was in how much they complimented each other, whatever one lacked the other would compensate it; not even Reika and him, who dated for a longer period of time could compare their complicity as the other couple did with such organic nature and grace. It's true, Mamoru being the person he grew out to be, was much more protective of Usagi than Usagi of him, maybe because her way to look after him was more measured in little details and charms than his much blunter approach, she was careful with his emotions and even when they were just friends, she was very careful to earn his trust and prove him she wanted nothing more than to make him smile. He has known them separately and together for too many years now and to see the always happy and always hopeful Usagi at the verge of a mental breakdown and his always cautious friend unconscious on the bed was not something he could never take lightly. It was heartbreaking and he wished—he really wished, to be able to do more for them.

"He's going to wake up Usagi-chan, I know he will," his hand rubbed her cold, shivering arm and shook his head, "But you really need to take care of yourself, please little sister, promise me you'll do."

Usagi's lips slowly curved into a soft, small smile in gratitude and found it strange how despite being so different she could feel a Mamoru-like vibe in his words. He was giving her a warning but in the most, careful and sweetest way possible for her to understand. "Mamoru is not going anywhere, if you leave the room for a moment, he'll still be here sleeping. He's not going to leave you—he loves you too damn much to do such stupid thing."

Usagi's smile widened, "He does?" her eyes were fixed on her sparkling wedding band perfectly placed on top of her engagement ring. Motoki nudged her, "Are you kidding me? That man—" he took a deep breath and exhaled quickly, "That man is head over heels for you, I know how he is—trust me. I know he can be pretty dark sometimes and he can come out with a sarcastic comment every now and then but whenever he hears you calling him, just by looking at your name on the screen of his phone his face brightens up and his mood changes completely—he could be having the worst of days at the hospital and his spirit would recharge just by talking to you for five minutes. He is always thinking what would be good for you, whenever he sees something he always mentions it's something you would like, or not. You're in Mamoru's mind all the time Usagi-chan, he talks about you all the time, not even I talk so much about Reika, though, now that I mention it, I think I should," his comment made Usagi break her newfound serious and mortifying state and chuckled, sounding more like herself. Motoki looked at her, "That man is happy because of you and believe me when I say that he does everything he can to make you happy— _everything._ "

"Like the house..."

Motoki nodded with a smile, "Like the house," he blinked surprised, "Wait—you know about the house?" he looked at his friend wide-eyed. Usagi nodded and looked up, "He gave me the surprise a few days ago. I know I shouldn't be telling you this because I know what you're going to say, but we had this horrible, bitter fight days before I knew about it—I thought he was cheating on me with someone else and went all psycho mode on him." Motoki squinted his eyes, "Ouh—that doesn't sound so good..."

"It wasn't. It was horrible." Usagi rubbed her eyes, "The worst experience ever, I don't think I have seen him so mad before and I don't think I've been so angry and insecure in my life. It was a real first fight, the first—ever."

"Please tell me you made up before any of this happened—"

"We did,"

"Ah..." Motoki exhaled with relief, "Thank goodness." he arched his brows in wonder, "So this means you met the famous Shimuta Chieko,"

"I did, yes," Usagi nodded and looked at Motoki, "She's very pretty,"

"You could say that..."

"She's Mamo-chan's ex-girlfriend..."

"Ah, yes..." Motoki pressed his lips in a tight line and nodded, "Yep, that's the one," Usagi looked at him with curiosity, "I didn't know Mamo-chan had a girlfriend..." she blushed, "...Before... me..." Motoki smiled softly, "I know, and it's understandable. He never gave a clue to anyone that at some point in his life he had a romantic relationship with someone else but, he's three years older than you, little sis."

"I know," Usagi gave her friend a sad smile "But still, a part of me kind of wanted to believe I was his first kiss."

"It's hard to explain, Usa-chan." Motoki rubbed her arm to show his support, "Mamoru's life has taken so many twists and turns and during that time, he didn't know any better—he was a fifteen-year-old guy trying to make it in the real world with zero clues about life and she... well... she's another story."

"Do you know her, Nii-san?"

"Yes, I know her because of Reika—they are acquaintances and we see her regularly at many social gatherings," Motoki sighed softly, "She's a complicated woman, Usa-chan. She has too many sides, she's not a bad person but she's not friendly either. I actually met her way before I knew she was Mamoru's ex-girlfriend." He clicked his tongue, "She did pretty awful things while they were together."

Usagi blinked a little startled, "All I know is that she had other things in mind, Mamo-chan didn't say much, he doesn't like to talk about it."

"Well," Motoki pursed his lips, "If I had an ex-girlfriend like her, I wouldn't like to talk about it either..."

"You know more about the story?" Usagi looked at him wide-eyed, Motoki's features softened with slight sadness and nodded, "I _know_ the story, Usa-chan." He saw her crystal blue eyes widen with curiosity but before she could ask, he tapped her nose softly with his finger, "Now, I ain't going to tell you because it's a _very_ sad story—all of it. All I can say is that Mamoru had a very rough time in his younger years and there's really no point mentioning what happened between those two because he's happily married to _you_ now, whatever you heard, I think it is more than enough and to be fair, I support Mamoru's decision in not telling you more than what you already know." Usagi looked at Motoki with genuine astonishment, "Was it that bad?"

"It was three to five times worse, Usa-chan." Motoki nodded, "It was truly bad. So, what better proof of his devoted love for you than going all the way and reach out and deal with her all over again over something he knew would make _you_ happy."

"You knew about the house?" Usagi blinked with surprise, this was clear proof to her of how close Mamoru was of Motoki despite the slight age gap, "Yes, I knew... he was mortified, actually. He really didn't want to talk to her, but he knew she could get him the house of your dreams. Mamoru loves you more than his dislike for digging into his past with Chieko and he really, really, _really_ wanted to give you the surprise,"

"He did," Usagi smiled softly, "I was speechless..."

"I bet, he's a freaking prince charming—literally."

"Nii-san..." Usagi tilted her head down, trying to fight her tears as much as she could, "How is Reika-san doing?"

The question stung in Motoki's mind, it came out of the blue but also hit right in the heart. Since the incident, their relationship had been in the middle of an emotional rollercoaster that if not treated with care, it could become a storm that would not have the happiest of endings. "She is still a little shaken by it all, the blackout and what happened in Juban kind of pull her back to the edge of a nervous breakdown, but, she's not alone and we will work on it until she's back to her old self again. She's staying at her parent's actually, I have to go and pick her up in a while—she finally decided to come home. It's been hard, I won't lie to you but I love her and I have to stay strong for the both of us, pretty much like you have to be strong for Mamoru right now."

"I'm sorry to hear that and I'm sorry for not being able to do more..."

"Usa-chan, you are freaking _Sailor Moon_ —you do more for us than anyone can—all of you. If it wasn't for you, the attack would have turned into a tragedy. We will be alright, Reika is one strong lady and she's not alone, I am there for her at all times." Motoki shook her softly to lift her spirits and turned to look back at his friend, "I brought an IV—don't freak out, it's just to keep him hydrated." Usagi nodded and looked at Motoki go back to full doctor's mode and began preparing the solution and the catheter to put on Mamoru's arm, "He _hates_ needles—good thing he won't be able to see I am poking his vein with one." Usagi chuckled, "Oh, the irony,"

Motoki smiled and nodded while preparing the IV tubing and put on a new pair of latex gloves, "I bet there's a reason behind it..." Usagi nodded and looked closely at Motoki who was now seated next to Mamoru and tied a long, rubber band to expose the vein and insert the needle, "Usa-chan, could you pass me the cotton and alcohol to clean the area first? I brought some, they're in my bag." Usagi nodded and after doing so, the blonde finally proceeded to insert the long needle on the vein right where Mamoru's arm would flex and slowly pulled it out, leaving only the catheter secured and ready with medical tape. "All set," he looked up at the slow drops filtering from the bag through the long tube and into Mamoru's arm, "Ami-chan can keep this monitored. If needed more, I'll ask her to let me know and bring another one."

"Thank you so much, Motoki-oniisan, really—for everything." Usagi stood next to her friend and moved closer to give him a big hug, Motoki smiled and kissed the top of her head before pulling away, he leaned down to look straight into her eyes, "Eat, take a long hot shower—breathe." Usagi combed a long piece of silver hair back with her fingers and nodded, "I'll try."

Motoki opened the bedroom door and grabbed his bag and leaned down to kiss the top of her head, "No, don't try— _do it._ " Turning on his heel he walked back to the living room with the princess walking behind, "Usa-chan!" Ami went to give her friend a quick hug the blonde immediately returned it with much care and gratitude. Motoki turned to Ami, "I put him the IV, let me know if he runs out to bring another bag and don't worry about your absence, I'll take care of both." Ami sighed, "Thank you so much Motoki, really."

"I have to pick up Reika at her parent's house—" he went to give the girls a quick goodbye hug and walked to the door "Please keep me informed of his progress and _please_ give this lady something to eat," he turned to give Usagi a soft kiss on her forehead and waved his hand at the girls before walking out the door. Rei turned to Usagi and gave her a soft smile, "You heard the doctor, what can we get you?"

"If you don't mind, I would like to take a shower first—I probably look like a mess and stink," Usagi looked at her tangled hair and sniffed it a little, "Yeah, I stink."

"What did Motoki say?" Minako leaned over the back of the sofa, Usagi took a deep breath, "His wounds are healing well but he will need help moving around once he wakes up, though, we don't know when that's going to happen since he is in a coma."

"Normally it would take up to seven days for a patient to come out of it but—" Ami said softly, Usagi nodded "I know, this is a different scenario." she looked around and noticed the sun was starting to set again and bit her lower lip, "Another day is about to end."

O—o—o—o—O

"Non-possum non sentire nexum inter mentem et verba tua,"

 _(I cannot feel the connection between your words and your mind,)_

Obelix stood and walked around the prince sitting in buddha style at the temple, freshly stripped of his ego and hostile sarcasm. Since they walked back to the temple, he has been trying to bring the prince back to his old habits and lessons of sacred prayers and meditations but to no avail. Exasperated, tired and slightly angry, he looked down at him and arched a brow, "Quid tu nunc intendit habentem tam difficile? Hoc vos praecipue scientia,"

 _(Why are you having such a difficult time concentrating? This was basic knowledge to you,)_

Mamoru sighed heavily, "Because—" he winced when he felt the priest's finger tapping his head firmly, "Et Latine semper Latine. Essentia autem est secundum te, si tuam non amplector ac recipio omnia et radices non ut in tactus cum se verum tuae et interiorem potentiam." he sighed tiredly, "Non est similis tui et non est in occursum tibi velis."

 _(In Latin, always in Latin. It is the essence of your being, if you do not accept and embrace your roots you will never get in touch with your true self and inner power. It is like you do not want to meet yourself.)_

"Quia nesciunt quid faciunt ut ego suspicabar malum," Mamoru tilted his head low, "Scio quid faciam ut verum sit, et ego non sentire aliquid... nescio quid facio iniuriam."

 _(Because I don't know what I am supposed to be doing, I know what I should mean and do, but I don't feel anything... I don't know what I am doing wrong.)_

"Cognoscendi aliquid est semper difficilis magis quam inveniendo non- pro ipso primum elementum esse autem mirum si maior,"

 _(Re-discovering something it is always more difficult than discovering it for the very first time, but the element of surprise should be greater.)_

Mamoru shrugged his shoulder, "Bene, non mirari."

 _(Well, I don't feel surprised.)_

"Occupatur mens adsiduis nihil proficimus quaestiones quae ad prosperitatem," Obelix raised brow and tapped Mamoru's head again, "Et tamen veritas de te ipso non vis accipere. Dubium... incertus es, quid te tam timeret proderit Endymion?"

 _(Your mind is occupied by incessant questions that are not doing any good to your well-being, you still do not want to accept the truth about yourself. You are hesitant and doubtful... what are you so afraid of Endymion?)_

Mamoru opened his eyes, "Ego sum nolite timere, ego sum, de qua,"

 _(I am not afraid, I am concerned,)_

"Anxietas formido et in fine, sunt idem," Obelix crossed his arms, "Non te ad consequi quod si patientiam habebit in causis innumeris capti. Certus est oh cas causas in diversis temporibus statu mentis affectus te. Quid est quod tu es in hoc vita tua? Et queruli sunt tristes?"

 _(Fright and worry, in the end, are the same. You are not going to achieve anything if you keep putting yourself countless of reasons to be trapped. Being reborn in a different era sure affected your state of mind. Is this how you are in this new life of yours? Somber and querulous?)_

Mamoru frowned, "Nolite facere ridiculi de me,"

 _(Stop making fun of me,)_

"Bene ergo," Obelix quirked a brow, "Desinis esse ridiculam,"

 _(Well then, stop being ridiculous,)_

"Et vos cum essetis plus intellectus, quod factum est ad inferos tibi? Nonne vos have ut tracto tuus genere Purgatorio?"

 _(You used to be more understanding, what the hell happened to you? Did you have to deal with your own kind of Purgatorio?)_

"Secus ac tu, ego arbitratu discedunt a Purgatorio non a forsit, anima enim iam attachiatus ad corpus. Hic ego propter te. Non opus est tibi ut quis errata reddere in me animam meam praeteritam, et hoc in pace."

 _(Unlike you, I can come and go from Purgatorio without a problem, my soul is no longer attached to a physical body. I am here because of you. I do not need to pay for any mistakes I have made in the past, my soul is at peace.)_

Mamoru lowered his head and closed his eyes, "Quid accidit plenae virtute crystalla, si hoc molliebat, Obelix?"

 _(What happens if the crystal's full power is unlocked, Obelix?)_

The somberness in his voice startled the high priest, giving him the alibi he needed to see what is behind that heavy shell of insolence and self-doubt. He finally was making progress and was finally able to see the course of his mortal life. Mamoru did not want to use the crystal because deep down he knew that behind all its power there were consequences, like Purgatorio.

"Silentium tuum respondet ad me interrogandum," Mamoru opened his eyes and turned to Obelix, "Intelligo atque ab eius potestate sublimis, sed non potest accipere quod non habet esse sacrificium. Quod si ad esse custos eius eo mori in finem? Est quaerere, ut non missio ad novas patronum suum voluerit eum?" he sighed heavily, "Tu dexteram elegeris, ego timeo. Vereor ne conveniant in quest pacem non erit finis: et in ignominiam nocere eis et accedet ad me. Nequeo satis invocant amantes relicto omni virtute tantum."

 _(I understand and accept its majestic power but I cannot accept why there has to be a sacrifice. What is the purpose of being its Guardian if I am going to die in the end? Isn't it my mission to look after it until it chooses its new protector? You are right, I am afraid. I am afraid that in my quest for peace I will meet disgrace in the end and hurt those close to me. I cannot be selfish enough to call upon such power and leave everything and everyone behind.)_

Mamoru looked down at his hands and closed his eyes again, "Quod vereor ne quis me in caritate, et non vis ea de causa doloris. Non vis relinquere illam. Et aperuisti os tuum, et non deficient bis eius."

 _(I am afraid because I am a man in love and I don't want to cause her pain. I don't want to leave her. I made a promise and I cannot fail her twice.)_

The high priest finally got the answers he was waiting for and sat quietly sitting Buddha style next to the prince. Obelix turned and took Endymion's hands and brought his palms to face each other and turned again, repeating the same action. "Est verum sacrificium est post tam sublimis potentiae," his voice no longer sounded cold or distant towards the prince, but more like the man he knew since he was born. "Ut semper esset dispositio ideo est tanta fortitudo in manibus portare poterant legato; et ideo subdit et tabellarius lapides elegit. Tu autem quod quaeris, respondere non possum recta latmius Endymion, non est tibi, cur? Quia non testatum quod lapis potest facere nisi dimisit suum maximus scaena in potestate aurei Scelerisque sit lapis de auro purissimo, rudis industria et eius core est quod ardenti igne et si pone manum eius non extinguetur, in sempiternum et inde ingentem stragem ediderunt, meministis vires Solis benedicitur. Quare mens et maneat semper serenum malitia mutaret humilis punctum unius imperio pia numina cursu. Haec enim te discernit Chaos."

 _(It is true, behind such majestic power there is sacrifice. That is the reason Helios's disposition was to always leave such important treasure in the hands of those could really carry on with his legacy; that is the reason why the stone chooses its carrier and protector. I cannot give you a straight answer to your question Endymion, that I cannot do—why? Because I never witnessed what the stone could do if released to its maximum stage of power—the Golden Crystal is a stone made of pure, raw energy and at its core there is a burning fire that if put out it may not be extinguished, ever, causing massive destruction, remember it is blessed with the powers of the Sun. That is why your mind must always be serene and you must remain humble because just one speck of malice, ego or self-doubt could change the course of its command and sacred powers. That is what makes you different from Chaos,)_

The priest rested his palms facing up and waited for Mamoru to imitate his movements, "Quod crystallum agere ad hoc quod utiliter praecipitur, sed finis eventus est ad vos," he took a deep breath, "Ut unus spiritus munditia et go..."

 _(The crystal will react to what is commanded, but the end result is up to you. Take one deep, cleansing breath, and let it go...)_

Mamoru closed his eyes and began pulling all of his fears, questions, anguish, guilt, anger and felt them boil at the pit of his stomach, erupting like an angry volcano. His inner self began the battle against his own bondage as he slowly began to remember his constant arguments with his mother, eager and curious to know the truth; his countless restless nights outside his tent during his days training in the army, practicing with his wooden spears and swords until his hands had bloody blisters and the many times the arrows he threw with his bow ended going in the wrong direction or bounced back at him. The many times he felt like a failure whenever he fought Kunzite and he mocked his poor abilities and coordination and the countless times they fist fought and were sent to stand under a cold waterfall to pay for their faults and think about the ruckus they caused among other soldiers. His nights while they were at war and how he saw many of his friends and comrades being murdered by the enemy he was not able to fight by himself or do anything to prevent any of it. The loss of his friends and family, the impotence of not being able to do more than he was supposed to do and the deep frustration for not being able to be with _her—_ his precious moon princess _._

Like waves of a calm ocean, swaying in a melodic rhythm the memory of him looking up at the sky every time he felt trapped slowly began to wash away the thick and negative aura around him. While he was at war, while he spent his nights practicing, during his restless nights studying or working, while he stood under the freezing waterfall—the moon and its soothing silver light was always there, clearing his troubled thoughts and guiding his path and soon that same light came to him in the shape of a woman to fill his life with love.

Mamoru opened his eyes when he felt a soft tingling in the palms of his hands. His blue eyes slowly widened when he saw a soft glow emerge through his fingers; Obelix opened his eyes and nodded, "Cristallum quod reagit est dominus eius si manere ad ipsum verum et manifestum est animo et humilem spiritu et obtinuit, tu nunc sentiunt? De industria optime sonantium interiorem et oceanum libet ventum de Terra? Potest te sentire suum calorem ejus? Suus 'omnis ex vobis," he smiled with proud and nostalgia, "Quod est verum ex significatione nomini tuo: hoc est, quid proderit Endymion."

 _(The crystal reacts to its owner, if you stay true to yourself and have a clear mind and a humble spirit you will succeed, can you feel it now? The energy resonating inside of you like the ocean or the wind of Earth? Can you feel its warmth? It's all coming from you. That is the true meaning of your name, this is what Endymion truly means.)_

Mamoru's eyes widened and turned to Obelix, "Quid est?"

 _(What?)_

Obelix nodded, "Quod verum est in nomine tuo significatione non est actio vel res. Benedictus est tuus Endymion quod mater Helios compositus optimum illud exemplar voluit esse et in nationibus eius missionem et posuit te. Significat nomen tuum custodiat animam planetae vestri navitas, quod fluit et in te."

 _(The true meaning of your name it is not an action or a thing—it's a blessing. Your mother chose Endymion because it matched perfectly with the ideals Helios wanted for his descendants and the mission he set for you. Your name represents the life of the planet you protect and the energy that flows within you from the star that protects you.)_

The priest exhaled with relief, "Cum renati, mater vestra ad vos enim elegit, quod nomen magis oportet esse certis diebus vitae tuae Chiba Mamoru seu, loci protectorem, maxime aptus esse ad distringendos Deorum, te operam. Venit hora vestra vita tibi, tuus est. Quia non amplius aptum non-Chiba Mamoru repraesentes. Non enim locorum patronum, Excelsum Principem de Terra es, Helios 'semen Dei Solis aurei veram regni heredem regni, in campos Elysios demigrant Exercitus Polemarchos et episcopum Sancti Aurei Crystallis.

 _(When you were reborn, your mother chose to give you a more appropriate name for that specific time of your life. Being Chiba Mamoru, or, local protector, was most suited to divert the gods' attention from you. The moment your past life came back to you, so did your essence. Chiba Mamoru no longer fitted as a whole because it no longer fits with everything you represent. You are no longer just a local protector, you are the High Prince of Earth and a Titan's descendant, heir to the throne of the Golden Kingdom, Polemarchos of the Elysian Army and Holy Guardian of the Golden Crystal.)_

Mamoru looked how his hands began to glow more intensely, slowly feeling his body feel more of his own. "Ego videre,"

 _(I see,)_

"Verum, o iuuenis ille non eligere inter alia. Et vos eadem persona, non morietur in praesenti tempore nati sumus et in diversis hominibus. In eandem illam custodes cum Serenitate principis: Hoc est cur hie ego sum, vos vocavit me, et Helios, Póntifex tuus ut mihi liceat vobis. In altum, vos admonere volo me ad vos." Obelix tilted his head and watched the soft golden energy flowing from Mamoru's hands.

 _(But the truth is, my young Prince, is that you do not have to choose between one and the other. You are both the same person and you must embrace both natures as a whole. You did not die and were born in your present time a different man. The same happens with Princess Serenity and her guardians; you are not leaving that life behind because you still hold the same desire of protecting her but you must come to realize how you are meant to be much more than what you were limited to believe. That is the true reason of why I am here, you called me and Helios, your High Priest, allowed me to find you. Deep down, you wanted me to come and scold you.)_

"Tibi sit, non enim nihil me amet est." _(I mean, not for nothing I was your first word.)_ Obelix shook his head and chuckled for the first time since Mamoru was pulled into Purgatorio. His own self-created hell. Mamoru looked at him with a soft smile on his face, remembering the lovely scene of his first birthday with his family. The priest took a deep breath and brought his hands together and tilted his head low, "Nunc ergo veni accipe a nobis incipere, cum in partem ipsam difficile—orare."

 _(Now then, let us begin with the actual difficult part—to pray.)_

Mamoru brought his hand together and closer to his chest and exhaled, allowing his new-found energy engulf him and strengthen his soul. "Sustine me paululum, Serenity," he closed his prismatic blue eyes and took a deep breath, "Quasi domi ego sum."

 _"Wait for me a little longer, Serenity... I am almost home."_

O—o—o—o—O

Ares roamed in the solitude of his palace in Mars after a long meeting with the Olympian Gods who still were hesitant to act according to his recommendations and strategies of attack. The lord of war stood with a glass of liquor in his hand and sighed heavily at the night sky, mentally cursing at the stars for shining back at him like if they were mocking his current living situation.

He was aware of the events on Earth, he could feel the fiery spirit of his daughter alive. If she had awoken as senshi it only meant that something meaningful was happening to them but it was his nature and his duties to Olympus that tied him to stay more than he wished in a world he no longer felt he belonged. His escapades to what they called the rural planet were still a secret and it was still condemned by the high gods so everything he has been doing on the side was a secret and a fault and if not careful it could unleash even bigger problems.

He twirled the amber-colored liquor half filling his glass and sighed heavily, taking the last sip in one gulp he stomped the crystal glass on his desk and turned to leave his study when he felt a strong tug in his chest calling for his presence. The blonde god closed his eyes, trying to decode the energy pulling him with so much need. It was nostalgic and it was powerful, and it strongly attracted him to the extent to comply and being taken away.

-O-

Ares opened his eyes and found himself in what appeared to be a beautiful shrine with tall fountain walls and greenery so vibrant in colors. Its entrance was a small door from which a corridor was connected to the main court. In the center, there was a large pond full of goldfish and myrtles growing along its sides.

There were galleries on the north and south wings of the sacred place and were supported by a marble colonnade. To the right, was the principal entrance and over it were three windows with arches and miniature pillars. From this court, the walls of what appeared to be a prayer room could easily be seen rising over the roof to the north and reflected in the pond.

Ares found himself walking inside a long room with a very high dome ceiling; it full of tiles with its colors varying at intervals; over them was a series of oval medallions with inscriptions interwoven with flowers and leaves. There were nine windows, three on each facade and the tall dome ceiling was decorated with inlaid-work of white, blue, and gold in the shape of circles, crowns and stars. The walls were covered with varied stucco works surrounding many ancient escutcheons, Ares frowned, feeling attracted to the inscriptions and the story carefully detailed in those murals. His grey eyes slowly took in every word and detail and his heart began to race in his chest with both shame and anxiety as he slowly recognized the place he was now standing on realizing he had been there before—a long time ago.

The same strong pull in his chest made him turn back and without a warning, his heart skipped a beat as he slowly felt his soul leaving his body when his eyes finally landed on the person he never thought he would ever see again in his divine life. His lips parted but no sound could come out from his mouth; his first instinct was to exhale and shake his head with genuine disbelief.

A woman in a deep cerulean gown stood before Ares; her hair was meticulously combed and lose down her back. It was as dark as a thousand nights and the crystal pins on her delicate tiara looked like a star sanctuary; her hazel eyes were framed by long, dark lashes and their mystical color paired to perfection with the shimmery golden dust on her lids and the deep red color on her lips. Her dress had a long trail and a flowy skirt that moved around her on its own like cosmic dust and its long sleeves covered her slender arms to perfection, almost like a second skin.

Ares felt weak but his eyes could not stop staring at her, it was like if his spirit was feeding on the beauty and image standing in front of him after so many years of speculations, longing, and regret—so much regret. "Gaia..." he breathed, finally gathering the courage to speak and break the silence overpowering their unexpected reunion.

Gaia, the Titaness of Earth and High Queen of Elysion looked back at him with endearment, "Ares..." she said softly. She looked ethereal and like a true heir of Helios' legacy, never fidgeting, never showing weakness or fright but her eyes were still the windows to her soul and the emotion was as real and vivid as ever. They looked at each other in silence for a while but the fact of being face to face after so many years was still too overpowering and too emotional to bear. "It cannot be—"

Gaia took a step closer to the god of war and raised her hand, interrupting him, "Before anything else is spoken—I want to thank you for answering my call. I know it is not easy in times like these and more if that call comes from me."

"I did not know it was you—I would have expected it from anyone, except, from you..." Ares said softly and looked down, "Gaia, I—" his eyes widened when he felt her arms around him, giving him the warmest embrace, completely taking him by surprise. The queen of earth shook her head and stayed still with her arms around him for a moment. His arms reached out and held her close, slowly responding to her embrace and tilted his head close to her ear, "My sweet Gaia—how I have missed to see you, I was so blind..." his always stoic and strong voice quivered with emotion, "I was so blind, so stupid."

"Ares..." Gaia could not hold her tears either, "It was not your fault... any of what happened."

Ares pulled back to look into her hazel eyes and noticed that despite their beauty, they were no longer prismatic. "Not my fault?" Ares frowned, "Gaia I—" he sighed and shook his head in disbelief, "I turned my back on you at the first test of loyalty—I followed the god's orders, I let myself be misguided by my anger and came to Earth to harm you, I threatened you, your family, and never returned to ask for your forgiveness." Gaia smiled sadly, "You are the God of War, you did not know any better—to you, I committed a crime and I had to pay for it. It was treason." she looked away with tears in her beautiful eyes, "Serenity told me how you later supported her and that you tried to help us. To me, that was a valid apology..."

Ares widened his grey eyes, "Serenity? Y-You spoke to her? You have seen her?" Gaia shook her head and turned to walk away, "I wish I could, but I cannot cross to the Underworld, I cannot cross to the immortal realm either,"

"Where are we then? I thought—" Ares looked around, "I recognize this place, this is your shrine on Earth," he looked at the terran goddess, who was nodding in response, "This was once my shrine on Earth, yes, but it is only a remembrance in time," she turned and opened her arms, "As you can see, there is no golden throne—no royal inscriptions," she turned and looked at the dome ceiling, "This is no longer a royal or sacred shrine, remember I am no longer a deity. I am nothing more than a mortal defying the laws of nature."

"You are still part of Helios' dynasty," Ares said softly, Gaia nodded and looked over her shoulder "Oh, my dear grandpapa, how much he has struggled with his descendants..." she smiled sadly and shook her head, "It took two grandchildren to almost destroy all of his lives' work, his entire legacy... but, I still have hope."

"Gaia..." Ares took a step closer to the Queen, "Where have you been? What happened to you?" he looked around again and shook his head, "Are you real? Is this place real or am I in an illusion played by my heart?"

Gaia smiled and traced the line of Ares' jaw with delicacy, "Ares, always so anxious—where I have been? That my dear mentor, I cannot explain. What happened to me? —I died, at least my mortal body did." she bit her lower lip, "Metallia broke the seal that I put on her and possessed the tortured soul of a girl that sadly, did not know better in life. With her power, she destroyed everything I had built with the remains of the power granted to me by the Golden Crystal." she looked away and tilted her head, her eyes showing pure sadness at the mention of such tragic moment, "Before I faced death and Hades was notified of my passing, Chronos appeared before me, he stopped time, opened a door in the Space-Time Corridor, and guarded my soul inside this place you see now to protect me from my sentence of death in the Underworld."

"That is why he was not there when Serenity's Kingdom fell into disgrace," Ares muttered with shock, finally putting the pieces of the puzzle together, "That is why he disappeared... he stopped time..." he looked at Gaia wide-eyed, "He was saving you—his own kind."

"My heart broke in millions of pieces when I learned Serenity had passed," Gaia shook her head and closed her eyes for a moment, "Just the thought of it fills my heart with rage and impotence for not being able to help her, like she tried to help me," she sighed heavily, "The last time I saw her was when I gave birth to my son, she came to meet him and told me what was happening in Olympus and it was then, when she told me you were ashamed of your actions and how your way to atone for your faults was to protect me from a distance." she smiled softly, "I learned that you got married and had a beautiful child. Should I congratulate you?"

Ares sighed and let out a soft, complicit chuckle, the first in many years. "For my child, you can congratulate me all you want, she is my biggest pride and joy—as for my marriage, well, that is a whole other story."

"Why?"

"It no longer exists,"

"How come?"

"It was... too complicated, "Ares turned and walked outside towards the garden, feeling the familiarity of the place that once existed. It was exactly like he remembered when he went down to see his beloved apprentice. Gaia followed behind, the long trail of her ethereal gown followed her like a curtain made of stardust, "Well, you chose Eris to be your wife," Gaia arched her brow with a little cynicism hidden in her gesture and let out a soft sigh, "Of all women Ares... you married the Goddess of Discord, what did you expect?"

Once they were close to a bench, both God of War and Titaness of Earth sat like in the old times to talk about their lives, master and pupil, together again. Ares leaned forward to rest his arms on his knees and looked at the fountain in the distance, he tried to find the best excuse, a valid reason; the god of war shrugged his shoulder and pursed his lips showing tiredness and defeat. He couldn't lie to her, not her. "Understanding... sympathy, maybe?"

"From discord itself?" Gaia leaned back and looked at him quizzically, Ares sighed, "We were both problematic... we were both chaotic in our own way, at the time it made sense." Gaia pursed her lips and let out a dry chuckle, "I appreciate you using that name to describe your marriage." Ares smiled and for the first time in centuries, he found the irony in his marriage amusing enough to make him laugh, "She was—"

"Understanding?" Gaia arched her brow, Ares shook his head and turned to Gaia and tapped her nose playfully, "—There." he shrugged his shoulders and gave her a soft smile, "She was there, and well... she agreed to the terms for marriage,"

"Well, that does not sound very romantic, Ares,"

"I did not marry for love, Gaia,"

"Sounds like you did not love her,"

"No, I did not."

"Then why did you marry her then? Did you not think that you might be hurting her in the end or, hurting yourself for that matter? That is insensitive..." Gaia frowned, still not understanding how he could have chosen to live a life that was destined to be miserable. "That is the worst strategy I have ever heard in my life, my, to be the Lord of War you did not fight much for what you wanted,"

"No, I did not." Ares' serious tone startled the terran queen; he looked at her in the eye and gave her a sad smile, "I did not fight enough and I lost her—the one I truly loved." Gaia blinked completely taken aback by Ares' sudden and unexpected response; the god of war gave the titaness a sad smile "It took me a long time to process my loss. It took me a much longer time to accept it, but in the end, I understood—what she wanted." he let out a soft puff of air, "And then, I admitted it. A very decent man swept her off her feet and did what I should have done when I had the opportunity—he married her and made her happy like she deserved to be." Ares caressed Gaia's rosy cheek with the back of his hand with gentleness, "Your grandfather would be proud of what you have done—you have shown more courage, loyalty, and determination than any of us has. You challenged everyone to defend your beliefs and lived the life you wanted, with the man you love."

"Ares..." Gaia put her hand on top of his, still caressing her cheek. The god of war shook his head softly, "I love you, Gaia. I always believed we were two forces that moved parallel from each other, close, yet never crossing. I knew my place, I knew I couldn't drag you with me; I know the many faults and crimes I carry with me and it was not fair for you." he shook his head, "I never had the courage to tell you and to be honest, I do not think this feeling in my heart is ever going to change—I do not believe this feeling will go away. I will always love you and I will always regret having broken your heart one too many times in the past, but, it has now been long since I accepted our fate, we were not to be together. It was not meant to be." the god of war exhaled as he leaned back and smiled softly, "You know, in all my life, I have only witnessed two love stories worth admiring and one of them is the one you had with the mortal King."

Those were the words the terran titaness needed to put closure to the tension and the unanswered questions left when she departed the divine realm. She never stopped caring for the god of war, despite their previous fallout, despite his approach to her after she married the terran king. She knew there were feelings flowing between them, she knew there was love between them but she also admitted she was too naive back then. Ares confessing and giving voice to those feelings was all the confirmation she needed to know they were past the bitterness of their abrupt separation. The love was there, but it was now different; it was that understanding Ares needed and the support Gaia wanted from him, they were finally at peace with each other and that is all that mattered now. Gaia smiled warmly and looked down at her hand still holding his, "And, which one is the other?"

Ares sighed softly and caressed Gaia's hand with his thumb, "The other is the one Serenity's daughter has with your son."

Gaia's hazel eyes gleamed with sad tears, "It is a beautiful love story..." her sweet voice was slowly becoming gloomy, Ares noticed how her beautiful facial features slowly changed too, "Gaia?"

"I believe Endymion's trials and obstacles have been more demanding and unforgiving than they were for me and his father," Gaia looked at the fountain in the distance and stood up, slowly letting go of Ares' hand, "I know what you did—I know you have been looking over him and I do not have the words to express my gratitude," she turned to look at him over her shoulder, "He is my everything, my son is the living proof of my love for Eros, my planet, and everything I fought for in the past."

"I know Gaia," Ares said softly, "And I also know where your husband lies at this very moment."

"Yes," Gaia nodded and closed her eyes, long trails of tears started to fall from her gracious eyes, "That is why I decided to break my silence and anonymity to call you," she sniffed softly, "You are the only one I have left—without Serenity, you are the only one I can trust." her words ignited a fire Ares had felt extinct inside of him, it was different from when Mars needed his support but it too was strong, very strong. He quickly followed the queen and pulled her close to him in a secure embrace, "You have my full support, Gaia, anything I can be of service—you know you can trust me." Gaia looked up at the blonde god drying her tears with his thumbs, "Ares, things are happening on Earth—things that should not be happening, I am afraid because I know what they want,"

Ares sighed and nodded, pulling away from the terran titaness, "Yes Gaia, your fears are correct, but it is much more complicated than just an evil being wanting ultimate power—it is Hades. I learned he has been granting permission to Asteria to open the Gates of the Underworld to cross to the mortal realm and take his soul; while the High Gods are strengthening their alliances, Hades is working under the table because he still believes all Chaos' attempts to break free from Tartarus are a consequence of your son's existence."

"And you?" Gaia frowned, "Do you believe that?"

"No." Ares shook his head, "Hades and I have not been in the best of terms for the last two thousand years because of our differences of opinion concerning this matter. Over the years, I have learned too many things that I am not happy about and so, I chose to follow Serenity's ideals. My brother, on the other hand, he decided to remain the same with his beliefs and he wants more." he sighed, "I find myself trapped in between the laws of gods; I still need to serve as Commander, I am one of the High Gods, but I cannot allow him to cause more damage."

Gaia sighed softly, "Endymion is in Purgatorio..." her hazel eyes looked into Ares' surprised ones, "Purgatorio?" Gaia nodded and turned to walk towards the fountain with Ares following behind, "Helios, the current High Priest of Elysion granted me this information—you know what happens when you enter Purgatorio, you—"

"You cannot escape from your own madness. It is a self-inflicted turmoil—a limbo, your own personal hell." Ares interrupted the queen who nodded in return. "W-What is he doing there? How did he even...?"

"The crystal..." Gaia answered simply and continued walking, "My lifelong fear became a reality the moment he awoke and learned the truth."

Ares stopped in his tracks and took a deep breath, "Gaia... I am responsible for his awakening. The moment Serenity put everyone into a deep sleep and granted them the blessing of being reborn in another time, I had to take drastic measures—the moment I learned their lives were in danger, I had to do it."

"Eros, Aurea, Leonidas, Obelix, Odell, and Narella—they all warned me how I should have told him the truth since the very beginning, but—" Gaia stopped by the fountain and looked up, "I just wanted to give him a normal life Ares, despite his fate, I did not want him to carry my past on his shoulders." she dipped her hand in the cool water pooled at the bottom and shook her head, "But one cannot escape destiny and one cannot deny fate," she turned to face Ares, "At this very moment, Endymion is going through a catharsis and he will not leave Purgatorio until he frees himself from his own bindings. I know what is ahead of us, I can feel it... but this fight is not mine to win, my fate has been settled. It is his turn, this is his time and he needs to be prepared and ready like a true descendant of Helios." Gaia placed her cool hand on Ares' warm cheek, "Ares, I know it is too much of me to even consider asking you this, I am aware of what it means and that it goes against your honor and position as High God, but... could you grant this mortal Queen one last wish and help him regain his strength?" Gaia leaned her head on his chest and sighed, "He is the only part of me that is still alive—I have lost everybody I held dear and I did not get the chance to see mother and father again... they did not get to meet their grandson,"

Ares pulled back and looked at her in the eyes with a soft smile on his face, "They did,"

"What?" Gaia blinked surprised, Ares nodded in return, "Your son went to the Moon with Chronos' blessing and warned Serenity about Metallia—the second I learned he was the son of the Titaness of Terra, I went to their shrine in the Omega Galaxy, where they lived in exile and brought them back to see him, even when it was behind closed doors and impossible for them to confess him the truth, they got to meet him," The terran queen's eyes gleamed with tears of happiness, gratitude, and disbelief, "Ares..."

The god of war felt a tug in his chest alerting him that his time with Gaia was almost up, he sighed softly and shook his head, "No matter how much I try, I just cannot stay with you for long periods of time... you are always slipping through my fingers like fresh water," he felt like he was vanishing and slowly being pulled back from the dimension he was in with her. With his last remains of strength, Ares grabbed her hand and went on one knee to show his respect and loyalty, "You were my best pupil and I know he will follow your example—" he brought her delicate hand to his lips and kissed tenderly. "He will live to honor Helios' dynasty, that I am sure."

With those words, his body slowly vanished and traveled back through time and space all the way back to his study at his palace on Mars. He opened his grey eyes and widened them when he realized he was no longer around her, he looked into the distance and tilted his head low. A new sense of duty and determination slowly pulled him from his numb state, bringing his strong self-back alive, a small smile crossed his handsome features and nodded at the memory of the woman that had won his full respect and admiration, "Consider it done, Queen of Earth."

He turned over his shoulder and walked out of his study and towards the entrance of the Martian palace. Two large doors opened the path for Ares, God of War, and looked at a long straight line of heavy-armed warriors on each side of a wide corridor that led to the main court. The blonde god narrowed his eyes as he paid close attention to every one warrior lined with their face looking forward, waiting for his command; the imposing image of the Celestial Army of Polemarchos that Ares himself worked hard to mold and crafted with such detail and care after Helios' departure was still something that surely took anyone's breath away.

In one swift and well-studied move, all warriors stomped their right foot on the marble floors in respect and honor to the lord of war and took a resting stance, "Commander!" they all said unison, acknowledging his presence and call. Ares stood at the front and nodded, "The moment to join our forces is coming near—war approaches us and we must act until every creature that threatens our realm is annihilated—regardless of who that is."

"Yes, Commander!" The entire army answered loud and clear, like a thundering echo. Ares turned to Aegeus, Polemarchos of Orion, "Until my return, you will my take my post and alert me of any threats—if danger approaches, take the best action to counteract any damage."

The heavy armored soldier with long red hair tied in a high ponytail bowed his head, "Yes, Commander," he turned his serious face at the lord of war, "If you forgive my indiscretion High God, where are you heading to?" With a proud smile, Ares began to walk down the immense line of warriors, "I am going after the last Polemarchos, the one that will finally complete this army." In a flash of golden light, the god of war vanished before the league of legendary warriors, on to his next mission before taking a stance.

* * *

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _The Divnity Series is rated M, volence and intimacy may happen._

 _*Nii-san (short for onii-san): A brother. If not related by blood, it is taken as a much personal approach to a brotherly figure._


	51. Chapter 51

Divinity - Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Fifty-One

* * *

Usagi walked out of the bedroom in silence looking distraught, tired and depressed—very depressed. It had been a rough time for her these few days but the night before had been particularly a nightmare for her. After she had dinner with the shitennou, she refused to stay more than needed and quickly returned to her husband in the bedroom and went to sleep by his side like she had been doing ever since he lost consciousness but later during that same night, she was woken by a strange feeling and found herself drenched in sweat and feeling very sick making her rush to the bathroom where she spent most of her night curled into a ball on the floor. The discomfort was making it difficult for Usagi to move; she was feeling too weak and dizzy to go back to bed but thought it was best if she didn't wake Megumi and whoever was spending the night in the living room so she wouldn't alert and worry anyone more knowing it would only make things worse and keep everyone on the edge so she tried her best to stay as quiet as possible and deal with it on her own.

As she walked into the living room, her crystal blue eyes widened when she saw the crowded apartment with all four senshi and four shitennou busy while preparing things for the day—her day. The second they all noticed her presence, they turned to greet her with respect; Usagi knew her luck was one not everyone got to experience for being surrounded by such wonderful and caring people—and cats. These past few days have been a complete challenge for her without the constant support form her husband, but despite feeling like she could crash emotionally she knew she wasn't alone. She felt incredibly loved and cared by all of them, and even when she didn't show it, she was incredibly touched and grateful for having them in her life. "Good morning," she greeted all softly.

Luna was the first to notice her coming close and went to salute the princess hoping to spread a little cheerfulness to the silver-haired woman, "Good morning, Usagi-chan," she hopped to the sofa to greet her first and purred softly when Usagi scratched her ear gently, "Good morning, Luna..." as she was being petted, the back cat looked at the princess and noticed there was something odd in the way she greeted her but quickly thought it was because of their current situation and let it slide without fixating her mind into it. Usagi turned to Artemis and petted the white cate behind his ear in the same sweet manner she did with Luna and turned to the shitennou who all bowed their heads to show their respect, "Good morning, Princess,"

"Good morning," Usagi greeted them again and went to take a seat in her usual stool at the kitchen bar and leaned her head on her hand lazily, trying her best to stay awake. Her action caught Makoto's attention while she was still finishing cooking breakfast for everyone, "How did you sleep, Usagi-chan?"

In a very tired fashion, Usagi rubbed her eyes and let out a soft but emotionally charged sigh, "I don't know how to answer that question Mako-chan... I don't think there's a good answer to that question," she rubbed her eyes again, "A week has passed... or something... I don't know anymore... I lost count."

Makoto leaned closer to cup her friend's pale cheek and gave her an empathic glance. All plans and schedules soon had become a routine for all the guardians; every morning they would gather at the apartment to have breakfast together, then the girls would leave for work with the exception of Ami, who was able to take a temporary leave at the hospital with Motoki's help and her impeccable records. By the afternoon, they would reunite again for dinner and then, the girls would leave again by midnight. While the girls are away, the shitennou would stay half a day then they would leave to freshen up and come back to spend the night in the living room to keep guard on the princess while Luna and Artemis stayed with Megumi in the guest bedroom. Their lives have pretty much molded to follow that same routine allowing their past slowly blend in with their present, giving shape to some sort of hybrid between two worlds, one, the girls didn't seem to mind anymore.

But no matter how much they tried to keep things under control, it was never enough. At least, for the demand their jobs had on their normal routine; Makoto had been given several warnings for getting late to cover her shift at the restaurant and Minako had already been given a final notice by her boss letting her know that he would fire her if she didn't finish the usual load of pending tasks that did not even were her responsibility. At this point in her life and career, the soldier of love had grown less patient towards her current life ever since she had awakened again as senshi and with Kunzite's support, she has seen things more clearly and realize how she allowed her life to be so tangled with so many unnecessary problems. This change in her made her more sensitive to this situation, and it was heartbreaking to her every time she saw Usagi cry because she knew what it was like to feel alone in a room full of people.

All four senshi and shitennou exchanged worried glances accepting that in fact, it was becoming too exhausting for the poor princess that after ten days, Mamoru still didn't show any signs of waking up. Following Makoto's understanding approach, Megumi stood by the princess's side and put a cup of hot green tea in front of her; she had come to notice that words didn't make Usagi feel better so she preferred to show her support with gestures and actions. Despite following pretty much everyone's pleading for her to eat, bathe, drink lots of fluids, and sleep, the lunar princess still showed a pale face and a very worn out spirit.

"I know what will make you feel better," Makoto turned away from the stove and put a steamy bowl in front of her friend neatly decorated with slices of strawberry and peaches on top; Usagi looked at it and after a couple of blinks showing pure confusion, she looked up at her amazon friend, "W-What is this?"

"Oatmeal," Makoto said ever so sweetly; to her response, Usagi made a funny grimace and leaned down to sniff the soft steam coming from it making Makoto smile, "Come on, it's good for you. I put some cinnamon and brown sugar in it to make it sweet, plus, the fruit gives it a little tart twist," she chuckled softly, "I know it's not your kind of meal but you should give it a try and see it's actually not bad,"

"It's gooey..." Usagi looked down as she stirred the spoon in the bowl of warm oatmeal, "And lumpy..."

"Actually," Ami went to stand next to Usagi and combed her long silver fringe aside in a loving manner; they all have noticed the change in her the minute she reappeared in battle as Sailor Moon but quickly imagined it most likely was because she reacted to Mamoru's power so they decided to leave things as they were and not making a big deal out of it. "Oats are a very good source of fiber, especially beta-glucan and are high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Whole oats are the only source of a unique group of antioxidants called avenanthramides, believed to have protective effects against heart disease. Due to their beneficial health effects, such as lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels, oats have gained considerable interest as a health—"

"—So long story short, Usa-chan, they're good for you," Minako leaned on Ami and put her arm around Usagi's shoulders in support and smiled, "Please have some, sweetie, they'll make you feel better."

"I-I don't feel in the mood for oatmeal..." Usagi looked at the bowl in front of her and pushed the bowl aside, "I am actually not hungry, I woke up with an upset stomach so I think I'll skip the nutrients from the oatmeal for today. I feel like if I eat it I will feel much worse..."

"Huh, maybe it was Zoisite's poor attempts of cooking another casserole last night," Jadeite let out a playful chuckle and patted his blonde's comrade's shoulder, making him blush, "I did not..." Zoisite frowned and turned to Jadeite with an offended glare, "How dare you? I was very careful with the ingredients,"

Usagi turned with a smile for the youngest of the shitennou and shook her head to dismiss any concerns, "Don't worry, Zoisite, your dish was very tasty. I just feel dizzy—that's all."

"Well then, how about a glass of juice?" Makoto suggested, still with a soft smile on her face but Usagi turned that offer down as well, "Actually... I think I'll go back to sleep," she gave her friends a weak smile, "I just want to sleep."

"Honey, you can't sleep all day," Minako pulled Usagi closer to her and for a moment she felt like her friend was just a minute away from vanishing, she felt so limp and thinner it was mortifying since Usagi was never known for being fragile, despite her petite and slender figure. Over the years, Usagi tried to lead a much more active and healthy lifestyle so she managed to maintain a well-toned body and even tried to follow her husband's routine of going out for a morning run whenever she had had a chance, meaning, that she went whenever she got to wake up early. "How about we fix you something different? Mm? Some fruit maybe?" There was a little hint of desperation in her voice, but before she could suggest anything else, Usagi turned to look at her and shook her head to decline that offer as well, "I just want to sleep... I'm very tired,"

Ami stayed silent with her deep blue eyes fixed on the princess' fragile body and noticed she did look paler. Over the past few days, her friend has been leaving little clues that probably only she could really pick up for consideration. She had been sleeping more and had been waking up feeling more tired than usual, less hungry than usual, and her tolerance for certain things that normally were not an issue before had become a little unusual. Silently, the young doctor began connecting some dots in her mind and if her suspicions were true, things were about to get a little more complicated, especially for her.

"It's alright, Usa-chan, go back to sleep." Ami's soft voice startled everyone in the apartment, "But, promise me you will eat something when you wake up." the bluenette's understanding stance made Usagi smile and gave her doctor friend a warm hug, "I promise Ami-chan, thank you." she whispered, she pulled back and gave her blue-haired friend a soft smile before she turned to walk back to the bedroom without saying anything else. The second they heard the door closing, Minako was the first to crumble and started crying to what Kunzite immediately went to support her and wrapped his arms around her protectively "Venus... please, you have to be strong."

"What the hell is going on?! This should not be happening!" Minako's voice was strained with worry and desperation, "She's letting herself vanish away along with him... she's letting herself go the same way she did two thousand years back!"

"She is not letting herself go..." Kunzite reassured as he rubbed her lower back to calm her down, "Venus, she is tired—all she wants is for this nightmare to be over," all eyes were on Kunzite at this point, "She is waiting for Endymion to manifest... give her time,"

Minako sighed and went to sit on the sofa and thought about what she would do if she was in Usagi's shoes and how it felt to be this stranded and emotionally confused. Their lives have always been parallel, in a way, they both had a fated romance that defied the laws of nature, they both had lost them in battle, and up to some point, they had to confront them in a fierce fight. She understood the princess' fury and anguish, she understood her pain, and it broke her heart to see her always renewed hope being crumbled every time she wakes up and sees her prince is in the same vegetative state day after day. Being in love was one thing, but having your soul linked to someone else's was a totally different thing and maybe that is why she had so many problems with love in the past; she wanted a love like that—transcendental love. With a soft sigh, the blonde turned to Rei, who was sitting in the same chair Usagi had previously taken behind the fancy kitchen bar and island, "Have you found anything in the fire?" Rei shook her head, "No, nothing. It's like if we were back on square one, there are no signs of them."

"That does not mean they are not lurking." Artemis said from his place near the window, "They are waiting for a perfect opportunity, it's clear there is more to their erratic appearances,"

"They are probably waiting for Mamoru to wake up," Makoto walked out of the kitchen and sat next to Kunzite on the dining table, Artemis shook his head, "I don't know, as blunt as this will sound, the Prince is an obstacle to them, clearly, they want him out of the picture—they want him dead."

"We will continue with our routine, just because they have retreated does not mean we can leave the Prince and Princess unprotected." Nephrite crossed his arms, "But I do believe we need to give Princess Serenity some space like we did in the beginning. I have noticed that the more days Endymion is still without regaining consciousness the more we worry her to a point we are starting to transmit our own fears on to her."

"What do you suggest then, Nephrite?" Jadeite frowned, from his place next to Kunzite on the sofa, "To leave her alone? You know we cannot do that."

"I will continue staying with her,"

All eyes were on a very determined Megumi, "Her Highness will not be alone, she has me and I will continue doing whatever is possible to keep her company and make her feel better." her chocolate eyes widened when she felt Ami's hand patting her shoulder in gratitude and gave her a soft smile, then turned to Rei who was sighing heavily with worry and sadness, "The world stopped spinning for her," she bit her lip, "I wish Father would let me know what's going on—anything—it's like he vanished too, I can't contact him in any way,"

"Do you think something is happening up there?" Makoto crossed her arms and bit her lower lip, "Maybe my adorable father is stirring things up and keeping everyone busy, as always, he likes the attention."

"With someone like Asteria in the picture, I think it is more than enough reason to keep them occupied, she's one to be careful of," Minako muttered bitterly, "And she is only one from who knows how many..."

"I agree with Nephrite's plan, we should give Princess Serenity a little space, enough for her to feel like she is control of her life. She wants to take care of Endymion, but she feels limited somehow." Kunzite sighed. Zoisite nodded in agreement, "It is all too overwhelming for her, I can understand her frustration."

"She has been taking things very calmly, very maturely—I admire her grounded character during this difficult time. It is needless to say she is very strong and not to mention brave," Kunzite looked at his comrade and friend, then turned to Minako who was sitting next to him on the sofa, "Princess Serenity is carrying the stone—I have noticed, that is keeping her safe."

"What stone?" Minako frowned, Kunzite leaned back on the sofa and let out a soft breath, "The necklace she has been wearing lately,"

"Ah, I've seen it. One with a gorgeous golden stone, right?" Makoto said with wonder, "I figured it was a gift from Mamoru because she doesn't want to take it off."

"Well, it is, in a way—it once belonged to Queen Gaia," Kunzite turned to Makoto, then back at Minako, "I remember seeing it before. The night Endymion went to see the archaeologist, that pendant was one of the things she found inside the ruins and turned out to be the confirmation the Prince needed to know all this was directly linked to his family,"

"Are you saying the stone has some sort of magic?" Rei frowned with curiosity, Kunzite pursed his lips in thought, "I am not sure if it has magic but it does have some sort of blessing. If it managed to transcend time it must be because it has some sort of mystical power. Let us not forget Queen Gaia was the Goddess of Earth, I would not be surprised if it was."

"The more I hear about it, the more amazed I am," Ami shook her head with wonder shining through her face, "There is so much history in that family... I knew the Terran dynasty once was part of the Silver Alliance but I never imagined there were so many layers of history and culture."

"And we only know just one part of it, just imagine how Mamoru felt when Lord Ares came here looking for him for the first time, it is all too overwhelming," Artemis sighed "Not even when I was chosen to be Queen Serenity's advisor, I had access to all this information, Her Majesty barely addressed the subject."

"Now we know why—the two Queens were very close and she was keeping her friend's secret safe," Luna leaned her head on Artemis's and sighed. Minako turned to look at the closed bedroom door and nodded, "Usagi-chan is part of that dynasty now, whether the gods like or not..." her vibrant blue eyes narrowed with pride, "And that dynasty is fated to last."

O—o—o—o—O

"Virginum custos et Patronus Sanctus, Helios, cujus fideli custodiae ipsa Innocentia; te per hoc utrumque carissimum pignus Jesum et Mariam obsecro et obtestor, ut me, ab omni immunditia praeservatum, mente incontaminata, puro corde et casto corpore semper facias castissime famulari. Fac nos innocuam, decurrere vitam. Sitque tuo Semper tuta patrocinio."

Obelix opened his caramel colored eyes and smiled when listened to the prince's voice echoing in the long halls of the temple as he continued with his ancient prayers. Much to his surprise and pride, the priest had seen the impressive progress the prince slowly but surely has done and become a better version of the man he remembered and helped raise alongside the terran queen with much care and love more than two thousand years ago.

The high priest silently looked at the prince sitting Buddha-style at the top of the long marble staircase that led to the temple with his eyes closed and his hands resting palms up over his knees, completely immersed in the sanctity of his deep state of meditation. Since their last lesson, he had been in a deep state of meditation. His face and pose though serious and poised, showed peace and understanding, finally, he was free of the chains of self-doubt and anger and the heavy and thick surge of negativity had left a man ready to face his fate with pride and honor. "My dear little Princess—I have made my part, just as you wanted." Obelix muttered softly, his caramel eyes showed deep melancholy as he continued watching the prince praying in peace. The priest knew the meaning behind all this process and like everything, he was well aware that anything that had a beginning it also had an end, and his was coming close.

Time in purgatorio was relative, a minute could be translated into hours, days, or even years in the living world, and as a holy priest, he knew that only those who had conviction and courage could escape if still living. He could not tell how long the prince's spirit has been separated from his body but if he not returned soon enough, his physical body would slowly start to suffer the consequences and so his planet, if it wasn't already. All he could think of right now was his well-being and the promise he made to his goddess.

-O-

"High Priest, Obelix,"

A soft calling brought Obelix to another dimension, one, he never expected to see with his own eyes. The priest opened his eyes and turned to find young priest Helios standing by the sacred temple of Elysion still looking like the last time he saw him, "Helios," he said softly and bowed his head in respect making the young priest blush with shyness, "It is me the one who needs to be bowing my head to pay my respects, High Priest, it is because of you that I am what I am today—that I am here, despite my limitations."

"You are an extension of me, Helios—I inherited all of my knowledge to you and I know for a fact, that you have served your Kingdom, your Prince, and your duty as expected." Obelix took a step closer, "But, why am I here? Why did you summon my soul to be in your presence?"

Helios walked over to the ageless man in white and gold robes, similar to the ones he wore himself. "The energy flowing around Elysion is dense—Earth has been experiencing changes and consequently, His Highness Prince Endymion has been resenting all of it, his soul is fragile and loaded with guilt and remorse. I am worried because there is not much I can do to aid him,"

"You are the Sanctum Priest now; your duty is to protect the sanctity of Elysion, to protect his soul. My time of servitude has passed," Obelix frowned, "Why did you bring me here, Helios? You know I can do nothing as I am."

"Potes facere multum plus quam tu putas, mi carissimam Obelix. Post omnes,"

 _(You can do much more than you think, my dear Obelix.)_

Obelix's caramel colored eyes widened at the sound of that warm and sweet voice he knew and missed so much; he turned and saw Gaia walking from Elysion's temple wearing a gorgeous deep cerulean gown that flowed in an alluring dance, like the waves of Earth's oceans. "You can do more than you can imagine," she stopped next to the young priest and looked into Obelix's tear-glossed eyes, "My dearest companion, my friend... my voice of reason and confident. At last, after so many years... we finally are able to meet again. Oh, Obelix, how have I missed you." the terran queen smiled and wiped the tear rolling down the priest's cheek, "Despite the waves of time that has kept us apart for more time that I can think of, it seems like it was only yesterday when I last spoke to you."

"Little Princess," Obelix's couldn't contain his emotion and slowly went down on his knees while tilting his head low to show his respect to his queen. "Holy Father Helios has blessed me with the greatest honor to see you again, my Queen."

Gaia smiled softly and wrapped her arms around him tightly, leaving all protocol aside. Obelix responded the same way and took a deep breath while holding his tears, "Little Dea... how?" he pulled back with a gleam of awe in his beautiful eyes, "How is this even possible?"

"Chronos, Obelix—Chronos did it," Gaia looked into his eyes with tears in hers, "The night of the attack, before Beryl tried to kill me—before the explosion, Chronos went for me," her hands rested on each side of his face and gave him a sad smile, "He stopped time and opened a space pocket in the Time-Space corridor and it is there where my soul has been hiding all this time. I have been a wandering soul, escaping from Hades' grasp and even when my time is limited, I had to see you, so I used one of Chronos' time keys and crossed to this realm in search for Helios, whom I have once again awakened to ask for his help and summon your presence." her beautiful hazel eyes couldn't leave his, they were so full of passion and also deep concern, "The time has come, my dear Obelix, my deepest fears have surfaced to the light and now, they are taking their toll on my son... war is coming and Earth can only be protected by its fated guardian, but... he is yet not ready,"

Obelix held the queen's hands and slowly helped her stand, "My time is limited Obelix, so is my power. I am no longer that Queen and Goddess you remember. I am no longer Earth's Guardian but I cannot stay quiet, not anymore, and so it is why I have once again defied the laws of nature and have come here to seek help." the queen sighed, trying her best not to break in tears, "Endymion is trapped in Purgatorio, but as how things currently are, he and I cannot meet..." Gaia's slender fingers caressed his hands and took a deep breath, "I am not who he wants to see..." she shook her head, "I can feel his anger... he is very confused,"

"Little Dea..."

"I need your help, please Obelix—please find him," Gaia turned to Helios and smiled sadly, "Despite knowing of Helios' existence, it is you who can bring him back to his senses, you can bring peace to his troubled mind—he is coming, I can feel his aura... he wants his soul but I cannot let him have it," Gaia shook her head and closed her eyes for a minute, "I have hidden the truth from my son for too long and now, I must atone for my mistakes and help him heal his tortured soul. Right now, Endymion is his own worst enemy, Obelix, and I cannot let them win. We cannot let them take what it took so much effort and sacrifice to build and bring to its glory."

"I understand," Obelix bowed his head and nodded, "My duty is to serve mea Dea de la Terra—my loyalty and service is dedicated to you, my Queen." he looked at her with teary eyes, "Until the very end of my existence, and even in the afterlife,"

Gaia gave the priest a warm smile and cupped his cheek, "There are many factors that have put him in such bitter state, my son is broken Obelix, many times the gods have tried to break his spirit but I believe in him and I know he can learn from this and overcome this obstacle. He needs to break the chains that are pulling him down and finally embrace the goodwill of our dynasty. The real reason why we fight for. He needs to break the chains that are pulling him down and finally realize all the good that is left of our dynasty and the real reason why we fight for with so much passion and courage. Endymion is our future, Obelix, our descendant—Helios, descendant. The one that will bring our family's honor back to where it belongs like a true heir of the Holy Crown of Earth and Guardian of the Golden Crystal." Gaia smiled softly, "I trust you will bring him back to his humble origins and guide him on the right path. Kindness and fairness have never left his heart, but he is troubled. After all, my dear friend, you are his first word, I know he will listen to you. I know you can break that barrier that is preventing him to shine like the Titan he truly is." she moved closer and put her arms around her dear friend.

"Your wish is in my hands," Obelix bowed his head with respect but the queen again ignored all royal protocol and wrapped his arms around him in a tight embrace, letting her genuine loving-self shine through her actions, "Thank you, Obelix... thank you for not leaving our side. Think of this as the last wish from your Dea," she turned and planted a sweet kiss on his cheek and pulled back, "Forgive for such selfish request..."

"No little Dea," Obelix shook his head, "This is not an act of selfishness... this is a mother looking after her son. I am honored to be able to be of service, once again."

Gaia smiled, "I wished my time with you was not so limited, but, I cannot really complain. Even after all this time, I am still blessed and protected and I must use this blessing to do good and so, I must leave you for now..." the terran queen smiled sadly, "I love you, Obelix, I promise we will meet again... very soon."

Obelix bowed his head and closed his eyes, "Until we meet again, little Princess..."

-O-

"Bonitatem fecisti, Tua Sublimitas," Obelix said softly and walked closer to the prince, "Tandem in pace animam meam videre non-possum—faciunt orationem proposita. Ad Caelestis nurtured est et ad arbitrium iudiciumque tuum."

 _(You have done well, Your Highness. I can see your soul is finally at peace—your prayers are doing their purpose. The crystal is being nurtured and so your will and determination.)_

"Quoties enim bona adhibeo possum sentiunt rimari resonante veluti echo. Per me magis sentio fluit, eo magis Intellego quam caeci quid enim feci et non fruit in." Endymion took a deep breath and exhaled softly, "Ego sentio amo ego hic esse et esse aeternum, quia nesciunt donec transeant insidiae. Sic est omnis spíritus iter longum est." Mamoru's voice was calm and low, almost like a whisper.

 _(Every time I summon for its blessing, I can feel it pulsing, resonating like an echo. The more I feel it flowing through me, the more I realize what I have done and how blind I have been. I feel like I have been here for an eternity, I don't know how long has passed. It has all been a long stormy journey.)_

"Tempus in Purgatorio quam relativum. Sic suus 'in principio et in fine positum est qui accipit eius transire ad eam degustare et fortunam esse." Obelix crossed his arms and now stood behind the prince, "Sed re vera, si vultis scire, quod sic, non esse satis longum. Plus, quam ego exspectaveram ut sit; accepit adversus veritatem diu—sed tandem officium meum impletum est."

 _(Time in Purgatorio is relative. It's beginning and its end depends on who gets to cross to it and experience it. But if you really want to know, yes, you have been long enough. More than I expected you to be; it took longer for you to face the truth—but I finally fulfilled my duty.)_

Mamoru turned to face Obelix with a confused frown, "Quod est?"

 _(Which is?)_

Obelix exhaled when he felt another presence close and closed his eyes with a soft, knowing smile on his face, thinking this was the queen meant when she said she had to use her blessing to do good, this was it, another wish from his loving queen coming true. "Habeo quaestionem vos qui tandem, Altissimum Principem—vultis reddere?"

 _(I have one last question for you, High Prince—are you ready to return?)_

"Etiam,"

 _(Yes,)_

Obelix opened his eyes and kneeled before the prince, "Memento ut caput semper in altum, et exaltabitur cor vestrum, qui in tua potestate sunt regnaturi cum uti aequum et humilem corde, manu... Altissimum Rex Terra, Endymion De Terra."

 _(Remember to always keep your head high, be proud of who you are and use your power to reign with a fair hand and a humble heart... long live the High King of Earth, Endymion De Terra.)_

"Quid est?" _(What?)_ Mamoru widened his deep blue eyes and shook his head confused, "Obelix, sicut dicere vale ad me dicens quid tu?"

 _(Obelix, why do you talk like you're saying goodbye to me?)_

Obelix patted the prince's shoulder and let out a soft sigh, "Quia dissimilis tu, ego officium meum impletum est. Non est enim corpus meum, quod reddere debet. Non convenire in Purgatorio, et ego non sum unus qui misit vos... nunc autem ad vos,"

 _(Because unlike you, I have fulfilled my duty. I do not have a body to return to and this is not my place to be. I do not belong in Purgatorio, and I am not the one that will send you back... is up to you now,)_

Mamoru narrowed his ever-changing blue eyes and followed the priest's stare turning and meeting with a man in golden armor at the bottom of the long steps to the temple. "Ares..." he muttered with surprise. Ares crossed his arms and tilted his head up with pride and looked at the priest with a complicit smirk, "Et suscitabuntur lacerantes te tandem?" Obelix smiled, "Immo non habet, paratus."

 _(Indeed, he has, he is ready.)_

"Ares," Mamoru's eyes widened with surprise, "Et Latine loqui?"

 _(You speak Latin?)_

"Dialectos omnium antiquorum loquor, officium meum est pars exercitus ad Olympium Polemarchos est, didici ea esse potest instituendi mater tua, et discite a me institutus cum proavus tuus."

 _(I speak most of the ancient dialects, it is part of my duty as Polemarchos of the Olympian Army, I learned it to be able to train your mother and learn from your great-grandfather when he trained me.)_

Mamoru turned to meet with Obelix but to his surprise, the high priest was no longer by his side, "Obelix..." he looks around almost frantic looking for the man, but there were no signs of the holy priest, making him understand what he meant his freedom was now entirely up to his level of will and skills.

"Et venerunt ad tempus finis, errantem permessi animarum non licet manere in uno loco uno, et terra tua in omni tempore custodiebantur Elysion oportet, unum illud non poteris sustinere omnem Sacerdotis,"

(His time came to an end, wandering souls are not allowed to stay in one single place, that land of yours, Elysion, must be guarded at all times and one Priest cannot do it all,)

Ares rested his hand on top of his sword's sheath and looked at the prince closely. Just like Gaia predicted, he was in Purgatorio but he could see something different in him. His aura was no longer of that of a man troubled by his own existentialism, silently and with a very faint smile, he admired the high priest for his admirable dedication to the royal family. Whatever he had to do to bring the terran prince back did stand up to meet his expectations and for the looks of it, it was clear that he had found a path in the middle of his self-inflicted penumbra. "Ut non deperderet tuorum potentiale nuper inventa est, dabo vos in honorem dei mecum loquebatur in me mater verbis, sed etiam opus probare si tu es dignus ut ad tempus tuam,"

 _(To not lose any of your newly found potentials, I will grant you the honor of hearing me speak in your mother tongue, but I will still need to prove if you are worthy to go back to your time,)_

Mamoru frowned, "Quid est?"

Ares let out a soft chuckle, "Non-cogitas vere potes ire ad praesens tempus quoniam facile nunc faciam tibi? Ait autem amen dico vobis quia de di immortales imperii Terran Principem, ut te semper superesse, necesse est te probare valet." He drew out his sword and swung it in front of him while his grey eyes were still fixed on the prince, "Nunc autem dic mihi, quid proderit Endymion De Terra—sicut dignus es tu?"

 _(You are not really thinking you can go back to the present time with such ease, now do you? Let me tell you something about the immortal realm, Terran Prince, in order to survive, you always need to prove your worth. Now, tell me Endymion De Terra—just how worthy are you?)_

Ares began walking towards Mamoru with a defiant smirk on his face, "Dignus es potentiam illius, quem praefers? Dignus es ingrediens in nostris regnis? Et eritis istius leges naturae leges et Olympum evertit Polemarchos sicut et Deus de bello, et videndum est, si satis transire regna petas."

 _(Are you worthy of that power you profess? Are you worthy of stepping into our realm? Your existence defies the laws of nature and the laws of Olympus and as a Celestial Polemarchos and the God of War, I must see if you are adequate to cross realms.)_

Mamoru felt the strong energy from Ares' power, shifting and different from the time he saw him the first time and later when he aided Megumi on Earth. His was being defiant towards him, not really caring if he helped him in the past or not; for a moment Mamoru felt like an intruder that was being challenged and about to be sentenced, it was right then and there that Obelix's words fitted like a glove. "Et tu? Tu quoque provocantes me esse?"

"Ante omnes munia te ego facturus est. In praesentia regni eorum."

 _(Before all, I have duties I must accomplish. Your presence in this realm is one of them.)_

Mamoru started to walk down the stairs, "Et feceris omnia, in fine, sicut decipula et iactare ad infernum?"

 _(Then everything you did, in the end, was just a decoy to throw me to hell?)_

Ares shrugged his shoulders and walked towards Endymion, "Di vagus, mortalis."

 _(Gods are unpredictable, mortal.)_

Mamoru stood in front of Ares and looked him in the eyes, "Ut nobis concedas transitum,"

 _(Let me pass,)_

"Vos lustro vagus inter mundos nam nimis longum est ad patitur te amplius," (You have roamed between worlds for too long for me to allow you go any further,) Ares took another step until he was inches away from him. Mamoru's intense blue eyes slowly morphed into a deeper sapphire color and narrowed his eyes, "Ut nobis concedas transitum," he arched his brow when he felt Ares' cold blade pressing against his Adam's apple, "Tu realiter iens neco mihi?"

 _(Let me pass—Are you really going to kill me?)_

"Somebody has to anyways—who better than me to do it?" Ares' eyes darkened and swung his blade but much to his surprise, Mamoru acted faster and bent back, avoiding the fatal blow. The lord of war did not wait for the prince to take an offensive stance and swing his blade again and approached him more aggressively, "Quid est? Devitantes hoc totum habes, mortalis?" he gave Mamoru a defying smirk and arched a brow when he noticed the prince's eyes turned even darker giving Ares the cue to understand that whatever he had to go through to reach to the point where the priest left him was light years away from the man he woke up just months ago.

Ares admired the drastic change in the prince, but to fully qualify to his standards or better said, to his family's standards imposed by his dynasty, a good turn or evasion wasn't enough to fight and win a war. Defense and attack were important but when facing up against those with divinity, force and intelligence and even brutality was crucial to succeed.

It was like time was playing a joke on him, Ares thought as he tightened the grip on his long, heavy sword. By seeing Endymion before him it was like he was back on the training field teaching Chaos, and later his mother the advanced techniques of sword fighting. His mind skipped right to the moment he confronted her and was introduced to her son's power, "Sunt etiam multas libertates dedit tibi, ego et mater tua, quia non reprehendo. Quia inoboediens fuisti ori satis diu nos non potest, ego dimittam te amplius."

 _(You were given too many liberties, I blame your mother for it. You have defied us long enough I cannot let you go any further.)_

Like a clock ticking to the perfect time to attack, both warriors looked at each other with dark, expectant and threatening eyes. For those who have seen Ares in an actual fight, it wasn't new to know of his perfect timing, calculation, and sharp attacks but in order to succeed and accomplish his mission, he had to go the extra mile and step out of his usual pragmatic self. The key to truly know and measure the prince's strength was to ticking him out and put his newly found inner peace and skills to the test.

With an erratic move, Ares bolted with incredible speed from his initial stand and went straight to the prince with full force, enough to distract Mamoru and hit him hard on the ribs, sending him against the stairs. "Quid est hoc? Omnia summa gloria inventaque hoc?"

 _(What, is that it? All that new-found glory was summed to this?)_

Mamoru grunted and flinched, surprised he was able to feel actual physical pain despite being just lost soul, separated from his body. "Exurgo," Ares' brows knitted together, showing contempt "Exurgo! Leves autem hominis non accipit ob rem tam interest quo animo taedium peccatum mere naturalem..."

 _(Stand up—Stand up! You insignificant mortal, I do not see why the Gods have been so interested in taking your soul when you are nothing but a disgusting sin against our nature.)_

"Peccatum autem non sum..." (I am not a sin...) Mamoru muttered angrily, still trying to recover from the strong impact. Ares arched a brow, "Dicere audes tu tamen ex genere terreno illius qui ex Titanis ut fortissimum, tibi nil nisi de calculo in calceus." (You dare to say you a descendant of one of the strongest Titans and yet, you are nothing but a pebble in our shoe.) he walked closer and kicked the prince on the ribs, "Et sanguis per venas currit et nihil est vastum materia, sicut Pater vester infirma mortale. Aperui Metallia putas nunc? Non est tibi necesse est, omnia scelera vestra domus mortale est, quod non erat ad mortem, et dimiserunt eam et interficiam off capitibus suis effundet super terram et sanguinis adeo ut dici defendat." He chuckled and looked down at Mamoru with a clenched jaw, "Ego sum ille qui occidit tua. Sanguis eorum sit super me manus."

 _(The blood running through your veins is nothing but waste matter, just like your weak and mortal father. Just who do you think opened the gate for Metallia? You must not exist, your disgusting mortal family had to die and that is why I let her cut their heads off and spill their blood on the ground you claim so much to protect. I am the one that killed your family. Their blood is on my hands. I am not the God of War for nothing, I am the brother of Death itself, do you really think I was going to miss the opportunity to make you suffer?)_

"Non..." Mamoru said between his heavy gasps of breath.

"Non possum tamen olfacies, traxisti fetorem ex Unusquisque offensiones oculorum sanguine imbuta est mortale ex pelle mea," Ares nabbed his elbow on Mamoru's back, pushing him against the ground again and kicked him on the ribs.

 _(I can still smell it, the disgusting stench of mortal blood impregnated on my skin,)_

"Non..." Mamoru flinched and shook his head as the images of war taking over his once peaceful kingdom and the lives of his family echoed in his mind. The lifeless bodies of his grandmother and Aurea laying on the ground in a pool of their own blood. The look in her mother's eyes when he left her before leaving to fight and how he never really got to know what happened to Leonidas or his father, all he fought for was taken away and even risked his chances to make his Princess happy. The emotional pain inside his chest was far greater than the one he was experiencing in his body. "Peccatum autem non sum..." he muttered again, his voice now sounded charged with anger.

"Vis scire vestram Incompetentia?" _(Do you want to know the truth behind your incompetence?)_ Ares raised his voice, "Vos sunt ludens dum bellator tuus a patre trahebatur ad infernum ad vescendum daemonum interius Tartareos excutiamque sinus."

 _(While you were playing_ warrior _, your father was dragged to hell to feed the demons inside Tartarus.)_

Mamoru opened his eyes and shook his head in horror, "Non..."

"Vos sunt ludens dum bellator tuus matris vitam et sublatus ad alia ratione."

 _(While you were playing_ warrior _, your mother's life was taken and now it wanders in a different dimension.)_

"Non..."

"Dum vos sunt ludens bellator, venerandum tuum, innocentes, Serenitati Ltulit eam propria vita et nunc est traxit in luto vestram ipsorum miseriae mittere se die iterum quia non potentior quidem erat, ut digni ut in nobis!" Ares raised his sword above his head, "Ut dignus es, ad Lunae heres 'plagam! Vivere dignus es in nobis!" He swung his blade and pointed it down at the prince on the ground, "Moriemini!"

 _(While you were playing_ warrior _, your adorable and innocent Serenity took her own life and now she is dragged into the mud of your own misery letting herself die again because you are not worthy to be one of us! You are not worthy to be by the Lunar Princess' side! You are not worthy to live among us! Die!)_

Mamoru's eyes widened at Serenity's mention and felt a wave of rage taking over him, his hands curled into fists and began glowing with energy; he looked up at Ares with the darkest shade his eyes have ever been and summoned his power and immediately blocked his attack with his golden sword, making a thundering sound when both blades crashed against each other. Ares' grey eyes widened with surprise; Mamoru pressed his weapon against Ares' both proving their selves their own kind of strengths.

Many images of his past finally made peace and merged with his present and it all became one single truth. The image of his younger-self appeared in his mind reminding him of the core of his nature and the passion behind his greatest desire to protect his loved ones, his family—his future.

-O-

 _"You have to be your own kind of strong..."_

 _"What kind of_ strong _are you?"_

 _"Did you help your family? Is your wife not family?"_

-O-

"Ego pertuli contemnere noli nimium de te ab omnibus quae venerunt ad illum gradum ut non ultra damnare. Non curo ego quid feceris mihi mori post me venit tempus, te potest pascere rip animam meam et factum est in inferno beats sed numquam,semper, rursus commemorare nomen de nihilo nihil Serenitati iterum nominare," he growled and pushed Ares's sword back, giving enough window to step out of his attack range, and pointed his sword at the god of war, "Et hoc modo est in memoria mea familia ad gloriam, hic mihi mater est via ad gloriam est scriptor legatum, per viventem per exemplum,"

 _(I have endured too much despise from all of you that I have come to a point where I do not give a damn anymore. I don't care what you do to me after my time to die comes, you can rip my soul and feed it to the beasts in hell but you never, ever, mention Serenity's name again. There is nothing else I can do for my family, they're gone, but I still have a future to protect and that is exactly what I am going to do whether you like it or not. This is my way to honor my family's memory, this is my way to honor my mother's legacy, I will live by her example.)_

Mamoru looked at Ares and summoned for his power again and manifested in angry ribbons of golden fire from his hand and into the sword that slowly began reacting to his call with a beaming light. Followed by Ares' first example, he bolted from his position towards the lord of war, clashing his golden blade against his several times from every angle. Ares turned and tried to block his attacks, one quick and strong blow came after the other as he studied his movements; his grey eyes narrowed when he noticed he was not creating a routine in his way of attack him, putting him on slight disadvantage since it was common for him to memorize the way his opponents attack during battle. One minute he could jump away from his long blade and the other would be attacking with a full-frontal blow. Ares got to a point when he had a little window to work with and stepped back to gain a few seconds to think of a better way to land another hit. Every move he made, Endymion managed to block it or steal it from him and use it to his advantage; he summoned for his own energy and blasted it at the prince, which as expected responded the same way. Gold against antimony, three quick clashes from Endymion's blade was enough to break Ares sword, leaving the god of war with the only next best thing he could do to prevent the terran prince from stepping ahead of the sham he created to test the terran's strength. Ares turned his head away and used his brute force to hold onto Mamoru's wrists to keep the gleaming blade away from his face that at this moment, was just a few centimeters away.

Not long after, the spell of their anger broke when they heard the metal shard of weapon dig deep into the ground. Mamoru's eyes despite continuing stormy dark, they didn't show a thirst for revenge, letting Ares know, that two could play this game. He moved the weapon away but without giving Ares any chance to move, Mamoru drove his shoulder into Ares's chest, slamming him against the ground and landed a solid punch on his untouched jaw.

With a heavy grunt, Ares absently ran his thumb on his lip and saw the trace of blood smudged on it "Sic, vos cruentatur." _(So, you bleed.)_ Mamoru muttered and put his blade back on its sheath, his eyes never leaving the man on the ground. Ares sat and frowned with wonder as he watched the prince retreat and break his defensive stance, "Cur movere ferrum auferetur tibi? Cur non tu accipere animam meam? —Quae modo dixi post me, non est tamen stultus satis ut vivam?"

 _(Why did you move your blade away? Why did you not take my life? After everything I just told you, you are still stupid enough to let me live?)_

Mamoru's midnight-blue eyes narrowed, "Quid est punctus assumendum est enim vita tua? Vos ex Deo est, ut bello et interrogari et meum despexerunt eo quod non sit sed etiam conscientiam eorum, qui vitas." he arched his brow but either his eyes or his deep, low voice changed, "Metallia fuit maleficus et superbiam numquam inferioris creaturae humilitatem quatenus talia pacta faciendum. Ut sis mortalis et oculis vestris ego ego sum stultus, ut non sit limitata. Non cogitas quis ego sum."

 _(What is the point of taking your life? You may be the God of War and you may question and despise my existence but I am well aware it was not you who took their lives. Metallia was a witch, you and your pride would never lower to the extent of doing a bargain with such low creature. I may be mortal and to your eyes, I may be limited, but I am not stupid. I am not who you think I am.)_

Ares put what was left of his sword on its sheath and narrowed his eyes, "I sum impressa, quod placeo mihi in occursum cum dicitur, fabulae." He took a deep breath and exhaled, releasing his own tension and taking a more serious stance, "Sed tenendum verba mea ad eos si verum dixi tibi jacet in inferno anima patris tui."

 _(I am impressed and I am pleased to meet the myth - But my words held truth to them when I said your father's soul lies in hell.)_

Mamoru frowned, "Hoc est dicere quod huc venisti ad vos?"

 _(Is this what you came here to tell me?)_

"Fortitudinem tuam et veni huc admonere te et officium," Ares crossed his arms, "Si non potes aliquid iam tibi fallit, capti in bello vincere non potest, si et in Purgatorio, non est perficere exercitum."

 _(I came here to remind you of your strength and duty. You cannot do anything if you are still trapped in Purgatorio and I cannot win a war if my army is not complete.)_

Ares started walking towards Mamoru and stopped once he was just inches away of him, his character still showing his classic defying authority. "Polemarchos de Terra est cum praesidio ad Solem tandem excitatus est. Sed nunquam putabam me parumper ipsa testatur. Denique, exercitus est mihi perficere."

 _(The Polemarchos of Earth blessed with the protection of the Sun has finally awoken. Well, for a moment I thought I would never get to witness it myself. At last, my army is complete.)_

Mamoru's eyes widened, "Quid est?"

Ares nodded, "Aliam partem nata est ex foedere Senshi nauta. Quamvis intendere eodem natura differunt. Vos, quod est ex genere terreno illius premens Titana est alia potentia praeter unum est tranquillitas. Meam consumpsi annis partum et eligens ex optimis optimus pro suprema exercitum in mea ducunt, sed in Deo, qui sequitur Helios 'signa atque eaedem cum his simul, auditor somno ut quae exercitu completum uno de semine eius semel atque iterum non pugnando pro communi tandem a re. Et reliquit mater tua, quia locus non potest esse occupatus, quis ... usque nunc." his lips curved into an apologetic smile, "Ego iustus opus temptare tua quam magnam excitandum eumque in elit, mater tua est non mentiri, vel qui dixit quis es fabula."

 _(You were born to be part of a different league than one of a Sailor Senshi. Although both aim for the same, our powers differ from them. You, as a descendant of a Titan, have a different power than the one Serenity has. I have spent my years creating and choosing the best of the best for the Olympian Army under my lead but as a God that followed Helios' standards and ideals and as his once-pupil, my dream to have that army complete with one of his descendants once again fighting for a common well is finally a reality. When your mother left, that space could not be occupied by anyone... until now. I needed to test just how great your awakening and capabilities were. Your mother was not lying or anyone who said you were a myth.)_

Ares tapped Mamoru's forehead with his finger in a fatherly fashion and stepped aside, "Ceterum militaris magnitudinem si suus esse potest indispositus profuerit. Sed paratus sit animus tuus usque vestris corpus exegit suae ... et te exspectat."

 _(But no matter the greatness of a soldier, if it's indisposed it cannot be of much help. Your soul is ready but your body still needs to recover... and she is waiting for you.)_

Mamoru's eyes slowly morphed into a brighter, more sapphire tone as he turned to look a light in the distance. He felt his body become warmer and warmer and looked down at his glowing hands and in a sudden flash, his soul was engulfed in a golden aura and disappeared from Ares's sight. Pleased with the result of this fight with the prince, the god of war crossed his arms and sighed with relief, "Risus mi Dea, tuo imperio est perfectum existimabant."

 _(Smile my Goddess, your command has been accomplished.)_

O—o—o—o—o—O

Usagi sat next to Mamoru on the bed and sighed softly, she touched the heavy stubble worth of several days without a proper shave and pursed her lips. "This is the longest time I have seen you being this sloppy... it's so unlike you, Mamo-chan,"

"Your Highness..."

Usagi turned to see Megumi at the door, "There is a call for you—the lady says is from your office?" The young maid's eyes soon landed on the prince still deeply asleep on the bed. The silver-haired nodded and bit her lip, "I knew that wouldn't take long to catch on with me..." sighing she nodded and turned to comb Mamoru's hair with her fingers for what felt like the hundredth time and leaned down to plant a kiss on his forehead, "I know you would be rolling your eyes at me right now—I know exactly what you would be saying but I have to go and take that call." she whispered and turned to Megumi before walking out of the room, "Thank you so much, Megumi,"

"Of course," Megumi nodded softly, "Do you still wish to change the bedsheets, Your Highness?"

Usagi nodded, "Yes, that would be great. There are clean sheets on the linen drawer, I will ask the guys to help us change them again once I deal with my angry boss."

Megumi gave Usagi a soft, sympathetic smile and nodded "Yes, Your Highness," as she watched the princess leave the room, she went to do as she was suggested already feeling more comfortable moving around their bedroom. She diligently went to the walk-in closet to look for the sheets when a low groan caught her attention and saw the prince's head slowly move to one side. Her deep brown eyes went wide with shock but stayed still just to make sure she was not imagining things and waited for him to move again, this time, and much to her surprise, she saw his fingers twitch slightly giving her enough motivation to storm out of the room screaming with excitement to give the good news, "Your Highness! Your Highness! Your Highness!"

The sudden noise and familiar scent welcomed Mamoru back from his unconsciousness and slowly opened his eyes, he blinked a couple of times and frowned slightly when the light coming from the window became a little too overwhelming and tried to adjust to the drastic change from where he had been for the last ten days. Everything was so vivid, so bright, that it took him a couple of more minutes to adjust and finally be able to focus. His second attempt was to try to move but his body felt a little stiff and numb, probably for all the astral traveling he did and slowly turned his head to look around realizing that he was finally back to reality—his reality.

While all this happened, the shitennou were in the living room reading a book from the prince's wide collection while they took their turn in keeping the princess company but as soon as they heard the commotion, all four turned with a frown on their faces at the very excited, almost frantic maid running into the living room "Megumi?" Nephrite asked concerned. Between hoarse pants and gasps of air, Megumi pointed her finger at the bedroom with urgency and turned to Usagi, who was still justifying her long absence at work over the phone. Jadeite quirked a brow, "I think she is trying to tell us something..." he squinted his eyes, emphasizing his sarcasm. Zoisite slapped his arm and shook his head, "Megumi, what is it?"

"He moved..." Megumi took a deep breath, "He moved his head, his fingers... His Highness! He moved!"

That was enough for Usagi to turn and widen her eyes at Megumi, "What?" her heart skip a beat when she saw Megumi nodding effusively, "His Highness is moving! He's back! He's awake!"

All four shitennou jumped from their seats and turned to Usagi who had to cut her call short, "I'm sorry... Mika-san... I have to go, there's an emergency I have to take care of. I will go to the office later this week I promise, I have no words to thank you enough for all of your support—thank you so much again, I will see you soon." As soon as she pressed the end button on the phone, Usagi dashed back to the bedroom followed by the four generals. The princess ran into the bedroom almost out of breath and frowned when she saw him still with his eyes closed and turned to Megumi with confusion; Megumi waved her hands defensively, "I promise you, Your Highness! He was moving just about now!" she tried to justify her excitement "I saw him! I swear!"

"Are you sure, Megumi?" Nephrite turned to the maiden who was nodding effusively, "Yes! Yes! He moved his head and his fingers! I saw him! I am not crazy!"

"Maybe it was a reflex?" Jadeite frowned and turned to the princess who was walking towards the bed and took a seat next to her husband and let out a heavy sigh. She felt the remains of her heart breaking into tiny pieces for keeping her hopes up for the millionth time when suddenly she saw him open his royal-blue eyes, finally putting an end to her torment. Usagi felt a rush of life coming back to her body and gasped with relief, "Mamo-chan..." she whispered, still afraid that this was some sort of a twisted prank her mind was playing on her when he didn't turn to look at her at the mention of his name. Mamoru blinked a couple of times trying to feel more connected to his body; it was her voice what became the key motor to ignite his focus and attention and finally turned to look at her, but somehow, his brain was still trapped in the haziness of being stranded in another dimension and found it hard to communicate with her the way he would have wanted, instead, he blinked slowly at her to let her know he was listening and that he was really back. Usagi let go another and leaned down to caress his lips with hers and let her emotions take over her for a couple of minutes before moving back to look into the eyes she missed so much to see, "Oh my god... you're back... you're back..." she cupped his cheek and sniffled, "I was so scared..." she whispered between sobs, "I was so scared..."

Mamoru looked at his wife and frowned when he touched her hand; he shook his head slowly pushing Usagi over the edge of worry again, "Mamo-chan?"

Mamoru looked at her as if he was trying to tell her something but any attempts were interrupted by another person in the room. "He must still under the influence of his coma, let us give him a couple of more minutes—"

The familiarity in that deep voice caught Mamoru's attention and slowly turned to look at Kunzite, "Welcome back, Endymion." The white-haired general said in a casual tone as he crossed his arms. He was doing his best to keep his stoic image intact but deep down he couldn't feel more relieved to see his friend back. Jadeite exhaled, "You had your Princess all worried—not to mention us,"

Mamoru diverted his gaze from the shitennou to a crying Usagi and furrowed his brows slightly, "Serenitati..." his voice finally broke the invisible barrier of silence and made its way out, it sounded hoarse and weak, but at least it was loud enough for her to hear, *"Placere mea, ut plus non fundam. Ego hic me tergum…" the effects of his journey were still messing with his brain and body and now it pushed his senses to the opposite side of his intentions making him verbalize his feelings, in Latin. He let out an exasperated puff of air and closed his eyes for a moment to release his frustration. Usagi's crystal blue eyes widened and blinked with surprise by his unexpected way to communicate, "Mamo-chan? Are you okay?"

Mamoru pursed his lips, he was clearly starting to grow annoyed by his lack of control over his own body and pursed his lips in a desperate attempt to try and think of something else to do when Nephrite stepped in to help and clarify the sudden mystery, "Potestis intelligere, quod dicimus, proderit, Endymion?"

 _(Can you understand what we say, Endymion?)_

"Etiam, etiam..." Mamoru groaned when he felt the pain in his body slowly kicking in, "Sic, ita non-possum, nisi propter aliquam, causam sentiunt Latine,"

 _(Yes, yes... I can, but for some reason, I can only think my words in Latin.)_

"He can understand what we say but his brain can only come up with words in Latin. I second Kunzite to agree that he is still under the influence of his coma," Nephrite turned to a surprised Usagi, "Do not worry Princess, the good thing is that you have us and Megumi to translate his words for you."

Usagi turned to Mamoru and started playing with his messy hair, her fingers flicked some pieces blocking his sight in a more playful manner and smiled, "I suppose my long wish to hear you speak in Latin more often is backfiring at me now because I couldn't understand a single word you just said," her voice finally felt her own and so did her body once she saw him give her a warm smile in return, "Bene, non hoc volo discere: ego auxiliatus sum tibi hoc putant,"

 _(Well, you did want to learn, I suppose this will help you.)_

"Ah, yeah... I know what you're doing here," Usagi chuckled and shook her head, "Knowing you, you are probably saying the nastiest of things just to trick me with that charm because you know I would still think it's the most beautiful thing in the world because of the way it sounds."

"Tu quoque optime nosti me, mea Serenitati," Mamoru let out a thick chuckle and flinched with slight pain when he tried to move again, "Quam diu te fuerit similis tibi est?"

 _(You know me too well, my beloved Serenity—how long have I been like this?)_

"Ten days, Your Highness, today it would have been your eleventh day in slumber," Megumi's soft voice caught him by surprise, "Decem?!" he groaned softly as he slowly tried to sit but he still felt heavy and weak, making any attempt a failure. "Wherever you have been, it exhausted all your energy. You need to rest... as ironic as that sounds." Zoisite's words made sense to Mamoru, who was still surprised at the number of things that happened to him while his actual body was bound to a bed, unresponsive. "Cessasse existimo satis,"

 _(I think I had enough rest,)_

"You cannot do much anyway, you have injuries that still need to heal, so, whether you like it or not, you will need to lay still and rest some more," Kunzite sighed, "Give your Princess some tranquility for once and get well," Mamoru frowned, "Tu quoque si vultus ut vos postulo somnum,"

 _(You also look as if you need to sleep,)_

Kunzite arched his brow, "Bene, dissimilis es, quando non erat in requiem. Filia Reginae tutam habebamus offìcium principis. Et fuit fortis et fortis nimis: dum vacat cura habebat episodiis sed ante. Quoniam defecit illa parte aliqua re reliquisset. Est etiam fessi, et comedi non recte, ut puto, quamquam hinc oportet vos ad auxilium tuum et quoque sana eam."

 _(Well, unlike you, we have not had any time to rest. We had a duty in keeping the Princess safe. She has been very strong and brave but also had many episodes of anxiety. Since you fell unconscious, she had not left your side under any circumstance. She is also tired and has not eaten properly despite our insistence, so I think it is appropriate for you to take your time and help her heal too.)_

Mamoru turned to Usagi and tucked a long strand of her platinum hair behind her ear, "Serenitati pulchra mihi, tam paenitet me,"

"He says he is going to try his best to recover as fast as possible and agree to any order given, admitting it is for his own good despite how annoying it might be." Kunzite turned to Usagi, who was looking into her husband's loving eyes and smiled softly, "I highly doubt you said any of that—"

Zoisite let out a releasing puff of air and turned to his fellow comrades, "I believe it would be appropriate to leave them alone so they can finally have some rest and much-needed privacy. The worst part of this ordeal seems to be over. Him speaking in Latin should be the least of our problems..." The blonde turned to Megumi and put a hand on her shoulder, "We will inform the ladies, but, could you please stay close in case they need anything?"

"He might need you to translate for him, who knows how long that is going to last," Jadeite leaned closer to the maid, Megumi smiled and nodded "Of course," she turned to Kunzite, "I will let you know if something comes up,"

"Thank you, Megumi," Kunzite nodded and turned to Usagi being brought to life by her husband's embrace and smiled, "I do not think they will even notice we are gone, so this is the perfect time to let them be." Without saying anything else, the four shitennou left Megumi to their care and went to look for the girls to give them the news. The maid leaned on the door frame also feeling her soul returning to her body after several days of speculation, worry, and sadness.

Usagi tilted her head up to look into her husband's eyes while her hands touched the gritty feeling of his growing stubble, "You have been so sloppy and lazy... you are trying to compete with me and that is not fair because I am the best at it." Mamoru chuckled and flinched softly as he tried to move again, "Non tamen habent aliquid tendit torporemque est dolorem sentire pro certo possum, sed toto orbe,"

 _(I still have some numbness and but I can definitely feel the pain all over,)_

"I really, really need to learn Latin," Usagi sighed softly; Megumi chuckled softly at the princess' remark, "He says that his body has some numbness but that he can definitely feel pain," the maiden said softly from the door, making Mamoru nod and turn to look at her, "Megumi, et postquam omnia defectis, vultus, post tamen es me. Non- possum gratias ago tibi quia non sufficit ex parte Serenitati."

(Megumi, even after all my failures, you are still looking after me. I cannot thank you enough for being by Serenity's side.)

Megumi blushed, "Non, Princeps, hoc est honos—" she took a step closer to them on the bed and turned to Usagi, "I know General Kunzite said something completely different, but in reality, His Highness was complimenting your beauty just moments ago, Princess."

"A-ha! I knew it!" Usagi smiled and nodded, " _That_ I did understand," she turned to Mamoru and tilted her head and let her smile grow bigger, finally showing that side of her everyone was missing, "Pulchra Serenitati means beautiful Serenity—you used to call me that a lot... I remember," Usagi intertwined her fingers with Mamoru's and looked down, admitting to herself that there was something different in him as she felt his warmth being transmitted to her like a soothing but also very strong and protective mantle. His eyes were more expressive than before and the changes in color were more prominent—they looked more intense and vivid as if that was even possible. "Mea amor, Endymion, how I missed you."

Mamoru smiled and slowly brought her hand to his lips and kissed it softly, "Me quoque amor meus,"

 _(Me too, my love.)_

Megumi sighed with content, "Well, since I am in charge and His Highness said he was going to be a good patient and obey our instructions..." she turned to the walk-in closet and grabbed a plushy throw blanket from the linen drawer, to this, Mamoru turned to the maiden with an arched brow, proving his confusion, "Nonne hoc dico? Non dicam tale—"

"Yes, you did," Megumi interrupted him, adopting Aureas' strong and indomitable character as she stood by the bed, waiting for Usagi to lay down too, "We want you up and about soon and that can only be achieved if you two rest as you should," she put the fluffy blanker over Usagi and sighed softly, "I will take care of dinner and you two better eat it all, you need to regain your strength, so sleep—and no cheating!" she pointed her finger at them, making the royals hold their laughter at her cute authoritative behavior, knowing perfectly well what she meant.

"Yes, Megumi."

"Ita, Megumi."

Megumi smiled softly, "Good," she turned to pull the curtains to block as much light as possible and walked out the door, closing it softly behind her and finally leaving the couple alone. Usagi turned to her side and snuggled in her well known favorite spot under his arm and looked up at her husband, "If I fall asleep, will you be here when I wake up?" she whispered with worry; Mamoru nodded leaned down and kissed her temple despite the sharp pain with every effort to move, Usagi wrapped her arm around his chest with delicacy but her eyes never left his, "You promise?" Mamoru nodded and winked an eye at her, "Etiam Usa, promitto."

Usagi smiled softly and moved up to caress his lips with hers, "I like being your Serenitati."

Mamoru winced as he slowly started to regain control over his body and rolled to rest on his side while doing his best to ignore the catheter he was now aware of having stuck in his arm, "Serenitati meus es tu,"

 _(You are my Serenity,)_

Usagi sighed and snuggled closer as she slowly closed her eyes, letting her tears run free down her cheeks, "I missed you so much... but you came back like you promised." She whispered as she slowly felt cooed by Mamoru's warmth, making her feel complete and very sleepy. Mamoru leaned his head on hers and took a deep breath before closing his eyes, "Tibi gratias, Obelix."

 _(Thank you, Obelix.)_

O—o—o—O

Minako's bright blue eyes widened when she confirmed Yumi's words when she saw Kunzite wearing for her at the lobby, looking so handsome with his casual clothing of dark grey sweater and jeans, "Kunzite," she noticed the receptionist's face of surprise when she realized they were more than friends when he leaned down to kiss her quickly on the lips. "It is alright—" he whispered, "Do not worry, I am here because I wanted to let you know that Endymion has awoken."

Minako let out a heavy sigh charged with relief, "Oh, my goodness! Ah! Thank heavens!" She brought her hands to her chest and exhaled once more, releasing the remains of stress in her chest, "When?"

"What would be a couple of hours now, we were with—" Kunzite turned and noticed the young girl was close enough to hear their conversation and pulled Minako to a more secluded area, "—We were with Princess Serenity when it happened, we all decided it was best to leave them to have their very much needed privacy—Megumi stayed, of course, she has been of incredible help."

"Yes," Minako nodded, "How is he? How is Usagi-chan?"

"The Princess is revived, Endymion is slowly coming to his senses..."

"What do you mean?" Minako frowned, Kunzite crossed his arms "He is still very weak, but I am sure Princess Serenity will take care of him—though, he is different, there is a stronger aura coming from him, it is even stronger than how we sensed it back then, wherever he was all this time it helped him in some way."

"We still need to be careful, he is still injured—if Asteria decides to attack again or Athamas we—"

"Aino-san!"

Minako sighed and rolled her eyes, "Oh no..." Kunzite frowned, "What?"

"My boss—he's out of his meeting."

"Is that him?" Kunzite arched a brow, "That man intimidates you? You?! —But he is an ant!"

Minako sighed again, when she heard Saruto storm over to her, "Aino-san! What the hell are you doing here?! Now you give yourself time to socialize during work hours?!"

"Saruto-san..." Minako turned, "There has been a family emergency, I have—"

"I don't care!" Saruto growled, "I don't care if your grandmother, your mother, father, friend or cat died. You have been delaying work and deadlines, you have obligations! You leave early, you come in late and now you whore around like it is was a casual Saturday!"

"Typical of cowards," Kunzite muttered, catching the arrogant man's attention. "To spit as much stupidity as they can muster is typical of lowly beings like yourself. Take those words back and apologize to her, that is no way to treat a lady."

"Who the hell are you?" Saruto frowned, "Nobody asked for your opinion."

"The one that will rip your egotistical skin off your body and shove it up your ass," Kunzite turned to a very surprised Minako, "Yes, I have learned a few new things," he turned back to face Saruto, "I could care less if you asked for it or not. You apologize to her, right now."

By now, all the people coming and leaving the building was aware of the situation, making Minako feel under a microscope. For a moment she felt her world starting to move in slow motion as she continued to hearing Saruto's annoyingly raspy voice and thinking in the many ways the man has offended her and even humiliated her to the extent to make her believe his words as a truth about her and her talents.

She turned to him, yelling at her his old arsenal of threats and finally she opened eyes to the truth about her and what Artemis has been trying to make her understand for such a long time. The same truth Kunzite's return has been slowly making its way and that finally settled at the moment she became Venus again and took control of her life again. She frowned, trying to understand the man's words but she was too immersed in her own thoughts to even care anymore, she didn't care anymore—she was free. "It's enough..." she whispered to herself, "Enough Venus—it's enough." She looked at Kunzite and then at Saruto yelling threats at her, "Enough! Enough from you!"

"What?" Saruto widened his eyes, it was the first time Minako would raise he voice that way and to him of all people. Minako frowned and pointed a finger at him, "I have taken too much dirt and offensive behaviors and slurs from—I had enough! Enough of your rants, enough of your abusive way to treat your employees, I had enough of bringing your coffee every morning... I had enough of being your slave! When I was offered this job, you were not even a high-paid producer! You steal money from everyone! Nobody likes you! You wear the ugliest clothes and have the ugliest teeth and bad breath and I can't stand any more of your tantrums! Enough, enough, ENOUGH!" she stomped her 5-inch black stilettos on the floor, making a loud, echoing sound. Kunzite widened his eyes at the sound of her voice going on a high note, silently feeling satisfied with the result. The blonde's breath fastened and looked at the man in front of her, looking at her wide-eyed, "I speak for everyone when I say you are a horrible, horrible person and I can't stand any more of your abusive rules. I did not sign for this, you made me feel miserable every day and I can't take it anymore, I quit. There, now I can stay here and talk to my boyfriend without a care in the world—you're now interrupting a private conversation so, go."

Saruto frowned angrily at the blonde and shook his head, still confused for all that has been said to him "You are going to regret this, you are wasting your career down the—"

"What career?" Minako frowned, "You have tied me to a desk to do everyone's work but mine. It took me two years to realize that you can't hurt me. I will make it on my own, I will find my way—you can stay here and keep ordering people around until they crash—until you crash," she sighed and shook her head, calmer but still determinant and poised, "I came here pursuing a dream, I reached my limit in this place, this is not who I am—the only way to go from here is up, take higher risks and hope for the best. I will leave my resignation at Human Resources first thing in the morning," she turned quickly and walked towards the elevator, "I will go clear my desk," she looked over her shoulder at Kunzite, "Care to help me, Kunzite?"

The more she looked at Minako the more he fell in love with her and her explosive personality. She had thousands of layers, each one more magnificent than the other and he was glad to see her bloom out of the shadows, like the Venusian Goddess he knew she was. That is the woman he met and fell in love with, one with many emotions right at the tip of her fingers and a heart full of love. This was probably the only time he has given his lover the most charming smile, he was happy and proud, finally, they had the chance to be together without barriers and their time to create a new chapter together finally was within their reach.

* * *

The Divinity Series is rated M, violence, cursing, and intimacy might happen.

I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters.

 _A/N: *(Please, my love, don't cry anymore. I'm here, I'm back...)_


	52. Chapter 52

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Fifty-Two

* * *

Usagi stretched slowly in the bed after taking what would easily be the longest and most healing nap she had taken in a very long time. She opened her eyes and quickly turned when past events started flashing in her mind, sending her into an unexpected turmoil of doubt and anxiety when thinking it had all probably been a dream. Her crystal blue eyes widened when she saw Mamoru sitting next to her reading a book while his fingers absently played with long pieces of her long silver hair in a soothing motion. It took Usagi a moment to finally realize she wasn't dreaming and bask in the emotion of seeing him awake and doing those little things she adored about him and that made her days feel complete. It didn't take long for Mamoru to notice his wife had woken up and smiled, "Hey," he said in a low tone, finally shaking the last of Usagi's worry off her.

Usagi's eyes widened and blinked the grogginess off her eyes, "Hi,"

"Did you sleep well? Do you feel better?" Mamoru turned to look at her with the same warm smile on his face making Usagi's cheeks feel flushed.

"Yes..." It was then when Usagi finally come to realize she could understand what he was saying, "Y-You can speak again!"

Mamoru chuckled and folded the corner of the page he was reading and closed his book, then addressed all of his attention to the beautiful woman by his side, "Well, to be fair, I never stopped talking," he turned to put the book on his nightstand and then back at her, "But I know what you mean—as ironic as it sounds, I did need to sleep to put my brain back in order."

Usagi smiled and sat next to her husband, placing her hands with care on each side of his handsome face she looked into his sapphire-blue eyes, "I have to admit that I will miss hearing you speak like that, I had made up my mind to learn how to speak in your mother tongue," she leaned her forehead on his and smiled, "But this will do." Mamoru smiled and closed his eyes, "Non- possum semper doceat vos,"

"Easy stuff," Usagi giggled, Mamoru let out a thick chuckle nodded "Alright, such as?"

"Like, I'm hungry or—" Usagi was taken by surprise by Mamoru's warm lips stealing a kiss from her, one she longed to have for so long but for some strange reason was too shy to ask. It only lasted a few seconds, but the emotion put into it was worth more than a thousand words, "Ego esuriit—" he mumbled softly as he looked at a dumbfounded Usagi still savoring the feeling of kissing her husband once again, "H-Huh?"

"I'm hungry—Ego esuriit,"

Usagi smiled, "Ego?" Mamoru nodded, "Esuriit... you drag the two vocals at the end,"

"Ego esuriit," the silver-haired princess imitated the phonetics on each word with glee, Mamoru smiled "Very good—what else?"

"I'm sleepy,"

"Ego sum somnolentus," Mamoru kissed her forehead, "Ego will always come attached to a verb or a noun whenever you are talking about yourself, ego means _'I'_."

"Interesting,"

"You think?"

"Yes,"

"Huh,"

Usagi leaned her back on the headboard and looked at him really immersed in the short and casual lesson maybe because it was something she had been wanted to learn ever since she met the prince, maybe because she felt incredibly attracted to him whenever she got to hear him speak that way because it was so rare and precious to her, or maybe because it was just the simple fact that he was there with her after what she could easily say have been the most horrible days of her life. "Was it too difficult for you to learn and master it?"

"Sort of, it is very baroque but it was something my parents—" Mamoru paused and looked down at her, realizing what she was trying to do, "Usa..."

"Do you prefer me calling you Endymion from now on?" Usagi's words had no hint of sadness or anger, instead, they were full of understanding and acceptance, but the curiosity mirrored in her eyes was clear enough to let him know he needed to give a much deeper and meaningful answer to her question. Mamoru tucked a piece of silver hair behind Usagi's ear with the most care and softly cupped her warm cheek, "You can call me however you like. I am the same person—one name won't make me any different or divert me from who I am or who I was born to be in this or any era." He caressed her cheek with his thumb, "Deep down, my dear Luna Bunny, we never stopped being us but, in my case, I had a hard time when I had to come to terms with it because I was disappointed to learn I was being kept in the dark for so long without knowing anything. I literally felt like I was split into two different persons and it was painful—I felt the strain inside me, ripping me apart." The prince took a deep breath and exhaled after a few seconds, "I was given this heavy reveal about my life and my family making me feel more like a monster instead of the Prince everybody expected me to be. This only caused my own doubts and frustration grow because I didn't know what to do and what everybody wanted from me—I couldn't deliver, I felt like a fraud, nothing made sense to me. I found myself lost and with no purpose and the shameful part of it all is that I forgot about it way before I was even reborn into this era and sadly, I dragged you into this whirlpool of madness without even realizing it." He combed her long hair with his fingers and looked at her with deep love swirling in the intensity of his royal blue eyes, "Yes, Endymion is my real name, it has a very deep meaning and attached to that name, comes a very long, long, _long_ title the world is neither ready to deal with or accept as a fact and that's okay. I know who I am and I accept it, _finally."_ He wrapped his free arm around Usagi's waist and pulled her closer to him, "All I want... all I really care is to have you in my life Usa. All I want is to make you happy and give you the life you deserve and that will never change with however you wish to call me."

Usagi looked at him and kissed him softly on the lips again, "I want to be your Serenitati, I want to be with you always," she leaned her head on his shoulder as she slowly wrapped an arm around his neck, Mamoru kissed her temple, "You have always been my Serenitati, you will always be."

"I was so scared... I think I have never felt so desperate... so impotent... it was so horrible to see you like that," she closed her eyes, "Every time I talked to you, it tormented me not knowing if you could hear me, if you felt any pain, if you were here... the uncertainty was driving me insane."

"I'm so sorry, love." Mamoru held her close, "I couldn't hear or feel anything—I wasn't really here," his hand absently started caressing her arm in an up and down motion, "The moment I was fighting with Asteria, I knew she was going after you but I knew I wasn't going to make it in time if I tried to stand on my own so I summoned for the crystal's power to protect you and while it did—which I am glad, it pulled me to another place where I needed to purge my frustrations and free myself from the torment I was telling you about in order to come back. All I wanted was to return to you but I needed to be ready first, I needed to return strong enough to protect you," he sighed softly and kissed her temple, "I am so sorry for all the mortification I have caused you,"

"You came back to me like you promised, that is all that matters to me now." Usagi sighed softly and pointed his covered leg, "There was so much blood everywhere, Ami-chan stayed up all night watching over you, I was so scared... Rei-chan even had to put a sedative on my tea to knock me out."

"Baby, I'm so sorry..." Mamoru sighed with shame and flinched softly when he tried to move his leg, he let out a heavy sigh when he came to notice the wound was much more serious than he initially thought, "I need to take a look at it and see the level of damage." He turned to his arm and pursed his lips with annoyance, "And this? Did she put the catheter too?" Usagi shook her head, "Furu-chan did it." Mamoru's eyes widened with surprise, "Motoki came?"

"Of course, he came! He is worried about you... actually, I should let him know you are awake." Usagi smiled when she remembered how even though everybody constantly reminded her he would wake up it was Motoki's brotherly approach what made her really hold on and be strong for both of them.

"I will call him tomorrow—I will need a pair of crutches to move around and I also need to justify my absence at work. It's been a while since I should have gone back to the hospital." With a deep frown, he moved his arm away from Usagi and turned to take the catheter off, "Wait, what are you doing?" Usagi frowned with worry.

"Taking this off—don't look," Mamoru warned his wife, knowing the mere act of taking a plastic tube and a needle from his vein was enough to make her feel uncomfortable and slowly ripped the tape keeping the thing secure and pulled the catheter off, "Could you bring me some alcohol and a cotton pad to clean the glue—actually, no, you know what? I need to take a shower."

"Mamo-chan, you just woke up," Usagi narrowed her eyes in annoyance, "Come on."

Mamoru sighed, "Usa, I haven't taken a shower in ten days, I feel disgusting and I need to shave... I probably look like a maniac with this stubble right now, plus, it itches... I don't like it."

"Huh..."

"What?"

Usagi scratched Mamoru's cheek and giggled, "I kinda do..." Mamoru pursed his lips to show his disgust, "You do?"

"It's kind of growing on me," Usagi smiled, "You look... like... mysterious or something,"

"Or something," Mamoru exhaled, "I like how you don't even have a word to describe what it looks like."

"I mean—if you kept it this long and give it a little maintenance..." Usagi chuckled and gave him two loving pats on his cheek "You could totally make it work."

"Hmm..." Mamoru sighed and scratched his cheek lightly, "It really itches... I _really_ want to shave it off,"

"It's almost night time, don't be silly—don't go back to your old weird habits, you can do that tomorrow." Usagi pouted her lips, making her husband crack a chuckle "Don't go back?" Mamoru arched his brow "When did I stop?" Usagi sighed tiredly, "I was hoping with your awakening you would be more, I don't know... carefree?"

"You want me to be carefree?" Mamoru bit his lower lip, trying to understand her request, "Is not taking a shower carefree enough to make you happy?" he looked down at his arm and sighed, "Could you please bring me a cotton pad soaked with alcohol so I can clean the sticky glue from the tape then?" Usagi nodded and went to grab the cotton and alcohol and sat next to him, she watched her husband wiping the glue off his arm and combed his hair back with her fingers, "I'll never get tired of telling you how much I missed you—I missed you so much."

Mamoru bent his arm to keep the cotton in place and looked at her while thinking he had postponed the topic for too long now; his prussian eyes narrowed when he saw what everybody had been trying to tell him; it took him a moment to bring the subject up hoping she would say more to explain that somber aura that followed her like a ghost, "Usa, why are you so pale?"

The blunt question shook Usagi and took her completely off guard. A minute had passed and she still felt frozen in her seat, then bit her lower lip and looked down, feeling completely helpless, "Isn't enough to say that I was worried sick for my husband?" She looked at him shyly and pointed a finger up, "And before you say anything, everyone stayed by my side on every step of the way, Zoisite even cooked dinner a couple of times—I was very surprised to find he is such a good cook,"

Mamoru nodded, "Yes, he's a good cook, I mean, no one is close on being as good as Mako-chan but... he's good," his free hand pinched her nose gently, "But that doesn't answer my question, my dear. I want _you_ to tell me what's going on,"

"I haven't been feeling my best lately, that's all," Usagi shook her head, still trying her best to sound casual, "The last thing on my mind was to eat, all I wanted to do was sleep but I couldn't do that either... so, this is the result of all my failed attempts." Mamoru frowned displeased, "You _stopped_ eating..."

"Yes. That's how much I love you," Usagi poked her finger on his chest, "And also because, in their quest of taking good care of me, Mako-chan tried to lure me by making oatmeal and—" she grimaced and shrugged her shoulders with disgust, "It's slimy and lumpy—eww..." The gesture made Mamoru chuckle, "Oatmeal is actually a good source—" Usagi rolled her eyes, "—Of fiber, antioxidants, and minerals, I know— _trust me_ , Ami-chan gave me a full lecture on the importance of eating oats," she sighed, "Furu-chan gave me a lecture too, he was starting to sound so much like you,"

"Hmm," Mamoru pursed his lips in thought and leaned his head back against the headboard, "You see, pancakes were the way to go," he looked at her and arched his brow, "That was going to do the trick," Usagi pouted her lips, "Nobody offered me pancakes Mamo-chan,"

"That is unacceptable,"

"Plus, you make _the best_ pancakes, not even Mako-chan can make pancakes as good and fluffy as yours,"

"Wow, that's a nice compliment..." Mamoru smiled, "Thank you,"

Usagi giggled, then noticed the sudden seriousness across her husband's face knowing for a fact that it was not what he wanted to hear and sighed softly, "All I cared about was you, I wanted you to come back to me, if you are alright then I will be alright." Mamoru looked at her for a minute in silence, really studying her gestures and the hesitance in her voice, "And now that I am here are you going to take care of yourself and eat?" Usagi nodded in reassurance, "Yes,"

Mamoru sighed, feeling a little defeated, "Okay good, because you do look very pale,"

"Mamo-chan, I am as pale as paper—my hair's silver-white for goodness sake," Usagi pulled a long strand of silky hair and huffed, "How paler can I get?"

"That's how alarming you look, dear." Mamoru narrowed his eyes, "It wouldn't be a bad idea if you went to the hospital and let Motoki or Ami-chan run some tests on you, you could have anemia and it could get worse."

"Okay, no, I see what you're doing. Don't go all doctor mode with me," Usagi shook her head but Mamoru tapped her forehead gently, "That's the thing Serenitati, I _am_ a doctor _and_ your husband, I can't help it if it's for your own good."

"Ah well..." Usagi blew her bangs dramatically and leaned her back on the headboard, "I should have considered marrying a pastry chef or—" she blinked a couple of times when she saw Mamoru's eyes darken a little and bit her lower lip trying to suppress her giggles."A what? What is the end of that sentence?" Mamoru's jealous tone made Usagi break into laughter, sparking his jealousy even more, "Hey, you just said I made the best pancakes! Doesn't that make a pastry chef?"

"Oh! Oh! You're right because to become a pastry chef that is _all_ you need to know!" Usagi said between laughs, "Okay, I can use a thermometer, so now I am a doctor!"

"Touché," Mamoru clicked his tongue and nodded, "Alright, fine—no more pancakes for you." Usagi's eyes widened twice in size as if she had been given the worst of sentences, "What? No!" she leaned down and wrapped her arms around his neck to move closer to him, "You can't do that to me!" Mamoru rolled his eyes and pursed his lips, ignoring completely the pleading look on her face, "Oh! Oh! I think I just did!"

"No! You know how much I love your pancakes!" Usagi shook her head and climbed on top of him, ignoring completely his injuries as she wrapped her legs around his waist and leaned her head close to his, "What can I do to make you change your mind?"

Mamoru looked into her eyes feeling completely helpless and drawn to her beauty and brushed his nose with hers, "Oh my dear, you already are," the low and warm tone of his voice sent chills all over Usagi making her fall completely under his charm and captured his lips in a more passionate kiss. She tangled her delicate fingers in his already messy hair and pulled it softly responding to the feeling of his arms wrapping protectively down her back, intensifying the kiss and their emotions. After several exchanges of lusty glances, loving words and soft moans, Usagi opened her eyes when the kiss slowly morphed from one full of desire and passion to one soft and romantic and saw Mamoru squinted his eyes a little, reminding her that he was still delicate from his injuries and pulled back wide-eyed, "Oh my god! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"W-What? Why?" Mamoru looked at her still a little bedazzled by his wife's unexpected rush of sensuality and frowned, Usagi turned to sit on the bed again but Mamoru tightened his arms around her, stopping her from moving away, "Wait, what are you doing?"

"I am hurting you! You still have injuries and bruises that need to heal," Usagi giggled, "You have to let me go!"

"I am never letting you go, my darling Serenitati," Mamoru pulled her closer, "I've been away from you for too long... whatever injuries I have are no match for my desire for you."

Usagi blushed and leaned her forehead on his, "How would you say that in Latin?" Mamoru rubbed his nose on hers again, "Ego vehementer te, amica mea Serenitati, fuit a diu ... ego enim est quod non iniuriae et quomodo potestis resistere ante est quia desiderio tibi."

"Ego vehementer te, amica mea Endymion,"

"Good," Mamoru chuckled more lightly, "You're getting better." Usagi brushed the tips of her fingers on his raspy stubble "Endymion,"

Mamoru arched a brow at her choice of name, feeling this conversation was taking a much serious turn, "Yes?"

"Would you like it..." Usagi tilted her head and bit her lower lip showing some nervousness, "If we had a baby..."

Mamoru widened his eyes and blinked at the sudden topic, "A baby?" Usagi nodded and looked at her husband while her fingers loosely traced the bandages around his chest and leaned her head on his chest, showing a more nervous stance this time, "Yes... a baby."

"I would love it,"

"Really?"

"Yes,"

"Oh," Usagi bit her lower lip, "And... would you like that baby to learn to speak your mother tongue?"

"Usa?" Mamoru tilted his head, showing both shock and curiosity but his wife quickly jerked her head up to look at him, "It's just a random question," she sighed softly and shook her head slowly, "I'm not... you know..."

"Oh," Mamoru's simple response was enough for Usagi to feel less troubled and rested her head on his shoulder and took a deep breath, "It's just that I think Latin is so beautiful despite being baroque. I think it would be something very precious to inherit and something very valuable to preserve."

"I see..."

"I read on a magazine Minako-chan left while she stayed here, that a couple can end their relationship when they don't share a same religion or belief because they can't decide which customs are good to inherit their babies—so it left me thinking on what our case would be because we have different backgrounds. Your education was different from mine, so were your traditions and culture." Usagi's fingers traced a random pattern across her husband's chest, "Would you like our baby to follow yours or would you prefer if it followed mine?"

"Okay..." Mamoru took a deep breath and exhaled, feeling a little confused, "Is Minako pregnant?"

"No,"

"Is _somebody_ pregnant?"

"No," Usagi chuckled but soon after her eyes opened, the question really sinking in, "I don't think anyone is, why?"

"I am just surprised by such dense article, that's all. What kind of magazine was that?" Mamoru looked at her a little startled, Usagi shook her head "Oh—that, no." She chuckled, "It came in one of the gossip and fashion magazines we like to read. A famous couple has broken up because of those reasons, that's why there was a whole article about it and for some reason, it got stuck in my mind,"

"What couple?"

"Yeah, sure," The question made Usagi laugh louder, "Mamo-chan, don't try to pretend and justify your boring hobbies,"

"What?"

"You have absolutely no clue about any of this... you won't know who I am talking about,"

"You might be surprised," Mamoru muttered, "When there's nothing else for me to read, I flip through the pages of your magazines," he heard Usagi muffled giggles in his chest, "You have like a ton of books to read,"

"So?"

"This isn't your cup of tea,"

"Try me,"

"Alright, let's put your pop culture knowledge to the test."

"Bring it, Princess."

Usagi arched her brow, "Kiki and Tao have broken up because Tao is a Buddhist and Kiki is Catholic; they had this super intense and quick relationship and got married and had a baby like a month ago. _She_ wanted to baptize the baby but _he_ doesn't believe in that, so in consequence, they ended up having an endless list of nasty arguments that finally led to a very nasty divorce."

"Well, isn't she a charm..." Mamoru muttered with sarcasm, "I think that goes deeper than just a difference in their belief system. This whole drama must be because the baby might not even be his in the first place," he frowned, "Wasn't this Kiki person dating a guy from a boy band or something and then went back to this guy Tao when the other guy broke up with her, like, a month ago?" the question made Usagi flip her head with shock up and look at him wide-eyed, Mamoru flashed her a toothy grin and winked his eye at her, "Ah, see? I told you,"

"Oh my god!" Usagi started laughing, "You're such a gossip!"

"Yeah well... " Mamoru blushed and pursed his lips, "You leave your magazines everywhere and I like to read so..."

"I can't believe it,"

"I am full of surprises,"

"You are, for sure," Usagi narrowed her playful eyes, "But you still haven't answered my question,"

"Well that's a tricky question, my dear," Mamoru sighed softly, "I think the best we could do is to give that child the best of our worlds and culture, although, if you think about it... that baby already would have the best of us, given the fact it would be born from an act of love. But if you want our child to learn Latin, we can make that happen."

"Really?"

"Of course,"

"I like that idea," Usagi felt her eyes burn with unshed tears and gave her husband a warm smile, "That is so sweet of you to say. The best of our worlds... the best of us..." she nodded, "That's true. That sounds lovely _and_ fair."

"Do you know what else would be fair?"

"What?"

Mamoru pulled himself up on the bed and sighed, "You, letting me go take a shower." Usagi frowned and groaned as she rolled her way out of bed, "Why are you sooo stubborn!? Aren't you supposed to wait for your wounds to heal?"

"And bask in my own grime? —No," he looked up at Usagi and grimaced as he slowly tried to sit on the edge of the bed but failed in his attempts, "I also want to see the stitches on my leg and look how deep the wound is..."

"Masochist." Usagi crossed her arms, making Mamoru laugh, "They could get infected if I don't keep them clean," he pouted his lips at her, "Please, Bunny-chan, would you help me?"

"You're so adorable... I can't even..." Usagi slowly pulled his arms until he was able to sit and sighed, "How are you even going to get to the bathroom? Also, we need to put something in the shower for you to sit or lean on or maybe you could sit in the tub?" Her brows knitted together when she saw her always too independent husband trying to lean down and undo the bandages on his leg between grunts and winces and she couldn't help the strange feeling of seeing him so limited and dependent of others; "Ugh, really, Endymion?" Usagi slapped his hand away and kneeled in front of him and took off the small metal clamps that were keeping the gauze wrapped in place. "Stop trying to do everything yourself! Let me help you!"

"Usa—it might too graphic for you to see it," Mamoru looked at her with astonishment since she was always one too sensitive whenever blood was involved. Usagi started to roll the gauze just the way he taught her once and sighed, "I've already seen it... when Ni-san checked your wounds—and yes, it's ugly," she looked down and continued un-wrapping his mid-leg all the way down to his ankle and shook her head, "It still surprises me to think a chain could make such deep wounds..."

"Those damn chains had spikes, that's why..." Mamoru's eyes darkened, "I already have an idea of how this is going to look like, I felt them tearing my skin every time she tightened and rolled those damn things around me." Usagi bit her lower lip trying to hold her own shock at bay and thinking how it didn't matter how many times she had seen the wound, it was just like Mamoru just said it was—too graphic. She looked at Mamoru's serious face studying the bruising, the swelling, and the coagulated blood peeping through the stitches along the scrapes that had started to heal. He could understand why there was so much blood, five long deep cuts marked rounded his leg from his ankle and all the way up to his knee; he could see where the spikes had punctured and ripped his skin but he was glad it didn't affect any nerves or mobility, despite being a deep wound.

"This is my fault, I let her do this to you..." Mamoru heard Usagi's quivering voice and looked at her in the verge of tears, "Usa... no, don't say that,"

"Athamas was right," Usagi shook her head, "I have been idealistic with my pursuit of being a soldier... with my silly dream to become a fighter..."

"Usa,"

"I should have done something else... I should have—"

"Serenity,"

Usagi looked up at him and let her tears roll down her cheeks, Mamoru frowned, "Don't _ever_ say that again." He leaned forward and grabbed her hands to pull her closer to him and looked down at her with the most serious stare and shook his head, "Don't say that to me ever again. Don't believe whatever he said to you, don't give that bastard the benefit of seeing you mortified, do you hear me Serenity? _Ever_." His eyes darkened, "What the Andromedian wants is to keep his manipulating power over you. You have come a long way and you are not a damsel in distress—you're a fighter and a very strong one. His power may be different from yours but that doesn't mean he is stronger, and he knows it, that's why he uses his manipulative skills to get to you," Mamoru looked at her angrily, "He is a leech that feeds from our worries and frustrations but he is coward enough to bring a Titan with him to do what he can't do by himself."

"Titan?" Usagi's eyes widened with shock, Mamoru sighed and combed his hair back with his fingers, trying to tame away the messy strands and get rid of his annoyance as he nodded, "Asteria, the woman we fought—she is not a Goddess, she is a Titan."

"B-But... Titans are a myth, that is at least what I was being taught," Usagi blinked, "I know what happened to them... the war..."

"Titans are not a myth my dear, there are still some around," Mamoru put his wounded leg down and tried to put some of his weight to measure how much pressure he could handle. "That is why she is so strong and has that kind of power," he looked at her with slight urgency, "Do you still have the pendant with you?" Usagi nodded and pulled the long golden chain and crystal pendant from under her cream-colored angora sweater dress, Mamoru sighed with relief, "Keep it close to you always, please."

"Mamo-chan..." Usagi sat next to him on the bed and looked at the teardrop-shaped crystal resting in her hand, "I know you have control over it because I've seen it... and even back when we fought Nehellenia I know I broke some sort of seal, but I never saw it again until that day... that power..." she turned to him, "Mamo-chan, is this the Golden Crystal or a part of it?"

"No, my love—it's not," Mamoru shook his head, "It's power used to be inside that golden stone; that is why mother used to wear it all the time when she was a deity," his hand touched the pendant and let it hang freely again, "That is not the crystal but somehow reacts to it, in a way, both stones can be linked. That is why neither the Andromedian or Asteria could get closer to you."

"Mamo-chan... why do—" Usagi was interrupted by a soft knock, "Yes?" both royals turned to see Megumi opening the door, "Your Highness, the Shitennou are back and asking—" her eyes widened with surprise, "Prince!" she turned to Usagi who in response just waved her head with resignation, "Yes Megumi, I know what you are going to say, but he's being incredibly stubborn and wants to take a shower,"

"Usa, I stink..." Mamoru sighed with defeat and looked at the maiden by the door, "Megumi, you were saying?"

"She was trying to tell you I was here," Kunzite stood next to the young maid and quirked his brow, "I came to check up on you but I can see you have finally managed to move on your own," he turned to Usagi, "Allow me to assist him, Princess Serenity." Usagi blinked and turned to Mamoru who was nodding in agreement, "I'll be alright—I'm too heavy for you, either way, love,"

"Heavy? You are a damn rock..." Kunzite muttered and went to help the prince sit straight in the bed; Usagi smiled but she still felt hesitant to leave him alone, admitting to herself that over the last days she had developed a new kind of anxiety if she left him alone for more than five minutes in fear of losing him again. Kunzite noticed the drastic change in the princess' demeanor being him a sole witness to her suffering and desperation as she told him things like how Mamoru would always wait for her to eat together no matter the hour, like a tradition. "I will make sure he's ready for dinner, Princess," he added, giving her more reassurance that he had things under control.

"I could use some help in the kitchen, Your Highness," Megumi said, joining Kunzite's cause but both Usagi and Mamoru snorted with laughter right after, startling the young maid, "What? What did I say?" Kunzite frowned and turned to the prince who was wiping a tear from the corner of his eye, "Just keep her away from any knives, Megumi, that's all..."

"It was the tip of a carrot!" Usagi turned to her husband with hot red cheeks and turned to Megumi, "I promise it was the tip of a carrot—honest mistake."

Mamoru tilted his head back in laughter and shook his head, making Usagi bite her cheek and frown, "Yeah, yeah, you keep laughing... in the end, it's you who's going to eat whatever I make." This was enough for the prince to halt and turned to look at her but before he could say anything else, Usagi turns to Megumi with a sweet smile on her face, "I'll go with you and see where I can be of help..." she later sighed with defeat, "But yeah... I think it will be best if you keep me away from any knives..."

Megumi blinks at the sudden change in the princess' character and looked at Mamoru who was nodding in reassurance, almost as if he was telling her he needed a moment with Kunzite in private. The maid turns to Usagi who was kissing her husband on his temple and walked out of the bedroom in silence and turned and closed the door behind her, leaving the general and prince alone.

"Is she _that_ bad?" Kunzite quirked a brow with wonder as he turns to see Mamoru fidgeting in the bed, "She's not _that_ bad but she gets distracted easily which in the kitchen is something one must never do when maneuvering a knife or being closer to fire," the prince frowned and found it strange to see his right-hand and friend would be there alone, "Where are the others?"

Kunzite pulled a chair to sit in front of his prince and exhaled, "Nephrite stayed home meditating, he is preparing himself to read the stars. Jadeite is at the temple with Mars to see if there is any valuable information she can find in the sacred fire. Zoisite and Mercury are on their way here—I am all you have for now, sorry."

"I'm sorry too." Mamoru arched his brow, "Where's Venus?"

"She went home to see the Mauian advisors then she would come over here to see Princess Serenity,"

Mamoru nods and takes a deep breath, "Serenity told me all of you have been on every step of the way, especially you. I have no words to express my gratitude, Kunzite, it truly means a lot to me. Thank you."

"You gave me an order as my Prince and I had to deliver. Glad to be of help." Kunzite gave his friend a soft smile, "But it was more than looking after a Princess, it was more about giving emotional support to a friend—a sister. It is not too difficult to fall under her charm, she is indeed a jewel." The general sighs and leans his back in the chair more casually, "She won my admiration and respect long ago but what I have witnessed over the past few days is truly remarkable... now I see why you have been head over heels for her for over two thousand years,"

"She is stronger than everybody thinks she is," Mamoru smiles with gratitude at his brother's comment, "Stronger than she actually believes she is,"

"I can easily say the same thing applies to you too," Kunzite crossed his arms with wonder, "I can sense a much clearer aura around you—stronger, you might say. It is like I am actually seeing a much wiser—much more centered and stronger version of the Prince I met and learned to respect many years ago. It truly is like if I am witnessing who you would have become if we had actually won that war and you had followed your father's steps and became King." his gray eyes narrowed, "I have to ask because I know there is more to this awakening... Endymion, what happened to you?"

Mamoru leaned forward and rests his arms on his knees despite the uncomfortable pain from the bruises around his waist and back but he felt the need to stretch his muscles from all his time being in the same position for so many days. He sighs and shakes his head when remembering all the turmoil he had gone through in order to be back in the era he felt he belonged. He couldn't lie to him, Kunzite, his friend, and right hand. If there was someone who could understand what happened to him it was the man with silver hair sitting in front of him glancing at him with those intense grey eyes. "Purgatorio, Kunzite—that is what happened to me,"

Kunzite's brows knitted together, "Purgatorio?" The word felt somewhat foreign to him, he knew what it meant, he knew what it was to be there but to believe the prince actually experienced it was something unexpected. "But... Purgatorio is a place for lost souls,"

"Yes,"

"But you did not die like we did,"

"No, I did not."

"So, why were you there?"

"I almost died," Mamoru looked up at him with all seriousness, "That night, I called for the power of the Golden Crystal—the power I selfishly thought I had and tried to protect Serenity from Asteria's attack. And while it did react and granted my wish, it also brought consequences and separated my soul from my body and sent it to a dimension I was not able to escape from until I became strong enough and by strength, I don't necessarily mean physical strength. It was painful, excruciating—cathartic. Ten days in this reality is nothing compared to how I felt in that place." A single chuckle was the only thing that could come out of Mamoru to try and lift the heavy turn their conversation was taking, "There were too many things happening to me all at once, Kunzite. Unlike you, I was swallowing my anger and frustrations and I wasn't allowing myself to be freed from such heavy chains. When I joined the army, I had a clear view of what I wanted and where I wanted to go from there—I had a goal. But then the war with Silas happened, and that steered my focus to a very different direction. By the time I realized it was not the idea I had in my mind, it was already too late to go back, so I continued going down that dark path, regardless of the consequences."

"But you did become the soldier you wanted to be, you achieved many things in battle, in your training, and became a strategist and advisor to the King, in a way, you put your royal title aside and served your people and King as Elysion's Army Commander."

"Did I really?" Mamoru gives Kunzite a weak glance, one that was loaded with disinterest. Kunzite nods with certainty, but the prince shook his head, "No, I don't think so. I still was an heir to a crown—I still am and I never really made peace with that."

"Endymion?"

"I had no desire to be King back then," Mamoru looks at Kunzite with an unfaltering glare, "And to be honest with you, I do not pay mind if this era accepts me or not as one after all this is over—I erased our existence from people's minds. To all terrans, Elysion never existed—Earth's Monarchy is just a myth so, whatever path this battle leads us to follow after it ends, I am alright with it—my duty to serve and protect this planet will remain the same, with or without a title."

"You became the best soldier that ever was, the first Crowned Prince to ever serve a King as a political advisor and strategist and become a leader in battle."

"Yes, I did, but at the expense of my own sanity." Mamoru sighed, "Before I met you, I had gone through a very strict and very demanding education aimed to protect something I didn't know I had or know it even existed. I did too much soul searching, praying, and deconstruction of ego." Mamoru's lips curved into a sad smile, one full of pity for his old self, "Before having one thing, I had to be fully prepared mentally to deal with another—I had to grow nerves of steel and never lose my ground while on my search to achieve a goal but when it all went to waste when I took a life for the very first time, it hit me, it destroyed me. To see my hands tainted with someone else's blood, those same hands I used to pray... at that moment, I forgot about it all and to get over it I had to numb that side of me and shut all of my emotions. Being spiritual wasn't working for me anymore, meditating was not helping the nightmares that followed me for years... all that praying and humbleness, in the end, it did nothing. So instead, I chose to put that education aside and decided to take matters into my own hands and went straight for a quest for control and power in order to preserve my honor as a prince because it was easier for me but it caused a chain reaction. I nurtured a need to kill whoever threatened my Kingdom to an alarming level that I didn't want justice anymore, I just wanted to annihilate them because they were in my way. Call it revenge, call it caprice—I don't know, I knew I was not bad person, I didn't do it to cause pain or fear, I was fighting for a good cause but somehow it didn't feel like I was doing any of that _good_ I preached or believed so much in. I didn't feel at peace and the more time it passed, the more overwhelmed and troubled I felt." Mamoru looked at his friend with deep sincerity and humbleness, "Serenity was the only person who could keep me grounded... the only person who saw beyond all those layers of anger and guilt and didn't see what I was seeing. The only one who told me the truth and confronted me with unbreakable courage. I felt normal around her... I felt at peace." The prince smiled, "That is how our friendship came to be, we had so many things in common and we felt heard and understood. We shared the similarities of living under a certain image and having to comply to a Monarch's protocol. We supported each other, we listened to each other and well... one thing led to another we came to a point it was impossible for us to be apart. We couldn't stop seeing each other, we just couldn't. We were aware that what we were doing wasn't accepted, that it broke all laws of nature but we were already too in love to even care. Up to this day, I am certain that if it wasn't for her... I would have been condemned and devoured by my own demons a long time ago."

Kunzite looks at the prince with surprise by the unexpected rush of honesty from him, aware that this was the first time he ever spoke of what was really going through him during that time. The prince had a point and Kunzite agreed, Prince Endymion was a force to be reckoned with, he was stubborn and sometimes awfully cold and distant, despite trying his best to be approachable. During their military training, Kunzite caught that change in the prince, he noticed the boy with his heart on his sleeve was slowly becoming more silent and stern. War changes everything, even the hardest shells can be tainted and broken with the violence that comes attached to something like they experienced. It was raw and it was something no ordinary fifteen-year-old man should go through without enough experience in battle. Taking a life is never easy, so it is making decisions for others when they are down, Endymion had to do it and he had to learn it along the way. In the end, sure, it made him a superb warrior with keen abilities to crack the strongest of defenses from an enemy and a sharp intuition that made him the best strategist in the army. His titles and honor medals were earned fair and square, he escalated his way through all ranks until he reached the top but just like he just said, Kunzite wondered up until now, at what cost?

The princes' words made perfect sense to the general after they returned to Elysion it was like Endymion said, he shut himself from everyone and became this stoic, often cold and distant man. One with authority and an implacable desire to do things right. A damn perfectionist.

His life as royal often stood in his way, his title and the heavy burden of being the heir of a crown he desperately wanted to ignore and put aside. He never really cared for the throne, not in the way everyone expected him to be, he just wanted to do things the way he thought were supposed to be—right. He hated being glamorized, he hated being the center of attention for the wrong reasons and it often happened in the palace and every time he had to make an appearance for an event planned by the mother queen. His was losing the battle and all control over his life and for a man who trained restlessly to be a fighter, it was demoralizing.

Kunzite understood what it was like to dispose of your ego to achieve greater things. He was aware that if he didn't put his own grudges aside, he would probably have been left aside and other soldiers would have been given the position of shitennou, despite him being chosen by the queen herself and the stone he gave to his mother so many years ago. He knew what it was like to go through a catharsis and he also knew what it was like to come out alive, feeling renewed, Venus played a great role in it. But the more he listened to the prince talk, the more he saw another side of him he never showed to anyone—not even him, making him think this was what made his relationship with the princess so deep and meaningful all those years back. Beyond the obvious beauty surrounding both of them and away from everything and everyone, leaving everything that made them be a prince and a princess until they were just a man and a woman in love, they loved to be normal in each other's eyes, and that sense of being able to do things others did so normally and without being observed made them incredibly happy.

It wasn't an infatuation.

It wasn't a caprice.

It was love.

All those secret escapades and meetings, they crafted this beautiful bond that selfishly enough, didn't share with the rest of the world and have nurtured with passion and loyalty up to this very day. It was truly meaningful to see that love they so passionately kept safe for themselves and he couldn't be any more grateful for their trust. Kunzite sighed, still a little overwhelmed with emotion, "Endymion, why did you never tell me any of this? I would have helped you... at least to vent what you had rotting inside you," the general frowned and shook his head, "To be honest, at first I thought your love for the Goddess Princess was pure infatuation or caprice... since you never really explained how you two met."

Mamoru looked at his friend and arched his brow, "I thought I did..."

"You have never been the talkative type," Kunzite leaned back more casually on his seat and crossed his leg, losing all formality that was left between them, "All this is new to me, but, I find it very surprising _and_ refreshing."

"Hmm... speaking of emotions..." Mamoru sat straight between grimaces and squints and looked at his friend, "How are things going between you and Venus?"

Kunzite arched his brow, "You really want to know?"

"Why shouldn't I?" Mamoru frowned, "Both of you are close friends of mine."

"Of all people, you, speaking of emotions," Kunzite narrowed his grey eyes, "You sure have changed,"

"Don't get too excited," Mamoru let out a puff of air, "Well?"

Kunzite took a deep breath, "Back then, every time you got upset because you could not see Princess Serenity, or the way you described your feelings for her to me was more like you were blinded by her divinity—to me, it made no sense but then I met Venus and realized a woman can really push you to the very edge and make you feel all these emotions you do not even know existed in you. Maybe this is why I can finally understand your romance with Princess Serenity,"

"My, my, have I opened Pandora's box?" Mamoru chuckled, Kunzite frowned, "What?"

"The always serious and almighty General Kunzite has fallen in love and with the embodiment of love itself." Mamoru ran his hand through his dark hair and smiled with complicity, "Well, now you can understand what it is like to give everything for that special someone without any second thoughts. I suppose the same applies to the other guys too."

"Except for Jadeite," Kunzite shook his head, "He admitted that his romance with Mars is not going to happen but, he has taken it with much maturity, something none of us would expect from him."

"Jadeite can be very serious when he needs to be, don't be so hard on him. Not for nothing he's a Shitennou." Mamoru gave his friend a serious look, making the general be clearer with his words. "You must agree with me when I say his approach to women has always been—"

"—Yes, yes. I know." Mamoru closed his eyes and waved his hand and sighed. Kunzite nodded, but his face immediately went back to his stoic stance showing concern and reclaiming his role as advisor and shitennou, "What is going to happen now, Endymion? I know there is more to your return, I can feel it."

"I don't know with certainty, Kunzite," Mamoru let out a long puff of air, "But this is far from being over; Asteria will return. A Titan does not give up so easily and once their pride is hurt, they grow rage inside them."

"Titan?" Kunzite's eyes widened, "Wait, do Titans still exist among Gods?" Mamoru nodded, "Yes and few of their descendants are still scattered across the universe and in nooks where no one would expect to find them." To this reference, Kunzite did not need more to understand what his prince was talking about, "Y-You?" his voice was charged with surprise and disbelief, " _You_ are a Titan?" his gray eyes widened two times their size when saw Mamoru giving him a simple nod, "I am the descendant of one, Helios, Titan of the Sun—hence why Gaia was the protector of this planet in ancient times."

The first in command of the shitennou ran a shaky hand through his hair, pulling it back and let out a heavy and loud exhale, "So, all this time we thought you were a demigod you were in fact from a different species?"

"Oi," Mamoru sweatdropped, "When you say _species_ , you are making it sound like I am a piece of meat on display, but if that helps you get an idea of who I am, then yes, I am a different species."

"That is why you fought and challenged Asteria—you two share a similar line of strength... Endymion, this is..."

"—Asteria wants the Golden Crystal for reasons I only assume are to get more power and the Andromedian made a pact with her in order to get close to Serenity. Whether Chaos is involved in this or not, I think that is superfluous at this point; Serenity is a target Kunzite, Asteria wants her at any cost to get at me for the crystal."

Kunzite pinched his lips between his fingers like he did every time he was deep in thought; his mind went straight back to the moment when they returned from war and were called by the terran queen to a secret meeting. It all made sense now, why queen Gaia was so hermetic about her life and her past. Just like he said to the senshi, there was more to the royal family but what they did know were only fragments of stories they heard from other people and what the queen was open enough to share with them. Now that he knew that the power within the terran prince was as ancient as divinity itself it changed things, it changed their course on how to fight against the enemy, "Where is the crystal?"

"It's safe," Mamoru crossed his arms, "I am its guardian and part of that trip to Purgatorio was to learn how to understand it, accept it, and how to fully master its power."

"So that makes you a target too,"

"We all are targets. After what happened they will come back with much more aggressive tactics. Asteria will not let this go," Mamoru shook his head, "I do not share similar powers to them—I may be linked to Titans but I am still human, I am a mortal but I have ways of fighting and that gives me an advantage and gives me a place in the line of battle."

"You cannot be serious about it, _just_ a mortal?" The general cracks an incredulous chuckle, "No, no, you cannot continue believing that." Mamoru narrowed his eyes and looked away, exhaling heavily, "My father is a mortal man, Kunzite. Therefore, I am a hybrid... like they so much like to call me these days." He turned to Kunzite with a darker shade of blue in his eyes, "There is something else I need to tell you, but I want to keep this between us, at least for now,"

"Of course, you know you can count on me," Kunzite nodded and leaned closer, "What is it?"

"My father is in hell."

Kunzite widened his grey eyes with shock, "W-What?!" Mamoru nodded, "When I was in Purgatorio—Ares showed up and gave me this piece of information. I cannot tell you more because that is all I know but, the King is in Tartarus paying like the lowest of beings for a crime he didn't even commit. My mother was murdered, my whole family was murdered—which is why I can't sit around and let this continue. This has to stop, I cannot allow the same tragedy that happened two thousand years ago stretch all the way to this era."

"B-But..." Kunzite shook his head, "Endymion..."

Mamoru sighed, releasing his frustration, "That is the extent of their hatred towards us—my family, and the dynasty I was born in," he shook his head, "At this point, I would not be surprised if Asteria had to do with it but this is so you can understand the gravity of the situation."

"And what is to do now? What is the next course of action?"

Mamoru's eyes changed again to a more sapphire shade, showing his determination and authority, "This problem needs to be cut from its root and if I need to go to hell itself to do so, so be it. I don't know how just yet... but... it's something I need to figure out." His voice fell to a deadlier tone taking Kunzite by surprise. Being the closest to Prince Endymion as advisor, guardian, and friend, he has had the chance to see every phase and mood of his complex spectrum. He has seen him vulnerable and close to having a nervous breakdown, something, not even the other shitennou had despite all being close to him as well. Endymion became to Kunzite the brother he never had and the same happened with the prince taking their level of confidence and loyalty up to admirable standards. The general knows his prince well, but since he woke up like he said, he has seen a different side of him that not even in his stronger stance as prince back then was close enough to match what he was witnessing now.

"That is a risky move, Endymion, and we don't know if the King is—"

"He is alive, Kunzite, I know it—I can feel it,"

"H-How...?" Kunzite narrowed his eyes, "And what about Princess Serenity? Wait, you are not seriously thinking of leaving her alone again—"

"No, of course not. I need to think things thoroughly and I will need her help," Mamoru took a deep breath and shook his head, "But she needs time..."

"What do you mean?"

Mamoru ignored the look in his friend's eyes and looked down while he stretched his wounded leg and pursed his lips, "If I wanted to, I could heal this leg and be done with it by now but that would make me borrow power from the crystal and it would only cause more commotion than there already is. I need to regain my strength... I'm still weak from my cathartic trip from Purgatorio, if I used its energy again in a reckless manner, I don't know what other tricks it might pull and I don't have the time to figure it out."

"I see," Kunzite nodded, "Well, we certainly do not have the time and it would break Princess Serenity's heart for sure. She was close to having a mental breakdown..." Mamoru sighed, "Kunzite—"

Kunzite arched his brow, "You did not just meditate in Purgatorio... am I right?" Mamoru nodded "Ares recruited me for the Celestial Army of Polemarchos."

"W-What?" Kunzite's eyes widened, "Endymion..."

"The training and studies I received when I was a child were all planned. Both, Obelix and my mother were preparing me for it, now I know. As God of War, Ares is the Commander of the that Army—"

"The famous league of Polemarchos... we all know the story," Kunzite nodded with admiration, "So, this means..."

"It means that if there is an outbreak and war is brought upon I must lend my power and abilities like a Polemarchos and serve his army."

"But if that happens... you will not be here."

"Asteria is causing trouble all over, so I am basically waiting for Ares to call for me to go but Serenity will not be allowed to come with me since she is part of another jurisdiction. She is a Sailor Senshi."

"We cannot go either," Kunzite frowned, Mamoru shook his head, "No, but if that time comes and I must leave—you as first in command will take my place and lead Jadeite, Zoisite, and Nephrite with the best strategy possible to keep Earth safe from whatever we will be fighting up there..." Mamoru looked down and tapped his foot on the hardwood floor, "Or, down there... I don't know where each is at anymore," he sighed, "We will think of something and work from there,"

"Her Highness will want to follow you at _any_ cost." Kunzite frowned, "She will not accept it—you, leaving her again."

"I will talk to her, there is more we need to put back on the table," Mamoru sighed softly, "I just need to find the right time to do it. This is new information and it is too much to process. I know her first reaction will be one of anger—then sadness will follow, and right now, she does not look her best." Kunzite nodded, "I agree with you, she stopped eating and spent most of the time sleeping but—"

"—I know, and Serenity defended you the most. I know you never left her alone and for that, you have my eternal gratitude. But she looks weak, as a doctor I dare to say she has developed a type of anemia due her lack of nutrition—among other things—but she hates it when I examine her so the next best thing for me to do and handle this situation is by bringing a little sense of normality back into her life. She has put it simply, if I am alright—she is alright so..."

"Normality that soon enough they will come and take away once they appear with a better plan to attack again." Kunzite frowned. Mamoru bit his lower lip, "As cruel as it sounds—yes. But like I said, Serenity is stronger than everybody thinks she is and she is still recovering from this unexpected event. I need to pull her back on her feet and prepare her for what's next—she's one of a kind and she's fierce, but she needs to recover and as her husband, I need to help her. Before all this happened, she asked me to train her for battle." The comment left Kunzite really impressed, "Now _that_ is something I was not expecting," Mamoru nodded, "I am telling you—she's strong and once something catches her attention, she'll do anything to accomplish it, what better example you want? She was a Princess who made the decision to never be a damsel in distress again and carved her way to becoming the legend she is now. The Andromedian clearly can't process the facts but even if he gets to meet her alone, he'll get the surprise of a lifetime."

"You served as an example to her and have inspired her to be a soldier despite its consequences. You are right, she is no one you must take lightly." Kunzite stood up and walked over to the bed, "And as I promised, I must help you be ready for dinner so, come on—hold onto me," Mamoru smiled in gratitude and pulled himself up from the bed and looked at his friend's frown, "What?"

"Just so we are clear..." Kunzite arched his brow, "I am not going to bathe you like a little child, alright?" the comment broke Mamoru's seriousness, bringing their camaraderie back between them, "Not in a million years,"

"Good," Kunzite muttered as he served as a crutch so Mamoru could make his way to the bathroom.

O—o—o—o—O

A loud growl of anger echoed in every nook of his dark hideout, Athamas paced back and forth as he put his thoughts and recent events in order in his now twisted mind. The more time it passed, the more confused he felt, being anger the only thing that made him feel in touch with reality. Up to this moment, his existence has been a big blur—manipulated. The more he tried to tie the knots, the more he lost track of when exactly he stopped being himself and acted out of his own consciousness. He looked around with almost disdain at what his life and belongings have reduced to be, from his glory days as commander to just being an Adromedian exiled from his home galaxy.

After the fall of the Silver Millennium and the moon queen's death, Athamas returned to Andromeda to seek for help in order to regain his lost glory as one of the remarkable soldiers from their army and return to avenge both his failure and the death of the princess he became so obsessed with. Much to his surprise, once returned, the monarchs from Andromeda had already given an order to capture him the minute he stepped foot on his land and was taken prisoner when there was a sudden change of plans that changed the course of his life forever.

-O-

 _"The Commander of the Lunarian Army, Athamas of the House of Bellenevue has arrived." The royal guard stepped aside and allowed the other two custodians walk with the general to the center of the throne court until he met the faces of the Monarchs of Andromeda—King Arago and Queen Cassiopeia who were already waiting for him on their majestic throne pedestals._

 _Athamas was forced to kneel before he could come up with the gesture himself and hung his head low until he was told otherwise. "Athamas of Bellenevue," the Andromedian Queen was the first to speak, "Lift your head up so I can see your face," her voice was low and demanding as she continued, "We have been informed of the tragedy that has fallen upon the Kingdom of the Moon, the Alliance, and Queen Serenity—"_

 _"Your Excellency—"_

 _"Silence—I have not yet finished talking!" The beautiful queen with pale skin and golden hair raised her voice, "It baffles me, why is that you are here when all of this happened under your watch and service?" She turned to her husband with a face of disbelief, "How cynical."_

 _Athamas tightened his lips together, "Your Excellency, the attack on the Moon Kingdom was coming from forbidden lands—I am here as a rightful Andromedian asking for shelter and the aid to fight against them."_

 _The king narrowed his deep red eyes, "Shelter? Aid? Do you have any idea what you just caused us? We had a place in the Silver Millennium's Alliance—the treaty was done, one that was created because our previous Commander crafted a bond with the Lunar Queen. You destroyed that bond that tied us to Olympus and caused great damage to our treaties and now you come here seeking for military aid to continue your destructive plans while asking for shelter as a rightful Andromedian? Absolutely not."_

 _"I served Her Majesty as expected—"_

 _"—We have also been informed of the liberties you took in your position as Commander of the Lunarian Army, God Ares himself sent us the report of your deeds. You have been a poisoned creature since the beginning." The King glared with anger at Athamas, "Of course, due to your questionable origins,"_

 _"Your Majesty?" Athamas widened his eyes and looked at both royals with trembling eyes. The King waved his hand to motion one of the guards approach him with a long scroll, "You come from a home surrounded by disgrace and poverty—while the House of Bellenevue is a respected name, your descendance is not. You are the illegitimate offspring between Castor Belleneuve and a commoner—and once born, you were raised as such. Your name is what opened an opportunity to escalate and earn you a position in the Andromedian Army where you used your impressive manipulative skills to earn the rank of General and therefore, a position in the Lunar Army." The King shifted his eyes from the scroll in his hands to the man kneeling in front of him, "You had the skills, but you worked your way to achieve the position you say you earned. You were not meant to serve the Lunar Queen; you were serving as messenger and as such, you were commanded to send a message from us to the Queen when the Alliance was taking place and somehow you found your luck and used your charms with her, giving you some sort of status and presence that soon urged the Queen to consider you as a suitable suitor for her daughter, Princess Serenity. You betrayed your Kingdom the moment you delivered classified information to other Kingdoms putting the Alliance between us under threat. You were aware of your treason but fortunately for you, you were already considered for the position and rank to be the Commander of the Lunar Army—" the King rolled the parchment and arched his brow at the man on his knees with disdain, "A traitor has no place in this and no right to step foot in Andromeda—a common criminal and assassin."_

 _Athamas' face turned pale with horror, "Y-Your Majesty... allow me—"_

 _"Do you honestly think we would welcome you with open arms?!" The King's long white hair flowed like a white curtain, contrasting the anger in his red eyes, "I do not consider you a threat anymore but a disgusting low being—the Gods will take care of you in the Underworld—Guards!"_

 _The world around him slowly finished crumbling down, and the last strand of his sanity went with it. His emerald green eyes suddenly lost all focus once knowing he was being desolated and exiled from his own land, "N-No..." He muttered and felt a wave of nausea overflowing him, "No..." He repeated and turned to the coming guards with black eyes. Athamas slowly turned to run away but soon lost balance and strength when one of the guards knocked him from behind with a metal club. The blonde General stared at the blood pooling on the pale floors from the injury in his head and felt being dragged out of the throne room, "Send this creature out to exile!" He heard the Monarch yell with disgust. "He is a nobody, it is not even worth our time. Throw him away to the nothingness! He is as good as dead, allow the spirits of the Underworld scavenge his soul and do with it as they see suit."_

 _Just as they were ordered, the guards soon threw a very weak and bleeding General out of the Andromedian territory, into exile and left him in a Death Valley at the outskirts of the Andromedian realm, far away from everything and close to his death._

 _Athamas looked with teary eyes at the pitch-dark sky full of stars and felt as if they were mocking his condemned faith, "Serenity..." he muttered with dry lips and the faintest will to live. "You were mine... Serenity..."_

 _Everything he had built, everything he had weaved to his advantage, everything he had done and the many people he had stepped on to reach for a position he would never have earned normally, it all had gone down the drain along with his future as King alongside the White Princess of the Moon. He swore he could feel his blood leaving him as well, like a velvety veil washing the remains of his memory as he slowly waited for his death._

 _Was this how it was supposed to end no matter what? —He thought miserably, the same irony started to sound like a joke in his mind and started to chuckle at himself for the way things came to be. All he wanted, in reality, was to be someone, to step away from his fated life as a commoner and as the illegitimate son of a wealthy and well-positioned advisor to a royal house. He wanted to create a whole new meaning to his name, he wanted to become a legend and someday be able to return the favor to his father by trashing his name once he became King and he wanted to do it with the White Princess by his side. "Serenity..." He mumbled again, thinking about every inch of her body, the way her shiny platinum hair flowed from her high bun tails like cascades; the way she fluttered her long, dark lashes and her blue-gray eyes sparkled like two droplets of fresh water. Her scented milky skin, and the way every dress she wore clung to every curve of her beautiful petite body. Despite his madness, Athamas adored her, he wanted her, but even she was taken away from him; the peaceful image of the Lunar Princess taking the sword of the Terran Prince and piercing her chest with it with grief was still engraved in his head, the way her warm blood pooled and tainted her always impeccable gown and how even under such tragic events, she dedicated her death to a man he became obsessed with killing with his bare hands._

 _Athamas had his thoughts so dedicated to the woman in white and the mortal Prince he didn't notice his death was being an amusing showcase for another being, "So haunting and beautiful—the scent of those unwilling to die."_

 _The Andromedian turned his head but his clouded eyes were no longer complying to his wish to focus on the person standing next to him, a woman apparently. "Did they send you to finish me?"_

 _"Finish you? No, nobody touches what is left to die and rot over death valleys. Your string of fate is weak and I have come to see if your soul is worthy or not." Athamas felt her kneel next to him and touch his forehead, but her touch was cold, zero inviting or caring and he could catch the sound of metal clasping as she moved, "W-Who are you?" He asked with a weak voice._

 _"I knew the more time it passed, lowly beings would be questioning high beings like us in the near future—how dreadful. I am the Guardian of the Gates of Thanatos in the Underworld, the Titaness of the Fates and Fallen Stars—Asteria." she looked down at Athamas and arched her brow, "I have come to take your soul to the Underworld, it is worthy enough to wander the land of the tortured." The woman in black crossed her arms, "But I can see unfinished business lingering in that soul of yours—what are you?"_

 _The question took out of Athamas the last of his chuckles, "What am I? I do not know anymore."_

 _"You mentioned Serenity—the Lunar Monarch,"_

 _"She's mine." Athamas simply said, "The Princess... is mine."_

 _Asteria paid close attention to his clothes and noticed the royal symbols of the Lunar Kingdom, her dark eyes quickly studied his uniform and concluded, "I see... you are the Andromedian soldier everybody speaks about in secrecy, the famous Commander of the Lunar Army—a traitor to everyone's eyes. I have heard of your little misadventures in forbidden grounds." Asteria crouched next to him again and narrowed her eyes, "I have been informed the Moon Kingdom has fallen... Hades himself has gone to retrieve the souls of those with royal blood from the ruin his daughter had left behind and yet, you managed to survive—" her pale lips curved in a smile, "Yes, you are worthy enough."_

 _Athamas frowned, searching for Asteria's voice "Worthy..."_

 _Asteria licked her lips like a hungry wolf, "I have the power to make you stand on your feet and take revenge, take what belongs to you—in exchange for your soul." Asteria looked at the Andromedian turning his head at her, "My soul?"_

 _"—I see it in you, the body of a good host... if you give me your soul, I will grant you more power than you ever imagined on having, enough to make the Moon Princess yours,"_

 _"She is dead."_

 _"She is not dead... her soul has been sent to another place, but in time I will guide you to her if you surrender your soul to me first and become one with my Army of Shadows."_

 _"Serenity..." Athamas muttered, his tired eyes finally settled on the woman in black, surrounded by living chains curling like snakes around her, if she didn't introduce himself, he would have thought she was Medusa herself. She was beautiful, there was no doubt about that, but her energy was eerie and haunting; she was pale and had long dark hair that flowed her like a dark veil. Her eyes were so dark he could not see any life in them and if not careful, anyone could fall into their depth and never be able to get out of the nightmare hiding inside. Her pale nude lips curled into a smirk when he gave the woman a slow nod in agreement._

 _Asteria wrapped her chains around him and helped him sit, her cold hand slowly caressed his cheek as she looked into his opaque eyes and began chanting several words in a language he could not understand. Much to his surprise, he felt a warmth inside him as Asteria continued humming to herself; Athamas widened his eyes, feeling like if his body was being torn apart. He could hear screaming and screeches inside his head and soon that manifested into pain, making him scream as felt himself being pulled to different directions against his will. Asteria stood up and pulled her chain with magnificent force and with it, his soul was ripped from his body and looked at it with adoration as she filtered in one of the crystal orbs on the chain wrapped around her waist, "The Fates have spoken..." Asteria muttered and turned to Athamas' dead body with a satisfying smile. She placed her cold hand on his chest "This body belongs to a man of shadows... this body belongs to me now."_

 _A dark shadow like figure soon appeared behind the Andromedian and crept inside his body, filling it with life, once again. Athamas opened his eyes to reveal a new and vibrant green again and turned to Asteria. The goddess of fates quirked her brow and crossed her arms, "Do you feel it now? My power within you?"_

 _The general looked down at his hands and just like she said, he could feel a new energy flowing inside him with unstoppable force, "It will take time until I can take you to her... your lover. But, in the meantime, there is something I want you to do for me." she extended her hand and once he took it, she whispered in his ear, "Magister, thuribulum paratum est."_ _Athamas eyes soon clouded again as if the soul inside him reckoned to Asteria's voice, "Panduntur portae... ire."_

-O-

After two thousand years, Athamas has been living like an outcast, a rebel, and a man of shadows with the only purpose of bringing damnation to those who sent him to disgrace and take what belongs to him. After his long journey through the underworld, Asteria brought him back to her realm and has kept him there ever since with the sporadic appearances on Earth.

The image of the Moon Princess came to his mind, so beautiful as he remembered her and now, turned a soldier of mystery. The way she took a stance against him and the way she looked into his eyes with such determination and courage, it was something very different from what he had seen before. Athamas silently devoured her image like a hungry wolf and allowed his body to react to the memory of her scent brushing his nose from when he held her close, "You are mine Serenity..." he muttered and narrowed his eyes when he remembered her crying for the Terran Prince, "You are not going to take her away from me—she is mine, and mine alone."

The sound of chains accompanying the crisp click of heels against the floors interrupted his train of thought, "You are thinking about her again, Andromedian. No matter how many times you re-spawn with a new shadow, your mind always goes back to her—the Moon Princess."

Athamas turned to look over his shoulder and frowned, Asteria walked towards him and placed a hand on his face, "You said you were going to grant me enough power to claim what is mine." his low voice echoed in the solitude of the room, "I have waited long enough—kept here, in your shadows."

"Oh, Andromedian," Asteria rolled the words with delicacy as she traced his jaw with her long, sharp nail "You have now witnessed and confirmed my words, the Lunar Princess is not dead..." her lips curved into a smile, "You have a beautiful face—" she muttered and tilted her head to admire his strong features, "But I can see why she chose the hybrid over you..."

"What?!" Athamas growled with anger, Asteria quirked a perfectly shaped brow "Please, your fits of jealousy do not work on me—face it and accept the facts. The Hybrid is one beautiful creature with skills and strength, it is obvious the Princess fell for those charms." Asteria stuck her nail into Athamas's lower lip and pulled it gently, almost in a sensual way. "Your soul belongs to me... _you_ , belong to me. You are to serve me on a bigger purpose—here it is, the moment you have been waiting for," she stepped aside and smiled devilishly, "We both share a similar interest—you want the Princess and I want the Hybrid, bring him to me and you will be free to be with your precious Moon Princess and do whatever you want with her."

"F-Free?"

"Yes," Asteria crossed her arms, "Free—I would be returning full control of your soul once you accomplish this task for me, you made a deal with me to save your soul from hell, do not forget, you _owe_ me." she tilted her head low, "You have been a key element all this time, your presence steals their attention from me and while you might not feel like it, you have been of great help—the time for Titans to rise has come again," she narrowed her void, dark eyes, "That is why I have been keeping you so close to me, you Andromedian, are precious." she turned on her heel and wrapped her chains around her arms and placed her hand on Athamas' chest and summoned her power, "This is the power I promised." Athamas widened his eyes as he felt his body being charged with a strong energy he has never felt before. He could feel his heart beating stronger, faster—he felt invincible. Asteria smiled with satisfaction once his eyes changed from green to black, "The task is yours, so is this moment: Take what is yours and bring the hybrid to me."

Athamas smiled devilishly, "Consider it done."

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is rated M. Violence, cursing and intimacy may occur._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	53. Chapter 53

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Fifty-Three

Usagi wiped a trickle of sweat sliding down her forehead with her arm and sighed with relief when Megumi took control over the pots boiling on the stove and walked out of the kitchen. The terran maiden chuckled softly as she turned off all the knobs, finally putting an end to the silver-haired princess' turmoil in the kitchen, "You did well Your Highness, dinner is ready to be served."

"Good... good..." Usagi smiled weakly and pulled out a chair, almost gasping for air and slouched tiredly on the dining table, "Cooking is very exhausting,"

With an endearing smile on her face, Megumi takes the seat across from the princess, "It is good to see you in a better mood, Princess." Usagi rolled her head resting on the table to look at Megumi and sighed with relief, "I feel like my soul has returned to my body—despite my appearance."

"Your Highness, it would not be a—"

A soft knock startled both women and turned to see Ami walking across the foyer carrying a pair of crutches with one arm, her blue eyes immediately lit up when she saw the princess out of the bedroom with flushed cheeks, "Usagi-chan!"

"Ami-chan," the princess greeted her friend sweetly. Ami leaned the crutches against a wall and walked over to her friend to give her a tight hug, one that clearly showed serious relief and quickly pulled back to look at her, "Are you alright? What's the matter? Are you feeling ill?" she placed her cool hand on Usagi's forehead, making her chuckle in response, "Yes, yes, I'm fine..." Usagi leaned back up in her seat and let out a puff of air, "I cooked,"

"Ah," Ami chuckled and put her purse on another chair, next to her friend, "That explains it all—it smells delicious though," she looked around, "And Mamoru? Zoisite told me he woke up,"

"Yes, he did," Usagi nodded weakly, "Finally,"

"Oh, Usa-chan, that is great news!" Usagi looked at her friend with a huge grin, "We woke up a while ago but he was being his usual stubborn self and insisted in taking a shower; no matter how much I tried, I couldn't talk him out of it so Kunzite went to help him move around the room."

Ami crossed her arms and gave her friend a doctor's analytical look, "And you? How are _you_ feeling?"

"I was just telling Megumi that I felt as if my soul had returned to my body—despite my appearance." Usagi frowned, "I know what you're going to say, you are just like Motoki-oniisan and Mamo-chan, you're all doctors and it's natural for you to be like that but, don't treat me like a patient, you know I don't like it."

"Alright, alright..." Ami sighed and shook her head, "You do look a little pale, Usa-chan. I was thinking that maybe it would be a good idea if you—"

"Ah, see? You're doing it again?" Usagi blinked when she saw Ami turning to Kunzite, who was walking down the hallway towards the living room, "Kunzite," the bluenette greeted him with respect. The white-haired general gave her a soft smile and nodded with classic chivalry, "Good evening, Mercury—" he blinked, "I thought Zoisite was with you since he said he was also coming,"

"Oh," Ami blinked a little startled, "I came straight from the hospital as soon as I finished my shift—maybe he's there waiting for me or something,"

"Ah, well..." Kunzite chuckled as he crossed his arms, "He will figure it out, eventually."

"Let us hope so," Ami blushed. It was the general to shift his attention to Usagi, "I forgot to ask, Princess, are you having dinner here, or in the bedroom? Just so I know what to do with that stubborn husband of yours,"

"Here," Usagi smiled, "I can tell Mamo-chan is sick of being in bed."

"You know him too well, Your Highness—well then, I will go help him move,"

"Kunzite, wait!" Ami hurried to get the crutches and handed them to him, "I brought these from the hospital to help him move around with more ease—" she blinked in thought, "Actually, can I go in there and give him these myself?" she turned to Usagi, "If it's alright with you Usa-chan, of course."

Usagi chuckled, "Ami-chan, please, of course you can," she turned to Kunzite and quirked her brow jealously, "Is he decent looking?" Kunzite chuckled at the sweet princess' protective nature over her husband and nodded, "Yes Princess, he is,"

"Alright, I'll be right back," Ami chuckled and walked towards the room and knocked on the door before walking in and saw him sitting on the bed scrolling through the many messages on his phone, "Mamoru?" she asked in a sweet tone, loud enough for him to catch his attention without taking him off-guard. Mamoru looked up at her and smiled warmly, "Ami—"

"Can I come in?"

"Of course," Mamoru turned the screen off and put his phone on his nightstand again, "I was just checking my messages... a lot has happened, so I've seen..." Ami nodded, "Oh yes..." she chuckled, "Quite a lot, actually."

"Huh," Mamoru bit his lip, "You'll have to put me up to date—I feel like I was away for longer than it actually was..."

"Don't worry, I'll give you all the info you need to know to get back in the game," Ami sighed softly and gave him a big smile, "I'm so glad you're back." Mamoru chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, "Trust me, Ami, me too."

Ami nodded "Oh," she handed him the crutches, "I brought you these from the hospital—Motoki sent them. He asked me to tell you that it was about damn time," With a hearty laugh, Mamoru took the pair of crutches "Thanks so much," he started to adjust them to the right height and let out a soft sigh, "Kunzite was supposed to help me but he suddenly disappeared."

"He went to ask Usagi-chan if you were going to have dinner here or at the dining table,"

"Oh god, not here..." Mamoru shook his head effusively, "I'm tired of seeing these walls..."

"You were asleep the whole time!"

"Still, this is probably the longest I've been in this bedroom—ten freaking days."

Ami chuckled, given the point that he was the complete opposite to Usagi who, given other circumstances, she would have taken those ten days as a vacation and sleep without feeling any remorse, "How are your wounds? I guess you already examined my work very meticulously,"

"Can't help it, I had to see..." Mamoru smiled, "You did perfect Ami, although, I wasn't judging your work, I was judging my own stupidity for allowing getting hurt this much," he sighed, "I am very sorry for worrying you all—I know you stayed by Usa's side day and night and I cannot thank you enough for everything you have done,"

"The important thing is that you're here now. We were all very worried but you're finally here." Ami smiled and shook her head, "There is nothing to be apologizing for, and about never leaving Usa-chan's side, you better than anyone knows she is like a sister to us, I would never leave her side in such moments of stress." she blew her long bangs and bit her lower lip, "Actually Mamoru, that's why I asked her if I could bring these to you personally—I want to talk to you about something,"

"Of course," Mamoru nodded and pointed the door, inviting Ami to close it to give them enough privacy to talk. "I know Ami, and I know you have been trying to get her to eat," he sighed, "Usagi is anemic, I don't need a test to know that. I know what she's going through and I just wish she would open up and talk to me about it but I don't want to force her, she'll do it when she's ready. The ideal would be for her to get a medical screening, _but_ , she hates it when I bring that up so the best thing I can do now is to get her to eat and ask Megumi to slip a multi vitamin supplement in her morning fruit smoothie without her knowing,"

Ami chuckled and crossed her arms, "My, you're strict."

"I'm worried," Mamoru gave his friend a sad smile, "I hate to see her like that, and I hate being the reason why she's like that." Ami walked over to her friend and patted Mamoru's arm in support, "She loves you and I am hopeful that she will be back to normal in no time, but, I promise I will talk her out of her stubbornness and make her take some tests."

"Thank you, Ami."

"And you?" Ami helped him stand and take control of the crutches, "How are _you_ feeling?"

Mamoru grunted softly as he shifted his weight on his left crutch, "Sore, my leg still hurts if I put too much pressure on it but nothing to worry about. I will go to the hospital tomorrow—I need to justify my absence and see if I can ask for a medical leave." Ami turned to open the door and nodded, "Motoki has been taking care of that, he managed to grant me a short leave so I could stay on call in case you had any complications."

"I really don't have enough words to express my gratitude, Ami," Mamoru shook his head, "You are very good friends, thank you."

"No," Ami smiled, "It's been a long time since we stopped being just friends, Mamoru. We're family, and family sticks together."

Mamoru felt a knot forming in the back of his throat, no matter how much he heard the word over the years it still caused him deep emotion. Having all of them in his life, from Motoki and Reika to the girls and now the shitennou, it was like as if all that held an important value that as once taken from him had returned in the best way possible with the best people on the planet—no pun intended. Deep down, every time he heard the words _'we're family'_ he wished Mao was alive so he could tell her all the things he has done ever since he walked away from that part of his life, he wanted to tell her that he had found her—the owner of his heart, the one that takes his breath away, every day. With a smile that threatened to morph into a sob, Mamoru nodded and cleared his throat, "That's true."

"Just to give you a little heads up, Motoki and I said you fell and broke your ankle during your honeymoon." Ami chuckled when she saw Mamoru's grimace, "The truth is out, then..."

"Yep. Everyone knows you're a married man now." Ami tilted her head, "It was quite a surprise for everyone since no one thought you had a girlfriend in the first place."

"I can imagine," Mamoru chuckled, "I never mentioned anything—but you know me, I am not the talkative type... so I've been told." He sighed lightly, "So I should be expecting questions about what the hell I was doing to have broken my ankle during my honeymoon, right?" Ami pursed her lips in a joking manner, "That, and why the hell you never mentioned you were engaged—especially from Maki-san, who was one of the most shocked."

"Alright, I can take it. I'll deal with the pressure when I cross that bridge tomorrow,"

Ami smiled widely and tilted her head as he watched him move across the bedroom, towards the door, "It's so good to have you back Mamoru," Mamoru turned to look at her over his shoulder and gave her a genuine, thankful smile "It's good to be back, Ami-chan," he moved aside to let her walk out of the room first.

Back in the living room, Usagi jerked her head up from the table when she heard noises down the hallway and looked at her husband walk in looking impeccable after his much-needed shower wearing a basic white t-shirt and a pair of black cotton sweatpants. His hair still wet fell over his dark blue eyes but she noticed the ten-day stubble was completely gone and replaced by a soft and fresh looking face making her heart skip a beat and feel a rush of butterflies fluttering in her stomach. "Mamo-chan..." she breathed, allowing her old-self pull back from her newly acquired anxiety. Kunzite nodded his head to Mamoru in reassurance, taking his private conversation with the prince with him and talk to the other shitennou to form a strategy and be prepared for any sudden circumstance. "I believe that now that you are fully back to your senses, my presence here is no longer fully required, Princess, as promised—I did my part of the deal, now it is time for you to do yours."

Ami turned to Kunzite and smiled, knowing exactly what he meant. They were all sharing one main concern and that was the sudden change in the princess' health, and thankfully, Mamoru was on board. The bluenette crossed and arms and nodded effusively at her friend, "That's right Usa-chan and I agree with Kunzite. Now that Mamoru is back, you two need your privacy, _but_ , you also need to start taking care of yourself." she smiled and went to get her small crossbody purse, "So, I will leave you to it." she turned to Mamoru and smiled softly, "Let me know when you're at the hospital to come and greet you."

"I will," Mamoru nodded, "Thanks, Ami."

Usagi wrapped her arms around her friend before she turned to leave, followed by the first in command of the shitennou.

"Do you need assistance, Your Highness?" Megumi went to help Mamoru make his way to the table but he shook his head, "I'm alright Megumi, I can manage—thank you." his friendly tone was enough to let her know he had his temporary disability under control and went back into the kitchen to start serving what she had prepared with the princess' help. Usagi pulled back his chair and helped him sit, Mamoru smiled softly, "Usa, if you keep doing all these things for me I'll become spoiled." he looked at her with loving eyes, those deep blue eyes she missed so much to get lost into and made her feel like the only girl in the world.

"I do it gladly," Usagi took her seat next to him and intertwined her fingers with his and giggled, "But I really hope you don't change your mind once you taste the food."

"Why?" Mamoru looked down at the plate Megumi put in front of him, "This looks perfectly fine," he leaned close enough to catch the steam with his nose, "And it smells very nice,"

"Well yes, but do you remember the last time I tried to make curry?" Usagi looked at her plate with slight hesitation, "Remember what happened?"

"Oh..."

"What happened?" Megumi stood behind the princess with a pale face, Mamoru chuckled and turned to look at her "We got food poisoning," he wiggled his brows and laughed. Megumi widened her eyes horrified, "Y-Your Highness?" Usagi burst into laughter and nodded, "I told you I was a hazard,"

"B-But..." Megumi blinked, still very much startled, "I honestly thought it was a joke," Usagi shook her head and bit her lower lip, "No, I was serious—I'm the worst wife ever, I know."

"You're not." Mamoru shook his head and looked down at his beautifully garnished dish, "Did you make it all by yourself?" His voice held a more serious tone, showing a little concern; Usagi took a deep breath and nodded "The curry? Yes," she answered with a hint of worry and bit her lower lip "Megumi-san helped me chop and dice the vegetables because _someone_ told her I wasn't to be trusted when handling knives."

"Well, Usa—come on," Mamoru gave her an incredulous glare; Usagi sighed and nodded with defeat when she remembered the carrot incident, "Yeah, okay..." she frowned, "Well? Aren't you going to taste it?"

Mamoru looked down and mimicked her hesitant gesture and nodded with defeat, "Yeah, okay..." He slowly grabbed his spoon and took a scoop, after a couple of seconds, he looked at her waiting for a response. "Well, aren't _you_ going to taste it?" Usagi leaned closer to her husband and tapped her fingers on the table with expectancy. "Yes?" Mamoru gently nibbled his lower lip and took the first bite.

"How is it?" Usagi looked at him nervously, Mamoru arched his brow, "Seriously?"

"Yes, Mamo-chan, seriously."

Mamoru blinked surprised with a smile on his face, "It's good." Usagi gave him an incredulous glare, "Like, good _good_? Or as in— _it's okay, but don't do it again—_ kind of good?"

"As in good, _good_ —" Mamoru pushed her place closer to her and handed her a spoon, "But you will never know if _you-don't-eat_."

Megumi looked at them with a warm smile on her face. She loved to be witness of their complicity and their constant joking on each other but what she loved the most was to see how her prince looked after the princess in the most adorable way; the memory of them speaking back at the terran palace and when he confessed he had feelings for a woman he could not easily presume to the world came to her mind. The way his lips tried to compress the emotion and happiness every time he spoke about her and the way his eyes changed to a more serene shade of blue every time he saw her waiting for him in his room, away from the rest of the world. Contrary to what their guardians thought at the moment, she had been a witness of their dedication towards each other and the efforts they constantly made to keep seeing other until the very end of that chapter in their lives. She silently paid close attention to their gestures, the way they coexist around each other, how they look into each other's eyes every time they spoke. It was a declaration of love and a constant reassurance of their deep feelings and trust for one another. It was magical to see how after all that has changed, they have remained true to their selves.

With a soft smile, she realized what the prince was doing for his princess and understood his more discreet and smart approach to healing his wife and do some damage control over her health that was caused by his absence. They had tried everything to make her snap out of that trance she got herself into, she had tried many times to make her take anything with juices and fruit smoothies—her favorites; Rei had tried with herbal and flower teas, Minako with food from their favorite places, Makoto with a variety of comfort food while Ami had taken a more nutritious approach with the oatmeal but none of them, along with the effort and emotional support from the shitennou, was good enough to make the princess come out of her dark place.

Her eyes widened when she saw Usagi finally, after ten days of torment, put a spoonful of food into her mouth without any complaints. The maid had the sense of peace after a long battle and turned to the prince who quickly peered at her and winked his eye with complicity and softly let go a sigh. "Your Highness," she addressed herself to Mamoru, "May I be excused for the night?"

Usagi blinked and turned with a puzzled look on her face, "You are not going to eat with us, Megumi?" Megumi shook her head softly, "I already had dinner, Your Highness, before you came to join me in the kitchen."

"Megumi," Mamoru smiled, "You don't need to ask me anything, go get some well-deserved rest. You have done more than we could ever ask for, I am forever grateful for all your help." Megumi bowed her head in deep respect, "Anything for my Prince and Princess," she smiled, "I am very happy to see you are back with us,"

"Me too Megumi, good night," Mamoru leaned close to her and squeezed her hand softly in gratitude. With time, she had learned to read his emotions by his gestures. He was often misunderstood as a person who kept everything to himself, and even back then, the prince was always under speculation due to his hermetic personality, but the truth was that he had a more elegant and classy way show his endearment and appreciation for others. It was not as obvious or straightforward as it was with the lunar princess, instead, it was the little gestures and attention that made her feel special and a part of his family. She turned on her heel and walked back to the room she could now claim as her own to give them their much-needed privacy.

Usagi widened her eyes and took another bite of her dish with much excitement, "Oh my... I am _good!_ " she looked at her husband with happy eyes, "The curse is broken! I can cook!" Mamoru laughed and nodded, "I guess it is—" he leaned forward and held her hand, "It seems we overcame another obstacle my darling Serenitati." Usagi blushed and nodded, the more he called her that, the more she loved the sound of it and what it represented. "Yes, we have, but don't think it will free you from keep making me shrimp tempura—" she pointed her finger at him and narrowed her crystal blue eyes, "—Or pancakes."

Mamoru half smiled, pleased to see her slowly coming back to her usual light humor and playful gimmicks, "Yes, Princess." Usagi nodded and continued eating her surprisingly delicious curry and wild rice, thinking this was all she needed. There were moments like these where they would eat quietly while she absently caressed his hand with the tips of her fingers or intertwined them with his and feel the closeness between them. Usagi smiled softly as she slowly twirled the ring on his finger, "You told Ami-chan you were going to the hospital?"

"Yes," Mamoru, used his napkin to clean the corner of his mouth and turned to look at her before taking another spoonful of food, "I need to justify my absence, I was supposed to be back to work by now—Motoki has been helping me with that, but I need to sign a few papers and ask for a medical leave to justify my _accident_ so I don't lose my paycheck,

"Oh," Usagi bit her lip softly, "Are you feeling well enough to leave the apartment?" he nodded his head at her, "I'll be fine," he smiled but noticed the tension in his wife's hand, "Would you like to come with me?" Usagi looked up at him and gave him a shy nod but the tension didn't leave her face; Mamoru tugged her hand softly, "Usa?" he tugged her hand again and frowned, "Buns, you okay?"

Usagi looked up at her husband nervously. Since the attack happened and he fell unconscious she literally put her life on hold, not really caring about anything—not even her job which she loved so much despite her horrible boss and horrible co-workers. She let out a soft sigh and hoped for the best, knowing the reaction her overly mature husband might have once she broke her silence, "I was supposed to be back at work like a week ago as well..."

Mamoru took a deep breath and pursed his lips, Usagi quickly shook her head to defend her reasons as if he was asking for some justification, "I-I didn't want to—I couldn't leave you..." she moved her hand away from his and leaned back in her chair, "I am using my vacation days—so I'm safe. Mika-san has been of great help too but..." she finally had the courage to look at him in the eye, "I am not getting paid for the days I have missed—I'm so sorry." Mamoru frowned and shook his head, "Buns, why are you asking me for forgiveness?"

Usagi sighed, "Because I have been irresponsible, because—" she shook her head again and closed her eyes, "I am not helping in any way with the expenses around the apartment, I am not getting paid for the days I've taken off... I am lucky enough to have the liberty to take days off..."

"Well, did you explain to them why are you taking those extra days off?" Mamoru leaned closer and reached for her hand again, "Usako, look at me," Usagi opened her eyes slowly and did as asked, Mamoru sighed softly and rubbed her knuckles with his thumb gently, "Love, is this why you're so nervous?" he asked softly and noticed it was as if Usagi wanted to tell him more, her crystal blue eyes were wide and her rosy lips partly open, waiting for her words to come out. Usagi ran the tip of her tongue over her upper lip as a nervous reaction and exhaled softly, "I said I had a family emergency—I just—" she tried to look away but for some reason, him holding her hand was keeping her attention focused on him. With resignation and embarrassment, Usagi finally nodded, "I hate to let you down."

"Who says you have?" Mamoru frowned, catching Usagi by surprise "W-Well... like I said, I am not helping with any of the expenses and—"

"—Usa, we've talked about this before," Mamoru tilted his head and looked at her in the eye, "Haven't we?"

"Y-Yes..." Usagi nodded nervously, "But still… I don't—"

Mamoru sighed and shook his head, "Serenitati, I am no stranger to your boss' work policies—I know how that woman is but I don't care about her, I care about _you_. You are not letting me down, I have told you many times before that thankfully, our finances are good enough to give you the liberty to look for something else or do your own thing—if that is what you wish to do. You will always have my full support in whatever thing you want to pursue." he twirled a lock of her silvery hair around his finger and tucked it behind her ear, "I know how much you love what you do at your job, and yes, I think they should totally give you a paid leave, but that is their policy, my love, not mine." He intertwined his fingers with hers and brought her hand to his lips to kiss it, "Usa, everything you see here and even the things you cannot see but you know I have, are yours. If I need to say it more often so you can hold on to the fact, I will. What's mine, it's yours.."

Usagi exhaled, "You make it sound so easy,"

"That's because it is," Mamoru arched his brow, "You're my wife, my life companion, and Princess. There is no need for you to worry about a thing." Usagi looked at Mamoru with glossy eyes, "Y-you're really not upset about it?" Mamoru shook his head, "Come here," he pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her protectively, "Buns, it's okay—we will figure something out." he kissed her temple, "If you need to go tomorrow and handle this situation, go, I can ask Megumi to come with me in case I find it hard to—"

"—No," Usagi shook her head with the same anxiety as before, "No... no, I want to be with you,"

"Okay," Mamoru smiled and tilted her head up to look at him, "The only way you would let me down, Usa, is if you stopped taking care of yourself." Usagi cuddled in his arms and shook her head, "I wanted to be strong, I tried to..." she closed her eyes and clung onto him to dear life, "I wasn't strong enough... I failed... and that is what breaks my heart,"

"Hearing you talk like that breaks _my_ heart, so please stop," Mamoru pulled back and nudged her softly, "This isn't like you, why are you feeling so guilty?" his eyes darkened with concern, "Baby, we can go on for another millennium blaming ourselves for what we should have done but what good will come out of it? I will tell you what— _nothing._ "

"Mamo-chan… but I—"

Mamoru shook his head, "Stop it," even though his voice was still warm and loving, it held a more serious tone to it. Usagi noticed the change in color in his eyes and how they slowly turned more sapphire and enigmatic; she felt his warm hand cupping her cheek and his thumb gently wiping her warm tears, "Serenity, in order to come back to you, I had to learn to accept my faults, swallow my disgusting ego, and learn how to let things go—things that didn't do any good for the soul. I blamed myself and carried a heavy guilt for too many things that didn't even depend on me to get fixed." he tilted his head, "It didn't matter how much I tried to convince everybody that I was alright, the truth was still eating me from the inside. I couldn't continue being what I thought was correct for me to be. I had been dragging too many grudges and regrets since way before I met you. It was because of you, that I stayed in one piece. You saw deep down all those heavy layers I had been carrying with me and for some strange reason, you saw beauty." His thumb caressed her swollen lips, "It's you who has saved me over and over again—and it's you who brought me back. It's because of you and the love I have for you, that made it possible for me to be here right now."

Usagi felt her eyes burn with fresh tears, she could feel the truth in his words and she noticed there was a different, more peaceful aura around him and it was soothing her too via his touch, "Endymion..." she breathed, feeling much more at peace. Mamoru smiled and traced her jawline with his fingers, "Do you remember asking me if I had followed the same path I chose back then?" Usagi nodded, "Yes..."

"The truth is my love, that I don't have to. One must learn from the mistakes we have made in the past so we can sort things out in the present and be better in the future. I don't have to do the same, all over again. That's behind me now and I want to forward. I want to head on to the future and I want to do it with you." he leaned down until his lips were just inches away from hers and closed his eyes, "I am not the same I was two thousand and twenty-one years ago—if you count this lifetime too."

Usagi took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes, feeling a new wave of emotions taking over her, "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Mamoru pulled her back into his arms and kissed her temple, "You're very strong, Serenity and you are not alone." Usagi felt her doubts crumbling around her fragile body; that is exactly what she was waiting to hear from him, that he was not the same and that he was not going down the same path; he was different—stronger, she noticed it and she was beyond happy to have him back with her. The princess moved her arms around his neck and pulled herself from her chair to his lap and closed the gap between them with a deep, meaningful kiss.

O—o—o—o—O

The sound of footsteps caught the Miko's attention as she finished reading the fire for the night and turned to see Jadeite at the other side of the door and widened her amethyst eyes with surprise, "H-How long have you been there?" The blonde leaned on the door frame with his arms crossed, "Long enough to know you should not be bothered." he tilted his head and gave her a small smile, "Is it allowed for me to step into this sacred place?"

Rei nodded and watched him come inside and take a seat next to her in front of the fire. His gray-blue eyes looked at flames dancing and crackling in a hypnotic dance, "Was there anything for us to know?" his voice was unusually low and distant. Rei brought her hands together and closed her eyes, "The fire speaks yet—I cannot have a clearer vision of when are they coming back. I cannot understand why such place like the Underworld has opened a path into this world."

"We know the reason," Rei opened her eyes startled by Jadeite's words, she turned and shook her head, still confused. The blonde shitennou pursed his lips, "Endymion," he turned to meet the Miko's mystical eyes, "The black Goddess left that clear, the question here should be what they will do if they capture him..." he narrowed his eyes in thought, "What will they achieve if they drag him down to hell." he sighed, "Nephrite was preparing himself to read the skies tonight, Zoisite went to monitor and purify the surroundings and Kunzite went to see Endymion and Princess Serenity—"

"You speak as if you were feeling left out." Rei muttered, "My, I didn't think of you as a sentimental." A chuckle escaped the blonde, "True, but I do not feel left out," he turned to look into the fire again, "I was granted celestial blessings just like the rest and I know perfectly well what I am and who I am—Nephrite was born with that gift, he has always been the strange one of the four, excluding the Prince, of course. Me, I have always been the strategist so I am just waiting for my moment." he exhaled softly, "But I believe we all are, I am just glad Endymion is back from his beauty sleep, although, I do not know under what conditions he returned."

"What do you mean?" Rei frowned, Jadeite shrugged his shoulder and turned to look at her "Endymion is the kind of person that would so anything to avoid a problem and save others. With that being said, at this point, I do not know what to expect—he is not the talkative type either." He smiled and looked down, "Seeing him fight that Goddess was really something, it made me feel confident that we can fight this and win, but it also makes me think about how different things would have been if he knew about his abilities—back then."

Rei sensed a little wave of nostalgia coming from the general's words. The way he spoke summed to the gloomy look in his eyes and the sound of his voice. It had been long now since she saw the usual sarcastic and playful Jadeite, lately, his smile no longer reached his eyes but it was clear why he was part of the four heavenly kings. The blonde was equally serious and mature as the others, and his skills were like he said, more strategic and less obvious than Kunzite's. His rank didn't measure his strength or abilities, instead, it gave a clear jurisdiction to his title, but to Rei, the question still lingered in the air every time they spent time together and she wanted to ask but she just didn't know how.

"I like it here," Jadeite interrupted Rei's thoughts, his eyes were still looking down but his voice had a more relaxed tone, "I can see why you are so devoted to your life as a High Priestess."

Rei smiled softly, "It hasn't always been that easy, not everyone understands in this day and age—I just followed my grandfather's steps and learned the craft. I suppose the gift was already there from my previous life."

"Previous life..." Jadeite looked up, "You make it sound as if you were no longer the same person." his eyes landed on hers, "And what I witnessed days ago just proved me otherwise. All of you are still the same, or even better." he shook his head with wonder, "What happened, Mars? What made you change so much?"

Rei turned on her seat to face the blonde general, "The enemies we faced after Beryl—they were stronger, more malicious and aggressive. It was almost a day to day battle but one day… it stopped, and life caught up with us. All of the sudden, being _normal_ became something important to us—something we needed to be. Maybe because it was new to all of us—a new adventure. Having this life is not a bad thing, what was wrong is how we pushed ourselves to choose between both realities—this life or our side as sailor senshi, the one that has the essence of our existence." she smiled and looked away, "I suppose you needed to come and remind us how important is to be true to ourselves and embrace ourselves as a whole. We don't fit just anywhere—we're special. We're sailor senshi and we fight for a common good, we fight for peace and we should be proud because we can actually change this word for the better. We can really make a difference."

"That you are Sailor Mars, that, you are." Jadeite nodded, "Being the Soldier of War and daughter of War itself... that is not something you can easily ignore. It is something you hold up with pride." he sighed, "I am glad you all accepted your fate, maybe that was our true mission." Rei narrowed her eyes, "It's a little ironic to hear you speak about change..."

"Why?" Jadeite frowned, the Miko shrugged her shoulder "I would dare to ask you the same thing, what happened? What made you change so much?" Jadeite pursed his lips, "Change? I have not changed, this is who I am when I am not telling stupid jokes."

"Well, bring them back."

Jadeite arched his brow, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Rei crossed her arms, "You have been very gloomy lately, it's so unlike you..."

"Oh, Mars..." A chuckle escaped the blonde's lips and turned to the fire, "Lately, there has not been much to joke about." The look in Rei's face was more than enough to visualize the reality of their current situation. Jadeite moved his hand close enough to touch her cheek or play with her raven hair but something in him made him stop almost immediately and instead, curled his fingers to restrained himself and moved his hand away. His lips curved but again, his smile didn't reach his always playful eyes, "I shall leave you now—it is a little late." Jadeite turned and stood up, leaving a very anxious Rei on the floor, "Y-You can stay..." she blinked, silently wishing he would accept the invitation. Since the moment Yuuichiro's shadow dissipated along with his betrayal and bad habits, Rei felt like if a heavy mist had vanished from her beautiful eyes and decided to only keep the good things that relationship brought her during her time with the apprentice. She finally understood that she was not holding on to the idea of going back together with him but to the sentiment those memories brought to her and the fear of not being able to find someone better.

The irony of the situation was that she did and that someone better was part of her past, and now, after two thousand years, he was back into her present. Rei admitted she wanted to go back to the exact moment when he exposed his feelings and bring him with her to create a new future. Since that day and after her grandfather's passing, despite him being friendly, courteous, and approachable, it was not the same. Whatever that was between them was no longer there and maybe that was what made her stop to confess what she had been feeling ever since. Painfully, she realized what her fears had done to probably the most courageous man she has ever met; the only one that has never been afraid to push her buttons and put her patience to the test. Jadeite did in a couple of weeks what Yuuichiro could not do in more than ten years; despite the love that once existed, it was not the same. At the first test of loyalty, he cultivated a habit that would eventually lead to break the bond they shared. Rei felt her heart throbbing in her chest like never before, her amethyst eyes could not leave the blonde's face and deep down she wished to see him joke and smile and be the adorable man she remembered.

She wanted him to stay, she wanted him to stay with her—period.

Jadeite's smile widened, his appreciation and charisma were still there but there was something else that would always push him back. Maybe it was his own ego—he no longer knew. "It is better if I leave—I have to see what Nephrite has to say and start planning a strategy for what might come next."

"Because you are the strategist," Rei immediately kicked herself mentally for her silly comment, this time stealing a genuine chuckle from the general, "Because I am the strategist of the group, yes." he offered his hand to help her stand up from the floor but Rei shook her head, "I am going to stay here... it is still too early for me to go to bed." Her attempts to sound casual were not entirely working, this was a position she was not familiar being into since Yuuichiro had been her only boyfriend and he did all the work to win her heart. Slightly hurt both ego and heart, she turned to the fire and closed her eyes, "Are you afraid, Jadeite?"

"Yes,"

Rei blinked her eyes open and turned to look at him, totally not expecting his blunt response. Jadeite looked down at her with any trace of sarcasm or mischief, "Yes Mars, I am scared—"

The tension was there, the truth of their hearts was also there, so why was it so hard for both of them to come forward and break the barrier? Why couldn't he take another leap of faith? Why couldn't _she_ take the leap? —Rei thought anxiously. Jadeite kneeled in front of her but maintained his stoic face as he looked into her amethyst eyes, "I believe I have never been so scared in my life." he shook his head, "But this is how things are and I must stay grounded."

"Why?" Rei dared to ask with a whisper, Jadeite gave her a sad smile and tilted his head to the side, "Because Mars, I feel like I could vanish if I don't."

"I understand," Rei nodded, "I know the feeling,"

Jadeite gave the priestess a soft smile and finally armed himself with enough courage to wrap his fingers in a lock of her hair and looked at it like a child admiring the stars in the night sky, "Destiny is funny like that," he whispered and tucked the piece of hair behind her ear before standing up again, "Thank you, for the tea and the company—it was lovely." Rei smiled, "It was nothing, next time I'll ask Jun to make some sweet steamed buns,"

Jadeite flashed her a toothy smile and nodded, "Now I am intrigued," he turned on his heel and waved his hand as he walked out of the room with his hands tucked in his pants' pockets, "Have a good night, Mars."

Rei looked at him disappear in the distance and took a deep breath before she turned to the fire and closed her eyes, allowing the tears holding onto her eyes slowly roll down the cheeks and be exposed to the fire in front of her. "Good night, Jadeite..."

O—o—o—o—O

An hour later, the sound of keys startled a half-asleep Zoisite on the sofa and turned to find his fellow blonde brother walk inside and toss the keys on the table with little interest on where they landed. "Jadeite?" he mumbled with a raspiness in his voice that proved he had fallen asleep; as he saw him walk past the living room, the man in question turned and frowned, "Zoisite, what are you doing here? "

Zoisite rubbed the tired muscles at the back of his neck as he pushed himself up and sit straight on the sofa, "Uh, this is where we live."

"No, this is where _I_ live—you are barely here anymore." Jadeite's annoyance could not match his stoic face, Zoisite noticed and sighed, "Alright, first of all—calm down, and second of all, since when do you care where I am at?" Jadeite frowned, "I always care, you are my little brother—like it or not." he walked to join his friend and slapped the blonde's forehead before taking his place across from him on the round leather sofa, "But in all seriousness, what are you doing here? Why are you not with Mercury?"

"She went back to work—she had to take over an emergency at the hospital." Zoisite put the book he borrowed from Mamoru's apartment and that he had been reading feverishly before falling asleep on the table and turned to his friend, "Where were you? If I may ask, of course."

Jadeite blinked but continued staring at the ceiling without showing any sort of emotion, "The shrine, with Mars." he sighed and rolled his head to the side to look at his friend, "Where are the others?"

"Nephrite is meditating in his room—Kunzite is with Venus, I suppose. It has been long since he said he was going to see Endymion, I highly doubt he is still there." Zoisite leaned his back on the armrest and crossed his arms, "Do you want to talk about it or...?" he shook his head, waiting for an answer from his friend. Jadeite pursed his lips, "I do not understand your question—rephrase." Zoisite sighed, "I am talking about Mars."

"What about Mars?"

"Do you want to talk about whatever is happening between you two?"

"Ah, that again..." Jadeite glided his teeth over his lower lip and shook his head, "Nothing is happening between Mars and me, Zoisite, I think I made it clear last time we talked about this." he frowned when Zoisite chuckled, taking him by surprise "What is so funny?" Jadeite narrowed his gray-blue eyes. His friend shrugged his shoulders "You," the revelation made Jadeite widened his eyes, "Me? Why?"

"Because," Zoisite arched his brow "Your love for the fire senshi has been untouched for centuries; you were the only one brave enough to accept your feelings for her—you have always been very open to the idea of being with some—"

"—Nothing will happen between us Zoisite, that topic has been put to rest and I would appreciate it if you did as well," Jadeite interrupted his brother. He ran a hand through his sandy-colored hair and accompanied his action with a tired sigh, "I respect her decision and her position as senshi, all I can do is to be her friend for as long I am granted a life in this realm."

"What the hell is happening to you?" Zoisite frowned, "Listening to you speak this way, so somber—it is not like you." It was Jadeite's turn to arch a brow and cross his arms, "I find it ironic how _you_ , the one that has always complained about my sense of humor is now questioning why I am not being stupid and sarcastic." Zoisite widened his green eyes, "Come on Jadeite, you are a brother to me—since when you have taken everything I say so seriously? I am worried about you, I care about you, and to be honest, I hate to see you like this."

"Do you think once all this is over we will be dragged back to that place?" Jadeite finally broke the seal to his secret, startling Zoisite by the dark and perturbed tone in his voice. "Jadeite?" The blonde shook his head, and lowered his gaze, "I am glad all of you have something meaningful with the girls, I am happy for you and I know what you are going to say but, in my case... I do not want to be hurt again." He shrugged his shoulders to show a little more casualty and lift the heavy tone behind his words, "I have been rejected three times now by three different women, and before you ask for the third woman, she rejected me before I joined the army—so save your little jokes for later."

Zoisite sighed, "Still, the three of them are completely different women,"

"That does not change the fact that I have been rejected," Jadeite quirked his brow, "Which made me think about how maybe it is something that has to do with me, something I do that repels women." he pursed his lips, "Kunzite is the bluntest, most unreasonable man I know and he still manages to be charming and be with a beautiful woman—I mean, there must be something wrong with me, right?" Jadeite sighed, "I will not say anything about you or Nephrite because you have your way to charm your ladies—you have always been neutral."

"Uh, thank you?" Zoisite arched his brow and crossed his arms, "You are welcome," Jadeite waved his hand dismissively, "What I am trying to say is that things lately have not been the same, we are under stress and I cannot keep joking around. I am one of the Shitennou and I must serve my Prince, then return to my emotional cocoon in Purgatorio."

"Is this why you are being so somber? Because you think your sense of humor is a women's repellent?" Zoisite widened his eyes, "Really?"

"What else do you want me to think Zoisite? I mean, look at Kunzite—look at Endymion! He's even more damn complex. He's stubborn, stoic, and sometimes inflexible and look how the Lunar Princess gives her life for him..." his cold blue eyes soon widened when he saw his friend broke into laughter, "Again, what makes this so funny to you?"

"You are being childish— _really?_ If Endymion or Kunzite learn you are comparing yourself to them they are going to punch you so hard until you realize of your stupidity." Zoisite narrowed his eyes; he leaned closer to Jadeite and slapped him at the back of his head making him flinch, "Oi! What is that about?" Jadeite frowned and rubbed his head; Zoisite frowned with annoyance, "You are being stupidI am just doing their work in advance. Jadeite please, since when you fall into the petty wagon? Kunzite is like that because he had issues when growing up, but you better than anyone knows that he is very light-hearted when he is around the people he cares about, the same goes for Endymion—they're like that because that's how they grew up to be. If you are trying to mimic their personalities to get a woman's attention—"

"Who said I needed to get a woman's attention? I know how to do that—"

"Then what the hell are you doing?" Zoisite shook his head with frustration, Jadeite sighed with defeat, "I just—I want to see if I would be taken seriously if I had a similar approach and acted more like them."

"If nobody took you seriously, you would not even be one of the Shitennou in the first place,"

Both blondes widened their eyes and turned to see Kunzite standing by the door with his arms crossed, "W-What are you doing there!?" Jadeite asked surprised. Kunzite arched his brow, "Listening to all of your nonsense." Jadeite sweatdropped, "Oi, my life is not for your amusing."

"With all the stupid things you have been saying, it sure makes it entertaining." Kunzite frowned, "What the hell are you doing?" Zoisite frowned at Kunzite, "Me? I am trying to make him under—"

"No, not _you_ —I am asking Jadeite," Kunzite cut his friend's words abruptly off while never leaving the young blonde's eyes, "What? Do you want to rejoice in pettiness?"

"No," Jadeite frowned, Kunzite's eyes narrowed and walked over who he called and treated like his little brother. After his rather unexpected afternoon with Minako resigning her job and everything that happened in between, he thought it was better for him to go home early enough to catch Nephrite before he went into his meditating trance and talk to his friends and comrades about the situation with the prince. As leader and Endymion's right hand, he had to take matters into his hands and start preparing them for what still was uncertain but most certainly going to happen.

The minute he crossed through the door, Kunzite was instantly attracted by the way Jadeite was speaking to Zoisite and his very unexpected choice of words. True, he had not been his usual self lately, just like everyone else but he did not know most of it was because aside from being worried for everything that had been happening, he was also broken-hearted. Of pains of the heart Kunzite knew his fair share, he has been in love and he has known the aggressive feeling of loss. He sat on the sofa across from Jadeite and crossed his arms again, "You are the last person I expected to go through an existential crisis."

"I am not having an existential crisis, I am just stating something obvious."

"By saying you have been imitating us to be taken seriously? Jadeite, you have never needed that to make yourself respected, your work, discipline, and loyalty are what makes you different from the rest." Kunzite took a deep breath, "Why are you doubtful and scared about something we are not even sure it is going to happen? You told me that yourself when all of you were mocking me for not speaking to Venus." He turned to Zoisite, "This is because of Mars, is it not?" The blonde gave his commander a silent response.

Jadeite shook his head "I wish to leave this matter behind."

"I worry about Purgatorio too, Jadeite, every day." Kunzite word's startle both men, but mostly Jadeite because it was the same insecurity he had been experiencing, "I make myself the same question, once I fulfill my duties here will I return to Purgatorio? Am I going to leave Venus again?" Kunzite shrugged one shoulder, "I cannot give you a straight answer but I can assure you that we will fight to stay where we belong—here. We had the right to live a normal life like they did and it was taken away from us, Beryl and Metallia took that away from us and made us live in the shadows. I have been separated from Venus three times, Jadeite, and I do not want there to be a fourth."

Jadeite widened his eyes, surprised to hear his leader speak with such emotion and truth behind his words. "If you made up your mind that is your decision and we must respect it, but do not let yourself become the shadow of a man you used to be—not you, leave that to _us_ , the martyrs."

"Kunzite..." Jadeite blinked, Zoisite frowned confused "Martyrs?"

Kunzite nodded, "Unlike me or Endymion, Jadeite has been the rawest of us five. He never was afraid to speak his mind and that lack of filter is what balances this group. He has the courage and skills to be one of the Shitennou." he fixed his intense gaze on Jadeite, "Just keep that in mind, brother… do not ever feel less than any of us, not even the Prince."

Jadeite has always admired the white-haired general. Since his early days at the training camp and when he and the prince finally put their quarrel to an end, he was the most excited to have him on board and as a friend. He owed his knowledge and skills to the man, being the oldest, Kunzite took his position very seriously and continued training and teaching his fellow shitennou new ways of battle and strategies and looked after them like an older brother would do, and now, even with troubles of the heart he still shared valuable words of wisdom with him. Jadeite never doubted his place with them, he never questioned his own abilities but it was more of a question as to why he was always the last to be acknowledged by the women he liked, pushing him to think it was because he was too light-hearted and not somber enough. "Thank you, Kunzite." He finally spoke, with another tone in his voice; the white-haired general nodded. After putting the matter to rest, at least for the night, Kunzite turned to look around "Where is Nephrite?"

"In his room, meditating." Zoisite muttered and leaned his back on the couch, "He has been there since the sun went down."

"I see," Kunzite leaned forward and rested his arms on his lap while intertwining his fingers in thought, Zoisite noticed the gloom and worry in his face, something no one would usually see in him since he was the master of poker faces and frowned, "Did you see Endymion?"

"Yes," Kunzite looked at his friend; Jadeite propped one leg up on the sofa and leaned his arm on his bent knee, "How is he doing?"

"He is recovering faster than I thought, but he still has some way to go." Kunzite looked at the blonde, "As of now, he is focusing on something else,"

"Why do I have the feeling that there is more to know? Have you spoken to him?" Zoisite's said with worry and great curiosity. Kunzite sighed and nodded, "I need you all to be here—we need to see what information Nephrite can gather from his readings," he closed his eyes for a minute, thinking about the many variables that could happen from this moment on and exhaled, "And hope for the best, because right now, we need it—we need the fates to be on our side."

 _The Divinity series is rated M. Violence, intimacy and/or cursing may occur._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	54. Chapter 54

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Fifty-Four

* * *

Megumi walked out of her room wearing a soft pink chiffon midi dress Usagi gave her a couple of weeks back; as soon as she entered the living room area she was surprised to find Mamoru working on his laptop at the dining table in silence wearing a mid-dark denim shirt and black casual pants. He was so into the letter he was typing on his laptop it gave her a few seconds of silent bliss and making her think that it didn't matter what he wore, the man would always look impeccable and the fresh scent of his cologne was a nice plus to the whole picture. "G-Good morning, Prince Endymion," her soft voice made him turn to look at her with a soft smile, "Good morning, Megumi—did you sleep well?" He turned to grab his black mug and took a small sip of his coffee before putting it down again.

"Yes, Your Highness, thank you,"

"Good,"

Megumi blinked and pursed her lips in thought, "Uh, Your Highness?"

"Mm?" Mamoru kept working on the document he had open in his laptop but his quick answer was clear enough to let the maiden know he was paying attention; Megumi tilted her head with curiosity, "I know my question will sound somewhat obvious but... are you planning on going out?" Mamoru nodded as he continued typing, surprising the maiden with the fastness in which he moved his fingers across the keyboard without ever needing to move his gaze away from the screen, "Yes," he said softly and directed his intense prussian gaze at her, "I have to go to the hospital to let them know I am still around,"

"B-But you cannot be moving much!" Megumi widened her eyes and shook her head, "You are still injured and you need proper rest," her protective response made Mamoru crack a gentle chuckle, "I know, but I need to go and do the necessary paperwork to get a medical leave, don't worry, I'll be back soon." He gave her a reassuring smile, "I'm feeling okay,"

"It is so of you to say such thing..."

"What?"

Megumi frowned, "You could be feeling your very worst and you would still pretend to be alright."

Mamoru chuckled again, "You know me quite well, Megumi, but I promise you I am feeling fine. Actually, I feel better than I did yesterday."

The maiden sighed softly and shook her head, "Well, I believe I have no other choice but to believe His Highness' word."

"Are you alright?" Mamoru squinted his eyes a little bit, "Why do I feel there is something else you want to tell me?"

"Umm well," Megumi bit her lower lip with worry and peered back down the hall and pursed her lips, "Is Her Highness aware of your outing?"

"Yes, in fact, she's coming with me," Mamoru said softly and continued typing, "She's finishing getting ready—actually," he stopped and quickly turned to look for something in his brown leather messenger bag and put a small amber-colored bottle on the table for Megumi, "I need you to help me with something _but_ —" he raised his finger in warning, "It has to be a secret between us two." Megumi widened her eyes, "Your Highness?"

Mamoru drew in a long breath, proving that just like her, and everyone else, he was concerned for his wife's health, "It's no secret Serenity is not doing very well, her mood might be back to its usual quirkiness but her health... not so much. She is weak and undernourished and I know it's not because you didn't try... it's something else."

"And... that?" Megumi tensed her shoulders, showing worry; Mamoru pointed the small bottle in front of him, "This is a liquid multi-vitamin that will help her feel much better. It's very easy to take but she really hates it when I try to suggest anything that would make me act like a doctor with her so..." he shrugged his shoulders, "I have to take other measures. It's for her own good." The maiden nodded and leaned closer, she was liking where their conversation was going. Mamoru wasn't wrong, she did try to make the princess eat but nothing made to seem to catch her appetite, she had been too depressed to even care about food, "What do I do with this, Your Highness?"

"She likes to—" Mamoru made an abrupt pause when he heard noises coming from the bedroom and quickly turned to check if she was close and exhaled with relief once he made sure she wasn't coming out yet, "Serenity is not a morning person, with that being said—" he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, "She doesn't like much to eat breakfast so she prefers to compensate it with a fruit and protein shake or what she likes to call a _power smoothie."_ He jerked his head in the kitchen direction and pointed the refrigerator, "I have protein powder in one of the doors next to the fridge. You put one scoop of that powder, add two tablespoons of this liquid, and blend it with a banana, a bunch of strawberries and a cup of almond milk—she loves that and she won't notice the supplement because lucky for us, it doesn't have any flavor."

Megumi blinked and could not help to chuckle, "You know Her Highness too well, my Prince." Mamoru smiled and turned to continue typing, "That I do Megumi. She say's I'm stubborn, but she can also be a little too set in her ways, especially when it comes to convincing her to eat something else besides pancakes for breakfast, so, whatever catches her attention—I'll take it as an opportunity."

"I will go make this right away," Megumi grabbed the small glass bottle and walked towards the kitchen to start making the secret concoction just in time before the moon princess walked out of the bedroom with slight hurry wearing a black and white striped bateau top with ankle length skinny black pants and black five-inch stiletto heels with a black bow tied around her ankles. It had been long since she decided to style her hair in her usual odango style with a much more relaxed and tousled twists on her buns giving it a much more updated touch to her look added with her minimal makeup and rich matte red lips that made her icy blue eyes stand even more behind her long dark lashes. "Morning, morning!" she said in an apologetic tone before leaning down to give her husband a soft peck on the lips, "How long you have been here? Why didn't you wake me up?" she turned and looked at the cup next to his laptop and gave him a scornful glance, "You made coffee?!"

Mamoru turned to look at her and shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly, "Of course,"

"Seriously?" Usagi frowned, "What is the matter with you?"

"I can move much easier with the crutches Ami brought me, it's fine— _I'm_ fine." Mamoru continued typing, completely doing his best to ignore the piercing glare Usagi was giving him, "Besides, it's not like I have to be there at a specific hour—it's okay, don't worry." he smiled, his eyes briefly diverted from his laptop screen to her wife now sitting across him on the table and extended his arm at her to reach for her hand, "You look beautiful, by the way." The comment and the light tone in his low voice made Usagi blush and made her think how it didn't matter how much time it has passed or how long they have known each other she could never get tired of hearing such simple but incredibly sweet compliment from him. To her, it was always like the very first time—the flutter in her stomach, the heart flips in her chest, the flush in her cheeks and the bliss of being around him; it was always like the very first time they ever crossed words. Usagi grinned shyly and tugged his hand gently, "You too."

"Good morning, Princess."

Usagi turned to Megumi who was walking towards them from the kitchen, "Good morning, Megumi."

The maiden interrupted their little intimate moment and put a chilled mason jar on the table, right in front of her, "I have noticed you do not like having breakfast so early in the morning so I took the liberty to make you a strawberry-banana smoothie." Usagi's crystal blue eyes sparkled with glee as she looked at the glass jar in front of her, "Oh, Megumi, thank you! That's actually my favorite blend on a smoothie! How did you know?" she leaned forward to give the cold blend a sip and turned to Mamoru, "This is really, _really_ good—you should try drinking one of these instead of that bitter coffee you like to drink so religiously."

"Hmm..." Mamoru hummed as he continued typing, there is nothing wrong with me drinking coffee."

"You like it way too much," Usagi took a small sip to her smoothie and frowned, "When did you even start? You just woke up one day and decided it was weird enough to fit with your lifestyle?"

"What?" Mamoru cracked and laugh, "Drinking coffee is the most normal thing to do in the world, everyone does it."

"Well yes," Usagi leaned back in her chair, "Everyone, but you drink it in the darkest and most bitter way possible, and you have ever since I have known you." she tilted her head with genuine curiosity, "Is it a habit you picked up randomly?"

"No," Mamoru stopped typing and looked at his wife with a faint smile, "My relationship with coffee is just like everyone else's who drinks it every day, I got instantly hooked by the caffeine boost; I was fourteen when I started. I worked at the store I was also going through the long process of getting into Moto Azabu, I had to study had to keep my rhythm and not fail and lose my scholarship and my job. That's when I discovered the marvels of coffee, the reason as to why I like it black... well, I am not a sweet tooth like you are my dear, that's just a preference. I guess it has to do with the fact that the owner of the store was also a serious coffee lover and she always had coffee brewing for everyone to drink; she said good quality coffee is never bitter, never bland and that it doesn't need sugar or milk and it's true."

"This is nice,"

"What is?" Mamoru blinked, startled. Usagi smiled "This... knowing these little things. It's like there is always new to know about you. I know you don't like to talk about it because I understand it's hard for you, and that's why I don't ask, but, it's nice whenever you do."

"It's not I don't like to talk about them..." Mamoru gave his wife a melancholic smile, "I honestly didn't know it was something important to tell or something you were interested in knowing."

"Everything about you interests me," Usagi looked at their hands still holding across the table, "Would you tell me more?" Mamoru tugged her hand gently and winked an eye at her, "I will. I promise."

Usagi gave him a wide smile before taking another sip of her smoothie and got distracted by her phone ringing inside her purse, "Oh, I need to get that—" she stood up and gave Megumi a quick, sisterly hug before going for her phone, "It's delicious, thank you so much," Megumi was surprised to see the drastic change in the princess' mood and turned to the prince who silently mouthed a thank you for her support. Blushing, the maid pulled back and waved her hand, "I-It's nothing, Your Highness."

Usagi barely got to answer her phone and softly nibbled her lip to avoid any smudges with her makeup when she saw who her caller was, "Hi Mika—yes, I will stop by today for the—what!?" she brought her free hand up to her waist, expressing her frustration, "That _bitch_..."

Both Megumi and Mamoru turned with a surprised look on their faces since it was very strange and unexpected to hear the now mature and elegant voice of the always so sweet and bubbly Usagi use such words to refer another human being. Mamoru cocked a brow with surprise and turned to finish his document, "I guess it's time for us to leave—" he closed his laptop and put it inside his messenger bag along with a few folders and widened his eyes as he continued to listen to her flourish choice of words, "And for the sounds of it, we will have to stop by her office first," he sighed and turned to Megumi, "Would you like to come with us? I know she sounds like she could murder someone right now but she's not mad at us..."

Megumi blushed, grateful to be included in their everyday lives and giggled softly, "I think it will be better if I stay here and give a little maintenance to the room, with all the visitors I have hardly had any time to keep it as neat as I know you like to keep your living space, some things never change."

Mamoru pursed his lips, "Whenever I hear you say things like that, it makes me feel like I keep you here as a maid, which I don't appreciate, by the way. I value your efforts and I am thankful for all your help but you are free to go out whether is with us or by yourself whenever you want."

"I know my Prince, I apologize, I may have not expressed myself correctly," Megumi waved her hands, "What I was trying to say is that I like being here, and you might be surprised to hear this but I actually like to do those things, it makes me feel useful and occupied," she gave Mamoru a sad smile, "In this time and age, there is not much I can do with the little knowledge I have... I was just a girl with no education who happened to be lucky enough to work at the Palace."

"Don't say that Megumi," Mamoru shook his head, "You didn't happen to be _lucky enough,_ you were part of our family because you earned that position with honesty—you say you have no education? I highly disagree. You are very capable of doing whatever you want if you set your mind to it; you are far more educated than many of those who call themselves world leaders,"

"B-But you are our world leader, my Prince." Megumi inched forward with a puzzled expression on her face, the obvious confusion made Mamoru chuckle, "Not in this time and era my sweet Megumi. A lot has changed ever since," he turned and pushed himself up from his chair slowly shifting his weight from one foot to another with the help of his crutches and turned to look at her, "Don't ever think of yourself that way, you are valuable to me, to Usa, to the girls and the Shitennou. There are plenty of opportunities for you out there if you want to study, if you want to do something else, just ask, we can figure something out."

"I keep every word close to my heart, my Prince." Megumi smiled, "I do and I thank you for your support."

"Always," Mamoru pinched her nose in a brotherly fashion, "Alright, so... I think we will be out all afternoon, are you sure you want to stay here? We might have to stop by a market to buy more groceries after leaving whatever workplace we get to go last." The young woman shook her head, "I will be alright, I will take care of dinner; you do whatever you have to do without a single worry." both prince and maiden turned with wide eyes at Usagi when they heard her cursing under her breath as she hung up her phone with anger and throw it carelessly inside her black satchel handbag, "Usako?" Mamoru dared to ask, not really sure of what to expect. It took Usagi a couple of minutes to deal with her emotions and whatever was going on and finally turned to her husband and exhaled heavily, "Is it okay if we stop by my office first? There is something I must do— _urgently._ " Mamoru nodded, "Sure, I won't ask what happened... your face says it all."

"I will explain it on our way there," With a heavy sigh charged with annoyance, Usagi turned to grab her phone again and started typing something and let out another puff of air, "Okay, so our drive should—"

"Huh?" Mamoru quickly interrupted and looked at her with a frown masking his handsome face, "I'm sorry, what?"

Usagi turned with a puzzled look and blinked with confusion, "What?"

"Our drive?"

"Yes," Usagi waved her phone proudly, "I am using this app on my phone to call for a ride,"

"Why?"

"Because... we need to go and do things?"

"Usa, we _have_ a car and its _parked_ downstairs." Mamoru squinted his ocean-blue eyes, marking his confusion. Usagi copied his face gesture with a hint of added sarcasm, "True, but _you_ _can't_ drive in your condition."

"Who says _I'm_ driving?" Mamoru shrugged his shoulders carelessly, startling his wife, "W-What?"

"You're driving,"

"What!?"

Mamoru pointed the large bowl in the foyer, completely ignoring the shocked look on her face, "The key is over there," he turned to secure his *terraluna watch on his wrist and grab his wallet, phone, and the flash drive he was using on his laptop minutes ago, not paying attention to Usagi's panicked gaze, "You're kidding, right?" That was the only retort she could come up with; Mamoru turned and shook his head still confused, "Why would I be kidding? You know how to drive—Motoki taught you, Haruka taught you, I taught you, and your dad _also_ taught you."

"Yes..." Usagi nodded and walked over to him, desperate to change his mind, "But did you forget how long it took me to learn?"

"You did in the end, come on." Mamoru grabbed his messenger bag and put the thick strap across his chest and waited for her to take the lead to walk out of the apartment but Usagi wasn't having it, instead, she shook her head to make a point and reason with her husband and stomped her foot on the floor with frustration, keeping her ground on the matter "No, no, come on—Mamo-chan!"

"Usako," Mamoru frowned, "It's not a car with a stick, it's automatic. You know how to drive an automatic car. I changed the other car for this one because you said it would be good if you could drive too,"

"Well, yes but..." Usagi rolled her eyes and puffed with exasperation, "Fine! Just don't judge my driving skills. Don't judge my distance or how I step on the brake or accelerator. I don't want to hear a peep, alright?" She pouted her lips, "I can't park between two cars... you know that." Mamoru smiled in reassurance, "I am not going to judge you, come on, the sooner we leave the sooner we get back." Usagi growled and stomped her way to get her purse, "I hate it when you do that."

"And I love you," Mamoru tried his best not to laugh when he saw her fuming at him and noticed she had yet not finished the secret concoction he asked Megumi to make and pointed the jar on the table, "Ah-ah, don't forget your smoothie."

Usagi was about to snap back at him again but then realized it would be too rude of her to misprize Megumi's kind gesture of preparing it for her so she turned and without saying anything else took one gulp after another until she finished it all and put the empty jar again on the table and turned to give the maiden a soft smile, "It was very tasty, Megumi, thank you again."

"Have a nice day, Your Highness," Megumi waved her hand and watched the princess return to her rants and fumes as she walked out the door with Mamoru just nodding patiently behind and smiled, "There is no doubt those two belong together."

O—o—o—o—O

The morning was quiet, everybody was doing their own routines as they moved and went in and out of buildings, cars, and public transportation. It had been a quiet morning, especially for a certain couple. After running some errands and grocery shopping, Haruka and Michiru walked back to the car and drove back home.

Michiru turned her attention from the view outside her window to the woman driving at the other side of the car and took a deep, silent breath. After the attack, things have been a little complicated between them and even the interaction the blonde had with Setsuna and Hotaru had become a little strained; for starters, she had gone silent on the matter to the extent of not even asking about Usagi's state or Mamoru's. She was angry, that part was obvious to Michiru she knew well what triggered that defensive almost aggressive attitude towards her and the rest of the world.

While she kept in touch with Minako, she still wished things would be less chaotic and for Haruka to swallow whatever was boiling in her mind. She wanted to see the Princess but with Haruka so upset it would not be the best of choices, at least not for now. "You missed the exit," the aquamarine nymph said softly as she pointed the exit in question pass by her side. Sighing, she leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, "Just how long is this strange phase going to last?"

Haruka stopped on a red light, her fingers curled tight on the steering wheel as she looked straight ahead with her dark shades well in place and covering her blue eyes, Michiru already knew were cold and filled with anger. "My, we continue with the silent phase..."

"I don't know what you are expecting me to say, Michiru," Haruka mumbled as she continued to wait for the light to change colors. Michiru frowned, "You don't? Well, explaining your sudden change in attitude would be a nice start."

"It's something I must deal on my own," Haruka frowned. Michiru sighed and turned again to look out their Porsche's window, "Then I don't know why I am here with you," she noticed the blonde parked the car at the next block and but remained in silence for another couple of minutes, "What do you want from me?!" she snapped and finally turned to face her lover, "What do you want me to tell you?!"

"I want to know what's wrong with you! You've been in the worst of moods since the attack happened... you haven't even asked how the Prince or Princess is doing, and it's been more than a week. We haven't gone or called so we wouldn't have any problems with you... Pluto is at the Gates of Space and Time and Saturn is being dragged to the Underworld more and more and it is like you don't care about anything that's been happening..."

"You have told me what I need to know, the Princess is fine because the Prince is _finally_ awake."

And there it was, the one sentence Michiru needed to hear from her lover to finally begin to peel the many layers and reasons for her anger like an onion. She was angry not at them but at the royals, her position as sailor senshi, and her obligation to serve was in the way. She had a duty but she was on a strike. Michiru sighed and shook her head, "You seem to be bothered by the fact that the Prince is awake,"

"It sickens me," Haruka blurted her anger out, like a snake spitting venom. Michiru frowned and shook her head, barely recognizing her blonde lover but Haruka was fast enough to interrupt whatever she was about to say, "It's always like this... she always puts herself in the line for others, in this case, _him_." She narrowed her eyes in rage, "I don't need an update to know how she is doing, I know how she is... I know how she has been and what she has done, but she doesn't realize her love for him is dangerous— _he_ is dangerous."

"Are you listening to yourself?" Michiru shook her head in disbelief, "Yes." Haruka nodded, "Yes, I know what I am saying and I have never been so sure about something. They are not supposed to be together, not then and not now, there are valid reasons for it. All that has happened is a sign that what they have it's a curse. He is a curse."

"Haruka!"

"She died because of him! She killed herself because of _him!_ And that is the way it has been every time there is an enemy! She gives her life for others and doesn't give a damn about her. I know I got along with him, he's cool to hang out with but the truth is obvious. I thought I could come to terms with their affair and support _her_ because I love her. She is my Princess but I cannot continue supporting her constant sacrifices for him, a Prince that has done nothing but put everyone in danger with his shady past and dark family."

Michiru widened her eyes in disbelief, Haruka clenched her jaw, "You asked me what was wrong with me? This is what is wrong with me, I am angry! I am frustrated!"

"What you are saying is cruel,"

"What I am saying is the truth."

"You're blaming the Prince, you're blaming the Princess— _our_ Princess."

"He is related to everything that has been putting _our_ Princess in danger, Michiru. What he did that night was selfish, and stupid."

"He saved her life!" Michiru raised her voice, "I am not defending him, I am stating something obvious! We were being attacked from all sides, we were surrounded!"

"I will not serve a Prince that is linked to darkness, he's a monster, Michiru," Haruka snapped angrily, "And if my Princess decides to continue sharing and risking her life for him, then I resign my position as Sailor Senshi."

The words felt like daggers on Michiru's chest. Since she found Haruka again they had been partners in everything and they were probably the only ones that never questioned or cursed their destinies as Senshi. They always worked as one, they thought as one and now it felt like they were parting ways, which made the whole situation more painful. Michiru still believed in the princess' light of hope and she believed in the future Pluto once foreshadowed. She wanted to fight for the cause but Haruka was on the other side of the spectrum and not only that, she was also losing her, as her lover and life companion. The violinist shook her head with disbelief but her deep aquamarine eyes gleamed with tears, "I am only going to say this one time—you are angry... not at him, not at her, but at yourself. It angers you that you were not the one with power enough to save her. You are angry for not being able to even come close to Asteria or the Andromedian—it angers you it was him, instead of you. I believe in Princess Serenity and I believe in a world where we all can live in peace, whether is under our true selves or as mortals, but I believe in it. It's not my problem, nor Pluto's or Saturn's... is yours, you and your ego. It's not Mamoru's or Usagi's problem either, it's yours and your overprotective shadow over her. He risked his life for her and it sickens you because what you saw that night, the power he showed it was something you were not expecting to come from him. You are angry because you realize how much you underestimated him because as strong as you are, you were not even close to doing what he did, it burns you to the very core." Michiru sighed and pulled the handle on her door to open it, "That is why we are a team, that is why we are together but if you can't accept it—then I cannot be with you,"

Haruka's blue eyes widened, "Michiru..."

"I can't—" Michiru stepped out of the car and slammed the door as she walked away without looking behind. Her words felt like crashing waves in her heart, stumbling her feelings and insecurities. She loved the woman and now, she was slipping away and despite feeling the angst and the desperation to go after her and stop her with a kiss, her body didn't respond. She looked at her vanishing in the distance, her flowy cream-colored dress dancing around her legs with every step she took further away from her; the love of her life was parting ways and it was breaking her heart.

"—I'm sorry." Haruka put her dark sunglasses and turned the engine on and pulled back into the traffic, "I'm sorry, my love."

O—o—o—o—O

Usagi let out a long puff of air and arranged the rear-view mirror for the hundredth time as she waited for the red light to turn green. Her delicate fingers tapped nervously the leather-like material on the steering wheel thinking how her once perfectly painted matte lips might be all smudged for rubbing her teeth over them so many times since she turned the car engine on and drove the car out of their building. Mamoru's brow peeked up from his classic ray ban's and turned to face his nervous wife on the driver's seat, "Why are you so anxious?"

"I don't like driving when there is so much traffic," Usagi pursed her lips nervously and frowned, "And I happen to know how expensive this freaking car is—if I scratch it, I won't hear the end of it."

"All cars are expensive, Usa, not just this one." Mamoru leaned forward to look up at the thick clouds floating in the sky through the windshield, "It's going to rain soon..." he pointed the green light above them, "Green."

"Yes, cars are expensive but this one's ridiculous—it's too fancy. It makes me nervous..." Usagi stepped softly on the accelerator to continue their journey and frowned, " _You_ make me nervous,"

"Buns, I am the last person that should make you feel nervous—we've done more risky things than this." Mamoru looked outside his window, "It's actually nice not being the one driving, I am going to ask you to take the wheel more often... oh look, a new ramen place,"

"You drive way better than I do,"

"You're doing great, you need to relax,"

" _You_ need to relax!"

"That's the thing, my dear, I _am_ relaxed,"

Usagi stopped at another red light and turned to him with a pout, "You're so mean, you know that, right?"

"How am I mean?" Mamoru cracked a chuckle and pinched Usagi's cheek gently, "I am stating a truth. Plus, you once told me it was good that you knew how to drive in case any of us needed help, well, your husband needs your valuable help and driving skills."

Usagi could not help to smile whenever she heard him say the word husband. She loved to hear him refer to himself as hers not because she didn't think she owned him or that she was being possessive of him. After the incident with Chieko, she finally admitted on being a little jealous, yes, but she understood that after so many years together, being married was more powerful and meaningful to both of them than just wearing a ring on their fingers. It was an ancient promise, finally fulfilled.

After twenty minutes more that felt more like an eternity, Usagi turned the wheel on the next block with much more ease and feeling a much more confident of her driving skills, thinking Mamoru was right when he said it was much easier to drive with this car than the one he previously owned but its luxury still made her feel a little uneasy because she wasn't _that_ good with measuring distances and parking _any_ vehicle. She made another stop and like her husband predicted, it started to rain giving a gloomier feeling to the day ahead as she spotted the building where the magazine offices were located. She felt it, the uncomfortable tug in her chest that warned her what she was going to be dealing with in a couple of minutes and felt like she needed to vent her worries, "Yuki-san has been acting strange lately, Mika-san told me there is this rumor going on that she's being promoted—" the princess leaned back in the driver's seat once she finally managed to park the car outside of the tall and fancy building and turned the engine off. The sound of the thick water droplets crashing against the windshield summed to the uncertainty of what was going to happen once she walked inside the building and it was keeping her glued to her seat. "But at other people's expense, most likely mine," she closed her tear glossed eyes and took a deep breath, "I'm scared, Endymion."

Mamoru pulled his dark shades away from his face and turned to his wife, "If that woman gets a promotion is only because she likes to flatter your boss to an extent of falling into ridicule—people like her feed from appearances and do whatever to keep an image to others, trust me, it's not worth your time or attention. Don't give her the right to see you crumbling. Serenity, baby, you need to thicken your skin and stand up for yourself—it's good to be kind to others but that doesn't mean you can let anyone stomp on your good will. Sadly, the real world can be a scary place and not everyone has good intentions. Not everyone lends a hand expecting nothing in return. Not everyone is trustworthy," he cupped her cheek lovingly, "Not everyone is like you."

"Thicken my skin?" Usagi frowned and shook her head, "How am I supposed to do that?"

"By not letting her put you in this mood." Mamoru pinched her nose gently, "You are giving that woman way too much importance and power, my dear,"

"You make it sound so easy..."

"Because it is,"

Usagi pressed her lips with a slight frown for a second, "No, it's because you are a natural at being apathetic." The frustrated comment from his wife made Mamoru smile with nostalgia. He leaned closer to her and combed her long fringe aside to look her in the eye, "No, dear. It's not something that came naturally, it's something I learned the hard way. One thing is to be approachable but other very different is to allow others to make you feel vulnerable." his thumb caressed her lips gently, "I don't want you to go through the same I did, so I am saying it to you now—don't give them the right to drag you down."

Usagi sighed and leaned her head on his hand, "Care to switch places with me?" looked into his deep blue eyes and giggled nervously. Mamoru held her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers in a tight hold, "Would it make you feel better if I went with you?"

"Would you?" Usagi felt hopeful as silly it was, she really didn't want to go in there alone; Mamoru nodded and kissed her hand in support, "Of course,"

"You don't think this is silly of me?"

"No,"

"Even if you wait for me at the reception?"

"It's fine, love." Mamoru shook his head, "For you— _anything_. Come on... let's go," he turned to the back seat to grab an umbrella he had for these types of cases of unexpected rain and handed it to his wife, "Here, don't get wet." Usagi grabbed it and quickly got out of the car to help him with the crutches and closed the door behind him. As they made their way through the building lobby, Usagi slid her card on the slot that allowed them to cross the front desk all the way to the elevators and pushed the button to take them to the magazine's floor. Mamoru leaned his back on the elevator wall and looked at his wife fidgeting nervously next to him; "Everything is going to be fine," he murmured as he ran his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. The soft bell from the elevator interrupted their little moment of affection and soon both were welcomed by the hurried sounds of telephones ringing, loud and indistinctive chatter and clicking heels all around the modern office and lobby. Mamoru jerked his head slightly in the direction of the fancy waiting area close to the front desk, "I will be waiting for you over there, alright? Breathe, you got this," he whispered in her ear and kissed her temple before walking away. Still not sure why she felt so anxious, Usagi took a deep breath and nodded as she walked out of the elevator and greeted the receptionist who was typing something on her computer, "Good morning Mei-san."

"Usagi-san! Ohayo!" The young receptionist grinned, "It's been a while since I saw you around... you even changed your look—I love the new hair color by the way! Very chic," Usagi smiled shyly, not really wanting to go much into detail about it, "Oh, t-thanks,"

The girl smiled and widened her dark brown eyes when she saw Mamoru taking a seat at the lounge area while looking down at his phone, doing little to no effort to socialize with anybody, "Oh my," the young woman gasped, catching Usagi's attention as she signed a format to send to her boss, "What?"

"The hottie that just got here,"

"Huh?"

The young blonde girl bit her lower lip in a flirtatious way and wiggled her brows without taking her eyes off her target, "Look at that super-hot model over there—he's probably coming to shoot the new ad campaign. Maya sure has a good eye, he sure is one tasty piece of candy..." she leaned on the counter and sighed, "I could spread that hunk on a cracker and eat him in one big bite..."

Shocked by the young woman's choice of words, she turned to glance over her shoulder and felt her blood run cold in her veins and the most uncomfortable chill all over her body when she realized who her co-worker was talking about. This was probably the first time Usagi felt this angry when somebody made a reference about Mamoru's looks but know that she knew more about his relationship with the word _'hunk'_ and what it actually meant in his life she couldn't help feeling overprotective of him. It was like Minako so much wanted her to understand, it wasn't his fault, the man was utterly attractive and he had a unique and mysterious vibe that only magnified the strong presence he imposed whenever he went without even trying and without a single care. Usagi knew the Mamoru-effect firsthand, and even now, two thousand years later, she still got caught in it like if it was the very first time. Mamoru had a magnetism impossible to ignore, that she understood, but this was the first time—aside from the conversation she overheard between him and Chieko the other day—that she could see how women looked at him. As blunt and awful as it sounded in her head, Chiba Mamoru—Endymion, _her Mamo-chan_ , was a beautiful ornament to everyone else. His feelings, intentions, or even his impressive level of intelligence were constantly overlooked and sadly, it's what had made him level up his sarcasm and seriousness to others. Mamoru was the man any girl dreamed to marry; a man with a future, with money to spend, and a handsomeness to admire with no end, and it hit her how after two thousand years, nothing really had changed.

Usagi finally understood why Mamoru was apathetic and what he meant when he said he learned to be like that, the hard way. In this or any other lifetime, he was a man whose his skills or character were often overlooked, making obvious as to why he handled his personal life with so much hermetic and seriousness nature. It was clear to her now, what the word _hunk_ represented in his life and the way Mei was talking about him was the best example of it and it bothered her—it bothered her greatly. The girl was not just admiring his looks anymore, no, she was actually lusting over him the same way Yuki did on their wedding day, and the same intoxicating way Chieko did when they were signing the papers on the house. Sad enough, it wasn't a casual glance of admiration, this was not a platonic way to look at him but of pure lewdness and it sickened her—it angered her without measure, and she had to make it stop. With a long sigh, Usagi turned and gave the girl the coldest of glares, one that could even cut through anything, "He is not a model,"

"What?"

"He is my husband, Mei-san."

With this new piece of information, Mei felt her blood freezing in her veins and turned pale in a matter of seconds, realizing what she had done. It was then when she remembered hearing from Yuki that Usagi had gotten married and the reason for her absence was because she used her vacation days for her honeymoon. But along with the news of the young illustrator's wedding, also came the gossip and Mei was perfectly aware of Yuki's usual way to overelaborate stories and whenever she heard her talking non-stop about the groom she thought the redhead was over exaggerating as always until now that she got to see him in person and totally see why. With the same panic that couldn't seem to leave her face, Mei slowly turned to face the silver-blonde and shook her head, "O-Oh—Usagi-san, oh my god, oh my god, I-I'm so _so_ sorry! I—"

"He is _not_ a _hunk_ , he's _not_ a hottie or tasty piece of eye-candy and he is _not_ something to spread on anything. You need to learn how to talk to people," Usagi arched her brow, "You need to learn to respect others, even if he wasn't someone I knew, that's not a proper way to speak of someone behind their back."

"I-I'm so sorry... I didn't know—"

"You don't have or need to know anything to be polite, it's called manners. Learn them, they're useful in life." Usagi sighed to try and shed some of her anger boiling inside her; knowing this was not going to take her anywhere any time soon so she decided to ignore the girl's weak attempts to apologize and turned in the direction of her boss' office, "Is Maya here?"

"Y-Yes, she is in a meeting with marketing, but—" Mei widened her eyes in shock when Usagi walked past her without saying anything else, clearly still upset for what just happened. The steady clicking sound of her high heels soon caught Mika's attention and looked up at the silver-haired woman walking inside their shared office, "Usagi!"

"Hey Mika—I was on my way to Maya's office but Mei told me—" she rolled her eyes in annoyance, "—Among other things—that she was in a meeting with the marketing team so I thought it would be a good time to catch up with what's been going on here before I head over to her office," Usagi turned and frowned when she saw Yuki's desk was no longer next to Mika's and that her desk was not exactly how she left it, "Mika... what happened in here?"

Resigned, Mika sighed, "This is what I was trying to tell you over the phone the other day—Yuki, she's being promoted to head of this department. It's been confirmed."

"Meaning?" Usagi frowned and walked over to her computer to check on some things but before she could say a thing the answer came clear right before her beautiful eyes, "My work... why does—" Mika sighed again, "She took full credit for it." Usagi's eyes widened with anger and turned to her co-worker and friend, "She what?!"

O—o—O

At the lobby, Mamoru stopped an email on his phone and paid close attention to what he was sure was his wife having some sort of an argument with another person. Judging by her tone, he could already tell whatever was happening inside wasn't good news. As much as he wanted to intervene in her defense, he had to remain low-key, this was a battle she had to fight for herself and a boss she had to face with dignity and the same brave stance she did whenever she fought as Sailor Moon. This was a trial she had to overcome, a lesson she had to learn like he did, so many years back. With a soft sigh, he looked down at his phone again, the corner of his lip curled in a confident smile, "You got this, Serenity."

O—o—O

Back in the office, Mika shook her head, "She's been doing a whole mess after your wedding. Maya was putting so much pressure for all of us to finish the designer's campaign and—"

"—She stole my work and claimed it as hers! She freaking hacked the security code on my drive and stole my work! I can't believe her!" A wave of anger and disillusion crashed over Usagi over the unexpected turns her dream job had taken. She was disappointed to see how far envy and jealousy could go and that how it had to happen to her. If something she was dead sure about, was her efforts and many sleepless nights trying to push herself to excel in her career as an illustrator and designer. Her eyes burned with angry tears, thinking how much all her hard work wasn't paying off and that her value as a person was not appreciated in a job she cared for and loved so much. That was the worst part of it, she loved her job, and she had become friends with her co-workers, but this was a brutal reminder that just as there were good people in the world, there were also those who couldn't stand other people's success or happiness—like Yuki.

Usagi shook her head and took a long and deep breath, "I can't wait here and see how she steals my work. I can't give her or anyone such benefit, _not_ anymore."

Something inside Usagi snapped like the cork of a bottle of champagne did under the pressure of being pushed up. She thought about all the things she had to endure to earn her place in that department and how much effort, love, and passion she had put to everything she has done since she started working there. It was her first official job as an illillustratord designer, that was true, but the platform the cult magazine was giving her was something she could not ignore and the emotional and now professional abuse she got from her boss at moments like these was what made Usagi lose her last drop of patience giving cue to Mamoru's advice when telling her how she deserved to be where her work spoke for itself and she felt appreciated.

It was the most bitter irony, now that she put more thought into the whole situation. She had fought monsters, aliens, have challenged people from the future, and has gone into the depths of the universe. She has saved the world more than once and now here she was, taking crappy attitude from a woman that didn't really care about anything but herself—since when she accepted this situation as something normal? Was this being normal? No. She angrily thought, this isn't normal, she didn't want this type of normality. Not when she was taught how to fight. Not when she had friends who were warriors as well, not when she was married to a warrior.

No, this isn't normal. She is not normal. She is Sailor Moon—Princess Serenity of the Moon, for heaven's sake.

Usagi turned on her heel and walked to Maya's office, surprising Mika for her unexpected reaction, "Usagi!" The silver-haired walked past by Maya's secretary despite her warning of not going in and opened the door, interrupting the meeting her boss was having with Yuki and the managers from other departments. Maya turned furious at her and frowned, "What do you think you are doing Tsukino-san?"

"Good morning Maya, sorry for the abrupt interruption but I need to have a word with you, _alone._ " Usagi gave Yuki a fiery glance, making a great emphasis on the last word. Maya let out a sarcastic chuckle, "Excuse me?"

Usagi stood her ground and didn't either budge or flinch with embarrassment like she normally would, thinking how maybe her royal side was finally showing through or that maybe it was because she knew Mamoru was close by waiting for her and that made her feel safe. She didn't feel alone and also, she felt she had to homage her new name and borrow some of Mamoru's scrappy attitude to protect her dignity and reputation by letting them know she was not someone to be toyed with. Maya noticed the sudden change in her too and turned to her associates and peers, "We will continue with this later this afternoon." she muttered dryly and she closed the portfolio in her hands. Without a single question or contradicting argument everyone in the room silently left her alone with the silver-haired, being Yuki the last person to close the door behind her. Maya walked from the long oval table she had at the other side of her office for meetings to her modern desk and started to put some images into different separators and folders, "So, you finally decided it was appropriate for you to show up." The older woman glanced up quickly at Usagi and scoffed with sarcasm, "Blessed my eyes,"

Usagi frowned, "I didn't decide it was time, I took my vacation days—"

"Your vacation leave ended days ago," Maya interrupted Usagi and arched her brow defiantly, "And based on what Nakamura informed me, you still need to take more days but, sure—that gives you the right to come in here and interrupt my meetings as you please like if you owned this office,"

"It's not as I please," Usagi shook her head, "I tried to reach you and you never took my calls. I have been taking days because I had an emergency—"

"In this business there is no room for emergencies," Maya raised her voice to prove her authority, "Either you come here and deliver 200% or do not come at all." The older woman narrowed her eyes, "Did your marriage ended already or something? Why the bitchy attitude?"

"What?" Usagi was clearly offended by the woman's snarky comment. Maya took a seat behind her desk and looked at her, "You went as far as doing that stupid hairstyle again—I told you I didn't want to see you wearing that, it makes _me_ and the magazine look bad."

"My hair, the way I dress, my weight... any of those things affect my work—you know I am good at it, but you preferred to promote someone who doesn't have a clue of what she's doing." Usagi clapped back angrily, "Shimizu Yuki didn't do the designs you have on your desk— _I did,_ and I did not give any authorization for her or _anyone_ to take them without my permission _._ " She walked to Maya's desk and grabbed the prints, "I made _all_ of these on my computer, at my house, and out of office hours which makes it personal artwork—it's copyrighted and she stole it from me but you being the egocentric woman you are, you didn't even care to do a little research and gave her a promotion—one I have been working my ass off for months to get!"

Maya widened her eyes, this was a new side of the always sweet and respectful she did not know of Usagi. "Who the hell do _you_ think _you_ are? I will not allow you to speak to me this way!" she pounded her fist on her desk and slowly stood from her seat, "You don't even have the slightest idea of who you are talking to—I can ruin your career in a matter of seconds."

At this point, Usagi knew there was no turning back. She knew she had gone a little too far but she was too angry to even filter her feelings and ask for forgiveness for her behavior. This was it, the moment to thicken her skin and not giving anyone the right to make her feel bad, "The designs are mine, you may want to try and ruin my reputation and career—but what can you expect from women who can't stand competition?"

"You little brat," Maya laughed bitterly, "Competition? To me? Please,"

"I studied for this! You have no idea of how much effort and sacrifices were made in order for me to have my career and you are not going to ruin it for me." Usagi gave Maya the coldest of glares, "And I am going to do it with or without buns on my head—because a hairstyle does not affect my talent and skills."

"We'll see about that," Maya snarled and walked away from her desk, towards Usagi, "Don't you even think you are allowed to come back to the magazine," she shook her head and clicked her tongue as she looked at her up and down, "You are a wasted talent, I had hopes for you and you had to ruin it by getting married. Well newsflash little girl, men are unreliable! They are disposable! The minute you turn your back they leave you stranded." She frowned angrily, "Don't come back here crying and begging for another opportunity when you get your ass dumped by a younger version of yourself."

"None of this has anything to do with me getting married," Usagi shook her head angrily, "I have endured too much ambition in my life and I have encountered so many horrible things in the past but this... your words are beyond it." she shook her head, "It's needless to say I won't be coming back so I don't care, I don't care what you think or what you say. I won't give you that right, not anymore. You can say as much as you want about me but this work is _mine_ , and I will hire whoever I have to hire to make sure you can't use it for this or any other campaign in the future. I know how much money this brought you—well, let's put that money into use to pay a lawyer for the lawsuit coming your way."

Maya laughed, "You? _You_ are going to sue me for the rights of these? These belong to the company! They belong to _me!_ " she shook her head, "Please, you probably don't have a single penny to spend... let alone the courage to go through a long, devastating lawsuit."

"I will after I win." Usagi arched her brow with defiance, "I never gave my authorization and those were stolen from my encrypted drive, my _personal_ encrypted drive. All those designs were there for my personal use—you can check my computer, you can check _any_ computer from any cubicle in this office—you won't find a single trace." Usagi narrowed her eyes, "I won't let _her_ take credit for _my_ effort and knowledge. But just think what will happen to this magazine's reputation after the competition learns your shady strategies of marketing?"

"Are you threatening me?"

"I am defending what is mine."

Maya looked at her and for a reason she could not really explain, she felt intimidated by the younger woman in front of her. There was a presence and a courage she had not seen coming from her before, her pride didn't want to admit it and it did not let her flinch in weakness, instead, it provoked the envious vibes she didn't know she had going so strong. Where did she find this new aggressive courage? She thought with wonder. Whatever it was, she could not look away.

O—o—O

Mamoru glanced down at his watch and pursed his lips, it has been a while since they got there and there were no signs of Usagi anywhere, fearing something was going on. He thought of asking the receptionist if she had any information on his wife when he saw Yuki talking to the girl and pursed his lips with annoyance; he quickly decided to put his initial thought aside and keep waiting when he accidentally overhead their conversation.

"She went inside the office acting all crazy mode and demanded to speak to Maya, like if she owned the place."

"But hasn't she been missing work lately? Why is she here acting all bitchy?" Mei asked with a hint of annoyance, Yuki shrugged her shoulders, "She thinks she's entitled because she claims the designs for the summer and autumn campaigns for this big designer are hers, I mean hello? _I_ came up with the idea of creating a design inspired in cosmic romance,"

Mamoru's blue eyes widened when he remembered the countless nights Usagi stayed up working on her ideas and hearing her say the magazine was competing to feature an exclusive line and how it was the perfect opportunity to earn a promotion. He remembered how excited she was when sketching and talking to him about her ideas and how she would use her experiences as senshi and princess to pitch a campaign called _'Cosmic Romance'._ But now, and for what Mamoru could hear from the women gossiping close by, they were claiming her work as their own without her permission and for him, that was the last straw.

Mei bit her lower lip and leaned closer to Yuki, "By the way... speaking of Usagi-san... guess who came along with her?"

Yuki blinked with curiosity, "Who?" Her eyes widened, "Wait," she turned to look over her shoulder at Mamoru sitting at the lounge and gasped; Mei smiled "Okay, so, I have to confess that I didn't believe you when you first told me about him but—" Yuki turned with a grin, "Right?"

"Oh my god!" Mei mouthed with shock and sighed, "Can life be any more unfair?"

"Unfair? No," Yuki undid her ponytail and shook her hair in a flirtatious way, completely taking Mei by surprise, "Yuki, what are you—"

"Men are men, and I know how to crack them." Yuki smirked, "I did it with Orochi, remember?"

"You're such a flirt, Yuki,"

"No, I know what I want—and I want that candy over there," Yuki smirked with confidence, "Excuse me,"

Mamoru was so into his thoughts he didn't realize he was no longer alone until the uncomfortable chill one has when someone scratches a chalkboard with their nails ran all over him, "Hi!" He closed his eyes in frustration when he heard Yuki's high-pitch voice ringing in front of him, "Mamoru, right?" Yuki looked at him with a confident smile. Mamoru sighed and put his phone back in his black pants before he looked up at the red-head, "Yes," his voice showed zero interest in establishing a deeper conversation with her but for the looks of it, he was already condemned. Yuki gave the man an excited grin as she put to work the wide arsenal of charming tricks she had for whenever she wanted to catch a man's attention, "I didn't know you were here! Why didn't you ask for me? I could have totally hooked you up—you know, with some coffee."

"Classy," Mamoru muttered under his breath and tried to divert his attention to something else but the woman in front of him wasn't taking the hint. Yuki blinked "Are you looking for Usagi? Or should I say, your _wifey_?" A single nod was all she got in response from Mamoru, another hint she didn't pick up. Yuki smiled and flicked her long hair back, "She's in a meeting with the Editor in Chief. I honestly don't know how long she going to take in there... why don't you come with me and have a cup of coffee while you wait? Come on, my treat,"

Mamoru turned to look at her and leaned forward. He rested his arms on his lap and gave Yuki an analytical glance, his deep blue eyes narrowed with wonder, "Are you always like this?" he muttered, partly interested and partly disgusted. The question startled the young woman and shook her head, "E-Excuse me?"

"Is this your lifestyle every single day?"

"Well, yes—it's what I am used to."

Mamoru quirked a brow, "What you are used to?"

"You know," Yuki shrugged her shoulder casually, "Moneywise,"

"Hmm... sure," It had been long since Mamoru lost all interest to be polite to someone. Usually, he would give anyone the benefit of the doubt or even preferred to ignore them and avoid feeling annoyed by stupid comments but the woman who now decided to sit in a chair in front of him had an innate talent to push anyone's buttons and put anyone's patience to the test, even his. He knew Usagi is far more open and permissive than he ever was, and while she had taken much mistreat from her, he was not going to fall for that game—he knew how to play it and actually win, again, he learned it the hard way. "It's exhausting, don't you think? Waking up every morning trying to figure out how to keep proving your made-up status to those around you," his voice deepened, sending Yuki a sharp chill down her back, "I-I don't know what you are talking about..."

"Sure you do, you just like to pretend you don't." Mamoru never took his intense gaze off her, Yuki widened her eyes and blinked nervously, "I really do—"

"M-Mamoru-san!" Another voice interrupted their conversation, Mamoru turned to look at Mika walking towards them and waved her hand, "Ohayo!"

Mamoru's cold stare slowly shifted to a more approachable one the second she came close, "Ohayo, Mika-san."

Mika smiled softly, "A-Are you looking for Usagi?" she blinked when she saw the pair of crutches next to him, "Oh my goodness, Mamoru-san, what happened?"

"I had an accident," Mamoru answered softly but with no opening to any more questions about the matter. "I came with Usagi, I know she is in a meeting with your boss." His eyes changed colors again as he fixed his intense gaze on Yuki, who was still sitting in front of him and way too close to his liking, " couldn't help overhearing your previous conversation and I want you to confirm me what this is about,"

"Me?" Yuki blinked with wide eyes, Mamoru nodded "Yes, _you_."

"Listen Mamoru, Usagi—"

"First of all, let's be clear about something." Mamoru raised his hand mid-way to stop her, "Since when you can speak to me with such confidence?" Mika widened her eyes and looked down at Yuki who was having a hard time to find the right answer to give to Mamoru, "Ah... well..."

"Well?"

"I-I thought... well... you see... Usagi is a friend of mine and I thought—"

"No, you're not—not even close to being one." Mamoru narrowed his blue eyes, "You don't know me. I've only seen you once in my life and I don't recall ever giving you any sort of invitation to approach me so casually," he traced an invisible line between him and the redhead with his hand, "Also, you need to re-think on how you approach others, you're invading my personal space, so please, if you don't mind..."

Yuki blinked and quickly obeyed by leaning back. Mika saw the intimidating shade Mamoru was throwing Yuki with surprise. She was very impressed to see how he managed to do something not even Maya was able to do since it was nearly impossible to shut the woman up less to make her understand any sort of boundaries or respect. Mamoru kept his position with his arms on his lap and narrowed his sapphire eyes at Yuki who was feeling completely helpless at this point, "I did not need to hear much to understand what's going on,"

"W-What do you mean? There is no situation, Mamoru... _san,_ " Yuki added the honorific with a trembling voice and shook her head nervously, "You probably misunderstood—"

"No-no, I don't misunderstand the obvious." Mamoru cut through her words and arched his brow with defiance, "I want Usagi's drive, the very one with all of her work, the one _you_ stole and I don't want to hear you don't know where it is or any other stupid excuse because I know you have it well hidden."

Both Yuki and Mika widened their eyes at his bluntness, with the redhead trying her best to keep her image intact, "I-I don't... I don't have it,"

"You're a terrible liar, who are you trying to fool? Just you?" Mamoru leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, "What you are doing to Usagi is called plagiarism and even if she decided to keep things peaceful, I am a totally different story. I don't like excuses and I don't like wasting time, so, if you do not want to be in the middle of a serious problem with me and my lawyer, you better go get me that drive, now."

"But, Mamoru-san—" Yuki tried to insist but Mamoru shook his head, not having any of it anymore and didn't give the woman any other chance to redeem herself, "I said _now,_ "

Yuki froze in her place, putting his handsome features aside, she never imagined sweet Usagi's husband could be this intimidating, blunt and cold. She bit her lip nervously and quickly went back to her office without saying another word. Mika turned to an exasperated Mamoru, who was sighing with heavy annoyance. He looked at the young woman and shook his head, "Please excuse my outburst, Mika-san,"

"Oh," Mika shook her head and waved her hands in front of her, "No, no... please, don't worry. Someone really needed to put her in her place, but I should tell you she won't stay quiet for too long, she likes to talk _a lot._ "

Mamoru shrugged his shoulders, "I couldn't care less whatever she has to say," he looked at Mika and shook her head, "She doesn't know how to measure the consequences of her actions, it's typical behavior of an insecure person who feels intimidated by others."

Mika was impressed by Mamoru's ability to dismantle a person with a glance and the right words. It surprised her to see he didn't even need to raise his voice to prove a point and impose authority when needed. She had to admit that looking at him was hypnotizing and admirable, immediately understanding why Usagi felt so drawn to him despite the obviousness of his good appearance. There was no doubt of the tight commitment and respect they had for one another by the way he was looking after his wife's interests, it was truly endearing and it made sense to Mika as she remembered how Usagi's eyes would always lit up like two sparkly stars every time he talked about him, or how the two of them looked at each other on their wedding day, proving just how deep was their love for one another.

Mika was a true believer of how opposites attract each other and this was the perfect example to strengthen those beliefs. It was crystal clear how they had different personalities; unlike Usagi's much sweeter approach to deal with things, Mamoru was colder, much more fearless and direct and if his patience ran low she could tell it meant serious trouble if he ever ran out of it.

"I'm glad you put her in her place," Mika let out a soft chuckle, "This will last for a while and I must say, I will enjoy it very much." Mamoru gave Mika a sympathetic smile, "I have the feeling this is not the first time something like this happens, right?"

"You're right, Mamoru-san," Mika sighed, "It's not the first time. I've been working here for two years and it has happened several times before." She shook her head, "I ashamed to say I was one of those times, but as much as I hate to confess, I guess I linger too much on the idea of finding a better opportunity out there but Maya is a little inflexible, which makes it a little hard for me to make a decision."

"Of course," Mamoru scoffed and shook his head, "It doesn't surprise me at all. I have heard enough from Usagi to know how things roll in this place." Mika half smiled and nodded, "Yeah, what you think, it's what it is—in this media, respect is so underrated." she exhaled deeply, "Well, Mamoru-san, I have to go back to work—is there anything I can bring you while you wait? Water, coffee?"

Mamoru shook his head with a smile, "No Mika-san, I'm fine—I'll keep waiting for Usa here, thank you." Mika nodded, finding the endearing nickname, "Okay, but if you need anything, let me know, okay?"

"Sure thing, thanks." Mamoru watched the young woman walk back inside and with a sigh, he leaned his head back silently hoping for his wife to return soon.

O—o—O

Like a prophecy, Usagi stormed out Maya's office minutes after and walked back to her office and began taking out her things from her desk, startling Mika in the process, "Usagi?" she asked softly and widened her eyes when the silver blonde sat on her chair and covered her face with both hands, "I'm leaving Mika-san, she fired me and I don't care that she did." She took a couple of hasty breaths. Mika walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder for support, "What!? Usagi, what happened?!"

"I told her," Usagi moved her hands away and shook her head, she was clearly upset but was making the best of efforts to stay calm and not cry. "I told Maya the designs were mine, I told her Yuki stole my drive but she didn't believe me." she turned to look at her friend and co-worker and narrowed her watery eyes, "I honestly don't know what came over me but I was so angry I even dared to say I was going to sue the magazine for plagiarism."

"Usagi!" Mika widened her eyes with surprise, "I know, I know..." Usagi cracked a soft chuckle and continued packing her things in a box she got from the storage room, "I don't even know if it counts as plagiarism but I guess it doesn't matter now. She fired me and I quit at the same time." she exhaled softly and clicked her tongue, "It's not even the designs I am so mad about, you know? It's the fact that Maya believes so much in Yuki-san and Yuki-san barely does anything, she is like a leech stealing other people's energy. I just couldn't take it anymore."

Mika knew to perfection what Usagi was talking about, she herself had been immersed in a very similar drama but unlike the silver blonde, she wasn't as brave and have remained quiet the whole time. She understood how her friend was feeling; the anger, the disillusion, and the sense of devaluing. It broke her heart to see such talented girl being cracked by the system of ambition and envy that flowed in the office like creeks all over. With a soft smile, Mika leaned closer to her friend and patted her shoulder, "Hey, do you want to hear something that will cheer you up a little?"

Usagi nodded, "I could use some cheerful gossip right now, yes." Mika chuckled and started helping Usagi put some folders and other things inside the cardboard box, "Your awesome husband just put Yuki in her place." Usagi blinked and looked back at Mika, "What? Mamo-chan?" She shook her head, still confused "What do you mean?"

"Yuki saw him waiting for you at the waiting lounge but your husband didn't give her much to talk about—he slammed her whole little charade in a matter of seconds and left her speechless." Mika chuckled with pleasure, Usagi widened her eyes, "Oh, that must have been priceless, when he's annoyed... beware,"

"It was glorious!" Mika giggled and exhaled softly, "He is _very_ intimidating..."

"He can be a little, when he runs out of patience, yes." Usagi's giggle was soon shadowed by an annoyed sigh, "Mei probably told her he was here or something—they're friends." Mika shrugged her shoulders, "Most likely, it all started because she called him by his name a few times and he stopped her right away and told her to not talk to him so casually because she didn't know him," Mika clapped with joy, "He even pushed her away saying she was taking too much of his personal space—you should have seen the look on her face. That was enough for her to shut up and leave."

"Oh my god," Usagi gaped with surprise, "That's glorious, I am going to ask him about it later," Mika smiled widely and nodded, "Please do, it sure was." The moment soon had a sour turn when both realized that this was the last time they would be talking like this. They had gotten along very well since the beginning and both could even say became good friends and even when they knew they could see each other outside the office for lunch or do some shopping, their gossip and time in the office was never going to happen again, it was like the end of an era and it hurt both of them because they became a team. Them against the world. "This is so sad and unfair," Mika said with melancholy, "I am going to miss you so much, I feel responsible in a way... I advised you wrong,"

"No Mika, don't blame yourself for this. It was really an emergency and I wasn't going to put it aside to come and check on Yuki-san," Usagi sighed, "There are things going on that are far more important than them." She gave her friend a sad smile, "I have to go... Mamo-chan is waiting for me and well, if Maya sees me hanging around a minute longer she will call security or something." she leaned forward to give her friend a warm hug, "Thanks for everything Mika-chan. I know this is not a goodbye, I will see you soon." Mika smiled and nodded her head with reassurance, "See you soon, Usagi-chan."

The blonde turned to grab her box and walked towards the lobby but soon realized she was being followed by Yuki and then by Maya herself, spitting her venom like a jealous snake, "If you think things will end this way, you are wrong Tsukino-san. Mark my words when I say your reputation is ruined by now. You won't be able to find a job like this anywhere else."

Usagi sighed and put the cardboard box on the reception counter and turned to her now-ex boss with a daring glare, "It's sad that you gain your power and authority by installing fear. If you want to destroy my reputation, I can't stop you, you can go on and do whatever you want to do, but that doesn't mean I won't fight back."

"Please, you don't have the means to do it." Maya snarled and crossed her arms, "You don't have the pow—"

"Oh, for goodness sake, this is ridiculous..."

All eyes, including Mika's, were now fixed on Mamoru sitting with his arms crossed in the lobby. He turned to who he immediately knew was the editor in chief and shook his head with disapproval, "What a poor way to talk to people. For an influential woman, like yourself, education should never become a trivial attribute. There is an image you must keep, otherwise, it would be disastrous." He arched his brow "I would keep those caprices in check if I were you."

"Mamo—ru," Usagi blinked surprised by her husband's fearless intervention, noticing it was something different he would normally have chosen to do, just like it happened to her moments ago; his royal side was showing through to defend the obvious abuse of power from the woman on his wife, nonetheless. Maya widened her eyes and frowned in defiance, "Who the hell are you and who gave _you_ the right to pry in a private conversation?"

"Private?" Mamoru scoffed and went over to the front desk to stand by Usagi's side, "You see... the minute you raise your voice in a public space, whatever conversation you are having turns to be public domain. But, since you are literally threatening _my wife,_ I have all the right to step in." he frowned and narrowed his eyes with defiance, "Don't ever dare to threaten her again or I swear I will do whatever it takes to give you a brutal reminder of what it's like being humble."

"Are you threatening me?" Maya snarled angrily, Mamoru's intense gaze didn't change, neither the stoic look on his face, "I am warning you."

Maya's eyes widened with shock, "So, you're the husband... the responsible for her pointless ideas."

"And you are the boss that jeopardizes her employees' future for the sake of your own image." Mamoru crossed his arms; Maya frowned angrily, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what it means," Mamoru's dark blue eyes landed on a nervous Yuki cowardly standing behind a very shocked Maya, "You should really keep a close eye and learn how to value the people that work for you—stealing someone else's work is a crime, have you no shame?"

"It's the magazine's property," Maya said dryly, trying to keep her astonishment at bay for finding out such handsome and fearless man was no other than Usagi's famous husband. "Even if Tsukino-san truly made them, she can't take them with her."

Mamoru looked at Maya with a mocking grin on his face, "Sure, you keep telling yourself that. It will be interesting to see how much it lasts, you know, that lie of yours." He narrowed his eyes, "The social circles you move in, the people you talk to and mingle with—they don't like being lied to their faces and they certainly don't like wasting their money. You have an image to keep and a reputation to maintain, so why risk it? Izuki Irasumi."

Maya felt her blood run cold in her veins at the mention of that name—her real name. The one only a few knew and that unraveled both her past and the truth behind her success and he knew it. It was right then and there when she realized the status the man in front of her had in society, making total sense as she remembered the name next to Usagi's on her wedding invitation. Maya widened her eyes in shock when she realized she has heard that name before more than once and she knew it had a respectable place in society. Never in a million years, she would have thought that he, of all people, was who Tsukino Usagi ended up marrying. At this point, she knew if she went against them, him in particular, was putting her whole image in jeopardy putting his question in a bigger, much heavier scale, so, why risk it?

Mamoru didn't need to threaten her, needless to mention his surname as a reference but it was more than clear that if she ever did something to hurt his wife he would do anything to defend her and that there would be serious consequences. If this man was really who she thought he was, she knew the people he surrounded himself with and the damage would be much than if it was from a celebrity or an influencer because it was the people that actually invested high amounts of money in her business and without such investments, there would not be magazine and there would be no Maya.

At the other side of the spectrum and completely ignoring Maya's internal battle, Mamoru turned to Usagi and combed her fringe to the side and tucked a long strand behind her ear with tenderness, "Ready to go?" Usagi smiled with appreciation and nodded, "Yes," Mamoru smiled softly at her, "After you,"

Maya grunted and walked furiously back to her office between yells and bitter name-calling. Usagi grabbed her box and walked towards the elevator without looking back; Mamoru turned and narrowed his eyes at Yuki who was still frozen in place, "You could have avoided all this by just not taking it in the first place, now, face the consequences." he turned on his heel and followed his wife who was already inside the elevator, waiting for him to go down.

O—o—O

The couple walked through the building's lobby in silence, Mamoru took the key from Usagi and pressed the button on the control to unlock the car so Usagi would put her box in the trunk, "Mamoru-san..." Yuki's shaky voice made him stop and turn as she slowly walked towards him like a dog with its tail between its legs and handed him a flash drive; Mamoru looked at it then at her and arched his brow, "Is all my wife's work in here?"

"Y-Yes," Yuki nodded quickly, "I—Mamoru-san, I swear I—"

"I told you I don't like excuses, save it." Mamoru shook his head, "I hope you learn from this and stop following that woman's every step—it's pitiful, have some dignity. You think being like that will give you class and position with socialites? I am sorry for bursting your bubble, but that's not how it works." Without giving Yuki any other opportunity to redeem herself, Mamoru walked to Usagi who was already waiting for him to help him get in the car. Once outside, Mamoru gave her the crutches and closed the door right after she took her seat behind the wheel again. After a long silent pause, Mamoru turned to look at her, "Usako," his hand reached for hers and slowly intertwined his fingers with hers in support.

"I know Mamo-chan..." Usagi turned to look at him with a sad smile on her face, "I just," she shrugged her shoulders, "I loved my job... but it's true what you said... I should be where I am truly valued. And it's not even that, I am not that sorry about the job, it's about how I will just have to make peace with the fact that all the work I did for that campaign is now lost." she sighed and turned the engine on but still hesitated to take the wheel and drive away. Usagi felt her opportunities would leave along with her once she took the car out of the parking spot and it slowly began to sink in, breaking her into sad, soft sobs "It's so unfair Endymion, I feel like a failure," Mamoru shook his head, "Don't say that, Serenity, you are not a failure,"

"I feel like I failed mama and papa..." Usagi turned to look at her husband with tear-glossed eyes, feeling an immense wave of sadness taking over her, "I feel like I failed you... you helped me so much with my career and—" Mamoru pulled her closer to him and rested his forehead on hers, "Usa, there is no way you would ever fail me. You stood your ground and claimed your rights; you did what many people haven't had the guts to do... my warrior Princess—I am so proud of you."

Usagi closed her wet eyes and tightened her grip on his denim shirt, "I love you so much... so, so, much..." she breathed and planted a chaste kiss on his neck, "I love you more," he answered softly and pulled back, grabbed her hand and placed the flash drive in her palm, "And you didn't lose anything,"

Usagi looked at the tiny object in her palm and blinked with shock, "Mamo-chan... h-how?" she looked at him dumbfounded "How did you get this?!"

"Is it yours?"

"Yes!" Usagi nodded, "I looked for it everywhere!" Mamoru pinched her nose softly, "I know," he cupped her cheek and caressed her lips with his thumb, "You are not alone, you have me to lean on... rely on me, Usa, I'm your husband and your friend." Usagi pulled his shirt again to bring him closer to her and crashed her lips on his with raw emotion and let her tears run freely down her cheeks. She knew she could always count on him, whenever she needed him, no matter the time or the situation, he would always be there for her every single day. The moon princess opened her eyes slowly and looked into his with a smile, "You're my best friend," she mumbled against his lips; Mamoru smiled and kissed her again, "You're mine," he kissed her again and winked an eye at her, making Usagi put an end to her bitter moment and leave it behind her just like that, a bitter moment. "Alright, Your Royal Highness, where to now?" Usagi drew back and turned her full attention to the wheel as she slowly pulled the car away from the building's parking space. Mamoru leaned his head back feeling more relaxed to see Usagi slowly shedding what had been mortifying her for days, or so, it seemed, "The hospital my love, now it's my turn."

Usagi chuckled as she joined the crowded streets of Tokyo and turned around the corner, feeling much more confident in her driving skills and the vehicle under her control, "Ok so, I have to bring this up..." she smiled but kept her eyes on the road ahead, "I was told you left Yuki-san speechless. Mika told me what happened."

"Ah... that," Mamoru put his dark shades again when the sun began to filter through the fluffy rain clouds and sighed softly, "I have zero tolerance for people like her... it shouldn't come as a surprise for you, luna bunny,"

" _That_ , Mika told me," Usagi smiled, "Thank you, for defending me."

"Of course, Serenitati, anytime,"

"I'm still worried though," Usagi sighed softly and tightened her grip on the wheel, "Maya said she was going to sue me and ruin my reputation, what if I don't find somewhere else to work or something else to do?" she sighed softly, "No matter how I see things, the woman is powerful."

"Usa," Mamoru frowned, "Don't pay mind to that. That woman is the kind of person who feeds on other people's fear, her fame is based on that. She likes to intimidate because she knows that's the only way she can be safe and noticed. She's not going to do anything because that would cost her too much money and too much of her image, and she knows the kind of reputation she has."

"You called her differently,"

"I called her by her name,"

"She freaked out, I could tell..." Usagi said with wonder, Mamoru let out a sardonic chuckle, "Of course, naturally."

"You're merciless,"

"When it's about you, I don't forgive anyone who attempts to do you harm,"

"Mamo-chan," Usagi stopped at a red light and turned to her husband with surprise, "How in heaven's sake do you even know her real name?"

"I know people who know her and I've heard enough about her to know what I am talking about," Mamoru turned to look at his wife once they made another stop at a red light and took his dark shades off to look at her with his intense azure gaze, "You stood your ground and proved to her that you are much more than what she thought you were, you intimidate her and your talent and presence speaks for itself. Despite being famous, she doesn't have many people on her side to support her. This has happened before, so she's not going to do anything about it, and if she does... you are not alone, we know how to fight and we have the means to do it."

Usagi smiled widely, "You are truly my best friend, I love you."

"You are mine," Mamoru kissed her hand, "Also, the owner of this heart of mine."

"In this and every other life?"

"In this and every other life."

"To the Moon and back?"

"All the way to the world we belong, luna bunny."

Usagi blushed crimson red, there it was again, that beautiful charm of his that dismantled her little by little. "So, what are we doing at the hospital again?" she turned around the corner again and saw the large building in the distance, "I am here to ask for a medical leave," he pointed the entrance to a private parking building, "Turn here, this is for the staff only,"

Usagi nodded and took Mamoru's credential to show it to the security guard to allow them to get in, "Are you going to need me to step in and defend you?" Usagi smiled, Mamoru chuckled "Probably, yes—it's your turn." The silver-haired looked for a free spot and parked the car with perfection, surprising herself by the achievement. Both stepped out of the car and walked inside the hospital and after a few waves and short greetings, the couple took the elevator that would eventually take them to the fifth floor where Mamoru spent most of his time. "I think this is the first time I come with you this far, I've always waited for you in the lobby or in a consultation office," Usagi pouted her lips shyly, "Remember the *Thai curry incident?"

"That one time you didn't want to take a shot?" Mamoru arched a brow, "How can I forget?"

Usagi lightly smacked his arm and cracked a chuckle as she walked out of the elevator and accompanied Mamoru to the nurse's station. Maki turned on her chair and widened her eyes when she recognized the young doctor, "*Isha-san!"

"Ohayo, Maki-san," Mamoru said softly and leaned on the large booth, Maki blinked "Dr. Furuhata mentioned you got injured! How are you feeling "Dr. Chiba?"

Mamoru gave the older nurse a soft smile, "I'm alright Maki-san, it's healing slowly but having a wonderful nurse by my side sure helps a lot—Maki-san, meet Usagi, my wife." Maki's eyes widened double in size as if she had discovered the deepest of secrets and blinked, "Ohayo, Chiba-san, it's so very nice to meet you." she said softly, startling Usagi who still found it strange to be called Chiba Usagi, instead of her good old Tsukino. Mamoru turned to Usagi, "Maki-san is who deals with all of us every day, all day. This floor would fall to pieces if it wasn't for her." Usagi smiled and bowed her head, "Nice meeting you, Maki-san,"

There was an air of familiarity in the way they talked to each other, Usagi could not help to find adorable as she looked around and took in all the little details as she was now in Mamoru's element. "Is Dr. Furuhata somewhere around these halls?" Mamoru mumbled as he signed a paper Maki assigned him, Maki chuckled and looked through the schedule chart, "In fact he is, also Dr. Mizuno—I believe they are in a consultation right now." Maki gave the young doctor a playful look and shook her head, "It is very strange to know you got hurt for being distracted, Dr. Chiba,"

"I can be clumsy too," Mamoru smiled and wrote down his signature in another paper, "I am going to request a disability leave due to my accident, is it too much to ask if you could print the format that I must send to human resources?" I've brought with me other necessary paperwork to send to human resources but I need the one from the hospital,"

"Not at all, Isha-san, gladly," Maki said and turned to her computer and began typing, "I must say, it feels quite lonely, even Dr. Furuhata has been a little blue lately,"

"You are right about that Maki-san,"

Both Mamoru and Usagi turned to Motoki walking towards them and immediately went to give Usagi a warm hug, "Usa-chan!" he greeted her happily, making Usagi squeal with joy as he lifted her off the floor like the big brother he was to her, "Ohayo, Motoki-oniisan!"

"Ah look at you all smiley, this is more like it," Motoki smiled and leaned to whisper in her ear, "I told you, he is too stubborn to let you go,"

Usagi smiled and nodded, "Thank you for everything, Nii-san,"

"My pleasure, little sis," Motoki pinched her nose with endearment and turned to Mamoru and patted his shoulder with tremendous glee and relief, "And you? I'm glad to _finally_ see you up and about—you had us worried." Mamoru arched his brow and smiled, "What? I don't get a lift?"

Motoki laughed, "Nah, you're too heavy and your wife has priority like the little sister she is to me," he started to check one of the files from a patient and turned to his friend, "Let's go and evaluate that injury of yours and see where you stand so I can write a full report and add it to your file," Motoki turned to Maki, "Maki-san, if Mizuno-san comes by, let her know we're at one of the consultation offices,"

"Sure thing, Dr. Furuhata," Motoki smiled at the older nurse and turned to the couple, "Follow me,"

The three of them walked in silence down the long hall and entered one to one of the offices Motoki mentioned and closed the door behind him, he sighed softly and followed Mamoru who sat in a gurney, "Let's see how these wounds are healing," Motoki said softly as he took the bandages and gauzes slowly, "Though, I already know this is mere protocol and precaution," he eyed at Mamoru, then turned to Usagi, "How long is this leave going to take?" The playful tone in his voice was replaced by one full of worry and uncertainty, Usagi could tell by the look in his eyes and how tired the always so dashing doctor looked, "Motoki-oniisan," she stood next to Mamoru, "How are things doing?"

Motoki couldn't keep the truth from them, they were too close and too dear for him to pretend everything was going well in his marriage and at the hospital, "Difficult," he managed to say, with a sigh he looked at his friend again, "It's happening again, the deaths... since the attack nothing's really have been the same—Reika is doing better but she still has to take medication to help her sleep at night and keep those anxiety attacks under control." The blonde doctor pulled a chair and sat in front of his wounded friend and proceeded to follow the routine of cleaning and treating Mamoru's injuries and roll a lighter gauze around his ankle after he was done, "You're healing faster than I expected," Motoki pulled back and crossed his arms, "The board is continuing to ask questions about what happened to that patient but since it has happened again with other doctors, you are most likely in the clear."

"What happened?" Usagi frowned; Motoki noticed Usagi's confused look and arched his brow at Mamoru, "She doesn't know?" Mamoru shook his head in response.

"Know what?" Usagi turned to Motoki then to Mamoru, trying to understand the conversation, "What happened, Mamo-chan?"

Mamoru sighed heavily and turned to Usagi, "I went under investigation by the medical board due to the case of the patient that died so suddenly under my watch. They questioned my ethics and medical skills—I was put on trial and had several meetings with them and they put me on hold until further notice." he gave his wife a sad smile, "I know what you're going to say but all this happened so close to our wedding day—I didn't want to spoil the moment for any of us."

"But then, what happens now?" Usagi frowned and turned to Motoki, who clicked his tongue "Mamoru is in the clear for now, but my question here is what's going to happen with _you_. How long is this disability leave going to be?"

"We don't know, Motoki," Mamoru shook his head, "I really don't know."

"Ami told me about the responsible behind those wounds—about you two being a cosmic Monarchs..." Motoki frowned, "Mamoru, is that true?" he turned to Usagi with the same confused face, "Are you really Royals?" Usagi bit her lower lip and nodded, "Yes, it's true. But just because we are, it doesn't we're any different and you don't have to stop being yourself around us—we're family."

"You better," Motoki sighed, "And what is going to happen to you... in the future?" the blonde doctor tried to understand but beyond that, he was scared. "I have known your secret for years—since you wrecked the control center below the arcade. I know you have a power we don't have but I am worried, look at what happened to you!" he pointed his finger at Mamoru's leg, "Who the hell are these people?!"

"Divine beings, Furu-chan—gods if you want to call them that way," Usagi said softly, "It's true, we can't keep this information from you, but we are not lying when we say we still don't understand what they are exactly after but it is most obvious it has something to do with the recent discoveries,"

"Gods? Wait, is what the news been saying true? Is what the archaeologists found real? Is the Cosmic Monarch they are talking about you?!" Motoki widened his eyes in shock, Mamoru nodded, "Yes,"

"This is so surreal," Motoki rubbed the bridge of his nose, "There are things we can't see but you do, and not just that, but you also have the power to fight it, it's like—" a soft knock on the door interrupted their conversation making the three of them turn to see a very shy Maki opening the door, "Uh, please excuse the interruption—" she looked at Mamoru, "Dr. Chiba, I received a call from Dr. Osaba, they were informed you are here and wish to see you in his office, I told him you were being evaluated at the moment,"

"Thank you, Maki-san, I'll be there in a minute." Mamoru saw Maki close the door and gave Motoki a knowing look, "I wonder who told them I was here—" Motoki nodded and scoffed, "Of course,"

Mamoru sighed and moved away from the gurney and turned to Usagi with an apologetic smile, "I have to go see these people, I'll try not to take too long but they are the ones that will give me the authorization after all." Usagi nodded and flicked a strand of hair covering his left eye playfully, knowing it was his time to face the ugly people from his work, "Don't worry—I understand,"

Mamoru took a deep breath and turned to grab his crutches and walked out of the room leaving Usagi alone with Motoki who was writing a few notes in a file. She could feel there was a slight tension hanging in the air and wished she could be able to help him as much as he helped her when Mamoru was unconscious but not even she knew what was going on anymore, one day things would get chaotic and the other would be normal, like today. "You are probably busy and I am here stealing your time—I should go wait for Mamo-chan at the lobby,"

Motoki stopped writing and looked up at his darling friend, "Usagi-chan," his tone was back to his usual warmth and playfulness, "Don't be silly—you _never_ steal my time." He looked down at the chart in his hand and continued writing, "I am writing a medical report on your husband's condition to add it to his file," he smiled softly, "He has to prove he is incapable of working for the time being and for what I am writing here, he won't be able for quite a while." He looked at the silver-haired again, "Like I told you, this is my way to help you—as insignificant or little it may be,"

Usagi walked over to her blonde friend and wrapped her arms around his neck, "It's not insignificant, it means a lot to us—" she pulled back and looked into his green eyes, "Motoki-oniisan, I promise you, we will make things right. Just take good care of Reika-san, and take good care of yourself too,"

Motoki smiled, "Do you know who should take care too?" Usagi blinked, "Who?"

" _You._ " Motoki pressed his pen on Usagi's nose, " _You_ need to take care of _yourself._ As your friend _and_ your oniisan I have the right to tell you that you are on the verge of falling ill and if you do, then, who's going to save our butts from those gods? Eh, Sailor Moon?" Usagi chuckled by his comment, appreciating his brotherly attitude towards her, Motoki gave her a more serious look, "I am sure Mamoru has noticed, and I bet he is worried."

"Why didn't you tell me he was being investigated, Motoki?" Usagi frowned, "For how long this has been going on?"

Motoki sighed, "Usa-chan, it was not my secret to tell—Mamoru didn't want to worry you and I stand by his side on this one. Things had already started to happen and this would only have made things worse; he's innocent and he had the way to prove it. The problem was not entirely about what happened to the patient is about the people who put the complaint but, it's being settled. This happened days before the wedding and fortunately, it's over."

"Why would somebody put a complaint?" Usagi shook her head, still confused, "Mamo-chan would never do something wrong to a patient," Motoki leaned closer and held her hand, "Usa-chan, sometimes is not about you, but others who feel intimidated by how well you do your job—in his case, he is very good at it and others just can't take it." he chuckled softly and shook his head, "But your husband is stubborn, and he knows how to fight back, so don't worry."

To Usagi it was ironic how both were dealing with similar situations at work, it was surprising for her to learn Mamoru had to deal with jealous co-workers and that he also had to defend his position and prove his worth. He was good and he had put a lot of effort into his studies and career; what he had, were also things he earned it fair and square which made her admire him even more. Motoki leaned back in his chair and crossed his leg, "My point is, Usa-chan, that you are his rock. He is strong because of you and everything he has done is for you so please, take care of yourself."

"I know," Usagi bit her lower lip softly and nodded, accepting Motoki's words and now making more sense, "I was actually hoping to have a private moment with you and ask you to grant me a consultation. I know it's not your area of expertise but I was hoping to keep this a secret. I know I could go to Mamo-chan or Ami-chan but... I can't... not yet... there's so much going on and I..." she sighed with anxiety, Motoki noticed, and put a hand on her shoulder in support, "It's okay, don't worry about it Usa-chan. It doesn't matter if it's my area of expertise or not, I'm still a doctor and if we need a second opinion, we can do it without anyone finding out if that's what you want. If you want to keep this a secret, you know you can trust me. This stays between us," Usagi nodded with a soft smile, "Thank you, Motoki-oniisan,"

"Always, little sis," Motoki crossed his arms and turned serious, "Alright, so, tell me—what's going on?"

O—o—O

It had been a complicated day for Ami, for starters she had to work with Akashi since for some reason Dr. Osuna asked her to assist him for most of his consultations. It wasn't new for the bluenette to work with the older man but after what happened with Mamoru and the board, she had grown little to zero tolerance for him and his protégé.

Things haven't been the same between her and Akashi and she preferred to keep a proper distance from him and keep things strictly professional, no longer giving him any hints of trust like they used to have before the whole investigation with the board happened. "Mizuno-san," Akashi caught up with her and handed her a couple of files, "Thank you for your help on this one," he looked at her with a soft smile, one Ami didn't return, "Sure," she said bluntly and looked down at the annotations inside the folder, "We work together, we have to help each other..."

Akashi felt the hint and continued walking in silence next to her for a couple of more minutes, "Mizuno-san, I know—"

"It's better if we leave this matter behind us and just do the best we can to help others." Ami turned to look at him, "Nothing good will come out if we continue with this... you have a different point of view and so do I, we differ in opinion, and it's alright." Without much else to say, Ami turned around the corner of the hall and was surprised to see the nurse's station a little more crowded and busy than usual, "A little busy today, huh?" Ami looked at the clock on the wall and sighed, "Oh, it's noon already, time sure flies."

"Oh, Mizuno-san! Good afternoon," one of the nurses responded excitedly, Ami smiled and gave a file to Maki "Good afternoon, Ika-san." she frowned and turned to Maki, "What's going on?"

"Oh," Maki chuckled, "About that, it's because they just heard Dr. Chiba is here—with his wife,"

"Usagi-chan is here?" Ami's blue eyes widened, Maki blinked surprised "Y-You know her?"

Ami smiled, thinking how it was futile to try to keep things secret anymore. With everything that's been happening, she felt it was time to set the record straight, starting with why or how come she was so close to Mamoru in the first place. "She is my best friend," she finally confessed, "We've known each other for a _very_ long time—we went to school together."

Akashi stood next to her with an astonished look on his face, Maki widened her eyes, "Really? Oh, she is _gorgeous_."

Ami chuckled and nodded, "We have been friends since junior high, and she has been dating Dr. Chiba ever since. That's why we're so close, and yes, she is _very_ beautiful,"

"What?!" Both nurses widened their eyes in shock, "They have been dating that long?!"

"Yes," Ami chuckled, "We've been friends for a very long time." she turned to look around and frowned, "Do you know if they're still here? I would like to say hello." Maki nodded and took the folders Ami left over the desk, "Actually, Dr. Furuhata asked me to inform you that he was going to be in one of the consultation offices with them, I imagine he was going to evaluate Dr. Chiba's injury to justify his disability."

"Ami-chan," Ami turned to see Usagi walking alongside Motoki, who turned to the nurse behind the desk and handed her Mamoru's evaluation, "Maki, here's Dr. Chiba's evaluation to add to his file and..." he handed her another chart with a new file, "Please send this to the second floor, it's a case I am handling on my own—I added a tag of confidentiality to it so please inform me immediately when you get word on this matter, it's very important."

"Yes, of course, Dr. Furuhata, right away." Maki nodded as she typed the information on the computer with the specifications the blonde doctor just requested.

"Usagi-chan!" Ami smiled widely and pulled her in a sisterly hug, "I knew Mamoru was coming but I was not expecting to see you too!"

Akashi tried his best to conceal his shock when he saw the young woman with long, platinum hair hugging Ami with so much endearment and closeness. She was beautiful—he thought. Her hair was tied in two high buns and the rest flowed like a silver cascade behind her; her long, choppy fringe playfully covered her crystal blue eyes and perfectly groomed darker brows. The young doctor studied her in silence, noting that despite her petite figure, he could tell she was curvaceous and had a toned, lean body. He turned his attention back to the conversation Ami was having with her and heard her mention Mamoru's name with much less formality with the added respectful honorific to his name. "I wanted to come with him, I knew he was going to struggle with those crutches," Usagi sighed softly and smiled, preferring to keep what happened earlier for another occasion.

Ami smiled and tucked a loose strand behind her friend's ear, imagining the real reason why she was there with him. After was happened it was understandable for her to don't want to leave his side, and found it adorable. "Where is he, by the way?" Motoki finished filling a form and turned to both women, "Genjiro Osaba, he asked to see him," his green eyes soon landed on the young doctor standing behind Ami, "Can I help you with something, Dr. Satomura?"

"U-Uh, yes—Dr. Furuhata, um, Dr. Osuna asked me to give you these charts, it's from one of the patients we just visited." Akashi handed the blonde the file he had in his hand and cleared his throat, "Thank you, Dr. Satomura," Motoki gave a quick glance at the notes inside and frowned, "Would that be it?"

"Y-Yes,"

"Alright," Motoki arched his brow and smiled, thinking how much he shouldn't waste the glorious opportunity to rub in the young man's face all of his mistakes, on treating Ami wrong and for throwing his friend under the bus for just pure jealousy, "Oh, how rude of me... Dr. Satomura, I didn't introduce you, she is Dr. Chiba's wife—Usagi."

Satomura widened his eyes and bowed his head with respect at Usagi, "Nice to meet you, Chiba-san," he fidgeted slightly when the introduction was more than confirmed by the person who walked behind her in silence. Usagi narrowed her beautiful blue eyes in thought, she could sense the different tone in Motoki's voice and wondered if the young man in front of her had something to do with what she was talking with her blonde friend in private. "Nice to meet you," she said softly and jolted with unexpected surprise when she felt a warm hand resting on her lower back and turned to see Mamoru writing something in another form given by Maki, "Maki-san, I will leave my pending cases under Dr. Seta's supervision but if there is an urgency or a question, please call me on my cell,"

Maki nodded and took Mamoru's paperwork, "Of course, Dr. Chiba—" Mamoru gave the older nurse a warm, friendly smile "Thank you, see you soon, Maki-san. Take care." He turned to Usagi and could not help notice Akashi standing behind Ami in silence, "Dr. Satomura," he said dryly "What a surprise to see you here. You are usually not assisting this floor." There it was again, the same tone Usagi recognized coming from Motoki but somehow hearing it from Mamoru the tension was even more obvious, Akashi nodded "I-I have been asked by Dr. Osuna to fill in for other residents on this floor,"

"I see..." Mamoru mumbled with disinterest as he closed the binders with his cases and handed them to Maki. Akashi felt the coldness in Mamoru's voice, coming to the conclusion that by now he was already aware that he had to do with the complaint and the board's decision to suspend him for a few days. "I better continue with my consultations..."

"Yes, you do that." Mamoru mumbled again and he continued making a few annotations for the other doctor that would take his cases. Akashi tightened his jaw, "I hope you get better soon, Dr. Chiba," the young doctor felt a cold rush when he saw Mamoru turned to him and narrowed his eyes; there was something different about him—Akashi thought, something he couldn't quite place but it was intimidating him and almost pushing him to ask for forgiveness. Mamoru arched his brow "I appreciate your good wishes, anything else, Dr. Satomura?"

"N-No,"

"Well then, you have a good day." Mamoru looked at the young doctor turn on his heel and walk to the elevators then turned his attention to his wife and smiled at her "Hungry?" Usagi's smile widened and nodded, "Pancakes?" she asked softly making him chuckle "Pancakes it is then,"

Motoki chuckled, "Man, I hope he learns the lesson," he turned to Ami, "Ami-chan, stick with me for the rest of the day, I need you on my next case." he turned to Mamoru, "Could you give me your opinion before you leave? I mean, you're back, right?" Mamoru nodded and grabbed the file, "Yeah, I'm back, they _pardoned_ me—what's up?"

"She is scheduled for surgery but not before we try with a treatment first—of course, after we know which tests to run. Hikashi-san already did a general scan but it might be something else there that doesn't allow her to lower her high-rates," Mamoru flipped through another page to continue reading Motoki's annotations, "She has a history of heart problems, high blood pressure in its entirety for what I can see here—" he turned to grab the phone in Maki's desk and dialed an extension on the second floor, "Dr. Okada, this is Dr. Chiba Mamoru—yes, partly—thanks, listen, do you have in your care Ariwa Mariko's blood samples and results?"

Usagi looked at Mamoru with great interest. This was one of the few times, if not the first time she saw him full doctor mode and not like her husband who was trying to be a doctor every time he suggested something for her benefit. She saw him bit his lower lip and immediately recognized it as a common gesture every time he was in deep thought about something, "I need you to run me another full count of red and white cells—the patient has been taking Angiotensin II receptor blockers but it seems to be causing a deficiency in her livers, her medication is obviously no longer working properly but she's scheduled for pancreatic surgery—Dr. Furuhata is doing it, but she can't go under the knife if there is a potential problem with her cauterization, her high-pressure, and now her livers." he nodded and made a quick annotation on Motoki's file "Right, alright—the results, can you email them to me once they're done? I won't be at the hospital for a while but it's urgent—thank you Dr. Okada, Dr. Seta will cover for me while I'm gone, I'll let Dr. Furuhata know this too—thank you, you too." He hung up and turned to Motoki, "She needs to switch medication immediately, she will probably have to switch to Eplerenone to help with the swelling in her livers,"

Motoki sighed, "Why Dr. Seta?" Mamoru arched his brow, "What?"

"I mean, he's good—I've worked with him, but..." Motoki ran a hand through his hair, startling Mamoru "But?"

"He's _incredibly_ slow with his work." Motoki mumbled, "Again, he's good, but he's very slow with his diagnostics and consultations—you and your stupid wound and... _other_ responsibilities." Mamoru patted Motoki's shoulder and smiled sadly, "He's the one the board suggested to cover my absence, there is nothing much I could have done to prevent it. I'll be back soon—I'll do my best." Motoki smiled and nodded, knowing the deep meaning behind his words "You better,"

Ami smiled and rested an arm on her friend's shoulder and leaned her head on Usagi's, "He's different," she said low enough for only to Usagi to hear. The lunar princess smiled softly and nodded, "Without changing, if that makes any sense." Ami smiled, "You too Usa-chan," her comment made Usagi blinked, "You're stronger and together you are surely invincible. That is all that matters and if the future changes, then it is because it was meant to be."

Usagi turned to Ami with a shocked expression, "Ami-chan... are you being serious?"

Ami nodded, "I know there is a brighter future ahead, and if it's in my hands to fight for it, then, it's all worth it. We are Sailor Senshi, we were never meant to have normal lives, and that is fine with me." she winked her eye at her friend, "You are not alone Usa-chan, we will fight this... we will win."

There was something in Ami's words that made Usagi feel secure and warm inside; it gave her the reassurance she needed to clear her mind and think beyond what has happened in the past and focus on the kind of future she wanted for all, she was right—Ami, their lives were not meant to be normal. Their lives in the past were printed in their souls and just because they were reborn into this planet it didn't mean they needed to become someone different. Their renaissance was an opportunity to choose different paths not to stop believing in themselves and become someone different; they were tied to their divinity and it was something they could use to their advantage. Usagi chose not to be a tragic princess ever again and with that, she took full responsibility and stepped in as a sailor senshi and while she has encountered malicious enemies along the way it only confirms that she is part of a league of soldiers with different qualities and strengths but fighting for a common goal—peace. Unlike the rest that wanders and inhabited the universe, they were one of a kind and that was what Usagi needed in order to fight for what was next as the sailor senshi she truly was, next to her husband, the polemarchos of the earth.

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is rated M, readers discretion is advised. Violence, cursing, and intimacy may happen._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _A/N:_ _The Terraluna watch and the Thai food incident: You can find the reference to these in "To the Moon and back to the world we belong" from the side story,_ _Divinity: A day in the life._

 _*Isha: Doctor in Japanese._


	55. Chapter 55

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Fifty-Five

* * *

Minako sighed and leaned her back to look at the ceiling, "This is too much information to process in just one take..." she muttered and soon after, closed her eyes, "Complicated too,"

Kunzite took a sip of his tea and put the cup on the coffee table, "As Endymion's right hand and advisor, I felt the obligation to let you and your advisors know." He turned to Artemis, who nodded in gratitude. Minako pursed her lips and took another minute to process what Kunzite had told her about the actions they would have to take as Shitennou and how their strategy has been forming. After his meeting with Endymion, the general went back to Minako's apartment to talk to her about the many changes they would face if there was another attack so she, as leader of the inner senshi would think what's best to do and what course of action to take.

The prince's personal and very cathartic journey was kept in secret, of course, but there was still more Kunzite felt was needed to reveal to his beloved, "Venus, you need to be informed and prepared because your Princess will need your support, we do not know when they are going to return and if they do, how are they going to do it." Venus opened her eyes and turned to Kunzite who had had his intense gaze fixed on her, "What do you mean?" She sat straight on the couch and frowned while shaking her head, still trying to process all the information the general has given her so far, "Kunzite, what do you mean? Is something going to happen to her?"

Kunzite kept his stoic face but the way he was looking at her told Venus more than she was expecting to know, with a sigh, the general leaned his back on the couch, "Endymion might be called to fight but Princess Serenity won't be able to go with him, none of us can, not even us—his Shitennou."

Venus narrowed her eyes, "What?" she leaned closer to her lover "Kunzite... I don't understand, why? To fight? For whom?" Kunzite loved to see the intensity of her bright blue eyes, always so determinant about something. "He is a Polemarchos, Venus, and when in need, he has to lend his powers to Ares and—"

"—Serve as a soldier to the Celestial Army," Artemis mumbled with surprise, finishing the general's sentence, "God Ares has acknowledged him as a part of his army, then," Kunzite nodded at the white cat, "That is correct, Artemis." Venus shook her head, and turned to her guardian and mentor, "You knew about this, Artemis?"

Both, Artemis and Luna nodded, "I was well aware of it since I was an advisor to another jurisdiction to Queen Serenity, my closeness to the Commander and the many political treaties I had to advise with Her Majesty is what gave me the knowledge of such league. It is no secret that Ares is the God of War and as such, he was part of the ascension of Gods to take control and the creation of Olympus. He has trained many great warriors for years but only a few he considered that truly endured the harsh training and the high level of discipline with honor can be worthy to earn the rank of Polemarchos and take part of the Olympian Army."

"Since very young, Endymion was taught the same principles and training that proved he could earn the rank. On Earth he did, but due to his obvious nature and the strained past of his family, it was not the same in the divine realm. But now things have changed, with him fully aware of his capabilities and with God Ares' acknowledgment, it means he has finally taken his rightful place." Kunzite cupped Venus' cheek, "War is drawing close and Ares will need him to fight, but he, being from a different jurisdiction as you Senshi, he has to go alone."

"And you?" Venus frowned, "What about you?"

Kunzite took her hands into his and gave her a soft smile, "We will stay here and take the front, as First in Command of the Shitennou, I have to take his place and lead the others. Venus, this is a preventive strategy of action, we cannot take it as fact just yet but if things do happen to turn this way, Princess Serenity might need to be taken away for protection, and you as her Guardian, have to be there for her."

"I feel like there is more to know, your eyes are telling me so," Venus whispered as she traced Kunzite's jawline with the tip of her fingers and cupped his cheek with her hand, "You know more to the Prince's truth than Princess Serenity does... which is hard for me to believe because he tells her everything. If there is someone that knows that man like an open book, is her."

"That is true,"

"So why is he keeping this from her?"

"He is not keeping anything from her, but putting the conditions the Princess is now into consideration... there is nothing much that can be done at the moment. Telling her all this would only mortify her and she's weak, she needs proper care and attention and he is trying to give her that." Kunzite placed his hand on top of hers, "While he appeared to be in a coma, Endymion was actually preparing for this while regaining his strength. He is different, Venus, the Prince has grown both mentally and in strength—Endymion has become the man we were expecting to have as King two thousand years ago. But now, he has surpassed that expectation and so has the intensity in his energy and aura comparing to how it was back then, it is much more in peace and in control."

"That only means that we have entered the era of Crystal Tokyo—this must be it." Venus looked at the general with wonder, "But, I feel it's changing somehow, the course of things. The way it was supposed to go." Kunzite frowned, "What do you mean?"

Venus remembered the time they traveled to the future with Sailor Pluto's help and witnessed what the future looked like on first hand, what they were told it was. The King and Queen, ruling a utopian world full of beauty and wonders—a land of prosperity, working as one nation. No matter how many times they asked, Pluto never revealed what truly happened in time and what made the world change the way it did but she was certain about something, she remembered clearly the King had no shitennou by his side, like the queen had them as her guardians, and the thought brought sorrow to her heart because it meant that in the end, Kunzite was going to leave her again. If what Kunzite said was true and the terran prince was going to be called by God Ares to be part of the Olympian Army and if the shitennou stayed on Earth, it meant only one thing: Their duty and presence in this world was only to serve their master and then vanish again, like they did when Metallia was defeated—both times.

Minako felt like she could break into tears any minute now as she angrily thought how it didn't matter how many lives she had, the man she claimed as the love of her life was probably not going to stay by her side and it terrified her-it broke her heart and the saddest part was that she was sure Kunzite knew about it too. The irony of being a descendant of the goddess of love and not being able to live that love with the one she chose was a cruel game, "Venus," she heard his low, deep voice calling her several times but she couldn't come out of the eerie place she got herself into. "Was it a decision from the Gods—all this?" Venus looked down, trying to understand and to put the pieces together, "Why do they punish this planet so much? Why do they hate it with such intensity? —I don't understand,"

Artemis looked at her with sad eyes and noticed how the last thread of fate that tied her to Aino Minako was slowly unraveling and letting her go, revealing her true self. All these years she had been hiding and protecting herself from the raw truth of her past with that name, making it more obvious as to why she didn't want to let go; she didn't want to remember what she had lost. To Minako, constructing a lie was much better than facing the truth of her nature, was better for her, or so she so much wanted to believe.

"Venus," the white cat called her name, not as sailor senshi but as the honorary heir of the house of Venus, daughter of the Goddess of Love and Beauty, Aphrodite. Luna closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "Laws were broken—as advisor that is what I would have answered you back then," the black cat looked up at Minako, who was quietly crying on the sofa, "But it is all a thirst for power, one, this planet sure has which is why Queen Serenity tried so much to protect it once the Terran Goddess was sentenced and condemned."

"I feel so powerless..." Venus closed her eyes, "This is how Princess Serenity must have felt when she defended her love for Prince Endymion and I didn't want to listen... this burning feeling in the pit of my stomach, this pain in my chest..." she shook her head, "Venus," Kunzite held her hand tightly, making her turn to look at him, but she didn't let him continue, "Why am I condemned to lose you every time I feel I have you back? Why do we have to be apart?!" her voice broke into heavy, painful sobs "Why do we have such cursed fate?"

Kunzite felt his chest being scrunched and torn into pieces, he pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her protectively, "We knew this was something it might happen, it is not your fate the one that is cursed but mine, sweet Venus—" Venus looked up, "W-What?"

Kunzite looked down at her and shook his head, "I failed as guardian not just once but twice, but I will not allow myself to fail a third time—I do not know how the future looks like, I do not know if I am going to be part of it or not but I will not step aside and do nothing about it. If I die, at least I will do it fighting for a purpose—for you." He wiped her tears with his thumbs softly, "I see the Prince and Princess' awakening as something good—a beacon of hope, back then we were divided, it was a lost cause but now... we can do this, we can fight together. Do not let that vision of the future cloud what it still may be,"

"Pluto said it herself," Venus widened her eyes and turned to Artemis, "The future is always changing, and a good proof of it is how Usagi did not become Queen or gave birth to their child at the age of 22,"

Kunzite widened his gray eyes, "W-What?" his face was one of pure shock, enough to brighten Venus' mellow mood a little, "P-Princess Serenity gives birth to an heir?" he asked with surprise and turned to the blonde, "Ah, _that_..." Venus chuckled and turned to grab a tissue to dry her tears, "It's a long story, but yes... she was supposed to become a mother when she turned 22 but it didn't happen—obviously."

"I see," Kunzite sighed and scratched the back of his head, "And Sailor Pluto, did she mention anything else?"

"We haven't heard anything from the Outer Senshi since the attack," Luna shook her head, "None of them has contacted or visited Usagi," Venus sighed, "I have been in contact with Neptune, the reason why they have been so under the radar is because Pluto went to the Gates of Space and Time to look for a missing loop from where the enemy might be filtering through while Saturn has been trying to stay as low key as possible, and Uranus... well, she's mad."

"Mad?" Luna frowned, Venus nodded "Yes, mad," she turned to Kunzite who was caressing her arm, "I think she's mad at the Prince..."

Artemis shook his head and frowned confused, "Why would she be mad at him?"

"You never know with her, she is one of a kind..." Venus turned to her mentor and shrugged a shoulder, "I only know she is mad in general, at least that is what Neptune has told me—that she has been in a very bad mood lately, but, if you connect the dots—it's pretty obvious. She hasn't asked for any of them,"

"Well, I suppose the best we can do now is to move out of that apartment," Kunzite muttered and rubbed his chin in thought; Venus widened her eyes like if his words were pure magic and turned "Y-You are moving out?" Kunzite arched his brow, "Well considering how things are going, I think it is the most appropriate thing to do. No matter how much we have tried to remain quiet, there has always been this strange tension between us despite trying to keep things under control—we appreciate the gesture, but we do not want to cause more problems, we have enough already."

Artemis looked at the couple and smiled softly, secretly knowing Venus' deepest feelings. After fighting the Dark Agency, and Venus confronted Kunzite under the influence of the enemy, Artemis later found out about the brief but very pure romance she had with the general during the Silver Millennium while looking after Princess Serenity. In Minako's life, Kunzite's memory had been the most profound and the one that never seemed to let her go, no matter how much she tried to forget him, no matter how much she tried to convince herself, it was always him, the white-haired shitennou—the man that set the high-standard for every man she dated in the past. He turned to his beloved Luna and gave her a smile, one the female feline understood right away being already familiar with the situation between them, "Venus," Artemis looked at her, deciding to adopt her real name with much more naturalness, "We will go check on Mars and see if she has found any clues that could help us decode the enemy's whereabouts,"

"Nephrite still cannot read the stars entirely, he says they are not talking... it is as if they were being corrupted." Kunzite looked at Artemis, hoping the piece of information would help them in the fire readings. Artemis nodded, "I see, so there is still control over them, they are still lurking. General, is it possible for him to keep trying to attempt any contact?"

"I will let him know but I am sure he will continue trying. We know the complexity of the situation and it requires our full attention," Kunzite looked outside the window, "He probably is trying to read them tonight, leave it to us,"

"We will keep in touch then, thank you, General Kunzite." Artemis bowed his head at the shitennou and jumped down the coffee table, followed by Luna as they walked to the door Minako opened for them to allow them to walk out of the apartment. Her heart started pounding her chest like a drum, one strong beat after another in a continuous rhythm, one louder than the last. Her thoughts couldn't stop picturing a reality where Kunzite was not around, it was inconceivable but also possible. She closed her eyes for a minute and tried to hold her tears again when she felt his arms wrapped around her waist and turned her over to meet face to face, "Venus," Kunzite leaned down and murmured in her ear. His warm breath was enough for her to cling to him like if her life depended on it, "Stay with me," she said softly and looked up into his eyes, "I want you here, with me—don't go... don't go Kunzite."

"Not without a fight," Kunzite shook his head and tightened his arms around her and captured her lips in a deep, loving kiss, both feeling scared and madly in love.

O—o—o—o—O

At the other and busiest side of the city, Makoto was ending her shift at the restaurant when she heard Akiyama Masao say goodbye to one of the waitresses. After the very uncomfortable display of emotions that happened not too long ago, the relationship between her and Masao was close to null and since the restaurant had regained its popularity they had little to no time to even try to talk about what happened.

Surprisingly for her, things had toned down at the restaurant. She no longer felt Haruto's pressure and it had been long since he tried to make a move on her again. Suzuki, the sous-chef, still tried to overshadow her with her opulent personality but she decided to follow Nephrite's advice and take the high road.

Makoto began putting her things inside her tote bag when she noticed the young man coming close to her, "Kino-san," she froze and looked up at him a little confused, "Akiyama-san,"

"Kino-san... I—um, I wanted to congratulate you, you've been doing a great job and have managed the new menu very well," Masao although serious he showed little signs of nervousness, Makoto noticed, "Thank you, and congratulations on your promotion—Chef,"

"Thank you," Masao smiled but the awkwardness in the air still hung between them, making this conversation more of an obligation than an actual casual chit-chat. Masao took a deep breath and rubbed his neck shyly, "Kino-san, I want to apologize..." he sighed softly, "For what happened the other day, it was unfair of me to judge you the way I did and to try to take advantage of the situation by hurting your feelings,"

Makoto was surprised by the young chef's blunt honesty and acceptance. It was like a rush of fresh air—she thought, and after all that happened in the last couple of months, it was only fair to put this whole dilemma to rest once and for all. The Amazon lady smiled as she finished packing her knives and other kitchen supplies and rolled the bandana she usually wrapped around her head under the net she was obliged to use while cooking, "I think it's fair," she gave Masao an amused glance, still with the same smile on her face "An apology is not something you hear every day in such competitive environment like this... I really appreciate it." she closed her duffle bag and leaned on it over the table, "I just have one question: How come?"

Masao blushed a little, feeling ashamed "I realized that you never really gave anyone reasons to be after Haruto-san, and also, I caught Suzuki being the one behind all this drama." Makoto pouted her lips and nodded, "Yes, that sounds about right. I hope she learns the lesson." Masao nodded, "Well, I think she will—eventually. She'll come after me now that I got the promotion that was meant to be hers,"

"You better be prepared, she's merciless." Makoto chuckled to lighten the tension between them, "I hope we can put all this behind... I really appreciate your honest apology, thank you."

Masao put his hands inside his pants' pockets and smiled, "One's gotta do the right thing," the young chef scratched the back of his head, "So... the tall guy that was with you that night... is he your boyfriend?"

Makoto widened her eyes and blinked a couple of times, trying to process the meaning behind the word and she was not sure if she could actually call the shitennou her boyfriend. There was no doubt about the connection they had and the feelings that were already out in the open but were they really a couple? Could she call Nephrite her boyfriend? She wasn't sure. For starters, he was not the normal, average man to date, he was a man with ancient history and special qualities that could easily put him on advantage and despite him having confessed his feelings and have spent time together Makoto was more than certain it was not even close to the type of relationship Kunzite and Minako had. "Um, it's a little complicated to explain," she smiled, "I have known him for a very long time, you can say we're close."

"Childhood friends?"

"More like, very old friends."

Masao looked at the doors from the dining area opening and smiled sadly, "Yeah, that's for sure." his soft and almost disappointed tone startled Makoto, who turned to look over her shoulder when Masao motioned his head to point the double doors that led to the dining room and saw Nephrite looking as handsome as ever wearing a cashmere brick red sweater matching his chestnut-brown hair and gray slacks, "N-Nephrite,"

Masao noticed the soft blush in Makoto's cheeks and recognized it as one she once dedicated to him whenever they had time to talk alone. He had to admit that indeed, the brown-haired man at the door held a different, much more mature vibe and that his time to conquer and regain Makoto's affection was lost the minute he misjudged her; if they knew each other for a long time his mistake was the other man's advantage to step in and sweep her off his grasp and he had to accept his loss with dignity. Looking down, he let a soft sigh, "Well, I don't think Haruto-san will return for the night so I will go do some inventory," he waved his hand at her, "See you tomorrow Kino-san, have a good night."

Makoto turned surprised at Masao who didn't give her much chance to say anything else and just waved her hand, "G-Good night... Masao-san..." she turned to the man at the door again and sighed with a smile, like a girl very much in love. "H-Hi."

Nephrite looked around and pursed his lips, "So this is where you do your magic and share it with others," he glanced at her with a coquettish flair and curved his lips in a very sensual sided smile, "They are very fortunate," Makoto's blush intensified but refused to look away, she liked him too much to miss every gesture, every motion, and every word he said. "You just say it because you like me," she joked as she zipped her tote bag and walked towards him, Nephrite nodded and greeted her with a graceful caress on her cheek with the back of his hand, "Of course, but also because it is the truth." he tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear and tilted his head to look into her forest green eyes, "I am sorry for walking here without notice, the hostess told me it was alright since you were closing for today,"

Makoto's heart fluttered inside her chest like was filled with thousands of butterflies, "Yes,"

Nephrite looked down at her, still with that perfect smile on his face and flicked her messy fringe, "Shall we?" he offered his arm for her to take and walked out of the restaurant and into the busy night streets of Tokyo both immersed in their casual conversation. He turned and grabbed her duffle bag, "Allow me," Makoto looked at him startled "It's okay, it's not heavy I can—"

"I know," the shitennou smiled as he continued walking, "But I want to be helpful," they both stopped at the corner of the street and waited for the light to change red so they could cross to the other side, "To be honest, I do not know where we are heading—after meditating, I felt like I needed to decompress but when I walked out of my room I realized I was alone, again. I suppose Jadeite is at the temple with Mars, Zoisite is probably wandering around the city waiting for Mercury to end her shift at the hospital and Kunzite is most likely with Venus,"

Makoto blinked, knowing what he meant when he said he was meditating and bit her lower lip, "Did they say anything?" Nephrite turned to look down at her and then at the people crowding around them waiting for the same light to change colors. "I think it would be better if we go somewhere more private... are you hungry? Would you like to go somewhere in particular?" Makoto smiled and shook her head, "You might think I am the most boring woman ever but I would very much like to go home, I made new tea recipes and a fresh batch of peach biscuits I want to try out—if you're interested." Nephrite's smile widened by the invitation, "More than interested," they turned and saw the light flickering green and crossed in silence, his arm slowly rested on her shoulders and pulled her close to him as they walked towards Makoto's apartment.

Once there, the Amazon opened the door, turned the lights on, and put her duffle bag on a chair by the door and walked inside her comfy living room to open the windows, "I like the breeze that filters in at this time of the evening," she smiled and turned to look at Nephrite who was standing right behind her and looking down at her with deep endearment. His hands slowly moved to cup her cheeks and could not help but smile "Sweet Jupiter, you are a vision to look at,"

Makoto blushed again as she looked into his warm-olive colored eyes and thought about Masao's question: _is he your boyfriend? —_ She didn't really know why that was so important to her at the moment, with everything that has happened with Asteria and the andromedian, why it meant so much to her when it was more than obvious that there was a different, peaceful energy surrounding them every time they were together. Makoto thought about it for another minute and came to the silly conclusion it was probably because she was always misunderstood or taken for granted, the romantic girl too strong for any man. Nephrite repeated the same graceful gesture of caressing her cheek and narrowed his eyes slightly, "What is on your mind, Jupiter?"

The way her deep voice modulated her name made her smile, it was ironic how she proclaimed herself the soldier of courage and still could not gather enough bravery to express her feelings, maybe because she was too scared of her passionate heart and how it would betray her once she decided to act and follow her heart's wishes. Still a little hesitant but with more determination than just minutes ago, she moved her hand up and curled her fingers on his hair falling over his right shoulder and smiled, "Just something my co-worker said back at the restaurant,"

"What is that?" Nephrite smiled and graced her lip with his thumb, Makoto smiled "Ah, nothing... it's just something silly," she was loving his delicate touch but felt it was better to step back before she would go on to think things that were probably not even there. Nephrite was taken back for her sudden change and blinked as she walked to the kitchen and put some water to boil for the tea; "Jupiter, you know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Mhm," Makoto answered quietly and walked back with a beautifully adorned plate with the biscuits she mentioned him on their way to her apartment and placed it on the table along with two cups and matching plates. "It's just that..." she looked at him and chuckled nervously, "I don't want you to think I am being silly,"

"Why would I think that?" Nephrite shrugged his shoulders, the same smile never leaving his handsome face, "Not telling me would be silly, really," the curious tone in his voice made Makoto chuckle again and took a deep breath and exhaled, "Masao—my co-worker, asked me if you were my boyfriend." she saw Nephrite's eyes widen a little and felt her cheeks flush and covered her face with her hand in embarrassment, "See? I told you it was something silly—of course, it's silly, we have—" she jilted when she felt his hands on her shoulders and turned to look at him. Nephrite leaned down close enough to turn the moment more intimate, "And?" he said slowly, startling Makoto completely "W-What?"

"What did you answer him?"

Makoto blinked, "I..." she pressed her lips tight and turned to put a biscuit on each plate and chuckled nervously again, "That we have known for a very long time, which, is true if you—" her eyes widened when he felt his hands moving her face to meet his, naturally reclaiming the intimacy of just seconds ago, "Is that what you want?" his warm breath crashed against her pouty lips as he looked down into her eyes with emotion, "What I want?" she asked, dumbfounded, and tried to shake her nerves with a chuckle but her body was not responding the way she wanted to "Yes," Nephrite traced the line of her lips with his thumb again while never leaving his eyes from hers, "I believe I am more than just a boyfriend... we have a level of confidence a pair of acquaintances _or_ friends would not normally share between them,"

Makoto felt her knees feel like jelly, the word was suddenly overshadowed what boyfriend meant to her. Nephrite was going deeper with his analysis which only confused her more because she really didn't want to ruin whatever that was between them. The soft, squealing sound coming from the kettle began pleading for her attention but her eyes couldn't stop staring into his, no matter how much she tried "I—I have to... the water..." she licked her lips nervously, "Jupiter," Nephrite leaned his forehead on hers, "My adoration for you is no secret, I found love in you—that does not make me your boyfriend but your lover, the question here would be if you have found love in me?"

Makoto tangled her fingers in his wavy hair and sighed softly, finally letting her feelings unravel with raw emotion and truth, "Yes, I have... I have..." she shook her head, "It's silly—" she blushed when she felt his lips caressing hers "Then, that is all that matters to me," he said under his breath and closed his before locking his lips with hers; his arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her off the floor while deepening the kiss and felt her mold into his arms much more relaxed than she was just minutes ago. The screeching from the kettle on the stove intensified, demanding urgent attention which made the Amazon pull back and break the kiss to turned to look at it slightly annoyed, "Oh, the water..." she mumbled, Nephrite turned and carried her to the kitchen to turn the knob off before she could even think of moving away from him. The action made her break into giggles, finding it incredibly adorable for a man so serious like him show those specks of boyish behavior; Makoto looked for a pot to pour the boiled water but Nephrite pulled her back into his arms and cupped her face with his hands again, "Water will always be water and it can always be put to boil again..." he said softly and nibbled her lower lip with his, "Now, where were we? Ah, yes..." he narrowed his eyes so full of new found passion and claimed her lips once again in a more sweet but passionate kiss.

O—o—o—o—O

The next morning, Usagi opened her eyes and blinked several times until she adjusted them to the dim light filtering through the curtains of the bedroom. She slowly turned on the bed and surprisingly for her, Mamoru was next to her sound asleep. Usagi snuggled a little closer and took a minute to look at him in silence while thinking how much she had desired to be exactly like this, in bed, in peace, and with her loving prince by her side, as her husband. With the most of cares, she shoved his hair away to look at his face and realized this was one of those rare occasions where she woke up before him, considering how he was always up by dawn but it was maybe the fact that he couldn't do much, that allowed himself to be lazy and sleep more or maybe it was a new habit she so much wished he'd take from here on. She smiled when she heard his slow and steady breathing muffled through the pillow he was hugging close to his chest.

He looked so cute—she thought. With his slightly flushed cheeks and his dark hair all disheveled slowly falling again to cover one side of his face while the other was hidden behind the fluffy pillow. This was so different from what the world was used to see of him; she loved this raw version of the always impeccable man with unyielding character and principles. For some time now, it had become a custom of his to sleep shirtless, giving her a pleasant visual treat as she admired in silence how his toned muscles peeked through every time he moved and the scent of his worn cologne impregnated in his skin lingered in between the sheets just allured Usagi's senses even more. Why was he so damn sensual? She wondered while biting her lip with mischief; a part of her wanted to lean closer and kiss him until he woke up and do more things in bed that just sleep. She missed him—intimately. She missed the rush of excitement and the good chills his lips and touch did to her every time they made love. She missed the stormy look in his eyes, the way they turned into that indigo shade of blue and the way he made her feel like the only woman in the world; she missed to lock herself around him and run her hands through his hair and just let herself go with the rhythm of his body swaying with hers. The man was too sensual to be true and she found it funny that he really didn't even tried to be, it came naturally, he was just too damned blessed with charm. Usagi missed him, she truly missed him, and she could tell he missed her too but no matter how much she wanted to wake the lion she had for a husband, she didn't dare to do it, she didn't have the heart to interrupt his much-needed sleep. Mamoru was a jealous man with his time in bed, being this—besides coffee—the second thing she has seen he shamelessly ignores on skimping, considering how he was the type of person that liked to keep things simple and who liked to live with only the necessary. When it came to his bed, he had to have the most comfortable sheets, covers, pillows and everything in between. He didn't collect, he constantly changed things—a trait she didn't mind at all because she was a master of laziness and sleep. She had to admit that after she slept in his bed for the very first time, it has never been the same, no matter how much she tried to replicate the comfort on her own bed back at her parent's house, no matter how many pillows, no matter the layers and layers of memory foam on her mattress, no matter how much fabric softener she added to her sheets and covers, it was never the same. Whenever they went shopping for something—anything, he would always go to the home-goods section and check new pillows or duvets proving he valued his sleep like the most sacred of treasures probably because of its lightness and because he only did it whenever he felt safe enough to shut down and snooze off, making Usagi feel like his most trusted guardian.

Putting her raw desires and imagination aside, the princess turned slowly to the other side to look for her phone and check the time, her pale blue eyes widened when she confirmed that in fact, it was way too late for Mamoru to still be in bed; "Ten..." she mumbled groggily as she scrolled through her messages and saw a couple from Mika, who ever since she left the office has been texting her what's been going on with Yuki now that she was unveiled as a cheater and Maya's rage for having lost all the art for her new fashion campaign. After giving those a quick read and answering Mika back with a heartfelt *'wwww' she fixed her attention on the other unread messages waiting to be read at the bottom, one from her mother and other from Motoki. Usagi bit her lower lip, hesitating for a minute before gently pressing her finger on Motoki's message first and held her breath nervously as she read:

 _"Usa-chan,_

 _As promised, everything was taken care of with discretion. I have your results with me and spoke to the specialist; you're fine but there are some delicate things I would like us to talk about in person. Please give me a call whenever you are coming._

 _Love, your Onii-san."_

Usagi bit her lower lip and turned quickly to look over her shoulder when she felt Mamoru stretching and saw him turn to the other side and hide his head under the stack of pillows, showing no signs of waking up any time soon. Smiling, she turned her attention back to her phone and sent a quick response to Motoki and proceeded to tap to open her mother's text and realized that ever since Rei's grandfather passed away she hadn't stuck to her promise on going to visit them every weekend. She hadn't called or even sent any signs that they had returned from their honeymoon; they didn't know Mamoru was hurt, they didn't know she no longer had a job, or that she was not in the best of shapes—health wise. She hasn't called to check on them and see if they were alright and after what has been all over the news almost 24/7 about the strange disease outbreak, the attacks, and disappearances she felt bad for not being in touch and she had to make up it up to them for the time she had been absent. Without giving it much more thought, she slowly got out of bed and walked to the bathroom to take a quick shower and get ready to go out.

She stood in front of the large mirror inside the walk-in closet and studied her reflection for a minute, thinking of the many things that have happened and let out a soft sigh. Her eyes locked in the reflection of the golden pendant gleaming proudly in the soft light and could not help to admire its beauty up close; her pale blue eyes narrowed as she rolled the stone between her fingers and had a faint flashback of the queen wearing it the very day she met her and later at the winter ball, "Thank you," Usagi whispered and smiled softly at the feeling of the endearing connection and blessing from her mother in law, protecting her from the beyond. The princess gave it one last glance before she took the necklace off and carefully placed it on a small ceramic plate over her dresser so it wouldn't get wet making a mental note of not forgetting putting it back on when getting dressed and quietly walked to the bathroom putting her ninja-like skills to the test and try not wake up her husband while getting ready.

O—o—o—o—O

Makoto walked into the kitchen and turned the stove on to boil water, again, and proceeded to cook breakfast for two. With a smile on her face, she began thinking about how long it had been since she cooked for a boyfriend, and how nice it felt to do it and to actually be with somebody who shared the same feelings as her.

"*Salve, Jupiter,"

Makoto widened her eyes and turned over her shoulder as she kept whisking some egg whites on the ceramic bowl rested securely in her arm, "Good morning," she greeted him with a smile, one that grew bigger when he went to seal the greeting with a soft, loving kiss. The general looked at the oven heating and then at the kettle boiling water and smiled, "See? Water will always be water,"

Makoto chuckled and blushed when she remembered what happened after he said those words, "You are right, that is why you are a great royal advisor," Nephrite smiled, "I do my best, I do my best... so, what are you making?"

"Cloud eggs," Makoto kept whisking the whites in circular motions, Nephrite paid close attention to the way she moved around the kitchen and smiled, "Sounds like a dream." Makoto giggled, "And taste like a dream too,"

"What can I help you with?" Nephrite tucked his sleeves a quarter up and rubbed his hands excitedly, surprising Makoto for his interest, "Uh, you could help me slicing the loaf of sourdough bread and toast it on the small grill I have heating on the stove—I know you're good with sharp blades so I know you'll do a wonderful job," her playful comment made the man chuckle heartedly, "So they say..." he mumbled as he took out the bread knife and proceeded to cut thick slices of bread and put them over the grill, "This is very nice—this peace, this moment... with you,"

Makoto closed the oven and turned to look at him while wiping her hands with a clean towel, there was something in his voice that made her feel melancholic, almost as if this adorable moment between them could never happen again, "About last night... when you told me you were meditating, did you see anything that could give us a clue?"

Nephrite placed another slice of bread on the grill and with a soft sigh turned to Makoto, "All I see is confusion, Jupiter. Confusion and corruption—I cannot lie to you, it is mortifying." He narrowed his warm hazel eyes, "It is almost as if they are being silenced, controlled by a bigger force. We have been working on a preventive plan... if they attack again there will be no turning point." he felt a tug in his heart when noticed the fear in Makoto's eyes and pulled her into a warm embrace, "Fear not my Jupiter, we will fight with everything we have,"

Makoto closed her eyes, feeling lulled by the steady sound of the general's steady heartbeats, "I want to keep cooking for you... last night was very special, this morning is like a dream... I don't want to lose you,"

"I do not want to lose you either," Nephrite rubbed Makoto's lower back and kissed her head, "We must not give in to adversity Jupiter, I will not say it is going to be easy... but we all know how to fight and we all want the same. We must be strong and not give them the privilege to win, promise me my beautiful Amazon Goddess..."

Makoto opened her eyes and looked up at him, "I promise you, my Heavenly King," she stepped on her tiptoes and brushed his lips with hers, both hoping for the best, both in love.

O—o—o—o—O

Usagi walked out of the bedroom and closed the door behind her with gracious care and walked to the living room surprising Megumi who was sitting on the sofa, drinking a cup of tea while reading one of the princess' fashion magazines "Y-Your Highness!"

Usagi chuckled softly and put a finger on her lips, asking the maiden to keep her voice low so her husband wouldn't wake up, "Good morning Megumi—I know, I know what you're thinking," she said in a low voice, Megumi smiled softly, "Are you going out again, Your Highness?"

"Just me this time. Mamo-chan is still asleep, as incredible as that sounds." Usagi looked for her keys, "When he wakes up, could you please tell him I went to visit my mother and that I will be back in a couple of hours?"

"B-But... Princess... His Highness said it's dangerous, he does not want you to go out alone and I agree," Megumi widened her eyes nervously, "Why not wait until he wakes up?"

"His Highness is sound asleep and who knows when he is going to wake up, and besides, poor him, he needs to lay still, his leg is still pretty hurt. I'll be alright, don't worry." Usagi smiled as she walked towards the door, "I'll just go have breakfast and as soon as I am done I'll head back, I promise." she turned and wrapped her arms around Megumi in a sisterly embrace, "You know, according to Mamo-chan, my mother makes this amazing plum tart, I will see if she has one baked and I will bring a special slice just for you but don't tell the Prince or he'll get jealous because he seriously _loves_ it. I will see you in a bit, okay?" she winked her eye and turned to put on her red loafers to match her animal print light sweater and dark jeans. Megumi had not much to say before the silver-haired princess stepped out the door leaving her standing there a little disconcerted.

As she made her way through the crowded streets, Usagi found it strange that in the middle of May it was still a little chilly since Tokyo usually had very nice weather in the spring and it was popular during that station because of its blooming trees and upcoming beach days. She gave good thought as to where it was best to go first and after an internal battle and wave of emotions, she decided to pay Motoki a quick visit after meeting with her parents since she knew he was going to be more busy than normal due to the sudden attacks and strange diseases taking over.

Walking down the path she knew by heart, it took her approximately thirty minutes to finally arrive to her old district in Juuban and smiled when she saw the characteristic smithy gate in the distance and imagined that by this time her father had already gone to work, Shingo was at the university, and her mother was having her usual cup of coffee while reading the newspaper in the dining table. She pushed the gate open and walked towards the front door, feeling the nostalgia of her 14-year-old self as she walked inside the house, immediately catching Ikuko's attention, "Papa... did you forget your wallet again?" The older Tsukino walked towards the foyer and widened her eyes with great surprise to see her daughter standing there with a warm smile on her face, "Usagi!"

"Ohayo, mama," Usagi took her shoes off and walked towards her mother and wrapped her arms around her in a loving embrace, "I'm sorry, I know I haven't been around for a while... it's been... complicated." The apologetic tone in her voice was enough for Ikuko to pull back and look at her daughter straight in the eye, "Everything alright?" Usagi nodded, "Yes, though you must be wondering what I am doing here this early... right?" she followed her mother to the kitchen, Ikuko chuckled "I won't lie dear, it _is_ a surprise—coffee?" she turned and widened her eyes, "Did you lightened your hair?"

Usagi widened her eyes and bit her lower lip nervously, "Oh, this..." she grabbed one long pigtail and sighed softly, "Yeah... um, I felt like I needed a little change... you don't like it?" Ikuko blinked and walked back to the dining table with two cups of coffee and handed one to her daughter who immediately went into the kitchen to look for the milk and sugar to tweak it into something sweeter. "I do, actually. It gives you a regal flair, you look like a Princess—silver suits you," she said softly as she stirred her spoon in her coffee, waiting for the cream to dissolve. Usagi froze back in the kitchen by her mother's choice of words but decided to dismiss the coincidence and joined her mother at the table "Did Mamoru drive you here before going to work?"

"No, Mamo-chan doesn't usually work over the weekend unless it's an emergency or has a patient in intensive care." Usagi put the spoon on the delicate plate under her cup and took a sip, "I walked here on my own, he was asleep when I left—I didn't have the heart to wake him up, he never sleeps until late and he's always so busy, I felt like he needed to rest, but sure he misses you."

Ikuko smiled, "A career in medicine is very demanding, he must have had a rough week," Usagi sighed softly, "You could say that,"

Ikuko put her cup down, "So when did you come back from your honeymoon?" The question pulled Usagi back from her thoughts while reading the headlines on the newspaper over the table, "Oh um, a little more than two weeks ago—I know, it's been crazy..." she sighed, "Rei's grandfather passed away and well, we have been trying to cheer her up... that's why I said it's been complicated."

"Oh, no..." Ikuko put a hand on her chest, "Oh dear, I am so sorry... how is she doing?"

"She's alright—sad, but... she's slowly accepting that her grandfather is now resting in a better place."

"Don't worry," Ikuko waved her hand, "We understand. I am just very glad and relieved you haven't been involved in those horrible attacks that have been happening lately or the flu that's been targeting everyone and with Sailor Moon making the headlines again, well... it means it's getting serious." Usagi felt a tug in her chest for having to keep the truth from her mother; her fingers tapped her warm cup nervously and nodded, "So I heard,"

"It's been eight years..."

"Yeah,"

Ikuko took a sip of her coffee and savored its strong flavor before continuing, "I imagine it must be difficult, now that you are married and have a job,"

"A little... I have managed..." Usagi's eyes widened and turned to her mother with a horrified expression, "I-I mean..." the color on her cheeks washed off her face when she realized what she just did, "Mama... I-I..." Ikuko arched a brow, "Usagi— _I know_."

"W-What?!" Usagi widened her eyes, making Ikuko crack a soft chuckle, "I know the truth, I know you're Sailor Moon."

"H-How?" Usagi watched Ikuko put her cup down and nodded. Her deep colored eyes looked into her daughter's crystal blue ones and sighed softly, "I have known for a long time—it happened one day while I was doing laundry, I walked into your bedroom to grab your school uniform and the broach fell from its bow by accident and I saw it—it was no ordinary piece of jewelry. I remember that at the time, strange things were happening... similar to what's been going on lately. There were strange creatures caught on camera, people disappearing or getting sick and the heroine that fought them all. Not long after, I saw a footage taken of the famous Sailor Moon and noticed she was wearing the exact same brooch on her bow and started connecting the dots together: the times you weren't home was when Sailor Moon was out there saving the world along with her teammates which I later assumed were your friends."

Usagi felt her blood had frozen while she listened to her mother tell her with such detail all of the things she thought she had kept perfectly hidden from the world and didn't know much how to react or what to say. She felt ashamed and like the worst daughter in the world for pretending to fool her own mother, and also, like the worst liar in the world. Ikuko stretched her arm over the table and reached for Usagi's hand and patted it softly, "I won't say I wasn't worried sick, I couldn't sleep knowing you were putting yourself in horrible danger but something made me not to intervene. I couldn't deny just how proud I felt to know what a brave woman you were growing up to be and clearly, have become. Fearless, true to herself but also, kind and loving."

Usagi felt a tug in her chest and the emotion manifesting in her eyes, "Mama..."

Ikuko sighed softly, "I always knew you were special and that you were the manifestation of a miracle. Since the moment I knew I was expecting you, I felt like I had been blessed by the skies." Her mature face looked at her daughter and gave her a sad smile, "When your papa and I got married we struggled for a long time to start a family and it was killing me inside to know that I could not give such wonderful man a baby. I went to see many specialists and none could give me a reason as to why I couldn't conceive a child, I was depressed because I really wanted to be a mother. During that time, I remember the news reporting a once in a lifetime cosmic view; that there was going to be the fullest moon in two thousand years one night. I remember seeing it everywhere, in the news and papers, I remember people constantly talking about it—an astronomical marvel—some even said it was the manifestation of the love between the Earth and the Moon because it would be this time it was supposed to be as big and shiny as ever was. A true historical moment for astronomers all over the world." The woman smiled, "Your father and I decided to go see the event at the park and it was beyond what it was said in the news... it was beautiful. It was truly magical... the way it gleamed, like a giant pearl hanging in the velvet night sky. At that moment, I felt it—the hunch, something inside me told me that I should pray to that magical moon to bless me with a child... so I did, I prayed with all my heart and weeks later, I found out I was pregnant with you." A soft gleam in the older woman's eyes let know Usagi that the story was more emotional and significant to her mother than she imagined and felt her eyes burning with tears.

"You never told me any of this..." Usagi wiped the trail of tears running down her cheek; Ikuko smiled "Not everyone knows about this. It's a secret kept between your father and me." Her hand cupped Usagi's cheek lovingly, "That you are my moon child—that is why we decided to name you Usagi," Ikuko chuckled, "Our little moon bunny."

The story moved Usagi to the core, to think she was her mother's miracle and that it had to be coming from the moon made perfect sense as to why she was reborn into this world and part of this family. It was like taking a veil from her eyes and realize the truth behind each and every one, how their lives were carefully planned to be the way they came out to be. The moon queen gave Ikuko the blessing of carrying her into this world before dying as a way to show her love and dedication for her daughter. She left her in the best, most loving hands she could ever find and silently thanked her for giving her the perfect childhood and the perfect parents before she had to ascend the throne as her successor.

Usagi moved from her seat and went to give her mother a tight, warm hug and sniffed with emotion in her mother's hair, "Thank you, for everything." Ikuko smiled and rubbed her daughter's back softly and closed her eyes, "No, thank you for choosing me."

Usagi pulled back and shook her head, still with shock "Why didn't you ever tell me any of this? Since when you have known?" Ikuko combed her daughter's long fringe to the side and looked into her crystal blue eyes, "You were turning sixteen—I didn't say anything because I have always felt there was something special—something different about you, and even if I did and asked you to stop doing it you wouldn't have listened to me. By the time you turned sixteen, I noticed you were slowly coming back to your usual routine and the image of that beautiful heroine slowly became a legend."

Usagi tightened her lips together and sat on the chair next to her mother, "I-I don't know what to say..."

"Usagi, I won't ask what pushed you to do what you did—I won't ask either of you two, because, I know Mamoru is involved in this too—" Usagi widened her eyes, "Wait, how?"

Ikuko chuckled, "Dear, the masked thief that stole precious relics was very well-known months before Sailor Moon made the headlines for the first time—that poise was unmistakable. I didn't hesitate to welcome him into our family because I know he has been by your side all this time without fail, he's always looking after you, he's your protector."

"I am truly amazed," Usagi exhaled heavily, "You are one sharp detective, you know that? You should totally work for the police—"

"Usagi," Ikuko's tone turned serious, "Please be careful,"

"Mama?" Usagi frowned, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Promise me you will be careful, _both of you._ Do you hear me?" The way Ikuko was speaking to her daughter was more of a woman who knew exactly what was happening to them. She knew more than Usagi imagined and it completely changed things because it was like she knew the divine energy flowing inside her and that somehow, she had gone through her own process to accept that she might not see her like this again. This conversation somehow felt like a farewell between them, like if her time to return the blessing to the Moon had come and it was ripping Usagi's heart, because she felt it too, "Mama..."

"Promise me, Usagi." Ikuko demanded with worry, "Promise me you will be strong—promise me you and Mamoru will stay together if times get tough. I promise to take care of your papa and your brother, you don't have to worry about that but please promise me you will be alright."

"I promise." Usagi held Ikuko's hand, "I swear mama, but please, stop talking like if you are saying goodbye to me..." her quivering voice was enough to break Ikuko's strong character and began tearing too, " _Never_ my sweet daughter, we will never say goodbye," she pulled Usagi into her arms again and closed her eyes, " _Never_ , my beautiful Moon Princess." Ikuko's words cleared the mystery to Usagi, she knew who she was and she was proudly accepting it and letting her be who she was meant to be.

The promise was their way to settle things, it was the confirmation Ikuko needed and the comfort and understanding Usagi needed to have in times like this. They both knew the truth and both had gone through their own ways to process the transitions in their lives but with gratitude, perseverance, and much love they would make it work in the future because to Usagi, Ikuko was her mother and to Ikuko, Usagi was her child and that's how it was going to be in their hearts for the rest of their lives.

"Does Papa know this?"

"I know he does," Ikuko took a deep breath, "He has never been as vocal as I have been with him, but he has always known."

"About me being Sailor Moon?" Usagi frowned with worry, Ikuko shook her head, "About you being a blessing from the Moon. No, about you being a heroine... I don't think he does and it's better if he doesn't know right now, he wouldn't take it too well... you know he can be a little overdramatic at times,"

Usagi crackled a chuckle, "Ah, yes..." She laughed, "Papa's a softie." Ikuko nodded, "He truly is," she smiled, feeling much more relieved. The rest of their morning slowly transitioned to a normal conversation between a mother and daughter, as if the emotion of a while ago didn't happen. They shared some gossip about what's been happening with other members of the family and friends, very much like they did normally when they were alone. Ikuko made breakfast for them and then lunch, this time with her daughter trying to be helpful in the kitchen. Ikuko stirred the pot where she was cooking a vegetable stew and added a pinch of salt to the steamy concoction, "Mamoru won't be worried that you have been gone for too long? He must be awake by now—it's almost noon,"

"It's okay," Usagi smiled while she continued peeling another carrot, "He knows I'm here and I need to make another quick stop at the hospital before I go back home,"

"Oh? Another?" Ikuko quirked a curious brow, "Everything alright?"

"Yes," Usagi nodded, thinking it was best if she didn't tell the whole story of her husband's injury to spare her mother the mortification of knowing they got hurt in battle, "Mamo-chan sprained his ankle the other day and he asked for a few days off at work. I just got a text from Motoki-oniisan asking me to pick up some papers to give to Mamo-chan to sign, so..." she turned to the clock on the wall and pursed her lips, "Actually, I should go before it gets late and he goes out for lunch or something," as Usagi turned to grab a towel to clean her hands, she decided not to tell her mother anything about the check-up she had because she knew Ikuko would worry even more thinking that for, now it was better to stay quiet until things went back to normal. She went to look for her purse to check if there were any messages or missed calls and was surprised to see there was not a single one coming from Mamoru. With a curious frown, she dialed their apartment and waited for Megumi to answer, "Hello?"

"Hi, it's me..." Usagi spoke slowly and turned to look over her shoulder to make sure Ikuko was still in the kitchen, "Just calling to check in, everything alright?"

 _"Yes, Your Highness. Prince Endymion is still sleeping, I went to check if he wanted some coffee but as soon as I opened the door I could hear him snoring a little,"_

"What?!" Usagi widened her eyes and laughed softly, "He's still asleep _and_ snoring? Are we talking about the same person here?" She heard a chuckle escaped from Megumi, _"Yes, would you like me to go and wake him up to take your call?"_

"No, Megumi, it's fine. My goodness... it's so rare of him to sleep this late, it's noon!" Usagi bit her lip, "Alright, so—I am heading to run some errands and then I'll go straight back home, okay? I will see you in a bit, if the sleeping beauty _ever_ wakes up, tell him that I love him and that I will see him soon." she smiled when she heard Megumi chuckling at the other end of the line, _"Consider it done, Princess."_ The lunar princess smiled,"Okay, I'm heading out—Mama didn't bake any plum tarts this week but I will bring something I know you'll love,"

 _"I appreciate it Princess, but please be careful on your way back home,"_

Usagi appreciated the care and how Megumi looked after her the same way she looked after Mamoru and smiled when identified the motherly tone on her voice, "I will Megumi, see you soon." she ended the call and turned to see Ikuko walking towards her, "You called home, dear?"

"Yes, sadly, I have to go... but I promise we'll come to visit you very soon." The silvered blonde hugged her mother again, "I want that plum tart recipe, Mamo-chan's been asking me to bake a tart, I don't even know why he tries... but, okay," Ikuko chuckled and remembered the cute meaning behind that famous plum tart.

Ikuko was known for her good baking skills, she loved to bake and she did it every time with success but one day she came across the famous plum tart recipe and curious to see what it would taste like she gave it a go. She remembered it was the first time Usagi had brought him home to formally introduce him as her boyfriend and because she wanted to make a nice meal to greet him, she wanted to impress everyone with her newfound recipe but surprisingly, everyone hated it—except for Mamoru, who happily ate Usagi's half-eaten slice and even agreed to take home the rest of the tart. Ever since that day and despite anyone liking it, it has been a staple in the Tsukino household and there is one waiting in the oven whenever she knows Mamoru will visit. She loved the man, way before she discovered the truth about them, she became fond of him. Unlike Kenji, who initially had his doubts and reservations about him because didn't like much the fact he was older than Usagi, Ikuko never felt any threat or malice coming from the young man but all the contrary, he was always respectful of Usagi and she could tell he really cared for her by the way he was always looking after her. Her fondness grew even more when she noticed the positive impact he had on Shingo and later on how her always distracted and sometimes lazy daughter improved her grades at school to a considerable scale and later on, decided to study a career. To Ikuko, Mamoru became more than just her daughter's boyfriend, slowly but steady, he earned his place in their family and became a big brother to Shingo and a son to Kenji and Ikuko. His place on the table was no longer a question, it was always there waiting for him with a freshly baked plum tart. To everyone, this was the solid proof of her love for her son in law because as loving and caring Tsukino Ikuko was all the time, she still did whatever she wanted in the kitchen and she never baked any special requests.

"I will have one baked just for him, so he better comes with you next time, tell him I miss him too."

"Will do Mama, I promise." Usagi smiled before going into the foyer and slid on her shoes again; Ikuko took her apron off and walked with her to the door, "I'll walk you out, dear,"

Usagi turned, "It's alright Mama, don't go out—it's a little chilly outside, it's okay." She chuckled and kissed her mother on the cheek and walked out the door. Ikuko stayed by the window and watched her daughter walk away with teary eyes, "Please be safe dear," she pressed her warm hand against the chilly window and traced her daughter's silhouette as she walked away, "Be safe,"

O—o—O

After taking a ride to Tokyo Hospital to meet with Motoki, Usagi was back to a more crowded and commercial area in Azabu an hour later. With a load of information still boiling in her mind, partly from something she already knew but didn't know how to handle, Usagi felt it was best to clear her mind and walk her way home. She stopped at a red light and thought which way would lead her home much faster at this time of the day. She looked down at her phone to call Megumi again but noticed her reception had gone and so happened to everyone around her; she turned to a couple of girls complaining about it too. She turned and saw the red light began blinking, and so the rest of the street lights while the screens and virtual spectaculars suddenly shut down, "Another blackout?" she mumbled to herself and widened her eyes when she saw a car coming full speed towards the same girls crossing the street and quickly ran after them and pulled them back before the vehicle crashed on a pole, violently.

Usagi pressed her communicator by instinct and with no specific sender and brought it close to her lips, "Azabu Shopping District—the shadows have reemerged!" Her eyes widened when the ambient instantly became hazy and the people on the streets began rising in panic when another car followed suit and crashed on another pole the same way the first one, giving her little to no time to continue her alert; Usagi watched almost to a paralyzed state and paled when she saw the bodies inside the cars step out, moving awkwardly and unnatural and turned to look at her, "There. _You._ Are." Usagi's eyes widened and turned to see Athamas walking against the current of people running frantically for their lives. Her first instinct was to reach for the golden pendant and widened her eyes when she realized she forgot to put it on before she left home "N-No..." Athamas chuckled, "What, no bodyguards this time?"

"I don't need bodyguards, I can take care of myself—" Usagi frowned and took out her brooch and lift it in the air, "Moon Eternal Power—Make Up!"

O—o—o—o—O

A strong tug in Mamoru's chest pulled him from his deep sleep and opened his blue eyes and immediately turned to Usagi's side on the bed only found it vacant. "Usa," he called out to her loud enough for her to hear in case she was in the bathroom and stood up without paying attention to the crutches despite the discomfort and pain in his leg, "Usagi?" he called her again, this time with more urgency when the sharp tug in his chest intensified. He made his way to check inside the walk-in closet but again, she was nowhere around. As he turned to leave, something in the corner of his eye caught his attention and turned to find the pendant neatly placed in a small ceramic plate; his deep prussian eyes widened with panic, "No..." he grabbed it and turned to grab a t-shirt and a pair of pants and rushed out of the room feeling a knot in the pit of his stomach, "Serenity!"

Megumi caught the urgent tone in the prince's voice and walked out of the kitchen and looked at him with shock when noticed he was not using the crutches to move around and was fully dressed, "Your—"

"Where is she?" Mamoru frowned, Megumi blinked with worry, "Your Highness?"

"Where is she Megumi?!" Mamoru raised his voice with worry at the now nervous maid, "She said that she was going to visit her mother... that she would be back soon..." her eyes widened with worry when she saw Mamoru flinch in pain, "Prince!"

Mamoru grunted when he was reminded of his injury and cursed under his breath as he limped his way to the door, completely ignoring the maiden's worry tone in her call; Megumi noticed his pants slowly stained with blood as he moved but didn't have much time to say anything before she saw him flee the apartment with great urgency "No! Your Highness, wait!" Megumi rushed after him to try to stop him but he was already out of her sight.

The pull inside Mamoru's chest became stronger once he walked out of the building and saw the street lights and everything that usually would be giving life to the city was dead being the sound of screams the only thing that echoed through the air. Megumi caught up with the prince soon after and widened her eyes when saw the terror in the people's face as they ran for their lives. Mamoru frowned and kneeled on the floor and placed his palm on the ground to look for his wife's whereabouts, the pulsing ground gave him the exact image of her in seconds but he also saw she was not alone. "Damn you, Andromedian," he muttered angrily and flinched in pain when his leg reminded of his physical limitations once again; Megumi kneeled next to him and tried to help him stand up, "Prince... you are injured! You cannot move! You will only hurt yourself more!"

"I don't care," Mamoru closed his eyes and put his hand on his bleeding leg, "Et invoca virtutis," his hand began gleaming a soft golden light and transmitted the energy onto his wounded leg; like he said, the process required too much concentration and energy to actually heal such deep wound but the circumstances had changed and his idea of healing the most on his own and the other by his power was not an option anymore. In seconds the light vanished and Mamoru opened his eyes, fully transformed into his black tuxedo; he turned to Megumi showing a stormy blue taking over his deep azure irises and handed her the pendant to look after it, "Go back to the apartment, lock yourself and don't look out the window—whatever you hear, don't look outside." he turned quickly and ran towards Usagi's location with impressive speed.

"No." Megumi frowned, feeling impotent for not having the power or the strength any of them did. She wanted to help in some way, she wanted to be of aid and help the catastrophe not to repeat again. She didn't want to lose her home or prince and princess again, she did not want to lose her new friends, she didn't want to be alone again, "No, I cannot go back knowing something is happening to the Princess... no, even if it is small, I want to help, I want to do something... I have to do something!" she took a deep breath and armed herself with valor and ran after the terran prince, "I am sorry my Prince, but I will not leave you alone again—I will not run away, not anymore."

O—o—o—o—O

Usagi widened her eyes at the man walking towards her while enjoying every tragic minute of the people running frantically in all directions. "What the hell do you think you are you doing?!" she yelled at him with anger. Athamas stopped and arched his brow, "It is interesting how you ask me that question given that you have always known my intentions." The Andromedian general crossed the street, "I am taking what it should have been mine since the very beginning," Usagi looked at him defiantly, by now she had transformed into Sailor Moon and her gloved hand was holding her new scepter, "Yours? With what right do you think this planet is yours?"

"Oh, I do not care about this planet, my dear—" Athamas grinned and vanished into thin air and appeared behind the lunar senshi and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him, "—I care about what is in it."

Sailor Moon widened her eyes and tried to break from his cold grasp, immediately remembering and putting into practice her training with Endymion and mentally thanking for not having the heavy wings on her uniform anymore as she slid down from Athamas arms, turned and threw a high kick straight to his jaw, knocking him down. Turning, she stepped away from the Andromedian and called her to scepter to appear and vanish the shadows possessing the civilians but Athamas regained composure right after and pulled her down and crashing her against the ground. The soldier princess tried to break free from his grasp and used her scepter to hit his hand away from her leg and jumped back up, ignoring the pain caused by the brutal fall. Athamas rubbed his hand on his lip and saw the stain of his own blood and licked it carelessly, "I still find it adorable how you pretend to live in a dream," he chuckled and looked at her "How long are you going to keep this stupid game of yours, eh, Serenity?"

"It's not a game," Sailor Moon frowned, "I am not the tragic Princess you liked to torture—that woman died, a long time ago."

Athamas started laughing to suppress the anger boiling inside him; he could see the difference between the woman he lost back then and the woman she had become now and that was standing before him, wearing a senshi uniform. Physically she also looked different and she no longer had the look of an innocent girl who did not have a clue of what happened around her; her eyes showed experience, determination, and courage. Her voice had matured too, while it was still soft and delicate it had deepened to an extent of showing her authority and power. She was right, the frightened, weak princess he knew was no more. "Why Serenity? Was it the shame too heavy for you to bear that you needed to atone for it by becoming a Sailor Senshi?"

"Your words make no sense to me," Sailor Moon narrowed her eyes at him, silently admitting that she had learned to imitate some of her husband's gestures over the course of many battles. Athamas smirked, "You still do not want to admit the consequences of your irresponsible acts," the former general tilted his head low "Open your eyes Serenity, all that happened back then... the fall of the Moon Kingdom was because you tangled your feelings and interest around that monster—your darling mortal." Sailor Moon shook her head, "That's not true and you—"

"Why did the dark witch go to the Moon then? Who could guarantee the High Gods were going to save his life?" Athamas wrapped his fingers around his sword's hilt, "Just because the Queen spared his life that night, it did not mean he was going to survive—there is a reason why he must be dragged to hell," he looked up and grinned with insane pleasure, "And he will be," the former general sprinted from his place towards her and unsheathed his sword, "Once you become mine!"

Sailor Moon widened her eyes and dodged the attack by a mere fraction of a second and channeled the power on her scepter, "I cannot let you continue poisoning this planet... _Silver Moon... Crystal Power Therapy Kiss_ _!"_ A strong, cleansing light spread across the entire area like a blanket made of pure stardust, reaching the dark entities crawling and rising from Athamas' shadow; the blonde general squinted immediately rejecting the silver energy coming from the senshi and jumped away from the sacred beam of light and kicked the scepter away from her hands, catching her off guard "Look around you, Serenity..." The andromedian growled and tug her sailor collar, pulling her closer to him and turned her head to look at the shadows spreading from his own eating up the souls of the people, leaving them unconscious on the ground, "Your little childish games cannot do anything—you cannot fight darkness with stardust, you have never had the heart to deprive a life, you are no warrior Serenity, you just like to pretend to be one while others do the work and keep you pure and away from all malice—you say you are not a tragic Princess anymore? I beg to differ, you are the same and even worse because you are wearing a uniform you cannot even pay homage to." Something in his voice made the princess realize that just like her, he no longer was the man she knew from that tragic part of her past. He spoke so sure that it almost pushed her to convince her to believe his truth making her question her power and his arguments when saying she couldn't do anything to prevent this planet from merging with an unknown dimension made of shadows; her undying question as to why the gods held so much grudge pulsed in the back of her mind. Serenity felt his cold hand slip from her collar to her neck, touching her like if he owned her, stamping the memory of his aggressive touch on her skin once again and turned to confirm Athamas words, her powers while strong, couldn't offer any permanent solution and it scared her—it terrified her because if she wasn't able to do anything, then who?

A familiar feeling of desolation washed over her and watched with teary eyes at the people screaming until their voices strained with pain and finished unconscious on the ground like vacant vessels. Athamas shook Sailor Moon's collar to emphasize his words, "See for yourself what you have done to this planet... see how you, a Goddess, have become a curse to this planet,"

Sailor Moon felt her eyes burn with tears, "No..." she turned and glared at Athamas, "We were fine, we were alright! You brought this misery to Earth! _You_ did!" Her trembling hands wrapped around the andromedian's neck and pressed tightly, "You did!" The lunar symbol on her forehead began gleaming with intensity, much more than it did minutes ago with her scepter, blinding the former general and giving her an alibi to try to break free again. She lifted her knee as high as she could and hit him on the stomach several times, each time with much more force than the other, an act of violence she was not used to but felt necessary to keep herself safe and alive. Athamas resented the hits and punches while silently admiring her astounding strength, the more pain she caused him, the more anger he felt towards her. His grip on her neck tightened, limiting the air entering her lungs and the oxygen feeding her brain. "It's only a matter of time," he muttered as he watched her squirm in his hands, fighting for her life. "Where is your precious protector now Serenity?"

With teary eyes, Sailor Moon digs her gloved fingers around his, trying to loosen the grip on her neck but her sight was being compromised. Enraged at herself for not being able to fight him like she knew she could, she kicked him again on the stomach but the more she inflicted pain, the more he hurt her. Her fingers began feeling numb, her legs weak and her punches didn't come as high or strong anymore; she felt as if the energy inside her was being sucked away by the void look of Athamas eyes, she couldn't help it, the fear curling in the pit of her stomach as she slowly lost focus. "E-End..."

A fresh wave of air filled her lungs and gasped with force, when she felt his hands loosen their grip on her and turned with wide eyes at Tuxedo Kamen hitting his elbow on Athamas's jaw with brutal force and sending him straight to the ground, he stomped the metal end of the large cane he was using as a spear on the ground, making a thick, echoing sound "Get your disgusting hands off her," The masked man in black glared at the former general and walked towards him, holding his dark cane and swung it with no mercy across the andromedian's face and knocking him down again. Despite being in obvious pain due to the blow, Athamas broke into laughter and turned to look up with his bloodied face at Tuxedo Kamen, "Interesting choice of words, _monster_." He stood up slowly and walked up to him, "Your hands are not that clean either. May I remind you? Have you forgotten all the lives you have claimed as yours? All the beheadings you did, all the blood you shed..." he smirked, "You were granted to live here and decided to hide your murderous face behind a mask... has the monster been finally tamed by the Gods? Is that what makes you think you can touch the innocent, darling Moon Pr—" his eyes widened when he saw Tuxedo Kamen take the white mask off his face and let it fall to the ground, confirming he had finally stepped away from the shadow of the masked thief. The look in his eyes was one of a vicious man, deep and intimidating; the azure in his irises had gone by this point only showing the storm harboring inside him.

"This is who you chose to tie your life with?!" Athamas turned to Sailor Moon with an accusing finger pointing at Endymion, like a child making a tantrum, trying to prove a point, "This creature is no different than I am, Serenity, his hands are tainted, just as mine or even—"

"Hey," Endymion snapped his fingers in front of his face to shut him up, "I am the Guardian of this planet—your quarrel is with me, not Serenity. Stop meddling her into our affairs." he narrowed his eyes, "Also, for the record, the title of _monster_ is not something I feel attached to, my name is Endymion De Terra, but if it's to concede it to you... I don't mind taking full ownership of it. You are not even close to being something of worth, you are a puppet playing the role of a lifetime, enjoying it's fifteen minutes of fame."

Sailor Moon widened her eyes with shock at the mention of his royal name, making his royal status official once again like a phoenix rising from the ashes from their past but this time, stronger—she noticed. The deepness in his voice, the stormy blue in his eyes, his poise and intimidating stance were different, he was different, and unlike other times when he assumed his role as prince, this time he was confident and proud, like the Leo he was.

"It's true, I am not a saint but you are not to be the one to judge my actions or the path I have taken in my life... now," Endymion narrowed his fury eyes and held the cane across his body, "Come, so I can give you a good reason to justify your damn words,"

Athamas growled giving in to the terran prince's taunt and ran like a beast with his sword in hand and crashed it against the cane, "Do you really think you can win with a stick? Has the Princess' innocence merged into your rotten soul?" Endymion spun to the side, creating a perfect opening and stamped his cane on Athamas' jaw again, "I told you to leave Serenity's name out of your mouth," Athamas turned and returned the movement, hitting his sword against the cane and pulling it down to punch the prince on his chin, "Do not underestimate my power, mortal."

In a dance of turns, both avoiding their blows both charging at themselves with fury the sound of their weapons clashing distracted Sailor Moon for a minute as she watched the prince move with much more ease, realizing that he had used his power to heal the wound on his leg. The fight was no casualty, she thought, he was doing it to regain enough strength and to give her an opening to escape the scene and perform her task. Little details like these are what made her admire Endymion's sharpness and battle skills and inspired her to be his match in battle. She turned and saw her scepter on the ground feet away from her and ran with all her might; the fight between the two men gave Sailor Moon the perfect opportunity to use her power again and cleanse the area that was still under the effects of Athamas dense and poisonous energy. She stood up and ran to get her sacred weapon but Athamas reacted fast enough to stop her, "I said enough!" he extended his free hand and blasted dark energy at the bodies on the ground to rise them and aid him in battle while he still pressed his blade against the prince's cane, "I am surprised that _you_ of all creatures has let her live with such pitiful ideals," he moved his sword away to hit Endymion and kicked his leg up; the prince being at disadvantage for not wearing an armor fell on his knee and turned with wide eyes at Sailor Moon being targeted by the possessed bodies, "No!" he frowned and turned to swing his long cane in between Athamas legs making him trip and fall flat on his stomach to give him time to prevent the Andromedian from going after her, "You bastard!" He muffled with anger and squirmed with impressive force to free himself from Endymion's restraint.

"Get away, Serenity!"

Athamas growled, "No one is getting away! _"_ He turned and punched Endymion in the jaw, breaking free and summoned for his power and blasted it at the prince, who, immediately counterattacked with his own, _"Tuxedo La Smoking Bomber!"_

The intensity of both energies clashing was too bright, too strong for the senshi of the moon to even think of interfering; she turned to follow the prince's petition but she was now surrounded by shadows, giving her little to no chances to escape; Athamas frowned as he continued to blast the prince with his energy "I am going to kill you and feed the demons of hell with your flesh and bones! You have been in my way long enough!"

Sailor Moon kicked and punched her way out of the barricade of corpses to run for her scepter but they were not alone anymore, the corpses had multiplied and the shadows had reemerged from the ground, restraining her and hungry to take her life with their sharp teeth, "Get off me!" Sailor Moon grunted as she tried to kick the now deformed and rotten creature, "No!" Endymion turned at his beloved and saw she was being attacked with eyes of horror, "Serenity!"

 _"Venus—Love Me Chain!"_

 _"Burning—Mandala!"_

Venus' golden chain knocked the body away from the princess and Mars' shots of rabid flames burned the shadows around her, freeing her and ran to grab her scepter to blast Athamas once and for all but like the prince silently predicted, he moved too fast and turned to attack them giving Endymion a small margin to swoop in and knock him down. The shadow's heads fell one by one, focusing their attention now on the shitennou with their blades covered in dark blood; Athamas cursed under his breath for forgetting about them and their constant intervention.

Venus and Mars merged their powers and blasted more shadows in their path, granting the opportunity Endymion was waiting to attack the andromedian again using his cane as a spear, blasting three sharp, strong and quick hits with it before repeating the motion as he turned it using his neck to control its weight when switching position to keep a flowed motion and pulled him by the collar, "What the hell do you want?! Why is Asteria crossing to this world!?"

Athamas chuckled, "It is interesting that you ask—" he drew out his sword and summoned for his power again and in one swift move cut the cane in two, "I have no interest in this planet, it can go straight to hell for all I care." He looked up and raised his hand, "And you can go to hell with it—the Gates are open... and they will suction the life out of this pla—" Endymion kicked him in the ribs and consequently punched him in the face again, shutting him up and ran towards the princess, who was surrounded by the shadows again, "Serenity!"

Sailor Moon's eyes widened and turned to the prince when she saw the sky rumble and darken with thick black clouds, "No..." her grip on her scepter tightened and lift it up above her head, "I won't let you open any more portals... I won't let you destroy our home," her crystal eyes narrowed and called for the silver crystal's power, "Mother—lend me your strength... Silver Moon Crystal—" her eyes widened when she felt being pulled back by a stronger force, taking everyone by surprise, she turned and saw Asteria wrapping her chains around her, "Your mother cannot hear you—she is dead." She looked up at the terran prince and smirked when she felt the princess struggling to break free from her chains, "Greetings, Hybrid. We finally meet again."

"Let her go!" Endymion demanded as he summoned for his inner power changing his tuxedo into his military uniform with dark armor and long cape before storming after the titaness but Athamas stepped in to block his way with a wall of dark energy and calling a massive crowd of dark possessed bodies that were now restraining him by pulling him to the ground.

"Let her go? Why? This is fun. No..." Asteria chuckled and tightened the chains around Sailor Moon until her royal symbol began to glow and morphed her uniform into her white gown. "This little rabbit was playing too close to enemy grounds and fell into the wolve's trap, now she is mine to collect,"

The senshi and shitennou went to her immediate rescue but Asteria blocked the attacks with her dark energy, "Princess!" Venus shouted frantically, _"Venus—Love and Bea—"_ Athamas joined appeared behind her and knocked the love senshi to the ground and turned to the rest and blasted them with dark energy while blocking the shitennous' power attacks with his and repeated the same attack on the prince to them. Everything was happening so quickly and it was going out of control—out of their control. The dark titaness stomped her high needle heel on the ground to release her power, making the ground growl as it opened another portal, her eyes never leaving Endymion's prismatic blue ones, "I wonder Prince of Earth, what are you going to do—either save this planet or save the Princess's life. I wonder... just how valiant and skillful you are."

Endymion widened his eyes with horror and felt losing control of everything as he saw Asteria pulling from her chains and dragging the princess with her and went berserk by summoning his power and engulfed everything into golden flames breaking Athamas' barrier and burning the corpses weighing him down before storming after Asteria with rabid rage "I am going to _kill_ you!"

Asteria smirked, igniting Endymion's rage even more, "Interesting choice of words when you obviously are not capable of coming close to me just now," she turned to see Serenity trying her best to keep her breathing steady, but it was becoming a challenge. She widened her eyes in panic and extended her arm out to the prince in anguish and desperation as she felt slowly lose consciousness due to Asterias' energy, "Endymion!"

Kunzite turned to Jadeite "Raise the barrier—give Endymion an opening!" he turned and saw Nephrite and Zoisite running towards them and followed by the other senshi, Jupiter taking the lead, _"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"_

 _"Mercury Aqua Mirage!"_

 _"Zoi!"_

 _"Starlight Attack!"_

Athamas blocked the attacks with a barrier created by the energy given by Asteria and glared at them, "The Princess is mine—you worthless creatures," he turned and snapped his fingers to call for more shadows to keep them busy while the portal finished opening. Asteria tilted her head low and narrowed her dark eyes at the prince who was fighting his way towards them, "I told you to mark my words _hybrid_ , I told you I was going to get my revenge... this is what you get for challenging me—see you in _Inferno!_ " she turned and kicked Serenity into the dark pit behind her; like a horror movie in slow motion, Endymion widened his eyes with dread and felt his whole body had gone cold as he watched the princess fall into the deep abyss. Serenity felt like being pulled away from reality as she fell into the pit below her and extended her arm to try to grab on to something but the void in her stomach was too strong as she realized she was now too far from her world and the prince. Her eyes teared but she couldn't cry, she wanted to scream but her voice could no longer come out of her, she opened her mouth but no one listened as she slowly, very slowly, got summered into the darkness and lost all consciousness.

"Noo! Serenity!" Endymion screamed at the top of his lungs until his voice was strained with rage and slammed his fist on the ground burning everything in his path with rabid fire and kneeled right where the portal had closed just seconds ago. Desperate and beyond furious, he kept pounding his fists against the concrete until traces of his blood splattered with each punch, "Nooo! Noooo!"

Venus covered her face with her trembling hands and shook her head, "Princess... the Princess..." Kunzite kneeled next to her once the dark shadows turned into tar on the ground and closed his eyes, knowing that war was far from being over. In the distance, Megumi watched wide-eyed with tears running down her cheeks as her hand held the pendant the Prince handed to her to protect her and curled her fingers around it tightly. "No... not again..."

* * *

 _The Divinity Seris is rated M. Readers' discretion is adviced. Violence, cursing, and intimacy may occur._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _Aditional notes:_

 _*In Japan, using 'www' in_ _a text message is the equivalent of the use of 'LOL' or 'HAHA' in America. So, in words, it means laughter or giggling._

 _*Salve: Good morning_


	56. Chapter 56

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Fifty-Six

* * *

Sailor Pluto was walking through the long corridors of space and time until she stopped in front of a large door she knew by heart. Behind it, she knew a different life followed its course—a peaceful one, a melancholic one. One she didn't belong to anymore.

Her garnet colored eyes looked at it in silence, knowing that if she crossed them again it would break a taboo. "Father..." she whispered softly as her fingers softly traced the intricate designs on the heavy titanium gates, "If only I could go back and see your face once more, listen to your voice once more—I need your advice. I cannot do this alone." Pluto leaned her head on the closed door and closed her eyes, allowing her to mourn her father's absence for the first time in centuries. Being the senshi of time and space required much more determination, courage, and loyalty, than any other soldier to fulfill her duty as commanded; often forgotten and labelled as a nymph of mystery, Pluto managed to stay strong during the tragic events during the Silver Millennium and its future course with much self-control and without interfering but if she missed something, if she could choose and had the permission to do it, she would take that door and walk through its halls haunted by the past just to see the lord of time again and seek for answers for the present.

After the attack with Asteria, Pluto decided to take her post again at the gates of time and space and use her garnet talisman to look for open loops in the time continuum hallways to close them and prevent for anyone else to cross to the present, and to earth. While she could not control other realms, it was her duty to prevent intruders to play with the strings of destiny and break the taboos of the universe.

As she stood in front of the gates as the titaness of time, she thought about the words her father said before departing into oblivion:

"You will be witness of the awakening of a very strong warrior, one that has a duty similar to yours—" she muttered his words and shook her head. "It is then when you will be granted the permission to break taboos." Pluto sighed heavily, "Father, who were you talking about?"

Like an answer to her silent and desperate prayers, Chronos' words finally started making sense and the mystery around them suddenly became clear when she felt a strong pull in the continuum alerting her that another being with a power as strong as hers had crossed to her dominion. Her garnet eyes widened in shock when the truth stood there right before her eyes as she remembered her father's words:

 _"There will be darkness, and it is going to be one you are not going to be able to fight alone. The warrior who can needs to fall now in order to prepare itself to fight it in the future. This war is not meant to end in this present time… be prepared my dear Pluto, and be of great help to that warrior. It is then when you will be granted the permission to break taboos."_

"It's you..." Pluto muttered with both surprise and admiration "You are the warrior my Father predicted..."

O—o—o—o—O

Sailor Neptune turned to see a very silent Sailor Uranus still hiding in between the tree's foliage looking down at the scene in front of them. She did not need much to know she was still trying to grasp and process what they just witnessed since it happened in a matter of minutes before she could join the battle and participate. Her face was pale and her hands curled around the branches were trembling both with fear and anger—she was enraged. Neptune knew that even when Uranus had said that she was not going to support the situation she cared for the princess because she was her princess after all and she had been taken hostage—to Inferno.

Her dark blue eyes quivered with tears that threatened to fall as she heard Venus' laments in the distance. The senshi of skies jumped down from the tree the minute she saw the prince moved from the ground and turned to the shitennou who started to wrestle with him to prevent him from doing something she did not know what but she did not care. Her heart was clouded with rage and her eyes showed the desperation for having lost her right before everyone's eyes, right before hers.

"You can't do anything if you are in this state!" Kunzite tried to reason with the prince who was still lost in his own anger and pain, "I am going after her—"

"This is your fault, _you_ did this," Uranus interrupted. The terran prince turned over his shoulder to look at Sailor Uranus and narrowed his stormy eyes as he watched her coming close to him. Uranus cracked her fingers and frowned, "I knew this awakening of yours was going to bring disgrace to her life, I knew you were going to become a threat to us, this is _your_ fault!" She said with disdain.

"Uranus!" Neptune caught up with her and shook her head, "Don't say that! He's our prin—"

"That demon is _not_ my prince! I do not owe him _any_ respect—he's a monster!" Uranus narrowed her eyes and pointed an accusing finger at Endymion, "He is a spawn of evil and she has been dragged to hell because of _him_!"

Endymion clenched his jaw and turned on his heel to walk away, completely ignoring the senshi's words. The silent and almost careless action only ignited her rage even more and went after him like a beast hunting its prey until and stepped in front of him with rage in her eyes to stop him from going away, "Coward, don't you dare walk away! I am talking to _you_!"

Endymion turned over his shoulder and glared at her but remained stoic to her remarks, silently warning her to step aside. "Uranus!" Neptune tried to reason with her lover, so did the inner senshi, "Uranus... this is what they want! You can't give in to their wishes!" Venus frowned, "We have to stay united! We are going to help her, we will bring her back!"

"Nothing good can come out if we all fight with each other!" Mercury joined Venus as she helped her leader stand up from the ground. "Please Uranus, we are all frustrated... we are all scared and angry, please do not fall for their taunts!" Mars stood next to Mercury with hopeful eyes, trying to make her reconsider.

"Now is not the time to be divided!" Jupiter raised her voice, "Stop this!"

"How can you all be so stupidly blind?!" Uranus clapped back without breaking eye contact with him, "How can you continue to be on _his_ side when he is clearly linked to all that has been happening! He's a damned curse! He's a mons—" her eyes widened when she saw the prince's eyes change into a stormy shade of blue, darker than before. Kunzite and the other shitennou stood next to him but Endymion extended his arm to give a silent command to stop any attempts to attack her, "I don't have time for this, Uranus." His voice was calm but low and threatening—very threatening, "Step aside,"

Uranus shook her head and blocked his path when he tried to take another step, "I curse the moment Princess Serenity laid eyes on you," she fisted her hand, clearly summoning for her power and taking everyone by surprise, "Uranus! What are you doing?! Stop this!" Neptune yelled with desperation, feeling frustrated for not being able to control her rage anymore. Uranus kept her ground in front of the prince with a challenging posture, "I am going to put an end to you and the curse of your existence once and for all!"

"Uranus, no!" Neptune yelled with horror, "Nooo!"

"Uranus!" Sailor Venus tried to run towards the senshi of skies but was stopped by Nephrite; she turned to look at him with both horror and desperation, "What are you doing?! Let me go!" Nephrite shook his head, "There is nothing you can do to stop the anger boiling in both of them—she will come to terms, step aside."

"She is _very_ strong, even more than I am," Jupiter shook her head with disbelief, "How can you allow this Nephrite!?"

"As Shitennou, I have to comply to my Master's wishes—I cannot step in between this obvious and inevitable confrontation." The northern general muttered, "I cannot stop him, at this point he is too far from being the prince you think you knew so well and right now, he is on the very edge of losing his patience."

Mars widened her eyes and turned to the general, "W-What do you mean?"

Jadeite nodded, agreeing to Nephrite's words "It means that whether she likes it or not, Endymion is a Polemarchos and unlike us, he has set a mission in his head and he will not show any mercy considering the gravity of the situation. If they need to confront one another so he can continue with his task, it needs to be done," he tilted his head low, "The prince is low on patience and he _hates_ wasting his time with banal things. We cannot meddle into that quarrel, there are more important things to attend—" he turned to Zoisite who was taking his sword out of his sheath, "Master!" Zoisite looked at the prince with disbelief, "She is challenging you—dragging your name and honor into disgrace, we cannot allow that!"

"My honor is the last thing I care about Zoisite, to me it's pointless. I don't have time for this, Serenity is in danger and I need to bring her back," Endymion said without taking his eyes off Sailor Uranus, "Lay down your weapons—don't be dragged into this. This is between her and me." He peered at Jadeite over his shoulder showing his authority of leader they learned to respect and obey since two thousand years ago. "Clear the area, check for possible warp holes, purify the land with Zoisite's help and take everyone out of here, block the path."

"Master!" Zoisite shook his head and looked at Sailor Uranus running at full speed towards him and ready to give the first blow with her fist, one Endymion dodged and blocked with his arm, "Now! There is no time to waste!" he growled at Zoisite who in a quick response just nodded and turned to follow Jadeite. Sailor Mars looked at the blonde general walk away in silence and turned to watch Uranus throwing another punch aiming for the prince's jaw. Endymion jerked his head to the side, clearly avoiding the spectacle as he dodged the next punch and frowned, "I told you I don't have time for this! Step aside!"

"The only way I will step aside is when I see you beaten on the ground, you damn _monster!_ " she said with confidence in her fighting abilities as she raised her knee to hit him on the ribs, "Your tainted nature has been a curse to her, you can never compare your powers to hers or ours, you, insignificant mortal."

Endymion's eyes widened and lost all the patience and sympathy that remained in them. In all his life, Prince Endymion had learned to value the definition of mortality. During his childhood, his mother was a constant reminder of the fragility of their lives and also the importance of never take anything for granted. He knew he was destined to die, no matter how great, no matter how much good or bad he did in his life, there would come the day where his body would give in and cease to exist and up to some point, he had to come to terms with it even when proclaiming his eternal love to his beloved goddess, Serenity.

But with time, he grew tired of the word and consequently hated the way those with divine blood in their veins commonly addressed to them as lower beings. He agreed that as mortals they were not equal to them but they were no lower beings either, they all had strengths and he grew up believing that one day that discussion would be settled once and for all. The way Uranus rolled the word off her tongue charged with so much disdain and disgust ignited his anger, pulling him out of the usual image they knew of him.

Uranus flipped and attempted to kick him on his wounded leg but Endymion moved faster, blocking her attack and return the blow before pushing her away. As he watched her fall to the ground, he narrowed his Prussian blue eyes, "Memento Mori—remember you have to die. Those are the first words I learned in Latin when I was a child. I lived and carried the weight of those words on my back until I had to learn to accept it. I accept it—death—to me is no sin or a disadvantage." He began to walk towards her, who was still trying to stand up and recover from the blow, "But what I will _never_ accept is your stupid and vague knowledge of mortality—the way you use it to mock those granted with it."

"Then why don't you die already and free the princess from your cursed shadow?" Uranus jumped and threw her fist at him but Endymion quickly stopped it with his hand. Uranus' fist shook against the prince's strong grip and gritted her teeth with rage and frustration, "I remember clearly, the Gods talking about the abomination living on Earth—the _monster_ —it was _you_... all this time it was _you._ If I knew this sooner I would have killed you a long time ago."

Endymion arched his brow and pushed Uranus's fist away with force making her lose her balance and fall flat to the ground again and looked at her as she struggled to get back on her feet, "Like I said before, I have no sentimental attachment to the word _Monster_ or _Hybrid_ , but I will not allow you to use it so nonchalantly to address to me—you haven't earned that right." Uranus looked up with rage and summoned for her power, "Right? You don't get to tell me what I can or cannot earn! You are no one to tell me what to say!" she stood up and raised her hand, " _World—Shaking!_ " she bent down and punched the ground, sending a strong blast of energy at the prince. Endymion dodged it away and turned to block another punch coming from her; the more effort she put into hurting him the more annoyed he became because this is not what he was supposed to be doing at this time of crisis. "You are wasting my time, Sailor Senshi!" he growled with anger and sent her away with force again, sparking her anger even more.

"Uranus, stop this— _please!_ " Sailor Neptune tried to reason again with her lover, "Stop it!"

It took more time for Uranus to stand up as she bitterly admitted her force was being surpassed by his with much ease. She could sense a different energy coming from him and it was until now that she noticed that he was not wearing his usual tuxedo anymore. The man before her was not Tuxedo Kamen, Sailor Moon's constant savior but the famous terran monster. "I am going to annihilate you!" she screamed with the last remains of her sanity.

"Interesting choice of words, sailor senshi, those are mine to use," Endymion narrowed his eyes with his patience practically gone at this point. Uranus' take on solving things in the name of justice was only making things worse than they already were. He never really had anything against the sky soldier, in fact, he trusted her more than she ever could imagine because of all the girls, she was the one who took his protective place when he was studying abroad and when Seiya was around. He admired her strength and always centered mind but he was also aware that Serenity occupied a very special place in her heart and her kidnap was sprouting the worst in her, but, also it was about to sprout the worst in him as well. "I'm intrigued... to see what you can do." he murmured with sarcasm.

Sailor Uranus raised her hand up in the air and summoned for her power again. All senshi, including Neptune and Megumi, watched with wide eyes of horror and pure panic when they saw her precious and deadly talisman appear before her, waiting for her command, " _My magic tool, Talisman!_ " she grabbed the heavenly sword tightly, " _Show thy power and protect me!"_ she extended her arm and raised the sword above her head, channeling her energy into the weapon, _"Space Sword—"_

Neptune shook her head and cried with anguish. She felt like her heart was being pulled out of her chest just to see her lover fighting for the wrong causes; she knew that just like her, Haruka was frustrated for failing to protect the princess from all danger while keeping enemies at bay but this was the worst way to channel that anger. This battle was the result of the sum of every failure and frustration brewing in Haruka's ego and what hurt Neptune the most was how aware she was of what was needed to be done, in order to end. "Uranus... please stop..." Michiru hung her head low and began to sob with a heavy sentiment, waiting for the madness to stop.

 _"—Blaster!"_ Sailor Uranus commanded and sent her attack, directly at the prince who, at this point was fed up with the senshi's blind approach to solve things. Much to Uranus surprise, Endymion ran towards her and avoided all the blasts of energy as he jumped high with his golden sword shining in mid-air, right above his head and slit through every charge of energy thrown at him. "Where is the divine power you like to presume so much, sailor senshi? Are you done?"

Sailor Uranus widened her eyes and turned to look behind her at the prince pointing his sword at her. In a fit of anger and losing all the sanity left in her, clashed her sword against his, "I wanted to believe you... I wanted to believe you were one of us!"

Endymion narrowed his eyes and blocked another clash of Uranus' talisman against his sword, but her lack of knowledge in the art of mastering the weapon was starting to betray her and putting her in an abysmal disadvantage against the skilled prince. "It's enough, Uranus," he demanded in a low tone, "You don't know what you are doing, you are acting out of rage—stop this tantrum of yours already!"

"No! Not until my hands are tainted with your blood! I want _you_ dead! I want justice! You need to die for us to live in peace!" Uranus swung her sword again and managed to make a cut on Endymion's hand. He dodged another swing and clashed his sword against hers again with strong force, "Enough," he murmured on the verge of losing control.

" _Space—_ " Sailor Uranus growled with rage again, Endymion frowned and moved his sword away abruptly making her lose balance and control of her position, "Enough..." he warned again in a much lower tone. Uranus shook her head and swung her weapon one last time, " _Sword—_ "

Neptune covered her face with horror, "Uranus!"

 _"Blaster!_ "

"I said—ENOUGH!" Endymion grabbed her by the collar, pulled her close to him, and knocked her down against the ground with force while the power coming through her and her weapon backfired and trapped them in a big and flashy explosion. Megumi, Mars, Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter stood perplexed and horrified at what just happened while Neptune looked at the intense light of the attack with a pale face. Soon after, Kunzite, Zoisite, Nephrite, and Jadeite ran back with urgency and looked at the debris and pieces of concrete and ash flying all over due to the intensity of the attack.

"Endymion..." Kunzite muttered with slight relief when he saw the prince walking away from the cloud of dust carrying Uranus over his shoulder.

Once out of danger but both affected by the attack, Endymion lay Uranus on the ground next to Neptune and slid his sword back in the sheath secured in the leather belt around his waist before turning to walk away without saying another word to the sky senshi. Uranus opened her eyes, realizing what just happened and pounded her fist on the ground with anger, "Why didn't you kill me?" She looked up at him disappointed by the outcome of the battle.

Endymion stopped mid-track but didn't turn to look back at Uranus, which only frustrated her even more, "You had the chance to finish me then and there—why didn't you?! Aren't you supposed to be the famous monster everybody has talked about for thousands of years?! Aren't you supposed to be a trained assassin?!" Haruka looked up with tears rolling down her cheeks, at this point, her emotions were catching up with the reality and as much painful it was to realize the truth, she wanted to be reluctant to accept defeat to the man she accepted as her princess' lover and who she believed was inferior to them in terms of strength for so many years. Her ego was crashing with both disbelief and wonder to see who he really was, to admit that he knew how to fight better than she ever imagined. Uranus shook her head and dried her tears with her hand in a brusque movement, "Why didn't you let me die or take my head like I know you have done in the past, don't you want justice!?" she broke into sobs of frustration and pounded the ground once more, "ANSWER ME!"

"Your perception of justice differs from mine," Endymion looked over his shoulder at her with indifference, "Taking your head is pointless to me—just like this little theatrical display of yours." his stormy blue eyes changed to a more sapphire shade, "I am not expecting you to grant me your loyalty, sailor senshi—Serenity is your princess, you owe that to her, not me." He narrowed his deep blue eyes, "You are right, I am _not_ your prince, you don't owe _me_ any respect—I never put my life on the line to save yours and I never fought or did anything for your sake. You don't need me and I don't need you, but Serenity does, and whether you like it or not, Serenity is my wife and this tantrum of yours has taken too much of my time to go to where she is and bring her back. I don't have time for stupid games or stupid displays of ego—I'm past it." With a frown furring his brows, Endymion crouched in front of her and looked at her straight in the eye in all seriousness, "No, Sailor Uranus, we are not the same. We do not have the same power. Yes, I am a mortal—a _hybrid—_ like everybody has been calling me these days. Yes, I am a _monster—_ a trained assassin... my hands are stained with the blood of many both innocent and guilty; I have taken too many lives and I will probably be continuing doing so to protect what is important to me, that is my fate. Is that what you wanted to hear? Is that what you so desperately wanted me to admit? _There_ , my confession is yours, do whatever you want with it, I don't fucking care." He stood up and walked away, leaving a very conflicted Uranus dealing with the pain not caused by her wounds but from his blunt and truthful words that completely crushed her pride.

"Endymion," Kunzite caught up with the prince and widened his eyes, "You are bleeding,"

Endymion wiped the trail of blood trickling from his hairline and shook his head, "It's nothing, pay no mind to it. There are more important things we should be putting our full attention right now,"

Kunzite nodded and turned to Zoisite coming their way, "The area has been cleared but at this point, I am not sure for how long," the blonde stepped into the conversation and walked beside the prince.

"I will call for medical help," Venus joined right after, with Mars, Jupiter, and Mercury following behind. "There is no trace or any distortion that would lead us to a point where the princess might be taken." Mercury said as she continued to scan the area with her vision goggles, "There is no continuum to grab on..."

"She's been taken to the Underworld,"

All eyes rested on Mars, who stopped and looked at the prince with fearful eyes, "Hasn't she?" the tremble in her voice startled Jadeite and the rest, "Mars..."

"Hasn't she?!" Mars insisted without paying attention to the others. The stern look in the prince's face was more than enough to confirm her suspicions but she wanted to hear it from him—she needed to hear him say the words. "Yes, Mars." Endymion nodded and turned to Kunzite and gave him a silent command, one the leader of the shitennou understood to perfection and turned to follow the order to the letter without asking more questions or saying anything else.

"W-Wait, where are you going?!" Venus turned to Endymion who turned over his shoulder to look at her when he felt her hand on his arm, making her best attempt to stop him. He frowned with frustration, "Serenity is in the Underworld, Venus, I can't waste more time, I need to go after her,"

"But how are you even attempting to do such thing?!" Venus tried to stop him again, not paying mind of his cold glare, "The Underworld is not a place easy to find! The Underworld is hell itself,"

Endymion turned to look at her, "Exactly!" he said in an exasperated tone, "Serenity is in hell... but I am not afraid of it, what _I am_ afraid of is not to see her again!" he sighed and shook his head, "I need to figure out a way to get there, I don't have—" Endymion trailed off and widened his eyes with realization, "Time..."

"What?" Jupiter frowned, "What is it?"

Endymion gave one strong glance at the shitennou, then at the senshi, one that made clear he was not up for any more debate, "I don't know what other vicious tactics Asteria has under her sleeve but I need you to stay here and I need you to be alert," he turned to Jadeite and Zoisite, "Create a barrier—whatever is necessary to prevent more shadows to spread further from this place—it's deeply contaminated. It reeks of decay." He then turned to Nephrite, "Aid Kunzite, I need you to be his support while I'm gone—confide Jadeite's your thoughts and work with him on a short and long-term strategy."

Nephrite nodded with a clenched jaw, "Master... please allow us to be of service—"

"Nephrite, the stars are corrupted—I know, but I can't waste any more time. I need you to step aside and let me do what I know I have to do," Endymion took a deep breath, trying his best not to discharge his fury at them. They were all under the aftermath of a failed mission and the princess' kidnap but he was the most affected because he knew it was done to hurt him directly and break him for their benefit. "I cannot allow them to do whatever they want with us and this planet—not anymore. I have to follow the fate imposed on me and you better than anyone knows this." The dark-haired shitennou nodded, understanding what the prince meant. It was true, him better than anyone knew his duty and now that he has seen him in control of his powers, it was only a matter of time to be summoned. Kunzite was next and bowed his head, "Master,"

"Kunzite—" Endymion narrowed his deep colored eyes, "Whatever the outcome, whatever happens... annihilate them." Kunzite nodded, "We should wait for God Ares, Endymion, doing this by yourself is too reckless. How are you even attempting on going there? It is madness!"

"This is the opportunity to set things straight and it's on me to do it." Endymion shook his head, "Madness would be to let them win, Kunzite. I am not of those who wait for someone else to tell me what to do, they have used us one too many times for their convenience, it's enough. I have to bring her back... I know you understand because you would do the same if you were in my place,"

Kunzite mentally put himself in the prince's place and accepted every word he just said, it's true—he would do the same. He would go berserk and kill whoever dared to put Venus' life at risk, he would trade his life with the reaper itself in order to safe her and that is what frightened him the most, the measures the prince would take in order to bring the moon princess back safe and sound. This the solid reason of why he was afraid of him going to the Underworld, because that the long battle could end with him staying in hell for the rest of eternity.

Without saying anything else, the prince turned on his heel and stopped when he saw Megumi standing a few feet from him in silence and with tears streaming down her eyes, "Megumi..." He said slowly, clearly troubled to see her in such state. Megumi walked toward him but avoided eye contact, she was too afraid, she had so much shame, "I should not have had allowed her to leave... I should have woken you up, I should have known better..." she hung her head low and started to sob again, "It is because of me that she is gone, it is beca—"

"Megumi,"

"I am responsible for this!"

"Megumi, please, look at me,"

The maiden obeyed and looked up into his beautiful prismatic blue eyes, so full of determination and power. Endymion cupped his cheek and shook his head, "Remember when you told me that I should always fight for her? Remember when you told me to never give up? —You always had faith in me and if it wasn't for you... I wouldn't be able to do this. You brought me back, Megumi, you made me remember—you brought my life back. If it wasn't for you, I would still feel useless and confused. I would still be in a fog of doubt, denying my true nature and my family." He leaned closer and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a protective embrace, "I have to go and fight not as the prince of this planet but as its guardian— _your_ guardian. Megumi, the woman I love is in hell—the people I care about are in danger... it's up to me to put an end to this once and for all. I have to fight Megumi—it's who I am."

Megumi nodded with tears in her eyes and returned the hug with trembling arms, "We will win this Megumi..." she heard him say softly into her hair and nodded, "I believe in you, My Prince." she pulled back and sniffed, "I have always believed in you—" she finally dared to look up at him and gave him a soft, warm, smile, "Ad invenire principis nostri, et rursus eius," _(Go find our princess and bring her back,)_ she pulled his hand and placed the pendant in his palm and closed it tight, "Amabo, facient ea..." _(Please, be careful...)_

Endymion nodded and wiped her tears with his hand, "Ego promitto." _(I promise.)_ he walked away and closed his eyes for a moment as a wave of nostalgia washed over him.

-O-

" _Mama… mama…"_

 _The terran queen was reading a book in her room and turned to look at her son with endearment the minute she heard his playful voice,_ " _Hello dear, how was your day?" her hazel-colored eyes gleamed with love as she watched standing by the door with curious eyes. She closed her book to give him her full attention and patted the spot on the bed next to her._

 _Seven-year-old Endymion smiled at his mother and walked inside, "Obelix taught me how to pray!" Gaia blinked with surprise, playing along with her son's enthusiasm "Oh, he did?"_

 _Young Endymion sat on his mother's bed without a care in the world and showed her his chubby hands, "He told me that I needed to learn how to channel my energy into positive things," he fixed his piercing blue eyes on his mother and smiled, "He said I should learn to pray to the gods in order to look after our protector,"_

 _Gaia smiled and ruffled his midnight hair playfully, "That is correct my dear, you have to learn how to control your energy—it is vital," her words made the young prince frown with curiosity, "Why Mama?"_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _Why do I have to learn how to pray?"_

 _Gaia licked her lips and gave her son a soft smile, "Well, because you are a very special young man," Endymion lowered his gaze and pouted his lips, "But, sometimes I hurt Obelix… sparks come out of my hands and I cannot control them and I end up hurting him… I do not like that," he shook his head in shame, "Mama… am I a monster?"_

 _Gaia widened her eyes and shook her head "Do not ever say that again, of course not!" The queen leaned closer to her son, "Endymion, why are you asking me such a thing?"_

 _Endymion shrugged his shoulders and kept looking down at his chubby hands and widened his eyes when he saw his mother's hands taking them with gentle care and a warmth he felt in no one else, "You are very special… those sparks you see coming from your hands are not a curse but a blessing from the Sun; you and me… we have a little piece of the Sun in our hearts."_

 _Endymion blinked his eyes wide with surprise as he looked up at his mother, "A little piece of the Sun?" he looked down at his hands again and then pointed out the window, "That Sun?"_

 _"Yes, Endymion, that Sun," the queen of earth nodded, "Do not be afraid of those sparks, it is what makes you unique and different from everyone else. Always keep your head up high and feel proud my darling prince because you have a special light in your heart that will always guide your path." she put his hands together and closed her eyes, "There is one special someone that will always listen to our prayers, my darling prince... he will always grant us his blessing and power." the queen opened her eyes and looked into her son's prismatic blue ones. "Do not let go of my hands, close your eyes…" Gaia said softly and gave him a soft smile, "Now, repeat after me…"_

-O-

"Time..." Endymion opened his eyes and looked up at the sky, _"Tempus Custos! Scindite seorsum caelum, et aperuerit spatium-vicis ostium mihi!_

 _(Time Guardian! Tear apart the sky and open the space-time door to me!)_

The sky began to rumble with a thundering sound; a strong gust of wind crashed against them with supernatural force. The senshi and shitennou watched with wide eyes at Endymion raising his arm to ask the heavens to open a vortex for him to cross. Venus frowned with panic, "What is he doing?!"

Kunzite couldn't mask the look of shock on his face when seeing the majestic force from the prince manipulating the sky to his command, "He's praying..."

 _"Voco verum nomen omnipotens Titanus Tempore quia Custodis Pater! Chronos! Mihi fecísti vias lucem!"_

 _(I call the true name of thy almighty Titan of Time, the Time Guardian's Father! Chronos! Reveal to me the path of light!)_

"No! No! No—Mamoru what are you going to do?!" Venus shook her head and ran after the prince, "What are you going to do!? No! Wait, you can't..." she looked up at the sky roaring with incredible force, "What the..." she mumbled with a pale face and turned to Kunzite who had the same shocked expression "This is his power..." he mumbled with as much awe as her.

Megumi looked up and could not help to smile sadly when remembering the warm feeling of the energy flowing at the prince's command. "Yes..." she muttered in response at the general who was now standing next to her. It was like history was repeating itself once again but this time, she had to wait behind. It was right there and then, when she acknowledged his power and made the promise to always keep his honor and memory intact, no matter the obstacles, no matter the danger ahead—she was proud to be from Elysion and she was proud to have him as her prince.

Fresh tears began rolling down her eyes as she saw him walk into the intense light parting the skies and disappear seconds after. "Please be careful, my Prince."

O—o—o—o—O

The echoing sound of the strong gusts of wind crashing against him bounced on the infinite space pulled Endymion out of his trance and made him open his eyes and realize he was no longer on Earth, proving the prayer his mother once taught him had worked—once again. He looked around and saw he was standing in the middle of nowhere where it seemed to never begin and never end. Unlike his previous journey in the past, this time, he had no direction except the desperation in his heart to find his precious wife.

As he walked forward, or at least what he considered it was forward, the terran prince began to feel the havoc of traveling through realms, clearly remembering the dizziness and the heaviness from that time when he travelled to the Moon two thousand years ago and closed his eyes to try to use his power to keep himself grounded and clear his mind. He made a pause after walking for an uncertain amount of time, to him, it felt like hours but in a place so complex like the dimension between worlds it could have been just a couple of minutes, even seconds. Endymion stopped and tried to take deep breaths, silently cursing the weight pulling his body down, "Serenity..." he thought as he shook the confusing haze that was starting to play with his mind while trying to sense her energy and trust the powerful bond between them.

"Come on baby, tell me where you are... please tell me where you are," he mumbled and frowned as he tried to locate her _ki_ and pull their string of fate, the same one that connected them every time they were in battle and alerted the other they were in danger. The same one that made him take his identity as Tuxedo Kamen every time Sailor Moon made an appearance.

 _"...mion..."_

 _"Endy... mion..."_

 _"...Endymion..."_

He opened his eyes wide and looked around when he heard a soft echo calling his name. He turned both sides, wondering if his imagination was playing tricks on him. The singsong tune in which his name was being called enhanced its familiarity as he continued to move in its direction. His lips parted with amazement when he saw a light orb floating ahead of him, bright enough for him to follow with ease, _"Endy... mion..."_ he heard the soft echo call for him again and felt it pull him towards its direction involuntarily.

Endymion followed the path the orb was showing him without paying attention to anything else, his mind was set in finding the gate that would lead the way to his destination. His chest felt a strong tug with every step he took made him feel certain that it was the lunar princess that was silently calling for him from wherever she was being imprisoned.

He felt like he had crossed thousands of paths and felt different energies but his eyes kept looking at the orb moving in front of him and noticed it was starting to wear out, like a candle softly melting in front of his eyes. "No..." He muttered with panic tainting his warm voice and picked up the pace, trying to reach for it and keep it shining somehow. Minutes after, the light finally gave in and vanished but instead of feeling desolated by its consumption, his eyes widened with surprise when he saw where he had been led to.

In front of him there it was, the gate he was looking for and right in front of it—its guardian. "It's you..." Pluto muttered with both surprise and admiration, "You are the warrior my father predicted..." it was then when she noticed he was not wearing his usual tuxedo but a dark armor over his black military uniform that confirmed that in fact, he was the warrior she was supposed to wait. This is the very moment Pluto realized the man in front of her was not one that moved in the shadows but the future king of earth.

The energy was unmistakable and so was his strong and imposing presence, she had felt it before—now it all made sense. "It's so clear now—his words..." Pluto bowed her head in respect and looked up at him, "I sensed a strong distortion in the space-time continuum that obliged me to remain in my post after I did my job here, I knew it was coming... that warrior." Her garnet eyes widened again when she noticed that he was alone and immediately feared the reason behind his presence.

"They took her, Pluto—Athamas, and Asteria," Endymion answered her silent torment, "Asteria opened a portal and dragged her to the Underworld."

Pluto tightened her grip on her long key-rod feeling impotent and enraged for having such responsibility and for being needed at such solaced place, "The distortions are strong. I have managed to close several warp holes along the space-time corridor but..." she closed her eyes and shook her head, "Asteria is a force to be reckoned with and she is going out of control—I have managed to close the doors but I don't know for how long I can prevent her from filtering her army of shadows into Earth once again,"

"The Shitennou are working on several strategies for that, they are prepared and they know how to deliver... I put my trust in their hands completely." Endymion looked at her with unbreakable conviction, "Pluto, I am here to take Serenity back," Pluto widened her eyes and looked at into the prince's prismatic blue eyes full of willpower, he frowned, "I need to go to the Underworld—let me pass the Gates."

"That would be going against divine law—it would mean breaking taboos I am not allowed to forge." Pluto said softly, Endymion narrowed his eyes, "Divine law—I deny such thing. It has tormented my kind and my family for too long to owe it some sort of respect." His deep Prussian eyes locked with Pluto's garnet ones with authority but also, respect for her. "Pluto, I need you to lend me your power and allow me to cross the gates... I do not want to go against you too."

Pluto's eyes widened, she knew what his presence in the divine world would cause; despite the calmness in his voice, the indomitability nested in his eyes was clear enough to understand that it was going to be a murderous visit. She grew up knowing the legend of the soldier neglected by the gods, her father constantly made mention of the soldier with enough power to cause a ruckus in the immortal world and she always felt curious to know if that soldier truly existed. Now she could see it did, and now, he was angry, very angry and resolved to take matters into his own hands.

 _"Be of great help to that warrior, one that has a duty similar to yours. It is then when you will be granted the permission to break taboos—there are still a few of our kind my child..."_

She looked up at the prince "The gates of the Underworld are in the deepest part of the Alpha Galaxy—the journey is tough and dangerous, those who cross into the realm of the death are bound to never return," her hand holding her rod began to shake nervously, "By granting you permission I cannot ensure your safety or return..." Pluto shook her head with fear and lowered her head, "I feel like I would be betraying my princess... I feel like I would be betraying you."

"Keeping her hostage in such horrendous place is the last straw. I can't let them have her Pluto—not her," Endymion tilted her chin up to look at him, "And if I have to go to hell, so be it. I am not afraid, I am enraged. They have taken the most important person in my life and they will pay for that."

Pluto hesitated but had to come to terms with how destiny played its cards. She never questioned her father and now after so many years, his words became a reality. Thinking that this is what he meant when he said he had to aid his kind. Turning to the gates, she called upon the power of her talisman, the garnet stone sitting at the top of her rod and unlocked the large doors and pushed them open with a loud thundering echo, allowing them to hear the sound of indistinctive echoes coming from the other side. Pluto turned to look at the prince with a serious face when he came close to the rim and both looked down, "This is the fourth dimension—once you cross these gates you will travel to the Alpha Galaxy—Hades' territory..." she took two keys from her belt and handed them to the prince, breaking her laws, as her father warned, "Once you find her, use these to return—please be careful Prince Endymion."

Endymion grabbed the keys and looked at void spiraling at the other side of the door, "There is something else I must ask of you, Pluto—" he turned to look at her over his shoulder, "One last favor if you will..."

O—o—o—o—O

"We need to go after him!" Sailor Venus shook her head as she looked into the direction the terran prince was standing just minutes ago. Sailor Mercury typed some things in her supercomputer with evident anguish in her face when her attempts to establish a connection showed any results, "It's like he vanished into thin air—there is no trace as to where he must have gone."

Sailor Venus turned desperately to Kunzite, "We have to go after him! You are his guardian! The first in command! You can't allow him to go and lost himself in hell!" Kunzite looked at his beloved and shook his head, "Venus, I have orders... I cannot leave my post."

"But you must—"

"We talked about this." Kunzite shook his head, interrupting her. "I am the prince's right hand—first in command, yes, and as such, I have to stay here and take his place. The decisions made concerning the safety of this planet rely on me for as long as he is away, that is my duty." He turned to Zoisite and Nephrite who were returning from a second revision of the perimeter, "The barrier has been created, the area is contaminated—just like he said but I will take care of it." Said the blonde.

"Citizens are beginning to regain consciousness—help is already on its way," Zoisite turned to Mercury, "Still nothing?" The bluenette shook her head with exasperation, "No, nothing... there's nothing."

Sailor Mars shook her head, still in shock for what just happened, "I didn't know he had that kind of power... he did by himself what we can only do by linking our powers together,"

"That is only a fraction of what he can do..." Jadeite sighed, "You have underestimated him for quite too long," he turned to look over his shoulder at Sailor Uranus still stumbling her way up from the ground with the help of Sailor Neptune. Mars frowned and shook her head, "We never did, it's just that... we never knew." Jadeite turned his attention to the priestess and shook his head, "I was not talking about you—"

"Oh..." Mars blinked surprised, understanding what he meant. The amazon senshi sighed heavily and looked up at the afternoon sky again, "So, what now?" she turned to Nephrite, then Venus, "Are we supposed to stay here and do nothing?"

"I have never felt so useless in my life," Venus rubbed the bridge of her nose, "I feel so helpless..."

Mars took a hasty breath, "I must alert Father, I must tell him what just happened... he can raise his army and—"

"Endymion has important reasons to go to that place," Kunzite interrupted the priestess, "He is aware of the dangers and the things he has to do. He knows the enemy is using this excuse to their advantage."

"Pluto..."

All eyes were on Sailor Uranus, who was still dealing with the pain of her lost battle carved in her body, "Sailor Pluto—she has the key to every door and every realm in the Universe."

"It's not as easy as it sounds, we could get lost in the time paradox—reaching the fourth dimension is something only Sailor Pluto can do as the daughter of the Lord of Time." Mercury frowned, "Without her help, we can't go... not until I can find a warp that could lead us there." She sighed softly and shook her head, "And even if we could go there, how can we find her in a place so infinite?"

"My talisman can find her—" Sailor Neptune said, "Our three talismans are linked to each other and they resonate together. I can call for her with the power of the Deep Aqua Mirror."

"Again, what are we supposed to—" Jupiter widened her eyes when she felt a sudden cold breeze and saw the sky began to darken while it was still the middle of the day, "W-What—"

"Earth is starting to resent the absence of its guardian..." Nephrite said softly and looked up, "Despite being here to protect it, we are not its life force—we do not have the crystal." he turned to the thunder senshi, "The planet is vulnerable... we cannot leave our post."

"What do you mean?" Venus frowned and turned to Kunzite with panic, "Nephrite is right, while we are taking Endymion's place in protecting it—this planet is resenting his absence. If he does not return soon, it will suffer the consequences—if he dies, this planet will meet its demise too."

Kunzite's words finally made sense to Venus. After all this time, their tactics of overprotection towards their prince finally explained their side to the love story between the prince and princess and why they took a more aggressive stance against it. They didn't want to risk him because if his life got compromised the whole planet would suffer the consequences, "That is his power..." she mumbled and shook her head, "That is why you were so overprotective of him... why you didn't approve their love," she turned to Kunzite, "Because you knew what their relationship was going to cause. You knew it would be condemned not because of his mortality but his other... nature."

The tight clench on Kunzite's jaw was enough for Venus to understand and clear the doubts that secretly fell upon them when they were trying to keep their royals apart. Jupiter frowned and turned her teary and frustrated gaze to Nephrite, then to Kunzite "So what? Are we supposed to wait here while the prince is in god knows what dimension? Are we supposed to do nothing?! Is this what you are telling us?"

"Even if we tried, Jupiter, our powers differ from yours—we are not blessed with divinity like you are. Our powers are granted by Endymion's energy and the crystal—as a loan." Nephrite narrowed his eyes, "We cannot leave, even if we wanted to. The best we can do is to stay here and do the best we can to keep the shadows at bay—we do not know when that damn gate will open again."

"You are aware of what will happen to him if he enters the Underworld, right?" Mars gave the leader of the shitennou a frightened glance, then turned to Jadeite with hurt, "How can you allow this?! Aren't you supposed to protect him?!"

"Mars..." Jadeite sighed heavily and shook his head slowly, "Your loyalty towards our prince is very much appreciated, but, you still do not understand," he looked up, "It seems it is still too difficult to all of you to grasp the idea that Endymion is a trained warrior—he will take drastic measures to accomplish a mission, regardless of whatever happens to him."

"I will go after him—"

All eyes turned to Sailor Uranus, "I will go find him—and bring the princess back."

"Oh, what an interesting paradox," Jadeite arched his brow and crossed his arms, " _You_?"

"I stand by Jadeite's words this time, _you_?" Mars frowned, ignoring completely the blonde's blatant shocked look on his face, "After what just happened? You just went against him—you cursed him and denied him as monarch and now you are going to look for him in hell?" The priestess looked at her perturbed, "You tried to kill him!"

Uranus closed her eyes for a minute and shook her head, with a much calmer mind and with her ego in check, she finally understood why the princess was so in love with the terran prince. It went beyond his looks, it went beyond his declarations of love or the way he spoke to her; he was far from being an accessory—like she dared to think more than once. Their romance was not just a rebel act against the gods, it was love—the pure kind, the true kind. The man she encountered just moments ago was the man she wanted to see in full glory since the very beginning, the one that was meant to be by Princess Serenity's side and rule as king in the future.

Sailor Neptune could see through Uranus' determination and came to the conclusion why she had commissioned to do such a complex and dangerous task. They were used to it, as outer senshi, they were used to put their lives at risk for the sake of peace, for the sake of the princess' security and they always worked alone. Neptune silently agreed to the mission without really needing to go deeper to justify her companion's reasons, all she cared about at the moment was that her lover was finally back into her senses and not acting out of unjustified rage.

"Yes, me—like I said: the talismans can link to each other—the aqua mirror, the space sword, and the garnet rod. I can use the power of my sword to connect with Pluto—she can open the gates for us, or tell us if she has seen..." she took a deep breath and exhaled, "...Tell us if she has seen Prince Endymion."

"We will go too, we need—" Venus suggested but was immediately stopped by the senshi of the skies, "You can't go."

"What do you mean we _can't_ go? We are also Sailor Senshi!" Jupiter stood by Venus' side with a defiant look in her forest green eyes, "Unlike you, we want them back— _both_ of them!"

"Going to the fourth dimension is not as simple as it sounds Jupiter, and even to attempt to cross to the Underworld is an act of suicide," Neptune said in her always calm and regal tone, "What the prince just did is not something even us can do by ourselves—we cannot summon the Titan of Time to open a path in space and time for us like he did. With us, it's much more complex and the talismans are our keys to do it—we are not even sure if we can cross those gates ourselves, we need Pluto to lend us her power and help us find him,"

"I feel like I haven't asked this enough," Jupiter crossed her arms, "What are we supposed to do? Just stay here and wait?!"

"The prince is right, this is not the end, we will hear from her, that I am sure. We also tend to forget she has a pawn and a very strong one," Neptune tightened her grip on her mirror and looked at Megumi's worried face and felt the turmoil she must be going through.

"Athamas..." Sailor Mars muttered, Neptune narrowed her deep aquamarine eyes and nodded, "We need to be prepared and we need to be everywhere. This planet right now is unbalanced with its guardian away—we need you to stay to protect it while the Shitennou strengthen their barrier against the shadows."

"What about Sailor Saturn? Where is she?" Mercury asked once she put her computer down. Haruka tilted her head low, "Saturn is probably trying to persuade Hades or whoever is in charge—not even her is allowed to be long enough in the Underworld for what I have heard in the past."

"This is the best we can do at this moment of crisis—we need you here. We will use our talismans to find Pluto's way and return with both prince and princess." Neptune reassured, "This is our only shot to do this... and we must act _now_."

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is rated M. Violence, cursing and intimacy may happen._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _A/N: Hello all, how's your summer going so far? Enjoy._


	57. Chapter 57

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Fifty-Seven

* * *

"The deepest part of the Alpha Galaxy…"

Pluto nodded and looked into the nothingness ahead of her, "The Underworld is at the very bottom of the heavenly realm—Olympus." She turned her face to the prince with a worried look, "To get there, you will have to face many demons first. What you are attempting to do is madness, you are condemning yourself to be tied to that place for all eternity. God Hades may not be a cruel god but he is certainly one with great power and it is no secret that he has been wanting to lock you in his realm for too long."

"It can't be helped Pluto," Endymion absently rested his left hand over the hilt of his sword and closed his eyes for a minute, "Serenity can't be in such penumbra—she is a deity made from light and if I am the reason she's there then I am going to be the reason for her to be freed," he turned to look at the senshi of time and revolution, "You better than anyone knows this,"

"And I also know the consequences of you going into that realm—of what you are asking me to do,"

"I should not be a priority to you, Pluto. It has to be done, one way or another. Right now, I need to find Asteria—I need to know where she hides."

Pluto bit her lower lip and looked at her garnet stone, "To think a titan would turn corrupt—it baffles me,"

"Not all titans have good intentions just as not all gods have good hearts, Pluto. In the end, they all have power as a common interest," Endymion mumbled with disgust by the truth in his words, "The best we can do now is to be one of those few who fight for the right cause and balance the scale, even if it is on a minimal rate."

"You are aware," Pluto turned to the prince no longer masking the surprise in her voice, "You know you are not a demigod—you understand why you have been treated as a threat for thousands of years."

"I am treated as such because I defy their laws of nature because by being a descendant of titans and by those who were given mortality, I am my own kind; it is a threat to them for me to be tied to a powerful goddess like Serenity. Our union is a sin to them and if she ever bares a child— _our_ child, it would be considered heresy." his blue eyes darkened as he turned to look at her, "No child should be considered such a thing…"

The mention of the heir to their dynasty and power knitted with longing in his voice softened Pluto's heart. It suited that he would mention a pregnancy in the princess' life as a wavering possibility now that he was about to do the unthinkable and put his own future at risk. As she looked down at the gusts of wind behind the open gates of time and space, Pluto thought how much it worried her because she has met that child and because she has loved that child more than she ever imagined she would. Up until this day, she dearly keeps the image of that beautiful girl with sparkling eyes so full of curiosity and innocent mischief mirroring her parent's care and deep love for her, living by their example. That child was proof of the deep love and trust they had for one another; that little girl was who she remembered the king say on numerous occasions: the best of both. And he was right because unlike gods, that little princess was born from a union based in love, far away from prejudice and disregard for anyone's nature. She was being taught to be fair, kind, loyal to others, and to never treat anyone with arrogance or inferiority. She was growing up to be a graceful lady—like her name, and she was certain that if destiny decided to bring her into this life, she was going to continue their legacy with honor and pride.

It was interesting to see, that aside from her mother's obvious and given beauty and grace, she could now see where that sharp and fearless character came from. Her unwavering decision to travel through time all the way to the past in order to save her future. Not many could see much of her father in her, the beauty was a given, and even that, it resembled more the one of the lunar queen's. Maybe there were a few features that copied her father's like her straight nose, the small widow's peak on her hairline, or the almond shape of her alluring plum-colored eyes. But now that she had the prince in front of her, talking to her this way Pluto could see that the resemblance was something that came from within: her guts, her poise, the way she speaks her mind at times, her will, her fearless character and determination, her mannerisms—that was all her father's heritage.

Being the daughter of the lord of time granted her the means to know more than the rest; she has seen the many strings of fate weaving themselves to become a reality and she has seen so many of them that it has become difficult for her to grasp on to one as the real one. Time is funny like that, and so it's fate.

Seeing them living in that future made an impact on Pluto; she wanted them to be lifted from that curse and judgment. She wanted to live in that future where the moon princess would take her mother's throne and follow her steps as the beautiful queen she is meant to be with her loving husband, the terran king, ruling by her side. She wanted to see their heiress' big, beautiful eyes looking at her, always so full of curiosity and mischief; she wanted that small princess to become a reality and not just a vision or a possibility but to do that, there was still much to be done and now, uncertainty had the advantage.

It was uncertain—everything. That was the irony of being tied to the strings of time; you would see many things but you wouldn't know what will become true or not, not even she, the descendant of time itself could know what was going to happen next. In the end, the Crystal Tokyo she knew happened behind the gates of time and space was just a result of many decisions they made in their string of fate and not an actual reality, again, it was a vision full of possible maybes. Time had a lot of doors and the universe being as infinite as time proved that just because they witnessed it once it didn't mean it was set in stone; not even her own future. She was not supposed to leave her post yet she did, she was born to endure the strains and changes in time and yet, she died and was reborn looping her life in the exact moment Queen Serenity used the power of the silver crystal to send all of them into the future, their present era—again, time is funny like that.

In her time at the gates, she has never really known how Crystal Tokyo came to exist or how it was built, she just knew it did after a long battle and that it was Neo-Queen Serenity who built that new future with the power of the silver crystal, but now, another page to the story and many truths she didn't know were being been unveiled. It was not about just the silver crystal or the moon princess anymore, it was also about the prince and the dynasty he is a descendant from. This time, there is another crystal involved, one that could surpass the mystical power of the silver one due to its raw and savage energy; the one that came directly from the Sun and it has been guarded for thousands of years by those with titan blood.

Titan blood—not even she knew she was a descendant of titans until she was old enough to understand why her power and abilities were different from the other senshi. She always heard Chronos being addressed as the god or lord of time, but never as a titan. She knew the fates of the titans, she knew about the great war that brought their kind to dismal and that some of them were either trapped somewhere in the underworld or had been completely annihilated. Now, after years of speculation and confusion, it has come to the light the truth about why the terran goddess' actions were condemned and labeled as high treason to their kind and why her child was considered a sin—he has titan blood. Unlike many demigods Zeus' had created with mortals over the centuries and that have gotten their lives either spared or ignored, the princes' birth could not be easily ignored because not only was not part of their divine world but also because he was a link between two forbidden kinds: mortals and titans. That is why his existence baffled everyone, that is why he was not supposed to live and that is why he has been considered a threat to all of them because not only he continues the lineage they tried to destroy, he was granted their power despite being raised like a human being and the fact that he was trained to be a skilled warrior that matched those in the heavens only made matters more atrocious to them. The birth of the terran prince represented their biggest fear and loathe: the rebirth of an ancient and powerful kind. One that once ruled the divine world and that was taken by the gods, the same gods she served and swore her loyalty to. Gods like Queen Serenity, Gods like Ares, Gods like her own mother.

Gods.

Were gods the true villains to this story? —Pluto thought with bitterness. Were gods the true enemy? Is that why her father asked her to be of help in the future? Is that why he said he was going to help his kind before he left? Who was he going to help? How many titans are still out there? The time senshi turned to look at the prince with that question echoing in her mind: where they the only ones left? And, if that was it, if they were the only titans left, she had to do something in any way she could to protect the good of their offspring.

It was time.

This is why her father always reminded her that despite having a great power she had to remain humble and loyal to those who shared her ideals in preserving the good left in their realm. She had to fight for good, she had to do good, and now, she has come to a point where good was not taking sides with the gods and she had to listen to the voice of reason and follow what felt right in her heart. The perfect example was standing next to her ready to throw his life to the beasts in order to save what's most precious to him—his goddess wife.

The times when a race defined someone's value were long gone now; the reason why gods took charge of the divine world will probably remain a mystery to her but the truth is that it was no longer a way to live. A change was needed to be done, that she was sure of and the man standing next to her with determination in his eyes was more than proof of that.

"Thank you, Pluto." Endymion turned to look at her with the faintest of smiles, silently letting her know he was well aware of the dangers and probable outcome of his journey but without complaint or hesitation, he threw himself into the void below him and disappeared into the darkness of the warp that would take him to his next destination.

Pluto raised her garnet rod and looked down at the infinity below her and closed the large, heavy gates. She closed her tear-glossed eyes and took a deep breath, "Father… if you are out there… somewhere, if my voice reaches you… please, aid him on his journey."

O—o—O

A pair of dazzling violet eyes snapped open with surprise the minute she felt a new presence entering what she considered her turf. Eris, the goddess of discord, turned her attention to one of her dark mirrors that monitored the outskirts of Alpha—close to the gates of the underworld where she used to serve as one of Hades' keepers and where she had her passionate encounters with Ares before moving to his palace, as his wife.

After their last encounter and very much forced separation from the god of war, Eris returned to her home in the underworld to continue torturing and punishing those souls with unfinished business in the realm of the dead. Being her own kind of deity, her judgment was always unpredictable and erratic making her more dangerous than she appeared. With the title of the siren of torment, Eris was famous for taking advantage of the fear of those souls that didn't even know had died and take whatever she felt was worthy to possess, sometimes taking their offerings to the gods and condemning them to an uncertain fate. Her beauty was alluring and she was aware of it, making it her constant weapon of choice to trap more lost souls and feed on them, being this the sole reason why Ares always returned to her no matter how many times he disappeared in the past. "Ah… that energy," she mumbled as she slowly moved away from her satin chaise chair in her chambers and went to stand in front of one of her mirrors; Eris traced the intricate bone frame and smiled with mischief knowing exactly what this meant, "I know it—so familiar..."

With all the grace and mysticism that characterized the dark goddess, she turned on her heel and pushed back her long silk cape exposing her deep red gown, contrasting beautifully against her milky alabaster skin. Her deep blood red lips curved even more with pleasure "Well, this is going to be interesting," she muttered and turned to look over her shoulder at the pair of eyes glistening in the dark and cracked a subtle laugh.

O—o—O

The effects of traveling through many warp holes and stages in time and space were beginning to manifest as the terran prince continued to fall down into the heavy pit Pluto opened for him to travel to the very core of the Alpha Galaxy. At this point, he no longer had an idea of what was going on, he wasn't sure if he was falling or just being pulled to some other place in space; like the senshi of time had warned him, he was going to be challenged in many ways both physically and mentally and he had started to understand what she meant.

After a confusing amount of time—Endymion wasn't sure anymore—he finally felt he was finally standing on solid ground but the vision ahead was still uncertain. Whenever he turned, there was heavy and chilling fog making it hard for him to know which direction he was going leaving him with no other choice but to follow his instinct. Not long after, a slurping sound quickly warned Endymion he was not alone and that just like Pluto said, it was going to take a lot of skill and power to break into Hades' realm.

 _"Ah... a visitor—visitor? Yes, a visitor... here? Yes, here—interesting,"_

Endymion continued to walk in silence ignoring the voices that clearly were aware of his presence; he quickly jerked back when he felt a hand slightly pressing his left shoulder for a brief moment, taking him off guard. He turned quickly and frowned when he saw no one standing next to him but he could clearly listen a hoarse breathing close and then another voice echoing in the nothingness.

 _"Yes, it is real... a real one,"_

" _Oh? A real one..."_

" _Yes, yes..."_

He turned to look over his shoulder and frowned when he found no one behind, _"Oh, it has heard us..."_ He heard another eerie voice joining the other four in the conversation. " _Interesting..."_

" _Interesting..."_

" _Interesting..."_

 _"What are you doing here?"_

 _"Do not scare it away!"_

 _"No... no... it should not come close—it should not come close, it is too dangerous,"_

 _"What are you doing here?!"_

 _"Shh... hush, hush..."_

"Why don't you show your face and save us all some time," Endymion muttered with defiance. _"Ah, I see..."_ the fog finally cleared revealing a lean and tall entity wearing a white cloak over a tunic of the same impeccable color; *their androgynous look and beauty concealed *their dangerous nature to perfection as *they combed *their long black hair back. "What an interesting soul..." the androgyny clicked *their tongue as they* moved closer to the prince. "And I can understand why..."

"Who are you?" Endymion narrowed his eyes; the cloaked androgyny snickered, "Oh, me? Well... I have _many_ names, but I am more interested as to why _you_ are here." Their face changed abruptly to one of sadness and shook their head, "Do not scare him away... it is—" their face changed again to into one of pure lust, "Something to keep us _very_ occupied for quite some time... what a beautiful creature..." Like a hungry hyena, the androgyny quickly vanished and appeared behind the prince and took a long sniff, catching him off guard "Oh—that scent, so addictive," they smirked then began sobbing out of the blue, "Why did you never answered my question?"

Endymion narrowed his eyes and turned to look at *them, "I wasn't aware that I needed to expose my reasons for being here to you."

"Ah... a feisty one that is..." the androgyny arched their brow and clicked their tongue again several times, "Which makes it more delicious,"

"What?"

"Your soul—" they pointed an unnatural long finger at Endymion and wiggled it with enthusiasm, "It is still attached to your body—Eat it! Eat it— _now_!" They hissed and shook their head again, "—No, noooo... it is so pretty... can we keep it? Noo, nooo, it is scary..." the excitement in their voice went from sadness to anxiety and to pure sexual lust in a matter of seconds, making their personality even more unnerving "—Yes, yes! Let us keep it! I want it for myself!"

At this point, Endymion was more than aware the deity in front of him had split personalities and that all wanted to steal the spotlight at the same time. The way their beautiful but unnatural and elongated face shifted from different emotions in a matter of seconds was disturbing to see, almost grotesque. "You are indeed one with a very interesting soul, delicious I must add—"

Endymion's face darkened, "I am not your pet,"

A new addition to the list of personalities made its introduction with a heavy, raspy chuckle, "You are certainly not a pet—I know what you are." they smiled and tilted their head to the side until their bones cracked as they studied the prince's face, "Yes... _yes…_ unmistakable..."

"I am very much aware of what _I am_ at this point—it's all you can think about and it is starting to become old. I don't have time for this." Endymion turned on his heel, ignoring the androgyny's fiery glare. They immediately reacted to his disinterest and crawled across the floor and blocked the prince's path. The more time it passed, the more the androgynous left their humanoid body and morphed into a more unnatural long-limbed creature with vacant eyes and pale, very pale skin. "Titan blood runs through those warm veins but there is a soul attached to that body—you still have not perished... _yet_ ," the now demon smirked, showing its sharp needle-like teeth "I am hungry— _Noooo it is so pretty! You promised! —_ Nobody promised anything..." their eyes began to gleam blood red, " _I just want to take that body and make it mine..._ " they looked at the prince with a creepy, demonic smirk "Your soul is condemned—your soul is mine! _That_ soul!. Give it to me!"

" _Give it to me!"_

" _Give it to me!"_

" _Please..."_

"Give it to me! Me—no, me—Me!— _Me!"_

"Now— _now!"_

"Now"

" _Now"_

" _Now!_

" _Now,"_

"NOW!"

Endymion's eyes widened when he heard the creatures' bones cracking and its body starting to bend and split into several other entities accompanied by the highest and most disturbing howling sound he has ever heard in his life. There was suffering inside that one body and it was clearly in pain from the morphing transition but it also seemed to enjoy it—it was too disturbing.

The first to come out was Grief; with its long dark hair still wet from the viscosity that kept them fused into one body. Followed by it was Anxiety, with a similar appearance but with a much more abnormal proportioned body and a deep cut across its long face. Disease was the third to come out with a loud painful howl; its rotten flesh rotten fell into pieces, similar to the tar from the army of shadows they had fought on Earth. The next to come out was Fear showing its pale long face and deep dark circles around its vacant eyes. Hunger, looked at the terran prince and ran its long pointy tongue across its rotten sharp teeth, savoring the taste of his flesh and bones. Death stood next to Agony, both similar in appearance, long stretched bodies with long sharp nails. Anxiety fixed its white eyes on Endymion and howled as it turned its head in 180 degrees with a loud, cracking sound of its bones and lastly but not less horrible was Lust—the androgyny deity Endymion met in the beginning. Their eyes were not red anymore but completely black, contrasting with their white tunic and unlike the others, Lust levitated and tilted their head from one side to the other in a quick motion like a monster studying its prey's movements.

"Now... who told you that you could go through these grounds with such ease? Who told you could escape alive?! That soul attached to you—it is mine to have!" The androgyny dashed towards Endymion, being the first to attack and drew out its long, rusty claws. The prince quickly blocked the sharp nails with his sword, but even he had to admit that the demon was stronger than he imagined. "Ah... so the living creature has some strength in it?" Lust smirked and licked their sharp teeth, "Are you going to lure me into shredding that beautiful body of yours to pieces just to get to your soul?"

Endymion narrowed his eyes and kicked Lust with his knee, but his attention was immediately fixed on Anxiety and then Disease who were throwing themselves at him just as aggressively as Lust. "My soul is not yours to have," Endymion growled and clashed his sword against Grief's long claws and used his leg to kick the demon right in its face and sent it away with force, making it screech and howl in pain, "What a nuisance..." The prince muttered with disgust and glared at Disease, who was crawling towards him at incredible speed and jumped high out of its way and slashed its chest with his sword. He widened his eyes when his body began to slow down and become heavy, almost unresponsive to his command. Endymion turned over his shoulder and was met face to face with Agony, who was wrapping itself all over him like a second skin, "There is darkness in you," the demon exposed its sharp teeth and hissed like a hungry snake, "It is nested—right—here." its long fingers curled around the prince's chest as it moved its face closer, "Why are you so troubled, eh? I can taste the hate,"

Endymion tried to fight the creature off his body but it clung like a shadow over him, pulling him down to the ground. He looked up and saw Death leaning close to him and closed his eyes with disgust when he felt its hot, rapid breathing in his ear, "I promise it will be painful," the demon whispered with a creepy grin on its face and laughed, taking his jaw with force "Look at me! Look how I quench my hunger with your soul,"

Endymion shook his head and tried to shake the feeling of possession falling over him. By now, he could barely feel his limbs, his hands, and the heartbeat in his chest; he heard their laughter and howling cries—the pleasure of being pinned down by their long, rusty and bloodied claws. At this moment he was theirs, he was being controlled; he growled when he felt a sharp sting in his chest and for a minute he could swear the feeling of his skin being burned and pulled apart—dissecting every muscle and every nerve in his body.

 _"Endymion,"_

The prince heard a soft call in the very back of his mind and visualized a soft glow synchronizing with the sweet echo of its calling quickly soothing the pain and nausea fermenting in his body. It was the same voice he heard back at the corridors of space and time, singing his name and guiding his path. _"Wake up..."_

Death turned like a rabid beast at Disease and hissed when Fear made its way to sit on top of the prince and looked down at him, "Look at me..."

" _Wake up, Endymion…"_

Endymion felt he was about to lose himself when a sudden rush of anger took over him when the image of the moon princess being wrapped in dirty chains and dragged to hell came to his mind.

" _Endymion…"_

The sound of her desperate cries of fear and the horrified look in her always loving eyes shook his very core and returned him to reason. "Salvum me," (Get off me) he growled and shrugged his shoulder with force to break free from the demons' grasp. Death's vacant eyes narrowed and pulled Endymion's hair to force him to look up, "LOOK AT ME!"

" _Endymion!"_

Endymion snapped his eyes open and glared at the demon with all the hatred and rage boiling inside him, feeling his sanity starting to leave him and being replaced with nothing else but a pure bloodlust and murder. "Et dixit: Ite. Sunt. Mihi!" (I said: Get. Off. Me!) he roared and grabbed the creature's hair and watched the sparks in his hands quickly ignite into golden flames, making it screech and jump away trying to appease the scorching blaze caught on it. The prince peered at Fear and Grief and turned his daring glare at them and also reached out to grab their slimy hair and set them in an unceasing fire. Without a second thought he jumped back on his feet and allowed his body to feed on the overpowering rage bursting in him and without a warning he leaped from side to side and swung his sword taking ownership over their heads with one sharp move and turned over his shoulder to see Anxiety and Lust fusing themselves into one cringing looking demon with its gooey flesh peeling down and quickly stormed after him. Endymion quickly took charge and ran towards it and jumped right when the creature was just feet away from him and extended out his hand and called for his power, _"Tuxedo—La Smoking Bomber!"_ A much stronger beam shoot from his palm and pierced through the demon giving the prince the perfect window to raise his sword above his head and glided the blade through the creature's vivid flesh let it fall into two as he landed on the ground. With one last and brusque swing, he shook the dark gore from his weapon and looked down at the burnt corpses and slaughtered demons at his feet, "I said... I am _not_ a pet," with one very memorized movement, the prince slid the deadly weapon on its sheath to scrape any remains of impurities before he proudly put it inside the sheath he kept tight and secure on his belt. He turned to look at the gates in the distance and walked towards them without a single trace of mercy in his eyes, "If I have to give in and become a demon just so I can save her... then so be it," the prince understood that to be able to survive in hell, he too, had to succumb and accept the darkness flowing in him. Endymion frowned as he finally crossed the entrance of the underworld and clenched his jaw with unwavering determination and rage, "So be it."

O—o—o—o—O

 _"In more related news, another strange attack has sprouted near the coast with the number of victims increasing to alarming rates. In Japan, close to Hokkaido, another disease has spread and taken with it several li—"_ Ami put the remote down after turning the television off and sat next to Zoisite with a worried look on her face, "I—I..." she shook her head and closed her eyes, "I can't... watch..." she turned to the blonde with tears in her eyes, "I can't watch this while knowing there is not much we can do in this very moment..."

After the incident, both senshi and shitennou worked together to strengthen the barrier that would keep Asterias' shadows away from the pathway she created between the two worlds. For now, they were safe, but they knew that silence and tranquility would soon be disrupted with another invasion, one that at this point Mercury was not sure to be strong enough to keep at bay.

All eight soldiers returned to the shrine where they knew would keep them at the perfect distance to watch over the city. The shitennou took their post as guardians of the four cardinal points on earth and followed Endymion's petition to stay alert and annihilate whatever they considered a threat. Zoisite and Jadeite took the lead and were in charge of creating and keeping the sacred barrier active, Nephrite monitored the position of the stars and Kunzite as Endymion's right hand and leader of the shitennou, was conscious to take his place and make any decision in case there was another malice erupt from Asteria's army.

"Mercury..." Zoisite trailed off and closed his eyes, "We are the Prince of Earth's Shitennou, we were granted the power to serve and protect him and this planet. I understand your turmoil, I am too mortified about the prince and princess' safety but..." he exhaled heavily, "We are warriors, that is what we do—he was trained to be aggressive, it is in his nature." he turned to look at the senshi of wisdom and graced her wet cheek with the back of his hand, "We put ourselves on the front line to protect what we hold dear—you better than anyone understands this,"

"I feel so helpless..." Mercury looked down and shook her head, "I can't sit here and do nothing while I know all the tragedies that are happening all around the world, while I know Mamoru and Usa-chan are in a horrible place..."

"They are long gone... those you are talking about—Usagi and Mamoru."

All eyes landed on Kunzite, who was leaning against a wall with his arms crossed; his grey eyes opened and looked at Mercury, "Endymion has come to terms with it after he came back from unconsciousness and has accepted his fate to take his oath as the next king of Earth,"

"Technically, he is already king..." Mars pointed her finger up, trying to prove a point, "The priest... Hel—"

"A prince cannot rise to the throne if his king has not passed down his crown—at least not this prince."

Venus, Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter looked at Kunzite with wide eyes, "The king? W-What are you talking about?" Venus shook her head, "Wait, you know more to this?"

"Endymion predicted this..." Kunzite took a deep breath and exhaled, "He knew Asteria would come back with vengeance and he was ready to fight her. He knew the princess would become a target but he did not predict Princess Serenity would go out of his range without protection and without him noticing..."

Megumi wrapped her arms around her and hung her head low with shame and closed her eyes, "I should have stopped her..." her voice quivered, she felt a big knot in her throat that was threatening to burst into sobs, "I should have woken up His Highness right away... I..." she closed her eyes and shook her head, "It is my fault..." she brought her hands to cover her face but widened her eyes when she felt an arm around her shoulders, she looked up and saw Jadeite pulling her close to him, "Do not blame yourself for this, Megumi," he muttered softly in her hair, "We happen to have the most rebellious royals in our care, they both know how to fight and they both want to do things by themselves... Princess Serenity is a strong soldier and that has given her the liberty to do what she wants, and the prince well... this is not new for us,"

"But this is different, it is not a matter of who is stronger than whom..." Mars sighed and shook her head, "She should have known better..."

"I do not doubt she gave them a fair fight, after all, Endymion had been teaching her fighting techniques upon her request, but, this is an enemy that needs to be tackled with merciless aggressiveness. Asteria is a corrupted titan, it does not matter how much Princess Serenity knows how to defend herself, this creature is a demon and she needs to be annihilated." Kunzite looked at Megumi, trying to support Jadeite's comfort and who now looked down at the young maid crying under his arm, "Blaming the situation to others is not going to help us solve this and it is not going to help them either, we have to keep moving forward."

Mars noticed Jadeite's sweet attempt to make Megumi feel better softened her heart. Despite being under so much pressure and stress they all still managed to stay calm for their sake, including hers. This was not the time to be thinking about love but just seeing him being so present and determinant to fulfill his duty made her worry and feel scared of losing him.

 _"I believe, I have never been so scared in my life but this is how things are and I must stay grounded."_

Jadeite's words echoed in Mars' mind, it was just days ago when they were talking about their fate and duty. Between a soft veil of sympathy, his true feelings came through along with worry masking his always playful eyes. He was scared, he had confessed it, but his mission and loyalty to his prince were greater and he was keeping his words close to his heart.

It has been a while since she had seen him smile—she thought. It was strange, not to hear him speak with such lightness in his voice; she wanted to help but didn't know how. She wanted to be there for him but she wasn't sure just how much longer it would be until they had to part ways to fight.

At the other side of the room, Artemis noticed Venus' nervousness and rubbed his head on her shaky hands for support; the blonde senshi looked down at him and scratched him behind his ear, "Thank you, Artemis…" The white cat nodded and turned to Kunzite, "You said the prince has accepted his faith to take his oath as the next king of Earth, but what exactly does that mean?"

"I will not go into much detail about what happened to him while he was unconscious but it was a cathartic process he needed to endure to help him master the power of the crystal to its entirety and accept his nature as a descendant of titans,"

All eyes widened in shock, including Luna and Artemis', "T-Titans?" Venus blinked, "W-Wait... are you saying that..." Kunzite nodded and took a seat next to her in front of the sacred fire, "Endymion is not a demigod like we all believed, Venus, he has titan blood... Helios' blood—not the High Priest but the actual Titan of the Sun, Helios. That is why the gods have been so persistent in condemning his nature and why they compare him with Chaos who is also a force to be reckoned with."

"That is why Queen Gaia's romance with the terran king was much more outrageous to them... she was part of a legendary family of titans and polemarchos and to have broken the laws of gods was a deplorable act against them," Nephrite narrowed his deep moss-colored eyes, "And to have a child that was not supposed to be born, challenged them even more—that child not only would defy their power but also, their laws of nature."

"Titans have always been a delicate subject for Olympians… their story has always been a strained one." Artemis said softly, "It all makes sense now, I do not know how I could have missed this..."

"I wonder..." Jupiter leaned her head on her hands, "If he has found his way to our princess... I wonder where he is right now... where is the princess... if she is alright, I am worried sick." Venus nodded and reached for her hand, "Me too, Jupiter... me too."

"Uranus and Neptune too—do you think they got to see Pluto?" Jupiter covered her face and shook her head, "It kills me to be here and feel like there is nothing I can do to help,"

"Your time will come, Jupiter..."

Jupiter moved her hands away and looked at Nephrite, who was now taking Kunzite's previous spot with his back leaning on the wall, "You may feel helpless right now, but the time for you to rise and fight will come soon enough, we are ready but our paths will go on separate ways," his words felt like daggers in her chest; Mars, Mercury, and Venus felt it too. The anxiety of having to take a different path than theirs, to be separated once again without a guarantee of a reunion was beginning to brew in the pit of their stomachs. "You have seen it... in the stars?" Jupiter's hesitance reflected the others' feelings too, Nephrite included, "We cannot leave our posts due to our duties as Shitennou but you can—we are all involved in the same war but we have different jurisdictions, it is up to us the result of this great battle."

O—o—o—o—O

"Do you think she is here? I feel like we have walked for hours..."

Sailor Neptune sighed and looked down at her mirror, "We should be close, it's pulsing... the mirror is in sync with her garnet stone,"

After the incidents on Earth and the princess' capture, the shitennou immediately put their strategy into action and formed a strong barrier to block the shadows that would still cross from the underworld along with the inner senshi upon both, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune's request. It was easier that way, they thought. They were not lying when they stopped the other girls from following them, they had other kinds of power, it's well known that their jurisdiction was different from theirs and due to that, they could tackle the enemy differently but that didn't mean that they didn't miss them or needed their strength and support in times like these. After all, they have been through, they grew out to be a very peculiar family once they put all of their differences aside.

Like Uranus had said, they had been wandering through a dimension they were not even sure if it was the one that would eventually lead them to Pluto. They had never done this before—time and space travel, but they had to show security and certainty so the other senshi could trust them and agree on their plan to find the prince and princess and help them return from wherever they are. All they had on their side right now was the power of their talismans and even that was beginning to fade. "It's weakening..." Neptune tightened her fingers around the golden mirror and showed genuine concern; her troubled look made Sailor Uranus growl and grit her teeth with desperation, "This is not how things should go..."

"What do you mean?" Neptune turned to look at Uranus with a quizzical look. Uranus sighed and shook her head, "The princess being in such a horrendous place, the prince after her... you and I having fights..."

Neptune widened her eyes, surprised that her always so stoic and hermetic lover would bring the situation that had stepped in between their steady relationship. "I suppose I will have to admit that he is strong," Uranus narrowed her eyes while continuing her journey, "To make us disagree on something, that is a task no one was able to do in the past,"

"The prince didn't make us disagree... you did." Neptune kept walking next to her partner but stopped a minute after, "What you did was horrible,"

Uranus stopped a few feet ahead of Neptune and stayed still, giving her back at her, "I know you don't agree with many of the things that have hap—"

"You're right." Uranus interrupted, catching Neptune by surprise. Uranus nodded and bit her lower lip, "I didn't agree." she sighed, "It was that question, you know? The one the Andromedian soldier asked us the night he awoke. _What side are you going to take from now on Sailor Senshi, the one from the heavens or the one from hell?"_ she turned to look over her shoulder at Neptune, "My duty, my loyalty... my descent, it all made me take their side without really thinking about anything else—it was automatic. Despite going along with it, I still remained defensive and hesitant when it came to how things would be between Odango-chan and this _awoken_ version of him..." she shook her head, "The feeling of doubt intensified when he was in that coma, I didn't know what to expect considering what happened when he was woken up by that sword. I was angry because I was supposed to protect her... I was supposed to save her and I wasn't expecting him to step in, I wasn't expecting him to be powerful and aggressive, I wasn't expecting him to match Asteria's power and strength. I suppose I was getting angry with the fact that things started to revolve around that family's legacy and his past, making me feel like that man we thought we knew was nowhere to be around anymore and to see the princess still there, defending this strange, dangerous person really stirred my rage."

Confessing her thoughts was one thing but to admitting her flaws was a totally different thing. Uranus was not the kind of woman that liked to be wrong, in fact, she always took everything too personal, especially when Usagi was involved. "But my rage... this... anger..." The blonde furrowed her brows, feeling the pain of her admission and the truth about things, "I always had a sort of admiration for him, despite being at a disadvantage with us and our powers. He gave everything to keep her safe, he was fearless despite his flaws and limitations but now..." Sailor Uranus shook her head, "I guess I felt intimidated by his nature and power. Seeing everything unravel around that dynasty he is part of... I felt threatened, minimized. He's his own kind and a force to be reckoned with... "

"You liked being the one with control when it came to her safety, you liked being trusted... I know..." Neptune walked over to Uranus and cupped the blonde's cheek "But you have to understand that this is not a matter of who is the most qualified to look after her. She is not a baby girl—she's a grownup woman, she's a sailor senshi and she's married to him. We may not process some things that have happened lately but we also don't know what happened in the past with those two because we weren't there."

Uranus looked at Neptune and her once cold stare was immediately supplanted by one of love and grinned with acceptance, feeling more like herself as she came to terms with the situation. "I suppose I can no longer stand a competition against him. My, my, you will have me all by yourself from now on—the _monster_ won't let me come close to his precious bunny anymore,"

Neptune smiled, "That is how it should have been all along," she was glad to see her back to her usual self; she missed her and she was glad to have her back to her. "You are doing it again," Neptune said softly as they continued walking down the long hallway that seemed to have no beginning or end. Sailor Uranus' turned and blinked at her shorter companion, What?"

"You can't keep calling him that—he's—"

"I know, I know..." Uranus sighed, "But he did say he was not my prince,"

"Because you challenged him and you called him in so many derogatory ways that would have made anyone mad." Neptune sweatdropped, "What did you expect him to do? To give you a pat on the back and say you were right in such a moment of crisis?"

"To kill me,"

Neptune stopped and widened her eyes, "What?"

"I was expecting him to kill me—he had the chance to do it," Uranus muttered, "I wanted to prove their point, I wanted to see it with my own eyes."

"Who's point?"

"The gods'."

"About him being evil..." Neptune looked at Uranus with sadness, "Why?"

Uranus shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know anymore," she turned to Neptune and smiled sadly, "At this point, I don't know if we are ever going to be in good terms again." Neptune sighed and shook her head, "You know, there is this famous word you use to patch things up..."

"Oi," Uranus frowned, "Stop mocking me..."

Neptune sighed as she continued walking by Uranus' side "Stop being so hard headed. Once this is over... talk to him, he is, after all, our princess' husband and he'll be around for quite some time... so you better fix this, you don't need to prove any po—" her eyes widened when she saw her mirror began to glow and so did Uranus' sword "The talismans..."

"They're reacting..." Uranus muttered and looked ahead, "She must be close..."

O—o—o—o—O

He was one of those people who didn't believe when someone said silence could be deafening but as he walked deeper into the halls past the gates of the underworld, Prince Endymion came more to terms with the fact that it was true silence could leave you deaf when it came straight from hell.

Endymion continued walking down the long corridor he soon noticed it was made of bone fused with stone. After what felt like an eternity, he finally reached for its end and widened his eyes when he was met by an immense valley divided by many rivers in the distance. If he wasn't aware that he was in fact in the realm of the dead, he would easily believe he was in a land of dreams. Unlike the tales he heard when he was a child, the underworld looked nothing like it was often described in mythology books. There was a mystical quality floating around, wherever he turned there was foliage with all kinds of flowers emitting an unnatural yet beautiful luminescent glow; it was like looking at tiny lamps scattered all over the quiet and somber valley.

He looked around and while it was indeed a peaceful and beautiful view he could not deny the gloomy feeling and the heavy energy lingering in the air. Thick and almost palpable—he thought to himself. Endymion studied the surroundings and noticed the pebbled stone path met its end at the shore of a large river and quickly came to terms that in order to continue with his journey he had to cross ahead but the question now was: how.

The prince crossed the meadow until he reached for the river and stood right before his boots would get wet and looked down at the greenish and opaque water barely moving on the shore.

"You will never see your reflection on these waters since they are not meant to be appreciated."

Endymion looked up and was met by a tall lean man wearing a dark cloak standing in a long black boat. He raised his head and looked at the prince; his eyes were like jets of fire and he had an unkempt grayish long beard growing from his chin, matching the color of the dirty cloak hanging from his shoulders. "Another one has come," his voice was calm and raspy, one that would only be attained by smoking an exaggerated number of cigars a day. The man's fiery eyes narrowed in appreciation, "And you—I do not see any labels on your soul, where are you supposed to be heading, eh boy?"

"Wherever Asteria is lurking in the shadows," Endymion answered without hesitation, "That is where I am going."

"This whole place is made out of shadows, boy," the man leaned his weight on the long bone paddle in his hand, "You sound determinant and you seem to have an objective but just how much would you be willing to pay for my services?"

"What?" Endymion frowned, the man inched his head forward, "I am the ferryman who carries every soul of those newly deceased across the rivers that divide the world of the living from the world of the dead, Charon. But you must know my services come with a price, this is not just a thrill ride."

"I do not have anything to offer you,"

"Then, there is no deal."

"Do you know where Asteria is or not?"

Charon cracked a hoarse laugh, "Asteria, the responsible for the oracles and fallen stars? Aye, aye... I know where she is, but if you are not willing to pay the price—ah... I see..." his fiery eyes narrowed as he studied Endymion's appearance, "You are not dead yet," he laughed again with delight, "How did you manage to cross here, boy?"

Endymion drew out his sword and pointed it at Charon and glanced at him with threat showing in his deep blue eyes, "The same way I am about to take that boat of yours and navigate my way to meet that damn demon if you do not help me go where I need to be."

Charon looked at the prince in silent admiration and quirked his bushy and long brow, "Ah... those eyes, such a bloody and murderous glare... a soul that pulses life like yours should not be in this realm, boy."

"That should not be of your concern," Endymion narrowed his eyes, "Either you let me pass or I make my way—choose one, old man, because I hate wasting my time."

"A feisty one has landed—tsk, tsk, tsk!" Charon snorted by the prince's fearless approach. "It has been a while since I met one of your kind. I thought they were extinct... this is interesting." The man rubbed his thumb over his index and middle fingers, "But as interesting and delightful as this is, I do not work for free—either you pay or grow roots in this place."

Endymion looked at the man and put his sword back in its sheath. Back in the day, when he served as prince and advisor to the king he met countless types of people that worked for their own benefit. There was always the aggressive kind and the passive aggressive, the friendly and the silent, but the one that never failed, was the merchant that always loved a good bargain to take advantage on and for what he has seen with this man, violence was not the way to go to make a settlement. He had taken care of too many commerce agreements in the past that were natural for him to know how to make a good deal, and if something Endymion was proud of was his keen negotiating skills. Without thinking it twice, he undid the clasp on his neck sash holding the medal pendant that represented his astral house and proved his rank as royal and commander of the terran army, the same one that permeated through time and later stole to accompany him in his heists and battles as Tuxedo Kamen in the present, "Will this do?"

Charon widened his eyes when he saw a shiny object gleaming in Endymion's hand; he leaned closer to take a good look at it and silently admired the intricate design and its value in pure gold. It didn't take him long to wrap his long bony fingers around it to study it with care and let satisfaction immediately lit up his fiery eyes as it graciously dangled from its red silk sash he now had securely tied around his wrist to measure the medal's weight, "Aye aye... this is one valuable piece right here boy, I am satisfied." The old man grinned with pleasure as he motioned the prince to join him on the boat and later pushed it away from the shore and into its depths with the help of his long paddle.

As soon as the boat went deeper into the river, it was then when Endymion noticed the real reason the water was so thick and opaque-looking. They didn't flow as normal water did on earth because it was actually made of spirits floating deep down, "They did not get a proper burial, so they did not pay the price for my services and since I am not merciful with cheapskates, I throw them here and let them drown in their own misery—they cannot float their way out either way. Now, I am no vengeful spirit but I am no servant either; either you pay or you drown and rot—" the old man smirked, "You, on the other hand… you sure know how to make a good bargain, but I have to ask, why are you heading to Asteria's nest, boy?" Charon looked at the prince sitting on edge of his boat and continued paddling into the river's depths.

Endymion looked at the ripples on the water, making them react and glow neon blue, like bio-luminescent matter; each ripple revealing a tormented face from someone trapped inside. "Let's say I have business to attend with her and I will not leave until I am done."

"Aye, aye... she is a demon alright. A rebel who sold its soul to become a shadow and live among the dead as a gatekeeper." Charon said as he continued paddling, "No divine entity can just come here and do as it pleases, have you come here to sell your soul too, boy?"

Endymion turned to look at the man over his shoulder and frowned, "You know who I am..."

"You reek of death, boy, it is not too difficult to read your thirst for blood and vengeance." Charon lifted his wrist to show the medal hanging from the red silk sash, "Also this, it gives you away—I have traveled with many of your kind... those with a different kind of blood pumping fiercely through their veins."

Endymion felt a tug in his chest and felt the urge to ask the man at the mention of the word: _kind_ , "Did you made a bargain with the titan goddess, Gaia?"

Charon's smirk widened when his suspicions were finally confirmed, "Nay, nay, not with her—she never made it to the river. She is one good myth alright, I have heard has kept Hades very busy for centuries,"

"What do you mean?" Endymion frowned; Charon shook another trapped soul from his paddle and continued moving across the river and looked at the prince, "I mean, that either she is kept somewhere else I do not know about or that she is still alive, somewhere. Hades has not been able to locate her soul for more than two thousand years; everybody knows who she is but nobody knows where she lies—her soul was supposed to be thrown into Lethe's river..." he pointed the dark stormy river ahead for Endymion to see and shook his head, "But, she never arrived."

Endymion's eyes widened with shock, this piece of information changed so many things for him and now it debunked his theory as to what happened to the queen of earth after the explosion Beryl caused that night she took over as Metallia's servant. Like Ares said to him, she was condemned and sentenced her life to stay in this realm with the crime of a traitor for the rest of her existence but now it all made sense to him. It clicked like a buckle in place; the dreams, the visions of the woman sitting by the cherry tree being engulfed by fire, the girl in the blue gown, the voice calling for him—it was not Megumi, but Gaia's.

"Where you are attempting to go is not a pretty sight, boy—" Charon stopped paddling and pointed forward, "It is darker than hell itself. Demons live there—the demon gatekeeper you are looking for resides in the land before Tartarus known as Thanatos. Are you certain that it is there where you are heading?" Endymion turned and narrowed his dark blue eyes at the fourth river crashing its raging waves and suddenly turning into fire and shrugged one shoulder, "I am already considered a demon, I might as well get to know my turf." He smirked and turned over his shoulder to look at Charon, "Say, old man, is my payment enough for you to take me all the way there?"

"The river of gore and fire you see ahead is called Phlegethon and it leads straight to Tartarus. If you want a speed ticket to hell—this is it." Charon grinned, "Ah... you sure are a feisty one, boy—" he continued paddling, "I like that, you do not get to meet interesting souls anymore."

Endymion arched his brow and stood up, "Well, somebody has to carry on the tradition." he smirked with defiance, "I never thought I could say these words and actually mean them, but, take me straight to hell, old man."

"The path to Tartarus will not be easy, you think that by me taking you to Thanatos is going to be the end point of your journey? Nay, nay... Hades has too many minions and beasts to spare, Cerberus the three-headed beast it is his most faithful servant. To get there, you have to get through him and who knows what else he will throw in your way to make your journey even more interesting."

Endymion narrowed his eyes, the more they went into the depths of the underworld and saw the many gates and pathways that would leave to its different resting fields, the more it angered him the thought of picturing Serenity being held captive in a place so dark and poisonous like hell. "I will take my chances... after all, I come from a dynasty of feisty ones." the prince's comment made Charon chuckle with delight, "Aye... you might have gained what not just anyone can achieve, boy,"

"What is that?" Endymion gave him a puzzled glance, Charon grinned "My services—for free."

"Really?" Endymion widened his eyes, "So, are you giving me the medal back?"

Charon leaned his head back in laughter, "What?! Nay, nay! This medal belongs to me now, boy." the old man continued paddling, "But your morbid intentions and the brutal honesty in which you speak is what has been making this one jolly ride. I am not the chatty type boy, you earned my appreciation." Endymion arched his brow, "My, my, a compliment from the ferryman of the underworld... now I am officially flattered,"

Charon smirked and turned directions into the river of lava; with each paddle, a scream of torment would echo from its depths, "Not every day I get to take a soul to such haunted grounds... the sight it is always one to take and process."

"Have you been in Tartarus, old man?"

"Nay, nay, I am a constant traveler in these rivers... I never touch ground." Charon narrowed his fiery eyes, "Tartarus is not considered to be directly attached to the Underworld, it is described as being as far beneath the depths of the underworld as the earth is beneath the sky—you better than anyone will understand that comparison." Endymion turned to look at the old man but remained silent, allowing him to continue, "Tartarus is so dark that the night is poured around it in three rows like a collar around the neck of a beast, while above it grows the roots of the earth and of the unharvested sea."

"That is something the gods have been wanting you to believe all this time—don't believe everything you hear, old man." Endymion crossed his arms, "Oh boy," Charon looked at the prince and exhaled, "Earth is in fact, linked to hell itself but so it is every planet and star in the universe." Charon continued paddling, "There are too many souls scattered all over this realm I already lost count since I have taken them myself. This is one of the few times I travel with just one soul on board." he pointed one bony finger up, "The Asphodel Meadows, the Mourning Fields, the Isles of the Blessed, Elysium, Purgatorio, or Inferno..." the old man shook his head, "There is something that has always had struck me from the underworld... once you enter, you end up reaping what you sow... that is how this realm operates and there are many deities, beasts, and gods to remind you where you stand and send you where belong." he sighed, "But Tartarus... that is a totally different place where not even the darkest myth or tale can make justice to what lies behind its truth."

A heavy silence fell between the two as they continued their path down the raging flames and lava-like waters of Phlegethon river, they were close, Endymion could feel it—there it was again, that familiar tug in his chest that allowed him to know that he was somewhere close. The longboat shook every time it crashed with chunks of solidified magma and scorched bodies. The smell of decay was starting to intensify as they moved closer despite the appearance of not moving forward; darkness was all that it was to be seen besides the neon red and yellow of the river flowing below them giving the appearance that they were suspended in time.

At this point it was hard to tell for how long they have been traveling, Charon did say it was a place very far from the underworld itself but just how far? —Endymion asked himself. When he felt they would be close and touch land, they were met with more darkness and decoy making him think that if Purgatorio was just an extension to this place, time probably worked the same and when he might be feeling that only a few hours have passed, in reality, it could have been days, weeks, or even years.

"The rim between Inferno and Tartarus will come clear soon enough..." Charon's husky and raspy voice interrupted Endymion's train of thought, "After that, the river will split and change its course—also its speed." The man looked at the prince and arched his brow, "To make you want to go to the depths of Inferno all so willingly... the business you have with the demon must be quite important,"

Endymion's eyes darkened, "Yes, it is _very_ important—she did something she shouldn't have."

Charon arched his brow and groaned with annoyance, "Aye, aye... she is quite the nuisance. She takes whatever she feels it belongs to her—no benefit comes when making deals with that demon rebel."

"I am not here to make any deals with her." The prince narrowed his dark blue eyes as he looked at the violent waters crashing in heavy waves ahead. The shift in force and speed on the water became rabid, just like Charon predicted, "The rim is close... hold tight," he muttered as he gritted his teeth while trying to keep his boat in control, "This is where the waters of Inferno will begin... if we continue this path we will soon reach the path to Thanatos..." Charon laughed with excitement as he steered his paddle to keep his boat from losing its balance, "Welcome home, boy!"

Endymion narrowed his eyes and looked at the dark gates in the distance and smirked with defiance, "You can say that, old man."

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is rated M - Violence, gore, cursing, and intimacy may happen. Readers discretion is advised._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _A/N: For people not familiar as to why 'they' instead of 'he/she'. 'They' is commonly preferred by someone who describes themselves as gender neutral. A complete nightmare for those obsessed with grammar, religion, or politics but I do not judge anyone, love is love and I will always side with love and respect._


	58. Chapter 58

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Fifty-Eight

* * *

The man in the dark throne knew his realm like the back of his hand, and its sounds and energy like his heartbeat; he knew what was happening and the sound of somebody approaching was only confirming what he knew was meant to happen. "So, you can hear me..." The soft sound of steps clicking on the marble floors made Hades open his eyes, "It has been long since I last saw your face... my dear Saturn."

Sailor Saturn stopped in front of her father's throne and bowed her head to show pay her respects, "Father,"

Hades arched his dark brow as he moved his head away from his hand, "It took you too long to answer my call," his grey eyes darkened, "Look at me, child." After a few seconds, Saturn slowly tilted her head up and looked into her father's deep grey eyes; Hades frowned, "How come is that you are here now?"

"Father, I am here to warn you."

"Warn me?"

"I heard your call, yes," Saturn stood up straight, "But I was not able to answer properly because I had to assist other issues at hand—" the youngest of the sailor senshi took a step closer to the god of death, hoping that her presence before him was not too late to help her fellow senshi. After the incident, both Saturn and Pluto went to the fourth dimension and fought the shadows sprawling from the open loop in time and space and eventually went separate ways when their suspicions were confirmed that in fact, there was a bigger leak coming from the underworld's gates that was allowing those deadly creatures to travel through space all the way to Earth. She went first to Tristan Castle to try and deal with the situation from there but it was her mother, Persephone, who informed her of the gravity of the situation around not only on Earth but Olympus's realm too and she was guided to the underworld's throne where Hades spent most of his time.

"Father, there are things happening on Earth, and they are caused by—"

"Asteria, I know." Hades interrupted his beautiful child with a low and morbid tone in his voice, "I am aware of it."

"What?" Saturn's eyes widened, "You know? B-but..."

"I am the God of the Underworld child, I know every crack and nook of this realm like the palm of my hand—while I find your intentions endearing, you are too little too late, Saturn."

"She was right then, when she said you granted her the permission to cross over... it wasn't just something she planned behind your back... you knew this whole time..." Saturn frowned and shook her head, still unable to believe her father's words, "I didn't want to believe such thing... I still don't want to believe it... and yet... it's true..."

Hades narrowed his eyes and leaned forward in his seat, "Do you really think I would not notice if Asteria created a warp strong enough to leak thousands of shadows from this place into another realm? Just how careless do you think I am, child?"

Saturn's breathing fastened just to hear her father's dark confession. Everything that has been happening on Earth has been because of him; he has been the mastermind behind the invasions and all the disturbances, with Athamas' revival, and Asteria's attacks. "Father..." she shook her head with grief and a deep sense of abandon in her heart, "Why have you permitted such thing?!"

Hades looked at his daughter and admired her beauty in silence for a minute. It had been so long since he last saw her face and heard her voice; the darkness of her hair and wisdom behind her dark violet eyes. While her calm and uncommon elegance remained intact, her aura had taken a different turn. She felt stronger and more determinant—his child was becoming a beautiful and regal lady, just like her mother, Persephone,but it was clear she was taking a different path where her perspective no longer matched his. "I have reasons to do what has been done, Saturn. I do not need to give any explanations, not even to you," his eyes darkened, "I have seen your progress... you have grown but not to serve me, that is why I relied on Asteria for my plans; I do not beg and I do not wait."

Saturn furrowed her brows with confusion, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You are the soldier of silence and the emissary of death, of course, you know what it means,"

"You wanted me to do Asteria's work, you wanted me to bring doom," Saturn mumbled with shock, "That is why you were calling for me..."

"By your lack of response, I had to do the next best thing and hand the task to who would do the work with very similar results but with a much more aggressive approach. It is easy to bargain with those who hang from their forgotten glories..." Hades leaned back in his throne and crossed his arms, "I am aware of the situation in Olympus and I am taking matters into my own hands." The god of death arched a brow, "Do you have any idea of what you are doing, Saturn? You have taken a side that will not benefit you. A side that willingly goes against me, your own father." Saturn shook her head, "I have not taken any sides, Father, I am a sailor senshi and I have a duty. I share the prince and princess' ideals for peace and I fight for those ideals to become a reality... I support them."

Hades arched his brow and sighed, "He is here—the monster, if you must know."

Saturn's eyes widened with panic at her father's revelation and the cold way to refer to the prince, "W-What?"

"This only clarifies any remaining doubt as to why you are now standing before me to warn me." Hades finally stood up from his throne and walked towards his daughter, "I gave Asteria the task to lure the mortal into this realm at any cost... I do not know what resources she had taken and I do not care, to be honest, as long as it is done. With him here, his rebel mother will appear and I will finally be putting an end to that cursed dynasty. Those are titans, child; nothing but savage creatures that need to be put down at any cost like the unpolished beasts they are—this is for the sake of our safety."

"You are mistaken, Father." Saturn frowned, "Asteria is taking advantage of the permission you have granted to her—she has darker intentions and using your plan as a perfect decoy to distract you. As the senshi that represents your realm, I beg of you to listen to me, to believe my words—I have seen it! Whatever she has told you, is a lie."

Hades stood in front of his petite daughter and graced her cheek with the back of his hand as he looked at her. "Oh, Saturn... you have grown weak—idealistic. What a waste of power, this is not the child I raised." His cold voice sent shivers down Saturn's spine, "Even now, I am amazed by how Serenity's illusive ideas have permeated up to this day and plant delusions in the many minds around her daughter—it baffles me, to see you have become one of them."

"It is because of that sickening feeling you have that I am standing right before you at this very moment." Saturn looked at her father with defiance and disappointment, "Being given the task as an emissary of death is not something you should impose a child but I have never failed you. I have never taken sides but I will say now that I stand by the idea of living in peace—if that makes me take _his_ side... if that makes me go against _you_ , then so be it."

Hades' grey eyes darkened, "It pains me to hear you say such things," he sighed and moved his hand away from Saturn's cheek, "Well then... so be it. I already lost a brother to such pointless beliefs... I might as well lose a daughter too." He turned on his heel and started walking back to his throne "I know what his intentions are, Saturn, but he will not succeed. The Underworld is a trap, you know it very well—not even you can cross to such territory without being vulnerable to being attacked."

Saturn felt her heart shatter in thousands of pieces, like Pluto, every time she was summoned to take her post as the emissary of death, her past would always catch up to her making her remember every little detail of her childhood, her training days, and every task given by the man walking away from her. Hades was not known to be a warm, welcoming man but to her, he was someone to admire; she loved him after all because, in a very peculiar way, she knew he watched over her. But now things have changed, they have taken a different path and she did not know how to steer his attention to the actual problem Asteria represented and what her involvement in every event that has happened on Earth for the past few months have only been putting everyone's safety at risk.

"Lord Chronos... he knew this was going to happen. That night, when he asked me to bring silence to Queen Serenity's Kingdom..." she looked at her father still giving his back to her, "He knew he was going to remember one day and he needed him to be alive in this era for whatever Asteria is trying to do. Whatever nightmare is coming our way Asteria will make it a reality soon if we do not act fast. Please, Father... listen to me, not as a daughter, but as a sailor senshi..."

This was enough for Hades to stop in his tracks and turn around to look at his daughter with a glare that showed both interest and determination.

O—o—o—o—O

A morbid screeching sound ringed in Endymion's ears as he felt the shift in density in the atmosphere letting them know that they have now crossed into a different dimension; like Charon had said, this was a speed ticket to Tartarus.

"There is still some way to go to get to those cursed gates..." Charon said out loud as he continued to force control over the boat, "But Tartarus being Tartarus... there is no place where I can land, boy."

"That is not a problem," Endymion stood up and looked down at the raging thick waters crashing on the boat, "I will manage,"

"Well, you better come up with a strategy soon enough..." Charon grinned and let out a hard, raspy chuckle as he looked up "Because it seems the Lord of the Underworld has noticed your presence..." he pointed a bony finger at the demons flying towards them, "And it seems he has sent you a welcoming party, boy,"

The terran prince looked up and arched his brow, "I am flattered." He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword and studied the situation as he watched the creatures hovering over their heads like vultures, "But I happen to be a very boring person, so, I do not care for ostentatious shows of appreciation. I will have to be rude to your Lord and return his gift," Endymion drew out his golden sword in a swift move making it echo as it cut through the thick air and let it catch the light of the raging fire beneath the boat; Charon looked at the slick crystal-like blade and narrowed his fiery eyes and smirked with pleasure, "Oi, boy! Just keep your mess out of my precious boat or otherwise, I will retract my offer—"

Endymion narrowed his eyes and swung the weapon once before taking a stance for attack; he tilted the hilt of his sword further back and past his hip and slightly bent his front knee to prepare, "Aye, Aye... old man..." he leaned forward and narrowed his eyes to study a pattern, "Just get me where I need to go, I'll take care of the rest,"

Charon noticed the prince's hands started to glow and channeled the same golden light into the weapon and with one quick flick of his wrist, the prince took the first line of flying demons and threw them to the fiery waters with the force of his blade, then quickly did a backflip and took a second stance and repeated the attack on the next squad of bat-like demons and walked to the edge of the boat to keep the herd away from the old man. He turned and with another quick and measured swings with his sword, he continued slashing and beheading another flock of demons and looked up with a brow arched showing sarcastic wonder, "Well, I must say, that _Lord_ of yours sure knows how to make his guests feel welcome... to be given such attention," Endymion looked at the bigger crowd of demons flying their way and did another backflip to dodge a demon's claws and turned to cut its head and kick the body into the flaming waters before it fell inside the boat.

Charon laughed and continued steering their course with his bone paddle, "That medal of yours was indeed a bargain—your head seems to cost much more. I am starting to reconsider our deal, boy."

"Too bad, old man. No turning back," Endymion turned on his axis in a 180-degree angle and high kicked another demon right in the head and threw it in the water; he turned over his shoulder and hit another one with his elbow right in the eye making the creature screech with pain and also kicked it out; Charon grinned and cracked another laugh as he continued paddling, "Oi, boy! What kind of soldier are you?"

"The kind that doesn't have time to play stupid games," Endymion high kicked three demons in his range of attack and glared up with anger. Charon waved the long paddle and hit a demon out of his way "I told you, boy, Hades has demons to spare... he will sure make of this one joyful party,"

Endymion turned and felt a strong, sharp pain in his chest and remembered the times when his wife would constantly mock his intellectual habits. The image of her smiling and cuddling next to him played in his mind, the sweet and melodic sound of her voice and her crystal blue eyes looking at him with so much love. Endymion closed his eyes for a minute and smiled sadly, "Too bad, I don't like being in crowded places..." he opened his eyes and looked up at the demons flying above them, "This party will have to end sooner than expected," Endymion turned to Charon "Oi, old man—put your paddle up for a minute... I need a quick lift,"

Charon's brows were so long and bushy it was hard to notice any movement in them but the look in his face was enough to prove he was more than amused by the events; without complaint or speck of doubt, the old man pulled his long paddle out of the rapid waters and rested it over the edge of the boat in an acute angle for the prince to use as a ramp and impulse himself with a high leap. From there, Endymion had only a few mere seconds to act and without much thought, he summoned the power within him and let it tingle and spark at the tips of his fingers, "I am done with this bullshit... let me pass!" The prince narrowed his blue eyes and stretched his arm out, aiming his palm at the shadow demons moving closer, _"Smoking Bomber!"_ As soon as the modified command left his lips, an intense burst of light burst through the hundreds of creatures flying full speed at him and the ferryman. Charon widened his eyes as he watched the prince landing inside the boat and along with him the hundreds of demons splashed around them and howling in pain as they were instantly devoured by the furious fire of the mad river.

"A rebel alright... that power is unmistakable..." Charon smirked with pleasure as he continued to control the boat and looked at the prince standing close to the edge. With one strong swing to the side, Endymion wiped the gooey blood dripping on the sleek blade of his sword and put it safely back into its sheath on the left side of his belt and stood in silence as he looked into the distance and brought a hand up to his chest when he felt another strong tug and took a deep breath as he closed his eyes.

 _"Serenity..."_

A pair of pale blue eyes opened slowly and were met by darkness. Princess Serenity growled softly as her body slowly began to regain some sensitivity and enough strength to pull herself up and looked around and then noticed that she was no longer wearing her senshi uniform but her royal gown. It was then when she started to remember what had happened to her and took a deep, shaky breath. "W-Where... am... I?" She mumbled into the nothingness as she rubbed the back of her head, trying to come out of her hazy state.

"So, you have finally awoken from your beauty sleep..."

Serenity widened her eyes and turned to look around, she knew what voice it was but she couldn't find the face, she frowned, "Asteria,"

"My, my... the immaculate daughter of the Queen Goddess of the Moon in the flesh... the precious jewel of the galaxy—"

"Stop saying stupid things and tell me where I am..." Serenity turned her head when she heard the screeching sharp sound of needles dragging over glass "Oh? The princess has quite the temper... I suppose that seeing you here without your group of bodyguards allows me to see your true colors." Not long after, Asteria stepped into the light that fell over Serenity and it was then when both women finally got to meet face to face. Her icy blue eyes widened when she spotted that the screeching sound came from her sharp pointed heels crashing the stone floors and noticed the many chains wrapped around her bodice moving like hissing snakes—the same spiked chains that injured Endymion's leg—she thought. Her long dark hair fell like silk over her pale face, emphasizing her big dark eyes smudged with carbon around them, imitating a lazy smoky eye; her lips were pale and dry, almost chapped. There was a haunting beauty in the woman; the low tone of her voice, her prideful posture, her animalistic movements or the way she looked at her with so much intensity made her feel chills all over her body.

"Where am I?" Serenity's eyes squinted with caution when the dark titan crouched in front of her; crystal blue met pitch black. Asteria arched her brow and raised her hand, motioning her snake-like chains to stop rattling behind her, "I can see why he is so infatuated with you—why he fights for you with so much passion..."

"Answer me," Serenity ignored the titaness' words and tried to stand but it was taking more time for her to adjust to the heavy energy around her but her body wasn't responding. Asteria looked at the struggling white princess with vacant eyes, feeling zero empathy for her and arched a brow, "Do you really want to know? Very well..." Asteria stood up and stomped her spiked heel on the ground and began grinding the stone beneath making a loud echo, "You are in the line that divides Inferno from Tartarus—Thanatos."

"Why am I here?!" Serenity's eyes widened with horror, "Why did you bring me here?!" The strain in her voice was satisfying for the woman in black, with a smirk, Asteria put her hands on each side of her waist and looked at the white princess still struggling on the floor, "I do what I want you lowly being, you are not to question any of my motives."

Serenity shook her head and tried to stand again, it was then when the images of her being dragged to a dark hole and the image of her husband fighting the shadows to get close to her mind and looked up at Asteria with anger, "If you think I will yield to—"

"—Do not confuse things, goddess. I do not care about you, really. To me, you are just a medium to help me get what I want." Asteria crossed her arms, her long black nails looked like sharp raven claws ready to rip someone's flesh. Now that she had the opportunity to look at her closely, Asteria did not look like a mystical creature at all, she looked mechanic—everything in her looked somewhat odd and unnatural. The leather-like material of her tight bodysuit, the extremely sharp heels of her high boots that went up to cover her thighs, the many spiked chains around her, her sleek black hair and black eyes. She looked deadly, yes, but the way she spoke to her was strangely monotone. Serenity looked at the woman in black with confusion written all over her face, "You are insane, bringing madness into a world just to feed your void ambitions... you will pay for what you have done..."

" _You?_ You are going to make _me_ pay?" Asteria chuckled, "I find your attempts to be a senshi quite adorable Moon Princess, but you are very much useless in a place like this. The light you profess cannot even reach the surface of this realm." Asteria let out a long sigh charged with disinterest, "Is this why you desire her so much, Andromedian? Because of her frisky personality? She is like a helpless little rabbit ready to be skinned and beheaded."

Serenity's eyes widened twice in size when she saw Athamas appeared next to the dark titaness with an unsettling smirk on his face, "That... and so much more." Asteria narrowed her eyes with disdain at Serenity, "Even when she is no longer pure?" Athamas turned to Asteria with a mad glare, "What did you just say?"

"Her aura says it all—there is no virtue in her." Asteria studied Serenity up and down, "It is clear the monster has plucked her innocence," she peered at the blonde man that was now on the verge of insanity with a smirk, "Is this who you really want, Andromedian? A woman already taken by no other than your fated enemy... she is tainted, her aura is no longer one of an innocent."

"Stop talking like if I wasn't here!" Serenity frowned, "Stop mumbling nonsense and take me to the surface— _now!_ "

Asteria let out a thick chuckle, "Oh? My... how frightening..." she turned to Athamas, "Andromedian, if you do not control your pest, I will have to rip that tongue out of her precious pouty mouth."

"That will not be necessary," Athamas growled and kneeled in front of the white princess and looked into her eyes, "You are in no position to demand anything from me, Serenity. You are mine... do you hear me? _Mine._ " He grabbed her face and dig his calloused fingers on her flushed cheeks and pulled her face up to meet his mad gaze, "It took me two thousand years to know you were alive—I will not let him have you, you are _mine!_ You have always been meant to be mine!"

"Disgusting," Serenity glared at the blonde man despite the pain she felt from his strong grip, "Seeing you so lost in your own madness sickens me, Athamas—how weak did you have to be to fall for her bewitchments."

"You are not to speak of bewitchments, Princess," Athamas tightened his grip as he moved his hand to hold the princess' chin, "None of this would have happened if you never laid your eyes on that demonic creature."

"Demonic creature, really? Have you seen yourself? Do you even realize what you are doing, Athamas?" Serenity tried to shake his hand off her face but it was futile, "Since I met you, you have done nothing else but inflict pain and fear to those around you by taking everything by force... the misery you feel inside you is the consequence of your ambition. You are not good enough to meet your own standards—that's why you are so angry."

Asteria felt another presence behind her and turned to leave without either the princess of the andromedian general noticing. She walked out of the room and met with the spirit in the dark infinite hall, "What is it, Atropos?"

Atropos, one of the three witches of fate, known as the un-turnable or inevitable due to her connections to death, appeared with a white robe with chains wrapped around her waist with scissors hanging from them like charms, "Inferno..." her voice was low and cold. Asteria narrowed her eyes "It is time then, I thought it was going to take much longer—I am impressed."

"It managed to take the Phlegethon River, the infernals we sent have been annihilated, how shall we proceed?"

Asteria rested her hand on her waist for a minute, "That stingy old man..." she muttered and turned to the spirit standing beside her, "I know how much you wish to cut that string, Atropos, but I need that one intact." She pursed her lips and arched a brow, "Return to your post, I will take matters from here—time is coming close."

"Yes, Master." Atropos bowed her head and vanished in front of Asteria. The dark titaness cursed under her breath with jealousy, deep down, despite wanting the terran prince to come to the underworld she was not expecting him to survive and she did not want to believe the kind of power he had. She turned into the pitch darkness behind her and frowned, knowing the familiar feeling in her chest and vanished moments after.

O—o—O

Serenity turned and noticed Asteria was no longer in the room with them and turned to Athamas with a mocking grin, "Where did your _master_ go?"

"I do not have any masters, I serve no one." Athamas narrowed his eyes; Serenity scoffed and shook her head, "I beg to differ... all the things you have been doing is because she has asked for it." She looked at him defiantly, "The minute she gets whatever she wants, she will dispose of you like waste, you are nothing but a pawn to her, Athamas, you have been nothing but a pawn all these years..."

Athamas felt anger flowing inside him, like poisonous fire coiling around his body like a snake. The princess' words felt like daggers threatening to shatter his ego; he had to admit that the woman before him was not the same innocent and helpless girl he once tried to summit. It was going to take more to break her spirit because she was no longer intimidated by him, in fact, her determinant and challenging new character was indulging him, making him feel things he did not remember he could feel. He was entranced, marveled by this new rebellious version of the moon princess.

Athamas moved his hand from her face and slid it down her décolletage with the same brusqueness, enjoying every millimeter of her silky skin under his touch and wrapped his fingers around her delicate neck "Oh, how much I have missed this..." Athamas breathed in her ear. He pulled her up on and pressed her against the cold stone wall behind her without much effort, "The trembling of your helpless body against mine..." The blonde general wrapped his arm around her waist as he leaned closer. Serenity looked at him with anger despite the tears pooling from her clear blue eyes; she silently thanked to have one hand free and slowly moved it to the man's waist, "Get away from me," she said in a slow growl. Athamas sniffed the sweet scent of her pearlescent hair and smirked with so much delight at the feeling of the woman struggling to free from his strong grasp, "You did not say please princess..."

Serenity felt the metal hilt of Athamas' sword and pulled it out in one quick move and pointed it on his neck, forcing the man to stand aside. Her eyes narrowed with defiance as she held the weapon with both of her hands and without a trace of fear or hesitation, _"Please,"_ she muttered. Athamas cracked a laugh, "Are you trying to intimidate me with that?"

"I told you before, long gone is the woman you knew—" Serenity took a stance and arched a brow, "My husband is a very skilled polemarchos," her crystal blue eyes glared with threat, "He taught me well... and if you do not move away from me I swear on his name that I will slit you from navel to nose."

Athamas gritted his teeth, "You do not have the guts to murder somebody, Serenity." The princess leaned forward without taking her eyes off the man in front of her, "Try me,"

"Are you really listening to what you are saying? Do you even know what it feels to kill another being?" Athamas took a step closer, pressing the tip of the blade on his chest, "The stench of cold blood in your hands?"

"I am willing to find out if you don't get out of my way!" Serenity took a deep breath; the andromedian shook his head, "You are contaminated by him—"

"The one contaminated is you, Athamas, now—let me pass."

"You are starting to sound like him, stop it, it is disgusting."

"I will take that as a compliment,"

"Enough!" Athamas growled and moved closer to her, Serenity in response turned on her axis and cut his cheek with the sharp edge of the sword and immediately took another defensive stance, "I told you to stay away from me!" Athamas brought his hand up to his cheek and looked at the blood staining his hand, "That man..." He turned to Serenity and frowned angrily, "The one you so dearly call your husband, is no polemarchos—he is a murderer, just like me."

Serenity kept her arms extended with the sword pointing at the general, "Your words mean nothing to me Athamas, you mean _nothing_ to me."

"Nothing?" Athamas arched his brow with cynicism, "We were engaged my dear Serenity, or have you forgotten?"

"No, sadly I did not forget. That part of my life rings in my memory with bitterness, I remember everything. All the lies, all the mistreat from you, and all the times you threatened me and my loved ones," Serenity tightened her grip on the weapon's hilt, "That was not an engagement based in love, that was just a part of a negotiation plan for invasion and conquest. I was a tool to you—nothing more. A doll to mentally torture to your heart's content, one you became obsessed to make your trophy."

"Love..." Athamas narrowed his eyes, "That stupid word again, _love_. Just when are you going to realize that such a thing does not exist?"

"Just because you don't know what that is, doesn't mean it doesn't exist,"

"Open your eyes Serenity! Stop being so naïve!"

"I won't say it again, Athamas," Serenity clenched her jaw, "Get the hell out of my way!"

"The monster has given up on you, you know?" Athamas shrugged his shoulder in a casual fashion, "There is no way he can cross to this place. It is over."

"I really can't imagine how terrible must be to have no one to be there for you and care for you." A loud growling sound caught Serenity off guard and made her turn quickly, giving Athamas the opportunity to dash quickly towards the princess and kick the sword off her hands. "Your innocence still amazes me." He sniffed the flowery scent impregnated on her skin and licked her neck all the way up to her cheek then threw her back to the ground violently making her head hit on the stone floor. She gasped, feeling her lungs could have collapsed by the sudden blow "Listen well, Serenity..." Athamas grabbed the sword from the floor and put it back in its sheath, "Stop pretending to be a warrior, you will never win—you do not want to be close to me? _Fine_." He snapped his fingers, "There are plenty of souls to choose from in this realm."

Serenity widened her eyes when she turned to see at the many corpses and haunting bodies scattered all around her screaming and howling in pain. Athamas went on one knee in front of her and grabbed a handful of her hair to pull her head up and force her to look at him, "You say you have changed, well, so did I—you have no idea of what happened to me after the fall of your cursed kingdom. I was exiled from Andromeda and was treated like a criminal, I starved, I bled... and you? You were granted another chance to live! All of you! Even that damned _monster!_ " He let go of the princess' hair and stood up, "Mark my words, he will never find you, you are in Inferno, Serenity—either you choose me or stay here until you die and rot alone."

Serenity's eyes began to burn with tears when she saw the creatures beginning to notice her and crawl over to her, "N-No..." she mumbled and shook her head, "No!"

"You will come around, someday... in the meantime, enjoy your stay, Moon Princess. Please, make yourself comfortable." Athamas turned to leave; Serenity tried to move but she was still disoriented by the blow on her head, "Nooo! Get me out of here! Athamas!" she felt the bony hands of the creatures around her ankles and made her scream with horror as she kicked them away with the force and started to succumb to the heavy energy, once again, "Noooo!" she felt a lump in her throat and panic burning in the pit of her stomach as she started to lose consciousness again, "Endymion..." she sobbed before passing out in fear.

O—o—o—o—O

Rei opened her eyes when she felt another strong presence in the shrine and walked out of the room where she was trying to find any clues to the prince and princess' whereabouts. She put her getas and stepped outside the temple and saw the man in golden armor standing by the *temizuya using the water to wash his face and hands. "Ares," she said softly, catching his attention and making him turn, "Mars,"

The priestess walked towards her father and stood just a foot away from him and gasped when she saw he had a cut in his hand. Ares smiled softly and waved his hand, "Do not look so surprised, child..."

"You are hurt,"

"It is nothing,"

Rei frowned and ran back to the temple and returned with a first aid kit in her hands. Ares' grey eyes widened when he felt her delicate hand around his wrist and pulled him to follow her back to the temple and walked into what her grandfather's room used to be and closed the door behind them, "I know you hate your pride being tarnished with such trivial things as a cut in your hand..." she said softly and sat next to him on the jade green carpet, "But to me... that is a different story," she turned to take some bandages and alcohol from the wooden box placed next to her. Ares looked at his daughter in silence for a minute and sighed slowly, "I do not need such treatment—I will heal, you do not need to do this for me."

Rei stopped and lowered her head, her long wispy bangs covered her eyes "You're a god, I know, but is it so a bad to be so different from us, mortals?"

"W-What?" Ares widened his eyes when he looked at his daughter's amethyst eyes gleaming with tears, "Mars..."

"Is it?"

"No, it is not." Ares stretched his arm out to his daughter to allow her to clean the blood from his wound. Rei sniffed and ripped the package containing a clean gauze and soaked it with alcohol, "This will burn," she pressed the gauze on the long cut and just like she predicted the uncomfortable burn made the god of war squint his grey eyes, "I know what you are going to say—that I am not a mortal," Rei continued, "And I am probably not one, at least not a normal one, but, I do not consider myself a divine being either."

"Why are you telling me this, Mars?"

"Because I know you do not want to talk about it—you are not here to warn me anything, you are here because you are looking for something else."

Ares looked at his daughter with wide eyes; it was surprising to see that after all this time, she still knew him like the palm of her hand. They may not have spoken about it much in the past, but they both care too much for each other and despite his nature, and the sad and tormenting childhood he gave her, she still looked at him with grateful eyes. Many said they were very similar in character, both determinant, both fearless, both stubborn, but the more Ares looked at her, the more he was convinced that she was in fact, the better than him.

"You know me too well, child." Ares moved his arm back and looked at his bandages. Rei pulled back and gave him a soft, sad smile, "We used to do it so often, whenever we felt things were getting out of control, we would always seek each other for comfort and support." She looked at him, "This is one of those moments, am I right?"

Ares rested his bandaged arm over his knee and looked at her with the same sad smile "It has never been too easy to hide things from you," Rei closed the wooden box and put it aside, "Things are getting out of control..."

"Are you asking me?"

"No, I am letting you know." Rei looked at her father, "Asteria attacked again—she took the princess with her and now the prince went after her and as a result, this planet is quietly suffering the consequences of his absence as you probably felt when you arrived."

Ares frowned, "He left? Since when?!"

"Five days ago," Rei sighed, "His guardians are taking his place and they have been feeding the barrier with clean energy but at this point, we are almost running out of ideas, we, senshi." She shook her head, "We cannot go to where he is because at this point, we don't know exactly where he is—we don't know if he found Pluto, we don't know if he's actually in the underworld..."

"Serenity was taken to the underworld..." Ares muttered with disbelief and shook his head, "That is why..."

"What?"

"War has begun..." Ares looked at Mars, "Up there—in Olympus. Darkness is approaching us..." He held her hand, "The Olympian army will attack any minute now," he looked at his daughter with worry, "Without the prince here... I will need you to help me fight."

"How?" Rei widened her eyes, "How are we going to—"

"Mars," Ares took a deep breath and looked down for a minute, "I know it is not easy to be attached to a dynasty like mine. I did not give you a decent childhood, instead, I forced you to hold a weapon and fight from a very young age because that is the only thing I know how to do well. I was not loving or caring, that I know. I was not flexible—I have been told too many times in my life but I want you to know, that all I did—the reason I sent you to Serenity was to give you a second chance to live." He looked at her, "I wanted you to have friends, I did not want you to be alone anymore—I wanted you to create new memories, away from me and away from your mother. I am sorry for having put such a heavy burden on your shoulders..."

Rei's eyes began gleaming with tears, "Father..."

Ares' eyes widened, it was the first time he has heard her calling him by that name and his chest felt like it was about to explode with emotion. Rei couldn't hold her tears for long and she just let them fall with grace and tightened her grip on his hand, "You don't have to ask for any forgiveness," she shook her head and smiled sadly, "You may say you were not loving but... it was because of you that I was able to smile, while living at the palace. I remember you coming home after a long day, after having another bitter argument with Mother and you would always let me know that you were there for me—even if it was by teaching me how to hold a weapon. You were making me strong enough to endure such penumbra." She looked up at him, "Yes, Mother was always cruel and cold toward me, and yes, you were not very much the loving kind but, somehow, I never felt intimidated by you. I never felt like you didn't love me. You were always there for me, you always defended me and when Athamas was threatening the princess, you believed me, you, the inflexible God of War."

Ares didn't know how to react to her words, he looked at her trying to understand the emotions swirling inside him and suddenly, the unexpected happened; his eyes began to glisten with tears. Rei knew it was nearly impossible to waver the tough character of the man sitting in front of her but she knew it was something that needed to be said. They both needed it—the support, those exact words of knowledge that have been ignored for too many years. "I suffered... but I know it was for my own good. I suffered because I really liked being with you... that day, when you sent me away, I wasn't crying because I felt abandoned, I was crying because I knew how much I was going to miss you." She scooted closer to Ares and looked at him in the eye, "You gave me life, yes, but being a fighter was a choice of mine and I thank you, for all you have done and taught me." Her hand combed the few pieces of long hair framing his face, "My dear Papa... I am honored to be part of your dynasty."

Ares pulled his daughter close to him and wrapped his arms around her in a loving embrace, "My sweet Mars, how I adore you." Mars let go of the feelings she had been keeping at bay broke into tears, joining her father's heavy sobs and stayed in that embrace for a long time; both comforting the pain and the fear. Both thanking in silence the circumstances that had brought them back together. After a few more minutes, Ares pulled back and cupped his daughter's cheek "They do not know I am here at this very moment—I must go back."

Mars responded to his paternal gesture by leaning on his hand and sighed, "Father, what should we do? I feel so helpless... we need to find our way to go the unde—"

"No," Ares bluntness startled Mars, "But—"

"You cannot step into that realm," Ares moved his hand, "It is suicidal—you would never survive and not because you are weak, but because that is a place that plays with your mind. Whenever there is a hint of doubt, the disturbed spirits and demons that live there will use it to their advantage to break you. Your spirit is shaken by the absence of the princess and by the desperation of you wanting to bring her back,"

"But the prince—"

"The prince did a stupid thing, yes, but as surprising as it will sound, he can go there and actually manage to find his way back."

"What do you mean?"

Ares sighed, "Child, the prince you all thought you knew does not exist—he never existed. It was a façade to help keep his mother's wishes intact. I am responsible for his awakening and I am also responsible for his return from that suspended state he was put in after the battle with Asteria. He needed to be brought back despite the High Gods' fears but I must warn you, your whole perception of him might change once you see him use his power."

"Are you suggesting he is dangerous then, that he is what you have always been predicted." Rei frowned, Ares shook his head "Mars, in the end, we all are dangerous to one another. We are creatures with power—we have ways to tear us down. I am the God of War... does not make me a destructive monster too?"

Mars pursed her lips and looked down, Ares quickly cupped her cheek again and tilted her head up, "What I am trying to say, is that this is a war that cannot be stopped if there is doubt in your mind and if there is no passion in your heart. To win this, you have to be unbreakable, unshakeable—the terran prince knows this and it is why he will put aside many things to get the task done." He exhaled more lightly this time, "Mars, any man in love would do what he has done without thinking about the consequences. Like I said before, I believe he has the power to set things back the way they should be and follow his family's dynasty and I want to see him succeed but to do this there are things you must let him do on his own. Hades is obsessed with control and he thinks that by keeping Endymion there things will be solved, but things don't work that way and sadly, he is too stubborn. He is my brother, after all, he does not listen to what he does not want to hear. As of me, there are other things I need to do up there than having another endless argument with him; I must fight for the security in Olympus before another outbreak happens—let his daughter deal with him, she is the one we must trust for now."

"But... what about us? What can we do?" Rei frowned, "Are we supposed to stay here and just wait and do nothing?"

"Child, you are already fighting—be an ally to Endymion's guardians. You must not let the shadows filter to this planet. I have to fight up there in the heavens but this Mars, this is your planet too—it has guarded you and you must be grateful. Serenity granted you a chance to reincarnate here and I have never seen you happier, you were finally free. Mars, you may not be human, you may be my daughter, but you do not belong up there. I want you to believe in goodwill and I want you to believe in love. Take the image of my failed marriage out of your head and follow your own path... I want to believe that one day Olympus will be worthy of you, I will work for that—I am fighting for that but in the meantime... you must protect this planet because its protector is fighting for your princess and the future."

Rei looked at her father and tucked another lose piece of golden hair behind his ear, "Do you believe in love, Father?" Ares chuckled and stayed silent for a minute, processing the word and the sentiment it represented. Love, he knew what it was, he knew what it meant but it was only a few times when he got to experience it. "Yes," he looked at Rei in the eye, "As surprising as that sounds, I do—I have seen it exist, I have seen it bloom and I have seen it survive the strains of time."

Rei leaned to hold his hand and pressed her lips in thought, "Did you ever love Mother?" Ares gave his daughter a sad smile and exhaled heavily, "It was only a matter of time for you to know the truth about that..." he nodded and tilted her head up to meet his eyes, "I did, yes... but, not the way love should be."

"I do not understand," Mars frowned, Ares shrugged his shoulder "The story between your mother and I goes very back in time, Mars. Our marriage was not motivated by romance and it was not based on love—it was an agreement between two souls that did not want to be alone." The god of war graced Mars' cheek with care, "There was once respect between us, we cared for each other, but her mind always played tricks on her. She is a deity of insecurity, child and it caught her—her own power and it began to eat her alive." Ares wasn't sure why he needed to go deep into that conversation, he wasn't desperate to clean his image or name, he knew he wasn't a saint but to his daughter, he felt the obligation to be fully honest and finally tell the whole story as to why Eris became so bitter and angry. "You once asked me... who that woman was, the one your mother talked about so unceasingly..."

"Yes, I remember..."

"That woman was Gaia, my child."

Mars' eyes widened with surprise, "G-Gaia? End—"

"Yes, Prince Endymion's mother—Gaia." Ares nodded and let out a heavy sigh, one heavy with melancholy, "We had a very close relationship that went more than one of disciple and master. As the god of war, I was commissioned to train her and prepare her to be part of the celestial army, and from all that time we spent together our friendship bloomed. I did no longer see her as another soldier; I watched her grow, I saw her bleed, and cry. I saw her scream with frustration and anger and I also saw her laugh—we were close. But I took her for granted. My nature has always been clear, I am no saint but to me, she was. She was pure and innocent despite her rebellious character; it was not fair to shadow her future with a man like me. For some reason, I always thought that she would be with me forever whenever Eris would disappear again. Your mother and I had more things in common at the time, she was older, she was a goddess that knew her ways and she was as cursed as I was. I felt more identified with her but what we had was always something shallow, physical—there is no need to disguise the words. That is what it was."

Mars shook her head, "But then... if you had feelings for Queen Gaia, why did you marry my mother?"

"I suppose I never imagined Gaia would fall in love and with a mortal man none the less." Ares smiled sadly, "I was different back then, child, like I said, I knew my nature and I took Gaia for granted. I valued her once I no longer had her within my reach. When Metallia exposed the truth and Gaia was sentenced, I was beyond mad and disappointed. She was my best disciple—my good friend yet I did horrible things to her that took many years of my life and many experiences to accept my fault and come to terms with it. Serenity and Chronos made me see how wrong I was, and with time, I learned to let her go and accept that I was not going to see her again and worked to atone for my mistakes. I turned to your mother and asked her to marry me... we shared a common feeling of not wanting to be alone, the moment I asked it felt like it was the most appropriate thing to do and she agreed."

"Then why did she become so bitter? Why did she always mention how much you were obsessed with Queen Gaia... if she knew this all along?" Rei frowned, "I don't understand... it is hard for me to understand why would you marry someone just to fight loneliness but..."

"Mars, love is not something you easily find up there," Ares tilted his head, "It does sound insane—stupid even, but that is how things are. Not all gods search their ever after—they just want power; that is why Gaia's actions were considered treason and why Serenity was always questioned for her ideals and beliefs." he sighed, "Eris wanted all the attention... and she had it... until she became pregnant."

Rei felt like if a cold bullet pierced through her chest, the thought of her being the reason for her mother's rabid anger but deep down she felt it. She knew it but did not want to believe it because that is not what mothers are supposed to do. Mothers are supposed to care and bring joy to their children, look after them, talk to them and be there when needed. Eris never did that for Mars, she didn't have a single memory of her mother being gentle or kind to her or anyone and she came to terms with it. Her mother was a mystery, one so full of regret and now she knew why. Being a mother was not in her plans, she wanted to be the only one in Ares' life and as obsessed as she was with her husband, all was taken away partly by the cathartic process Ares was going through to amend for his mistakes and what he did to Gaia and the other part was because what was left of his attention was given to her. Knowing this was no surprise but it still hurt, no child wants to be repudiated by its own mother. "I..."

"Mars,"

"I kind of always knew this..." Mars lowered her amethyst gaze, "That she was not happy with me around, I just... I suppose I never understood why... there were missing pieces scattered everywhere..." The priestess felt her father's hand lifting her chin and looking into her amethyst eyes, "The minute you were born my life changed. I knew what real love is... I understood Gaia's passion for her family and I understood Serenity's heart and devotion for her daughter." Ares sighed and shook his head, "Eris... she could not handle that I was in love with being a father... that I loved to have you in my life. You are my most perfect creation—just like titans have sacred treasures to guard and protect, you my dear are mine, and I had to protect you, even if it was from your own parents."

"I don't know what you are talking about..." Mars held her father's hand and smiled softly, "The heavens may not be fair all the time but I must pay my regards and thanks for I have the best father anyone could ever ask for." She shook her head and sniffled, "I am my father's daughter—Ares, and that is all that matters to me."

Ares smile widened with pride and joy, he felt complete. "That you are my child, but, do not follow my steps. Be your own kind... and please, stop being afraid." He shook his head, "Being attached to war not necessarily has to be a bad thing, to be happy you have to fight too. Life is a battle itself." Mars sighed and sat straight with her eyes closed, "Why do I have the feeling that there is a hidden message behind your words? Giving clues is not part of your repertoire."

Ares chuckled and leaned closer to kiss his daughter's temple, "Because you and I are very much alike," he stood up and looked down at her, "I am not giving you any clues my child, I am stating the obvious—like I said, I want you to be free; that is why you were brought here... cherish that freedom and make it worth."

Mars looked up at her father as he slowly began to vanish right in front of her eyes until there were only tiny specks of golden energy left and floating in the air. She turned to the window, the one she religiously opened for her grandfather every morning and closed every evening and looked up at the night sky; her amethyst eyes soon caught Jadeite walking back to the temple with a few logs under his arm and like if her gaze called out to him he turned and caught her back and gave her a soft wave in return before going inside. Rei sighed and leaned on the window frame with her eyes closed, her mind thinking about what Ares just told her. "You're right Papa—I have to make it worth. I will fight to make it worth. I promise."

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is rated M. Violence and intimacy may occur._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _A/N: A Temizuya is a fountain near the entrance of a shrine and a temple where worshipers can cleanse their hands and mouths before worship._


	59. Chapter 59

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Fifty-Nine

* * *

Asteria walked down a long dark corridor in silence, the crisp sound of her sharp heels accompanied her like a seductive echo until the tall doors were opened for her to walk inside the majestic room without flailing her strong presence before the god of the underworld as she slowly bowed her head and rested one knee on the ground, in front of the man in black, sitting in his throne looking at her with cold and calculating eyes.

"Report to me the status of the mission."

"Almost complete, Milord." Asteria remained with her head bowed down for Hades, "The hybrid is in this realm, it will not be long until he is captured and locked in Tartarus."

"I want a location,"

"My sources tell me the hybrid is by the Mourning Fields—once he enters Limbo I personally will go and retrieve him to take his soul straight to Tartarus; it shall not take long," Asteria bowed her head lower to show her respects. Hades looked at her without a hint of emotion or doubt, "I am impressed by your keen abilities to perform with excellency this entrusted task."

"It is the job of a Polemarchos, Milord, to perform and surpass any expectations—my loyalty is with you, so are my services. I did what was asked to please Milord," Asteria finally looked up at Hades and arched her dark brow, "Mortals are easy to lure. They are weak, and as expected, it was no exception with the hybrid."

Hades pursed his lips with disgust, "Yes, well... what can you expect from a breed that lacks divinity," he shrugged his shoulder with disinterest, "They have no example to follow, they have no leader, they are common weaklings... that is what they are. But in the end, I find that very useful; I get to take their souls once their bodies give in. The more, the merrier." Hades' comment made Asteria crack a soft chuckle, "That is the truth, Milord."

"The army of shadows—what is its status?"

"Complete, Milord. Ready to take charge,"

Hades brought his hands together and arched his brow, showing his satisfaction "I knew I could count on you Asteria, always so assertive and merciless—that is how things should always work in this realm." He tapped the tips of his fingers with each other and narrowed his eyes with wonder, "But tell me, just how did you manage to lure the hybrid into this realm?"

"Eris Milord, and also, the Andromedian. There is clearly an old tension between the hybrid and the fallen soldier from Andromeda which is why I wanted to keep his soul intact. I knew he would be a great excuse to ignite the monster's deepest fury." Asteria narrowed her black eyes, "Eris helped him from getting lost in Limbo ever since my *Moirai cut his string of fate two thousand years ago—his soul is bound to this realm ever since he was exiled from Andromeda, Milord."

"Very well," Hades sighed and waved his hand, "Leave it attached to its body until the task is done." His grey eyes intensified as he looked at the titaness in black in front of him, "Allowing the living to come and go as they please from my realm is not something I am completely fond of. Finish the task as soon as possible and retrieve the souls of those condemned to their respective resting fields. This game has gone long enough—end it now."

"Consider it done, Milord."

Hades narrowed his eyes and stood up from his throne; with a slow but intimidating presence he walked down to meet Asteria face to face, "Is there anything else for you to inform me? Anything else I need to be aware of?" Asteria stood up straight and looked into Hades' eyes, the titaness shook her head, "No, Milord—that is all I have to inform you. Everything is taken care of as you ordered."

Hades looked into her eyes in silence for a minute and arched his brow, "When the war broke, I knew that not all of you rebels were contaminated. You are my strongest soldier now Asteria—our deal is unbreakable; I knew that you were the one to call instead of Saturn." Asteria widened her eyes with surprise, "Milord?"

"Saturn has grown weak. She is not an emissary of death anymore. I feel disgusted by how her once dark spirit has been corrupted by Serenity's innocence. She is useless to me now."

Hades' sudden confession brought a satisfying feeling to Asteria since she has worked under Sailor Saturn's powerful shadow and myth despite her titan nature for centuries. Since the great war between Titans and Gods happened thousands of years ago, Asteria made a deal with Hades to bind her soul to the underworld and become a faithful servant to avoid her condemned fate in Inferno. The paleness and scars in her body were clear evidence of the strain her race went through such a bloody war, becoming a shadow of what she once was. Accepted and now tied to the strings of death, Asteria became another soul in the underworld and pledged to serve Hades as a vessel for all the things he was not willing or longer interested in doing. She became the one in charge to end unfinished business, which in the end, only favored her deep desire to gain more power from the fates she has taken and manipulated over the course of time.

As she looked at him, she came to realize that indeed, it had been long since she saw him do something. She remembered when she saw him on the battlefield next to his younger brother, Ares, reaping the souls of titans and rebels with his majestic scythe. The way he moved in battle was one of a dark beast feasting on fresh flesh before disposing of them once he had what he wanted. It didn't take long for Hades to build all that he had, unlike Ares, who had a much more aggressive nature, Hades was an elegant man, one that barely ever raised his voice and that ever barely showed emotion toward anything, not even at war, but even a man like him had weaknesses; Asteria was sure of it.

OーoーO

 _Asteria gasped for air, she was exhausted, she was weak and defeated. Her black eyes barely ever focusing due to the great loss of blood. At this point, it was only a matter of time for one of her Moirai would come and pull the string still tying her soul to her body. She slowly turned to her side and widened her eyes when she saw the bodies of her allies in battle scattered lifeless on the ground, some beheaded, others soaked in their own pools of gore._

 _The dark titaness looked up and saw a man in golden armor walking towards her and giving orders to what appeared to be the legendary soldiers of the celestial army to carry the bodies of those that fell before her; blood was still trickling from his longsword as he now pointed it directly at her throat. Ares' eyes were cold; his face while granted with beauty, it held no sympathy, no mercy or trace of emotion_ _ー_ _not even disgust. Asteria knew then and there that the war that had been prolonged for years had now gone to its imminent end, with them, the gods, standing on the side of victory._

OーoーO

In a way, Asteria had been part of that war, the one between the ancient titans against the Olympian gods. She was part of a fraction of young titan warriors who took up arms from the shadows to take control of what they considered rightfully theirs as rebels. They aimed for power, and with that ambition clear in their minds, they created a rebellion to dethrone the king of gods, Zeus, and take control of other immortal realms but their battle did not last much, Ares, the God of War, was soon commissioned to end it with the help of the celestial army of polemarchos. Asteria was captured and imprisoned soon after and it was then when she heard about the Orphic powers of the underworld and the realm that harbored the darkest souls in the universe.

It was no secret, the fate of those with titan blood. She knew they were condemned, some tortured and some killed, and as a rebel, she was against the idea of going down the same path; gods were not forgiving entities and titans did not forget—that was the fuel of their eternal dispute and it only ignited their anger and thirst for blood even more. That is when she saw her possibilities and made the deal with Hades himself in exchange for her abilities and power, she would become his loyal servant: an accountant of souls. She would do the work the gallant god wasn't willing or not interested in doing any more for as long as she needed in order to gain his trust.

As a result for her much valuable and impressive results, Asteria was granted her to be part of the dark realm as the titan goddess of fates, later on earning her position as a gatekeeper in Thanatos due to her exceptional skills but deep down, her own wrath and desire to achieve what the others couldn't slowly ate her inside. The more time it passed, the more Asteria learned about the power kept in the depths of Hades' realm the more she wanted to achieve it—to have control, to have that level of power.

"Asteria,"

The dark goddess looked up at Hades's piercing gaze, "The minute you find the hybrid I want you to inform me, restrain yourself from doing something else," a slight frown graced his features, "There are words I still need to hear from its mouth."

Asteria bowed her head in respect, "Yes, Milord. I will give notification right away. My post will remain at Thanatos," she looked up at him and with one final bow, she took her leave. Hades looked at her dark figure disappearing in front of him and narrowed his dark grey eyes when he felt another strong presence standing close behind him in the shadows and turned to look over his shoulder, "You know what to do."

The gleam of a sword was the answer to the lord of the dead's request as it vanished the same way it appeared, leaving him behind with a face of satisfaction and triumph.

O—o—o—o—O

A steady and constant dripping sound slowly pulled consciousness back into Serenity's mind as she slowly opened her eyes and let reality sink in. She managed to pull herself up and growled softly with pain; her pale blue eyes suddenly widened when she remembered what had happened, why she was there and feeling so much pain all over. "Athamas..." she growled angrily between harsh breaths and leaned her back against the cold wall.

"Serenity,"

Serenity widened her eyes and turned to see the andromedian general standing at a considerable distance with his arms crossed, looking down at her "What are you doing here?"

"Watching you sleep, I always wanted to watch you sleep," Athamas murmured softly but loud enough for her to listen. Serenity frowned, "I wasn't sleeping,"

"To me, it looked like you were," Athamas walked under the light of the bone candelabra hanging from the tall dome-like ceiling, "Like an angel..."

Serenity's frown deepened, "You threw me against the ground—you left me in—" she widened her eyes when she realized she was no longer in that dark hole with chained corpses, "W-Where am I?" Athamas sighed tiredly, "I have chased your memory for more than two thousand years. I learned you were alive not too long ago and now that I have you within my reach, did you really expect me to leave you with those demons? You should be thanking me—"

"I have nothing to thank you for," Serenity muttered dryly, Athamas narrowed his deep green eyes, "I saved you from hell demons,"

"You and I have a different concept of what saving someone's life is," Serenity tried to stand up but her body was still too weak to overcome the soreness in her muscles; her chest felt heavy and her throat felt like it was harboring blazing fire. "It doesn't matter how much you try to move, the weight of this realm is too strong to keep you on your feet—your light does not shine in this place; your lifeline is too fragile Serenity, you make a wrong move and it will shatter like a piece of glass."

"What do you want from me?!" Serenity couldn't hold her frustration any longer, "Why can't you leave us alone?"

" _Us?_ " Athamas arched his brow, "No, no, no, my dear, do not confuse things, I only want you. That is why _you_ are _here_."

"In hell, how charming of you... what a gentleman." Serenity narrowed her crystal blue eyes and turned to look away. Athamas sighed, "Oh, Serenity... you had everything. You had it all in the palm of your hand but you always had this curious nature that always kept me on an edge. At what moment did you become so rebellious? You did whatever you please; you went against me, you went against the law, you even dared to challenge your own kind and betray your realm and kingdom for a monster and all for what?"

"Freedom." The courageous tone of the moon princess' voice made Athamas widen his eyes with a new found feeling of admiration for her. It had been a question that with the passing of time it only fermented his frustration and hatred towards the memory of the terran prince and everything he represented and everything he took; like a violent wave, his existence washed away any possibility for him to become king and obtain everything he so much ambitioned since he joined the andromedian army. The fire in her eyes and the security she portrayed despite being in such penumbra only made him desire her more, "Freedom? You had freedom,"

Serenity narrowed her eyes in pain, "You're right, I had everything... I lived in a beautiful palace, I lived surrounded by luxury and wealth; my gowns were made with the finest silks and satins, my hair was always adorned with the most exquisite selection of pearls and crystals from all places in the universe. I had it all, yes, except the right to choose how I really wanted to live my life and the liberty to speak up for what I believed was right. I was always silenced, bound to be just another princess locked in a marble palace and left at the mercy of whoever got to take my hand in marriage—I was bound to be a trophy." She leaned forward, supporting her weight on the palms of her hands as she looked up at Athamas furiously, "That is what I have always been to you Athamas... a trophy. A prize to be won."

"And what makes you think the monster does not think the same of you?" Athamas stepped closer and crouched in front of her, "Eh, Serenity? What made him so special? " His eyes were finally at the same level as hers and looked at her with deep curiosity, "Was it because he was forbidden to you? Was it because he was something you knew you could not have? Was it a caprice of yours to own a creature like him?"

"This isn't about possession, Athamas," Serenity shook her head, "Neither he or myself are objects to be possessed."

"Why him, Serenity?"

Serenity frowned and shook her head with deception, "You are infatuated with power—you always have."

"Answer the question, Serenity! Why him!?" Athamas pounded the ground with his fist; Serenity narrowed her eyes, "Because he gave me what you never could." She looked at him with pride in her eyes, "He never laughed at my desire to become stronger. Unlike you, he understood my frustration of being treated like a porcelain doll... he treated me with respect, he listened to me and was open to sharing his knowledge with me, unlike you, he was kind. He gave me the freedom and the confidence to speak up for myself and go against your retrograde thoughts. I chose to be with the so-called _monster_ because he encouraged me to believe in myself, I chose Endymion because he saw beyond a title, above all, he loved me for who I was and not what I represented."

There it was again, love, that dreadful word. Athamas shook his head in disgust as Asterias' words began pulsing in his head in a poisonous rhythm igniting his jealous nature. The mere thought of her delicate body entangled with the one of the mortal prince between the sheets while he was at the moon palace thinking he had everything under control was eating him alive; just imagining them together, his hands caressing every inch of her body, claiming her as his as she willingly responded to him was too much for him to bear. The princess didn't need to confirm that her innocence had been taken like Asteria mentioned before, Athamas didn't want to accept it since he truly believed she was bound to be his and he wasn't sure either as to why he needed to hear it from her. "Did you give yourself to him, Serenity?"

Serenity in response widened her eyes in disgust, "How dare you ask me such a thing?"

"I deserve to know,"

"You deserve nothing. Not after everything you have done,"

Athamas moved closer and grabbed the princess' face with force, "Do not play that card with me Serenity—answer the damn question!" Serenity struggled to free her face from his strong grasp, "Let me go!" she growled. Athamas narrowed his eyes, "Answer the damn question Serenity! Did you or did you not give yourself to the terran monster!?"

"Yes!" Serenity glared at him angrily despite the tears glistening in her eyes, "Is that what you so desperately wanted to hear from me?! Yes! I did, _many_ ti—" her words were interrupted by a strong slap across her face, throwing her back to the ground. Athamas widened his eyes in horror and shook his head in total disbelief, "Disgusting,"

Serenity brought her hand up to her swollen cheek and felt moist on her lip, she looked at her trembling fingers stained with her blood, "What is, Athamas? The fact that I fell in love with another man or the fact that you are a masochist?" She glared at him over her shoulder with anger, "I don't care whatever you think of me and I am certain Endymion doesn't give a single damn about what you think of him either. What is that you want? Do you need to know so desperately if I slept with him while I was still engaged to you? —No, I didn't. Did I end our engagement so I could go and sleep with him? —No, I didn't. Was he the reason why I ended things between us? No. It was you and your threats, your mockery, your abuse of power and your lies—your violent ways, your venom and hatred towards other people dreams and success!"

Athamas looked at her but couldn't reply to her strong declarations, he was too stunned by her defiant attitude, "You will pay for this, Serenity."

"You can lock me back in that putrid cell for as long as you want but the facts will remain the same." Serenity narrowed her eyes, "Endymion is my husband, he is the man I chose to share my life in the good and the bad and I couldn't care less if you approve or not. You are a nothing but a traitor to your realm, to your people, and to your own self—you can't even find the courage to fight for yourself; all you have achieved is because somebody else did it for you. You live out of false glories and now is no exception. You may have Asteria on your side but it's appalling to see how you haven't realized that not even she holds any respect for you. While you think she is doing the work for you, it is in fact, the other way around—you are working as her pawn. You will never earn the title of polemarchos, Athamas, no matter what you do, no matter how many innocent lives you take—you don't have what it takes to become one. I can see now why you hate Endymion so much, I now understand why you are so obsessed with power... it is because even when his nature is far different from yours, even the gods acknowledge he earned the title fairly while you, a soldier from a celestial realm, can't even achieve a single thing of worth... you are just a—"

"Silence!" Athamas walked towards her and grabbed her by her neck again, pulling her up from the ground and pinning her against the wall, "You have no idea of what you are saying—you still live in your own little cloud while playing warrior—open your eyes Serenity and see the reality you are in! You are in hell—away from your little guardians and away from that man you so eagerly insist on calling your husband. The mortal is not coming for you—there is no way he can cross to this realm, you are now mine and mine alone and to prove my point, I will take over that immaculate body of yours like I should have done back then when I had the chance!" Athamas pulled Serenity's hair to tilt her head up to give him access to lick her cleavage and brushed his nose while sniffing his way up to her neck, savoring every inch of her milky skin, "I cannot stand his scent all over you, I cannot stand knowing that he had you first."

Serenity felt his body reacting to their closeness and began to panic; he had her pinned against the wall with one hand holding her wrists up and the other was brusquely trying to go under the many layers of her royal gown. This was the first time the lunar princess felt helpless and on the verge of having a mental breakdown; her eyes burned with tears as she felt his hoarse breath on the curve of her neck, right where Endymion liked to cuddle with her in their moments of intimacy. Her own breathing began to pick up the pace and became short and hoarse as she felt him ripping the fabric off her gown; the sound of pearls and crystals falling to the ground and the pieces of silk being torn apart echoed in the vacant room making her realize with horror what was happening. He was going to take her—by force.

Serenity closed her eyes and tried to suppress her sobs, no matter how much she tried to fight him, he had her anchored against her will between his hot body and the cold stone wall.

 _"Endymion..."_ she thought painfully as she felt his hand desperately trying to reach for her thighs, _"I have tried to be strong... but I don't know just how long I can hold on... I am reaching my limits... help me... please..."_ A heavy sob escaped her lungs and bit her lip with pain and horror, _"I want to see you Endymion... I want to look into your eyes and hear you say that everything will be alright... that I can do this... that I can fight whatever comes my way... that I am strong to fight whoever stands in my way..."_ Serenity heard another piece of fabric ripping and let her tears roll down her cheeks with panic and dread, " _I want to see you Endymion..."_

-O-

 _"There will be times when the contact is close enough for the enemy to reach you—even then, you must be sharp and quick to free yourself and ready to counter-attack. The enemy thinks they have you under its control—by now, you are aware of your surroundings it is then when you make your move and attack with your legs."_

-O-

Serenity gasped for air, trying to break free from Athamas' strong grip. The weight of his body crashing against her was making it harder for her to breathe but Endymion's words echoed loud and clear in her mind as she remembered the day when he prepared her for something like this, she could listen to him like if he was right there, standing next to her giving her the support she needed.

-O-

 _"Keep your sight in the red areas—beware of your opponent's ability to hurt you somewhere else. If pinned either against a wall or on the ground, abdominal breathing can lower your heart rate and help you collect yourself so that you can think: What part of my body is free..."_

 _"What targets are presenting... "_

 _"...Where is the nearest exit?"_

The image of his handsome face just inches away from hers and the warmth of his breath caressing her ear slowly brought back the reason she needed to keep herself focused.

 _"Now, breathe Serenity, and tell me, what is your closest solution?"_

-O-

Serenity slowly opened her eyes and exhaled slowly and steadily, showing determination and a renewed sense of bravery. She felt Athamas' hand finally going up her thigh but before he could make another move, the lunar princess noticed she still could win over her predator and lifted her knee high enough to hit him in the crotch, with anger and disgust she repeated the attack several times until she finally freed from his grasp and knocked him on the back of his neck with her bent elbow once he was down and dealing with the pain of her first counter-attack.

"You bitch..." Athamas growled and slowly turned to look at her but the princess moved faster and angrier and kicked him down again using the pointy heel of her shoe as an added weapon. She turned to run away but he still managed to grab on to the skirt of her gown, she turned with a disgusted glare and saw his sword still on the sheath of his belt. Serenity took a deep breath and turned quickly, grabbed the hilt of the sword and pulled it out. In one clean move, she cut the fabric of her gown enough to free herself from his grasp then threw another high kick on his jaw to give herself time enough to run away. She was about to drop the weapon but she knew that even when he was clearly feeling the pain of her attacks, he still had an advantage over her by just being in such horrid and poisonous place. Without thinking it twice she turned and stabbed the long sword on Athamas arm to keep him down, making him howl with pain and looked down at him, "You are the monster Athamas and the one who will pay is you..." Serenity felt her whole body shaking without control but she knew she had to keep her ground if she wanted to find a way to escape. She turned and sprinted out of the dimly lighted room, leaving Athamas behind. "The nearest exit..." she mumbled as she continued running and looking for a way out, a window, a door, a crack on a wall—anything that could give her an alibi to escape from the Andromedian.

Athamas growled and turned to look at his sword pinned on his forearm, the hilt was too high and out of his reach at the moment so his only option was to grab the weapon by the sharp blade and pull it up, allowing his blood to pool from his deep wound. Once freed, it wasn't long after Athamas recovered slightly from the attack and went after her like a frantic beast, "Serenity!" he brusquely wiped the blood of his broken lip with the back of his hand and spit the remains pooled in his mouth with disdain, "There is nowhere to run Serenity—no matter how much you try, you cannot escape this place—whoever dares to walk these halls without a guide, is condemned to rot and die."

Serenity kept running without direction until her legs felt like they were going to fall apart; she finally found what appeared to be a long door and went through it but before she could call herself victorious, she found herself in the middle of an endless valley crowded with cadavers and corpse shadows ready to feast on her flesh and soul. She looked over her shoulder before taking a deep breath and continue ahead before Athamas could find her and capture her again, she was not going to give him that, she was not going to succumb to him—that was a promise she had made to herself more than two thousand years ago.

Serenity looked with horror at the creatures sprawling all over the ground, some begging and others crying for mercy. It didn't take long until the putrid smell of death and decay began overwhelming her senses as she carefully made her way further away from the hole she was kept hostage, hoping to soon find an exit. She wanted to break, she felt like if her sanity was being put to the test—in all her years of being a sailor senshi, she had never been in such hellish place before, not even when she fought Galaxia at the Cauldron and it took all of her willpower to remain strong and centered in her quest. Trembling and scared, she brought a hand to her lower abdomen and took a deep breath, "I have to get out of here... I have to go back... I have to go back... to Endymion, to my friends... my family... home... "

"Serenity!" Athamas yelled when he realized the princess had left him behind and growled with accumulated rage, "Damn you vixen!" he narrowed his eyes and snapped his fingers to summon a shadow pawn, "Bring her back to me, whatever it takes," he growled and saw the shadow crawl to follow his command. "The more you rebel against me... the more I desire to make you mine." His eyes slightly turned darker, "One way or another Serenity... you will be mine."

O—o—o—o—O

As they continued their path down the rabid fire waters of the river of Phlegethon, Charon narrowed his gleaming eyes when he felt a shift in the energy surrounding them, "The destination is close, boy, but there will have to be certain changes done."

Endymion frowned and rubbed his chest before he turned to look over his shoulder at the old man at the other end of the boat, "What kind of changes?"

"The path to Tartarus has a seal—I am suspecting the rebel had something to do with it—we are far beyond the Underworld at this point but there is still a long way to go... I am afraid this is where we part ways, boy," Charon continued paddling and pointed his long bony finger towards the dark gates in the distance, "Those stone gates you see in the distance are the entrance to Inferno—and in its depths, Thanatos and Tartarus await."

Endymion walked towards the edge of the longboat and looked down at the waters that slowly started to turn as dark and thick as tar. "How close can you get me to land?"

Charon widened his eyes with surprise and admiration for the soldier in front of him; it had been long since he met someone who would not flinch in fright to him or the terrors of the dark realm. This was one of the few times he even dared to go so deep into the hellish realm and he had to admit that he has enjoyed the adventure, "I suppose we will find out just now but before you can say you can swim, this river is not like the others... if you fall from this boat, you will sink and disintegrate almost immediately, this is not water but demon blood—it is pure acid." With a smirk, he paddled away from the current and led the boat to the gates and floated just a few meters away from the thin and unsteady shore "My work here is done, boy, whatever you do from beyond this point is up to you."

Endymion looked at the man and nodded, "You have my gratitude, old man—"

"You paid a fair price for the service you asked, boy, the adventure attached was just something extra you added to the plan. It has been quite a while since I set this boat to farther lands..." Charon pulled his cloak down to cover his face again, "But I must warn you—what is beyond those gates is nothing compared to what you saw when you entered the valley of rivers." He turned and put his paddle between the boat and the shore to give Endymion something to help him step out without touching the dark thick waters, "I do not know if I will see your face again, boy, but it was very interesting to find out creatures like you still exist in dull places like these."

Endymion stepped into the paddle and leaped to the dark shore and looked at the man, "Creatures like me aren't supposed to exist, old man, I am just a casualty of the universe."

"If you ever find yourself in need of my services—" Charon bowed his head and pulled his paddle back into the water. Endymion tilted his head low and looked down at the pocket watch secured from its golden chain close to his chest and then at the man on the boat, "Speaking of which, old man, I may require your services sooner than expected..."

-O-

As Endymion walked towards the dark gates in silence, Charon he pushed his boat farther and farther away from the shore with a stern look in his sunken face, "Your plan is an ambitious one," he muttered as he led his boat to the maniac river's current and smirked with excitement, "But I want to see it succeed—may the fates work on your behalf, boy... good luck."

O—o—O

Endymion looked up at the stone gates and crossed to the next realm, immediately sensing the change in energy just as Charon had warned him. It was darker than the other realms he got to see on his way down the many rivers of the underworld. There was no magic, there was no mysticism but pure darkness and malice. The soil was moist, Endymion didn't have to guess what he was stepping on—the putrid smell said it all; it was all too familiar for his liking.

The terran prince kept walking into the depths to a point he no longer knew just how far he was from the gates, the fog around him made him difficult to see his way ahead and his way back, one false move and he could be taken to a different passage, maybe another demonic realm—Limbo, Hell—he didn't want to risk his chances. Time was relative in this place, just like it was in Purgatorio—it could have passed days, weeks, or even years since he started his journey to find Serenity. Endymion mentally thanked his luck in finding Charon before any other creature in the underworld because he was certain that if it wasn't for him and his hidden passages through the many rivers, it might have taken him longer to be where he was now.

Another strong tug in his chest alerted Endymion of his surroundings; it was becoming slightly painful, like if something was stabbing his heart. He frowned and took a deep breath, trying to keep his worry and anxiety at bay. He knew the feeling, he knew it very well; it was the string of fate that tied him to his wife, the pull was the same as when she called him for help aid every time Sailor Moon was in danger, very different from the one when she transformed. She was desperately pleading for help, that he knew, but the fact of not knowing where she was exactly it was what was keeping him on the edge of madness. The intensity was clear to confirm he was getting close and now more than ever he had to stay focused, "Hold on Serenity, I'm getting close... I'm almost there."

Endymion looked up and realized that he had come to a valley of ruins; it was decadent and alluring to see at the same time. It looked like if a kingdom once stood there thousands of years ago and had crumbled to its demise with the passing of time and the decoy lingering in the air. Many charred constructions of dark stone were seen in the distance turning the place into a maze. Endymion closed his eyes and took a moment to continue when he heard a low rumble not far from where he was standing and turned quickly as he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword as a quick reflex to prepare himself for any unexpected attacks. He waited a moment to continue but soon enough his path was blocked by a wall of extraordinary proportions. Before he could think and plan for a quick solution, a thundering growl caught the prince's attention again and turned to look up at the large creature coming from behind one of the tall burnt constructions. His deep blue eyes widened when he saw a massive three-headed beast in the body of a hound and a long snake tail.

All three heads immediately spotted the terran prince and roared in an almost deafening tone, so loud it made the ground rumble underneath Endymion's feet. The beasts' gleaming eyes narrowed when noticed something particularly different about the man standing before them. "Ah... so the tales are true... the bastard... the creature born from sin, labeled as a hy—"

Endymion rolled his eyes with annoyance, "Here we go again with the same hybrid speech. Categorizing my nature is the only thing you do."

"How dare you cross to this realm, you low-less creature?" Cerberus low and beastly tone growled loudly, making the ruins shake with its profound and demonic voice. Endymion soon learned this was the home of the famous beast of the underworld, "Cerberus..." he muttered dryly, "The Lord of the Underworld's mythical hound—so, you exist."

"You putrid creature, how dare you to question my existence?"

"The same way you question mine, I suppose we are two peas in a pond— _monster._ "

Cerberus growled, "Your existence is a sin—your presence here a heresy!"

"I could care less what you think—I would not be here if you had muzzled well that gatekeeper of yours." Endymion frowned, "We would not be meeting if she hadn't meddled in places where she is not welcome. She did things she should not have done, now, let me pass if you do not want to get caught in the middle of the mess she created."

"You speak with such security when in reality you are nothing but a speck of dirt, a mortal." Cerberus glared at Endymion with eyes full of death; Endymion took out his sword and narrowed his eyes, "You are wasting my time, beast, and I have places to be—people to meet, so let me pass."

Cerberus roared loudly and without any other preamble stormed after the terran prince with its three rabid snouts ready to bite the life out of his body. Endymion ran towards it without hesitation and blocked Cerberus's attack with its tail and jumped out of the way when the beast turned its three heads to catch him on the ground.

The devil hound roared again and summoned for its infernal energy, charging its three heads with different kind of attacks. One head spits rabid flames like a dragon, the one in the middle and biggest head of the three, discharged lighting volts and the one to the right, shards of ice. As Endymion dodged the giant's first attack, he thought how there was no question as to why this was Hades' most precious servant, it had the savage nature of a beast with the loyalty of a hound.

Endymion managed to dodge another blast of fire from the first head but couldn't move fast enough to evade the ice that pierced his leg, pinning him to the ground. Cerberus roared another charge of lighting at him, making him feel the rage of his demonic power as he fell to the ground, groaning in pain.

The beast later slashed its long tail at him and throwing him several meters away, making him crash it into one of the thousands of ruins, leaving him almost unconscious in just a blink of an eye. It was too strong, something he had never experienced before in an opponent and somehow, it spiked his adrenaline to great heights. He looked up at the beast coming its way towards him and pulled himself back up as quickly as he could.

"Did you really expect to fight against me? We are not the same... not even equal, your power can never be compared to mine!"

Endymion groaned and turned to spit some blood then frowned at the beast in front of him with narrowed sapphire eyes. "It's clear why you are Hades' pride—you do the work not even a thousand soldiers can do. I'm impressed, beast, but you're right... we are not the same," he wiped the trail of blood trickling from his broken lip as he took out his sword and glanced up at him with a murderous glare, "You may be a beast that devours the souls of those who dare to cross but I have seen worse, I know it exists something worse that surpasses your existence so if you pretended to intimidate me... you met the wrong person."

"The certainty in your words is disgusting—"

The prince charged towards the beast and clashed his sword against its tail he used as a whipping weapon while roaring and swinging its three heads to catch him. Endymion swung his sword and made a cut right across Cerberus' chest, but the immensity of the mythological creature was giving him little room to cause more damage than he wished and that he knew he could do. In order to win, he had to continue dodging the beast's attacks to give him enough time to study its movements so he could plan a strategy of counter-attacking the gigantic creature.

Cerberus hit him again with his long tail and crashed him against another crumbling ruin; Endymion took this as an opportunity to hide between walls to give him some time to recover while he silently studied his moves.

"Is that all you can do mortal!? Run away and hide!?" The beast roared and engulfed their surroundings with fire, limiting Endymion's space to move around and narrowed his deep blue eyes when he finally caught the hell hound's pattern of attack. After the blazing fire, came the ice and following right after came a blast of lightning; three majestic attacks, one after the other-separated by mere seconds. That was his window. A second, maybe just a fraction but if it was well employed, it could change the whole course of the battle. Endymion turned to his side and saw the fire was claiming more territory coming closer to him and ran stealthily towards the beast who was still looking for him at the other end of the ruins at the first opportunity. Using his cape to camouflage in between the charred ruins, he used a broken pillar to impulse himself and jumped away from the shards of ice thrown by Cerberus and used his sword to cut through the air and send them away to his advantage and appease the fire raging below and around him so he could land on safe ground. The beast turned its fire head and spotted the prince coming closer and followed with another bolt of lightning, then continued the attack with its tail again giving the prince a small window to slid from under it and use his sword to inflict a deeper wound across the lower part of its chest as he continued to drag himself under him. This time, Cerberus roared with pain and stomped its gigantic paws on the ground.

Endymion rolled his way out from underneath and looked up at the furious hound. He knew exactly he was not going to achieve much if he continued using his sword as just that—a sword; he needed more than that, he needed to use his power, but just like the beast in front of him moving majestically despite its size and grotesque appearance, if he channeled his energy to blast an attack strong enough to beat him it was going to limit his attacks further on and even then, there was no guarantee that a single blow would take him down completely. Endymion needed to be smart about how he was going to take Cerberus down because he needed to be as complete as possible to bring Serenity back. Then the truth echoed in his mind: Cerberus was just a gatekeeper, the real demons were still inside, waiting for him.

To succeed, he needed to dismantle the beast piece by piece, one head at a time and to do that, he needed as much space as possible because, considering the size of his opponent, things were going to get very messy. Cerberus turned each head and blasted another charge of energy one, after the other. Endymion rolled on the ground again, barely dodging the blasts and ran towards the beast, knowing exactly what was going to follow next, "Alright puppy dog, let's do some tricks..." Endymion muttered to encourage himself to pursue his ambitious plan to defeat the devil hound. The giant beast growled again and waved its long tail with massive force against the ground to repeat its attack and whip the prince away. Endymion turned quick enough to avoid the blast and dig his sword on the flesh of Cerberus' tail, taking advantage of the force and height, with a clenched jaw and determination in his prismatic blue eyes he waited for the beast to perform as expected so he could do the first brutal attack. Cerberus roared and whipped its tail to throw the prince higher up in the air, "Good boy," Endymion narrowed his eyes and stretched his arm out to the beast and commanded the first stage of his power to come through, _"Smoking Bomber!"_

Cerberus immediately turned its three heads at the sound of his voice but before it could spit the blazing flames at him, the piercing light bursting from Endymion's hand cut through it and with one swift slash with his sword claimed the head of fire first, making it fall to the ground with one thunderous thud. The beast howled in pain as blood began pouring from the massive wound; Endymion landed on Cerberus' back and ran towards his next target—the one of ice.

The beast howled showing excruciating pain but his duty to perform as asked came first. Both of its remaining heads turned to spot him running closer and used its tail to whip him away but little did it know that the prince had figured his routine, becoming predictable. Endymion took advantage of his rough coat and slid to repeat the action, pinning his sword on its tail again and waited to be thrown in the air; he grabbed on with force as he felt the rage of the beast shaking its tail with much more brutality. "You, insignificant fool! I will eat you alive!" Cerberus roared and blasted shards of ice at the prince used the impulse of Cerberus' tail to jump high again and threw the smaller blade attached on his belt to break the large shard of ice on his way, "An attack showed to me twice won't have the same effect on me, hound," Endymion stretched his arm again and commanded for his power to come through, "But to you—it's the end of another one of your heads." His palm began to shine again with the same piercing light and was followed by another sharp and precise cut with his sword, claiming its second head and making it fall on the ground.

Cerberus howled louder and shook Endymion off his back; as soon as the prince landed on the ground he crawled as quickly as he could towards one of the ruins to take cover. His blood splattered face looked up at the beast writhing in pain as he focused his attention on his next and most challenging target—the head of lighting. Endymion shook the blood off his sword with a strong side swing and prepared to dash to perform his final attack.

With the speed of a predator and the quickness of a well-trained assassin, Endymion ran towards Cerberus and dug his weapon on a tall wall and used his force to impulse himself up and summoned for the second stage of his power; instead of gathering the energy in the palm of his hand he channeled on to his weapon making it shine like a true ray of sun. Once he stood on the beast's back and took a position with his right knee bent and his left leg fully extended while his sword rested waist height as he calculated the precision of the assault. This was his only chance to perform before Cerberus would regain enough force to attack again. The beast turned its remaining head and looked at the prince standing still on his back and roared with rabid anger to charge his body with most of his power, "I will eat your heart while it is still pounding in your chest, mortal!" His demonic voice was accompanied by a strong charge of lighting that caught Endymion off guard, making him kneel with pain, trying to suppress the numbness in his muscles, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath to try his best not to succumb to the excruciating pain.

 _"Endymion..._

" _...I want to see you..."_

His blue eyes snapped open wide when he heard the princess' weak voice in his mind, calling desperately for him, "Serenity..."

Cerberus roared again but widened its eyes when he saw the prince stand up despite being blasted with one of its strongest attacks and looked at him with a deadly glare, "I will rip your head off!" The beast growled as it spits another charge of electricity at him. Endymion charged his sword again and slid on his back to avoid the whip of Cerberus' tail and threw three sharp energy charges at the beast with enough force to make it stumble and fall, this was then when the prince changed position and pulled himself up and dig his sword into one of the hounds wounds and dragged the blade all the way to the other end; Cerberus' suffered the intense pain and desperately tried to kick the prince away but his force was beginning to yield and so was the remains of it life. "No... it cannot be!"

Endymion looked at him with death in his eyes, "Many things cannot be and yet, here-we-are." With one final glance full of rage and disgust, Endymion turned on his axis and high kicked the head off Cerberus' body, making it fall to the ground.

The remains of Cerberus' body fell into pieces, leaving only the three heads intact in their own pools of gore. The prince, exhausted and still dealing with the painful aftermath of the hound's attacks turned and spotted his smaller blade on the ground and kneeled to take it back when he spotted another figure coming toward him. Endymion looked up and frowned when a face was revealed behind the curtain of smoke and dust. In all his glory and impeccable black uniform and long black cape, Hades appeared with a glance of pure intrigue.

"And so, the hybrid has come to my reign," the lord of the underworld narrowed his grey eyes, "Finally."

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is rated M. Violence, cursing, and intimacy may appear._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _A/N: In Greek mythology, the Moirai are known as the Fates. They controlled the mother thread of life of every mortal from birth to death. They were independent, at the helm of necessity and watched that the fate assigned to every being by eternal laws might take its course without obstruction._

 _Clotho, the fate that spun the thread of life from her Distaff onto her Spindle. Lachesis, the fate that measured the thread of life allotted to each person with her measuring rod and Atropos, the fate that cut the thread of life._


	60. Chapter 60

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Sixty

* * *

The light engulfing the talismans of Sailor Uranus and Neptune's finally reached out to the light of Pluto's Garnet Orb. The senshi of the sky and the deep ocean stopped in front of the gates of time and space, guarded by the senshi of time and revolution. "Pluto..." Neptune muttered with relief as she walked closer to the dark soldier; Pluto looked at both of her comrades with a face of shock and lowered her defensive stance before walking towards them, "Uranus! Neptune! How long have you been here?!"

"Enough to make us question whether we may or not made the right choice." Uranus greeted her fellow comrade. Pluto shook her head, "How did you manage to find a path to the fourth dimension?"

"Our talismans..." Neptune held her mirror up, "Their energy linked to yours and guided us here."

"Pluto, we're in a state of emergency..." Sailor Uranus sighed with distress, "The princess—"

"She has been taken hostage—I know," Pluto nodded sadly, Neptune and Uranus widened their eyes with shock, "You know about what is happening on Earth?"

"The prince... he informed me," Pluto tightened her grip on her rod, "Asteria broke the seal on several gates to allow her army of shadows filtrate to Earth—it had taken me much more time and energy than expected to close every loophole in the time-space corridor." Neptune gave Pluto a worried glance, "Prince Endymion... he was here then, he managed to find you..."

"Yes," Pluto nodded and let out a heavy sigh, "He did, yes..."

"Where is he now?" Uranus' voice held desperation, anxiety, and intrigue. Her opinions and beliefs had taken a drastic 180-degree change and now she was very much worried for the prince's whereabouts; after their encounter on Earth, she had to come to terms with who he really was and who he had become—a leader and a guardian but also, a strong ally to them. Sailor Pluto closed her eyes for a minute and took a deep breath, "Prince Endymion headed toward the Underworld. He came here to ask me to open the gates for him."

"Lord Hades' realm?" Neptune's eyes widened in horror, "The princess has been taken there?!"

"I cannot tell Princess Serenity's exact location—Asteria is a gatekeeper in the Underworld, but, she could be anywhere... and that is what the prince went to figure out." Pluto looked at Neptune with sad eyes. Uranus frowned and took a step forward, "Pluto, we need your help—we need you to open the gates for us too, we need to—" Pluto shook her head, interrupting the sky senshi "I cannot do that, Uranus."

"What?!" Uranus widened her eyes, "But you did it for him! Why is it different for us!? We need to go after him! We need to go and retrieve our princess from that horrible place! This is an emergency!"

"I know that Uranus, believe me, I am informed of the gravity of the situation but I cannot allow you to cross over—if I do, you will not be able to return. I cannot fault the laws of the gods again by breaking another taboo." Pluto looked into Uranus' glare, so full of desperation and confusion "The reason I did it for the prince is different—I had no other choice but to comply to his request."

"Why?" Uranus frowned, "Why was he allowed to cross and not us? What is it that you know and we do not... what else do we not know Pluto?!" she put her hands on the dark senshi's shoulders and shook her in frustration, "What is it that you are not telling us!?"

Pluto closed her eyes and took a deep breath with resignation. If she had to talk about the truth about them, now it was the time, "Two thousand years ago, my Father, Chronos, gave me a task. He said: When the time comes, you must use your power to aid your kind,"

"Your kind?" Neptune frowned with confusion, "What do you mean?"

"A task? What are you talking about? You knew this was going to happen?" Uranus shook her head in disbelief. Pluto opened her eyes and looked at Neptune first, "I knew we were destined to face darkness, I knew we had to use our powers and rise once again to fight something strong, something that would put all of our will to the test but I didn't know _this_ is what was going to happen." She then turned to Uranus, "Uranus, the reason why I had to open those gates for the prince is because he is the warrior Father asked me to aid in the future—Prince Endymion is not a demigod like you all have believed all this time, he is called a _hybrid_ or _monster_ , because just like me, he is a descendant of Titans."

Both Uranus' and Neptune's eyes widened twice in size in shock, "What?!"

"Prince Endymion's family is one of titans—that is what made Queen Gaia so strong in the past and what made her situation more complicated when she was exiled from the heavens—she was a Titan, the Senshi of Earth and as Helios' granddaughter, she earned the title of Polemarchos of Earth with the blessings of the Sun; the treasure of their dynasty. The title of a goddess is something the High Gods imposed on those who remained to keep their nature concealed and allow them to coexist with the gods. Helios' dynasty is one of the few that remained intact in Olympus, just like my Father's, Chronos—the Titan of Time and Space." Pluto tightened her grip on her titanium rod, "When God Ares explained this the day the prince awoke, he mentioned he was part of a family of strong warriors—this is the truth behind his words and this is why he was constantly targeted by enemies; they knew what he had in his power and they wanted to take it at all costs but also, that is why his existence is such a taboo." She shook her head, "Demigods are everywhere and some of them are easy to ignore and pardon... but there is no one like him because there are no other titans that shared a life with a mortal before. He is his own kind."

"You knew about this all this time and you never said anything, why?" Uranus frowned, "Why to keep such an important piece of information from us?"

"Because it is something I learned until recently... when things started happening and Megumi appeared. That is when I started to put the pieces together; Father talked to me before he disappeared, two thousand years ago. He entrusted me with the task of becoming the new guardian of the gates of time and space, and also, he entrusted me the to be of help to my kind when the time came. I know the dangers of the Underworld. I know his life is at risk and that he may or may not return but it is something I had to do—it is something he asked me to do... for his wife and the life he promised to her."

Pluto's words were the last thing Uranus needed to fully value the power and the devotion the terran prince had for the moon princess. He had everything in stake and everything to lose and still dove himself into a world where his soul has been wanted for more than a lifetime; in the end, they truly were different—Uranus thought. While she still thought about power and who had more authority and control, all he had in his mind was to save his wife's life and bring her back at any cost, even his own life.

"Saturn is probably talking to Hades as we speak, she wanted to warn him about Asteria's misdeeds and ask for his support and take care of her," Pluto turned to look back at the tight-shut gates and sighed softly. Neptune noticed the worried hint in her voice and realized her wise friend and comrade was mortified and felt guilty for what she had done. She knew that if something happened to the prince it would permanently damage the princess' spirit and she would be responsible for letting cross to the realm of the dead in the first place. "How long has he been gone?"

Pluto shook her head softly and turned to Neptune, "Time is relative once you cross the fourth dimension, and in a land like the Underworld it does not exist. It is something, not even me, as the Senshi of Time and Space can tell—but even here, it feels like it has been long since he crossed these gates."

"What can we do... now that we clearly cannot cross to that realm?" Uranus frowned with exasperation; Pluto peered at her comrade "This is not the end, I can sense a great distortion in the Time and Space continuum—we must be prepared, you, as outer senshi can help me prevent Asteria's minions from crossing while the inner senshi keep guard with the shitennou back on Earth." She turned to the gates and stomp her long rod on the marble floor making a loud echo, "The prince asked me for an important favor before he left, now that you are here... I can rely on you to help me with such task since now, more than ever, I cannot move from my post."

O—o—o—o—O

Hades looked at Endymion with hidden admiration. Unlike of what he had thought of him to be or look like, he was impressed by his handsome features and regal poise proving that he had inherited the classic and magnetic beauty of those in Helios' dynasty. There was no doubt about it, despite his unnatural upbringing, he was part of it as well.

"I am impressed—you look nothing of what I had in mind." Hades arched a dark brow, "Although, all that gore on your face makes you look quite grotesque."

Endymion looked at the man in a black cloak in silence; he felt an undeniable strong energy coming from him, something different from what he felt coming from Cerberus and even Asteria. The prince tilted his head low but his cold glare didn't break contact with Hades' or changed in color, it remained the same—like the ocean in the middle of the storm.

"Such a furious glare—so full of hate," Hades muttered, his voice came out loud enough for Endymion to hear. "So, you showed your face," The prince frowned and wiped the blood splattered on his face. "Lord of the Underworld,"

Hades looked down at one of Cerberus' severed heads at his feet and tilted his head down, "Cerberus had been with me since the very beginning, and now, I do not know how long will it take him to respawn." He looked at Endymion and narrowed his dark grey eyes, "You have been causing quite the commotion in this realm—you even bribed my ferryman to take you this far. I had the suspicion that you could do it, but I still had to come and see it for myself—the soul I get to lock in the deepest part of the Underworld."

"Where is she?" Endymion's glare changed from cobalt to indigo, "Where is Serenity, Hades?!"

"I do not know what you are talking about,"

"Either you tell me or I go through you too to get to her—your pawn has done enough,"

Hades' eyes darkened, "Pawn? Ah... _that,_ " the lord of the underworld clenched his jaw, "That is a different issue I will attend at a later time. I have no connection to that rebel creature, she has become quite the nuisance." Hades' dark cloak began to peel off like ash flakes revealing the intricate glory of his black armor underneath, "I have waited for this moment for more than a lifetime. Since I knew of your existence, I did the impossible to drag you to the depths of Inferno but there was always somebody blocking my way. You and your dreadful clan have defied our laws for far too long and your extinction is all I care about. Your soul will serve to pay for Gaia's treason and your blasphemous nature."

"First, do not attach my existence to him—second, don't you ever dare to mention my mother's name." Endymion narrowed his indigo eyes, "And third, my soul is not yours to have, now, _where_ is my wife?"

Hades started walking toward the terran prince and extended his arm to summon his power and in a flash of dark thorn vines, his old and trusted weapon—the scythe of death appeared on his hand with its long and sharp blade gleaming with the specks of fire and ash floating in the atmosphere. "It is interesting how you feel like you can do whatever you like in realms where you do certainly are not welcome. I am amazed by your confidence, really, but you are nothing but a hybrid creature—a sin of nature."

"You have meddled into our lives for too long that I don't need to show any respect for you. You say I am a hybrid, a low less creature—a sin, and yet, you cannot seem to leave us alone." Endymion glared at him with the same defiance and drew out his golden sword in one smooth swing, letting the blade made its distinctive echo as it glided through the air, "You have done whatever you please with us, you condemned my mother as the lowest of beings when she was no longer useful to all of you and treated her like a criminal. I have passed the point where I don't give a single damn about you or your realms, about what lies above or below me—I couldn't care less of what the Lord of the Underworld thinks of me, I came here to get Serenity," the prince's frown deepened with rabid rage, "And I won't leave this place until I take her back with me!"

"Interesting choice of words, hybrid." Hades frowned and raised his scythe above his head and swung it down, destroying the ruins behind the prince with the centrifugal force caused by the blade cutting through the air. Endymion turned quickly avoiding the attack and clashed his sword against Hades' massive weapon, "No matter how much you try to convince yourself—the Moon Princess is not with me."

Endymion growled and clashed his sword against the scythe's sharp blade again and put force against Hades' to prevent the scythe come closer to his face. Hades was a man with elegant moves, clearly, he knew how to handle such a grand weapon but he held a different air from Ares' aggressive nature. Despite being the God of Death, he had a much more calculated and cautious grace with every attack he threw at him—Endymion noticed. He had to admit that it had been long since he battled someone who would give him such a hard time tackling and pinning down; not even the sins at the entrance of the underworld or Cerberus with its brutal proportions; not even Asteria and her vicious approach. It was clear that Hades had knowledge and skills in battle, and while maybe they didn't stand in the same level and caliber as Ares's, he was strong in his own right and his weapon was majestic and unforgiving.

Endymion knew at this point that he had to be sharper and faster in order to gain an advantage in this battle. But he was aware he had reached a point where he was met with several limitations; his energy was not on the same level as when he got there; he had fought more enemies in an unmeasurable amount of time and there was still a long way to go to his destination; he was tired—he barely has had any moment to take a breath before he would go against a new opponent, but what wearing him out, even more, was how he felt the strength in his connection with Serenity had started to weaken making him anxious and lose focus in his movements. The soft pulses in his chest were alerting him that she was either becoming weaker or unconscious somewhere deep in hell and it was eating him inside. Panic began creeping in Endymion's chest as he looked at Hades swinging down his weapon at him once again and made a cut on his arm while he turned to avoid the full blow and ran around him to get an opening to attack him from behind but Hades managed to block that as well.

"Just with whom do you think you are dealing, terran?" Hades growled with disgust, "Just because my brother allowed you to be part of his life-project by collecting you as another Polemarchos for his army, does not mean I have to owe you any respect." He swung his scythe again, crashing with Endymion's sleek sword in a deafening echo. Endymion gritted his teeth as he tried to keep the blade away from his face "I don't want anything from you. How many times do I have to tell you that whatever you think is worthless to me—after everything you have done, I don't owe you any respect either," Endymion pushed his blade against Hades' and kicked it back, giving him enough time and space to jump high and throw the dark lord an aerial counter-attack surprising Hades, but again, the lord of the dead managed to block him with the long and curved blade from his weapon and pushed him away with force, throwing Endymion close to one of Cerberus' heads. The prince turned and pulled was left of the head of fire and threw it back at Hades with superb force, knocking him down for a minute and distract him enough time to give him another opening to inflict more damage.

Hades growled when he saw the large head of his beloved beast coming toward him and used his scythe to cut it in half; he widened his eyes when he saw the prince up in the air, ready to perform another aerial attack. Endymion landed in front of Hades and high kicked him three times turning on his axis with force, the first blow with his right leg, the second with his left, and the third with his right leg again and ended the brutal combo with a heavy punch him on his jaw before swinging his golden sword just millimeters away from the god's face as he quickly jerked back to prevent the fatal blow as he covered himself from the other fast movements. He was attacking him with all the remains of energy he got, if he was going to get a window to attack the lord of the dead he was going to make sure to inflict as much damage as possible to put him on advantage or at least in a level similar to his.

Hades immediately reacted to Endymion's brutality and imitated his attack by kicking him away but the damage was already done, and he was silently impressed. "What a poor attempt your mother made to make a good warrior out of you,"

Endymion looked at Hades over his shoulder as he took long and hoarse breaths; fighting him was taking more energy than he thought and he was resenting it greatly, "And still, I make you taste your own blood."

"Is that all you have in you, terran?" Hades spit more of his blood pooling in his mouth with disgust and walked toward the prince. With a flick of his hand, he summoned his dark power to come through from underneath Endymion's feet, taking him off guard while wrapping him in nets of shadows soon morphing into thick vines of poison. He looked with pleasure at his creation as the sharp needle-like spikes pierced through the prince's armor, making him flinch with pain. Hades lowered his scythe with one thundering thud and narrowed his grey eyes with authority, "I was never one of those that had a brutal approach with my opponents—I have always found Ares' barbaric ways of fighting very disgusting. Unlike him who beheads and guts his victims, I like mine to howl in pain and suffer the consequences of rising against me."

Endymion growled as he felt the thorns starting to dig in his flesh and an unbearable burning sensation like if he was being injected with corrosive venom. Hades looked at the prince with satisfaction, "It is beautiful... the agony before death, that moment fear echoes in the gleam of a victim's eyes."

Endymion started to feel light headed, the agony Hades mentioned was different from anything he had felt before in this or his previous life. He felt as if his life was being drained from his body, like if the vines tightly around him was were suctioning every ounce of his strength and power. He was beginning to feel angry and frustrated with himself because he felt the alert and panic in Serenity as she was struggling to keep safe and sane. The uncertainty of not knowing where she was kept hostage was pushing him to the edge of insanity but the strain put on his body was claiming the best of him.

It didn't matter how much he squirmed and hurt himself with the thorns to free from Hades' trap; the vines were too tight to give him enough room to even move. The lord of the underworld extended his arm and let go of his weapon as it slowly vanished from his grasp, "What is the matter, mortal? Is this all the fight you can give me? How pitiful—being in Purgatorio sure did not teach you anything of worth. I knew I should not have trusted my brother in this." Hades closed his fist, making the vines tighten even more around the prince's body. Endymion flinched, but his pride was too strong to show any weakness or pain to the lord of the underworld despite his struggles for catching his breath and the stinging pain all over his body. The words ringed in his mind with panic and squinted his sapphire eyes as he looked down at Hades, "What did you just say?"

"Oh, titan hybrid—I know your every move. Did you really believe I would not notice your nature when you reincarnated?" Hades arched his brow, "I always yearned on having your soul in my power—you see, despite their brusque and savage nature, titans are still very valuable and I hold the pride of having most of their corpses and souls locked in this realm, either as servants or criminals." He frowned, "But now that I have you right before my eyes, I do not see that worth in you—while you might be very skilled in battle, in the end, you are just a heightened mortal, but nothing more than a terran." His eyes darkened, "Where is that descent you so much think you own?!"

Endymion started to feel nauseous and weak, no matter how much he fought the feeling and his demons of self-doubt, Hades' words were piercing into his soul, scratching the very essence of his existence. He was mocking his nature, his family, his life, and everything he believed in; he was questioning his duty as royal and his strength as protector of Earth but most importantly, he was defying and mocking his deep devotion for the Moon Princess.

"Serenity..." Endymion muttered to himself as he felt another weak tug in his chest, "Serenitati..." His eyes could no longer take the heavy weight of his body due to Hades' power. He felt tired, he felt weak, and without realizing it, he was conceding his fate to the dark lord. The worried look on Pluto's face when she opened the gates for him suddenly came to his mind as he slowly closed his eyes, "Ser—"

Hades arched his brow as he watched the vines almost covered the terran prince's body to a point that it was hard to see his handsome face anymore. "Pitiful..." he muttered with a cynic tone in his voice, "Is this why you came all the way here?"

"No,"

"No?"

"I am here..." Endymion frowned, feeling completely hazed. Hades crossed his arms in wonder, playing along with the princess confusion to confirm he was almost under his entire control, "Then what do you want from this place, mortal, why are you here?"

"I came here... to..." He felt another tug in his chest. Endymion shook his head, "I am here to..."

Hades narrowed his eyes, "You came here to die—you are dead,"

"No, I am..." Endymion frowned, "...Here... to..."

 _"I want to see you..."_

"Here... to..." Endymion took a deep breath, "To..."

" _I need to see you..."_

"I..." The prince heard a soft voice as a faint memory hazily appeared in his mind, "I..."

" _Endymion..."_

-O-

 _Endymion slowly opened his blue eyes and traced the line of Serenity's nose with his finger in a soft, feathery touch as he admired her beauty and innocence in silence. It had been the first time they gave themselves to the sweet and passionate act of love in the privacy of his bedchambers at the terran palace while basking in the intimacy of their forbidden romance._

 _"I love you…" He muttered in a husky tone, making her blush. Serenity responded him with a beautiful smile as she moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and took a deep breath, taking as much of the woody undernotes of cedar and sandalwood of his cologne impregnated in his skin into her lungs with desire and pleasure; she was addicted to it, she was addicted to him as much as he was addicted to her. After their passionate night together, it was more than clear. What they had to do in order to be together._

" _I wish I did not have to go... I want to stay here with you, forever..." Serenity whispered as she looked into his alluring blue eyes. Endymion tucked a piece of her pearlescent hair behind her ear, "I will fight whoever I need to fight in order to be together… I cannot stay away from you any longer." He saw Serenity's eyes gleam with tears catching his attention, "Love?"_ _Serenity let out a soft sob, worrying the prince in the process, "Love, why are you crying?"_

 _"Are you really going to fight for me?" Serenity cupped his face with her hands, "Would you fight for me?"_

 _Endymion wiped her tears with the back of his hand, "Serenity, I will do whatever it takes to make it happen… if I have to fight all the gods in the universe in order to be with you—even the God of Death himself if it is necessary, whatever I need to do to be with you, I will do it."_

 _Serenity could not hold her emotions any longer and inched closer to kiss him fully on the lips, "I will fight for you as well," she opened her crystal blue eyes and rested her forehead on his, "I swear it with my life—I will fight for us with everything I have."_

-O-

Endymion opened his eyes and slowly changed from its deep indigo color to an ultramarine shade; "I won't let fate repeat itself—I won't let you win, not this time." He took a deep breath and called for his inner power, _"O, custos_ _magni solis per me- fac ut flammam arcessam. Voco te, Titaniaque astra forti in Terra, Gaia, ut benedicat mihi anima tua in mundum,"_ his body started to feel warmer and revitalized as he continued chanting the ancient prayer; he frowned as he tried to move his hand and curled his fingers around a spiked vine and pulled it with force, " _Hercle voca—lumen terebramus acuto in tenebris et incenderent in minimo usque malitiae tua!"_ His hand began to gleam with golden sparks and in a matter of seconds, a rabid and blazing fire ignited from his fisted hand, devouring the vines and freeing him from its dark energy.

Hades' eyes widened when he heard the cracking sound of flames and then when his intricate work was devoured by the sacred flames in a matter of seconds. "No! I cannot allow you to escape! Your soul is _mine!_ " he raised his hand to summon more vines to come from beneath Endymion's feet but the princes' energy was too strong to allow them to curl around his body anymore. Endymion turned to rip the remains of dark vines curled around his chest and arms and turned to Hades with a determinant glare of death, one the lord of darkness recognized very well. Endymion groaned in serious anger and took control of his weapon again and manipulated the strong energy in ribbons of golden fire and dig the sharp weapon deep on the ground making it growl and rumble with unforgiving force. Hades clenched his jaw with anger and deception, but his pride was bigger than his sense of failure and he was not going to admit defeat before the prince.

"It's appalling to see how much you don't know about your own realm—God of Death," Endymion narrowed his ocean blue eyes, "You have the nerve to claim my soul as yours and you do not even know what is happening below your own feet." His blue eyes slowly gave in to his anger and lost any remains of color as they changed into the deepest and darkest shade making them look as black as a starless night. "I will burn this damn place to ashes even if it is the last thing I do... I will find that pawn of yours and I don't care if you find it disgusting or alluring, I will take her head as a goddamn trophy and spread gore all over; you have played with my patience for far too long and I had enough,"

"Do not underestimate me, hybrid." Hades narrowed his eyes with hidden knowledge and pride, "I am aware of everything that happens in the Underworld—Serenity's daughter, she is not with me as you so desperately want to believe. I know where she is but I have my reasons not to go there."

At the mention of his wife's name, Endymion pulled his sword from the ground but never left Hades' cold eyes. The dark lord arched his brow, "As my brother so eagerly insisted—I had to prove your worth and performance in this realm and see if you were fit for the task."

"What task?" The prince muttered with a threat in his voice; Hades looked at the golden flames still going strong behind the prince and how despite his imposing force and determination, he still hadn't made a move. He still had the ability to contain himself, proving he was in control of his power, "While I still believe your existence is a curse—I also have my share of interests,"

"Where are you getting at, Hades?"

"Your soul is the only one I would come to collect personally, Prince of Earth, you see, you have Helios' blood running through your veins and I cannot let that roam freely, hence why I am standing here before you."

Endymion snapped his fingers to put an end to the flames still feasting on the dark energy of Hades' attack behind him and frowned, "You want to make a deal with me—like the reaper you are."

"Sharp as expected,"

"What do you want?"

"Asteria brought you here by my command, yes, but she has taken too many liberties with the position she was given—which disgusts me," Hades narrowed his eyes, "Nobody can do as they please and not pay a high price for it, in this realm, I am the one who gives the last word, the Underworld is something _I_ built to what it is now and it is mine alone."

"You want Asterias' head in exchange for Serenity's freedom,"

"You catch on quick, hybrid. I want her soul—the binding contract of our deal that still links her soul to her body, not her head—don't be grotesque like Ares." Hades arched his brow, "I will grant you full permission to roam this realm so you can have your little revenge and be the princess' hero but after you are done, your soul is _mine_."

"If you made this place what it is and you are the ruler of it all, then why don't you dissolve such contract?" Endymion squinted his eyes with defiance, "Don't tell me you are afraid of her, please."

"I have a pride and you are desperate. I don't waste my time with these things, I do not fight demons, I do not have a thirst for blood." Hades sighed and crossed his arms, "If you excel with this task and meet the deal, I will grant you a minute of my time to consider on either giving you a place with Rhadamanthus and the other judges of the Underworld or as keeper of Thanatos—the gates of Tartarus. I am the God of the Underworld, not a barbarian—I negotiate and plan my strategies to fulfill a purpose, I don't soak my hands in the stench of a demon's gore."

Endymion looked at Hades in silence, his fate was sealed—there was nothing to think about. His whole goal of coming this far was to save Serenity from Athamas and Asteria's grasp; the minute he went to the fourth dimension to meet Pluto he was already aware of the commitment that had to be done to bring the princess back safe and sound.

-O-

 _"There is something else I must ask of you, Pluto—" Endymion turned to look at her over his shoulder, "A last favor, if you will..."_

 _Pluto looked at him with a serious face and took a deep breath, already suspecting what he was going to say, "You do not have to ask me for such thing, Prince, there will be no ne—"_

 _"Pluto," Endymion interrupted her, "I know what I am getting myself into—I know what is going to happen once I cross these gates but I am not afraid of what will happen to me; I have come to terms with it—it's part of the oath I took when I became a polemarchos. It does not matter what comes to be of my life but I have to make my purpose worth and Serenity is the only one who can follow that will. If something happens to me, I put my trust and Earth's fate in her hands—I know she will become a great Sovereign of Terra and its inhabitants. I know she will carry on with our legacy with fairness and compassion and lead Earth to greatness with you, by her side."_

 _Pluto felt her heart shatter into millions of pieces inside her chest; her garnet colored eyes burned with tears with the prince's confession, "How can you think she will continue a life without you by her side, huh!? She has claimed her life in grief in the past, what makes you think she won't do the same this time!? What you are asking me is unacceptable! I won't serve another King that it is not you! Do you hear me?!"_

" _Pluto..." Endymion sighed heavily; Pluto shook her head, exposing the deepest feelings she had locked in her heart, "What about the future you promised to her!? What about the family you wanted to have together!?"_

 _Endymion gave the senshi of time and space a sad smile, "Pluto... the future is always changing—you said so yourself in the past. Serenity will not take her life this time because she is not the same as she was two thousand years ago—she is stronger, she is a sailor senshi now. We don't know what is going to happen—but if this is what brings a peaceful new era to existence, even if I cannot be there to witness it, so be it. I believe in Serenity and I believe in you—all of you. The shitennou are aware of this as well and they will follow my command without fail."_

 _Pluto closed her eyes and let her tears roll down her cheeks that exposed her heartbreak, "I can't... I can't commit such act of treason to my Princess... to you..."_

" _You better than anyone understands the power of sacrifice."_

 _Pluto opened her garnet eyes and looked at him, "Prince..."_

" _Sadly, this is how things come for us," Endymion looked at the strong winds behind the open gates and then back at the senshi of time, "But I do not care. I love her with all my heart and soul, Pluto. I made Serenity a promise to do everything in my power to make Earth a safe place where she could live in peace and freedom."_

" _But at what cost?"_

" _Her life, and the life of both Earth and Moon."_

 _The words while sad and harrowing were real—too real. Pluto tried to contain her sobs under control but she felt guilty about what was happening and to be the responsible for the sentence he was putting on his life. She turned to look at the open path that would lead him to a future where he could not be by Princess Serenity's side and the more she thought about it, the more broken she felt. Is this what her father wanted her to do in the end? Destroy the course of fate? Is this what he meant when he said she needed to aid their kind? Was this the foundation of Crystal Tokyo? Was this it?_

 _As one of the last of their kind, she had to support his wishes and comply to his request. Like her, he had different duties than those of a sailor senshi—they had sacred legacies to protect, no matter the cost. She too had succumbed to that duty the minute she followed Chronos' wishes and took her stance as the guardian of the gates of time and space—her freedom was taken away and in order to protect their legacy she lived a life of eternal solitude; how sad is the fate of those with titan blood—she thought miserably._

 _Pluto turned to look at Endymion and bowed her head with respect, "My loyalty will be forever with you, Your Royal Highness Prince Endymion of Earth. I swear to look out for Princess Serenity and guide her way to the throne of the Moon and the Earth as rightful Sovereign of both realms." She looked up at him, "But please... for the deep love you have for her, for the weight of that promise that has defined your love and that has accompanied you for thousands of years, please be safe, please return with her."_

" _One last thing," Endymion looked at her with gratitude, "No matter what, and under any circumstance, I ask you not to allow anyone to cross these gates. Do not let anyone try to follow my trail, this is a battle I must fight alone. Serenity is my wife and your future queen, but above all, she is your friend."_ _He gave her a soft smile and turned to leave. He stood at the gates and looked over his shoulder one last time, "Take care Pluto, thank you for everything."_

 _Pluto couldn't hold her tears at this point as she silently watched him throw himself into the void of the space-time corridor._

-O-

Endymion clenched his jaw in thought as he thought about the situation; Hades arched an expectant brow, "So, what is it going to be, hybrid? Do we have a deal or not?"

The prince put his sword back in its sheath and took a deep breath. In all his life, he had fought wars and made many deals he has made in order to concede peace between kingdoms but to make a divine pact with none other than the god of death was something he never thought he would be doing. He looked at him with serious determination, "Serenity will leave this place,"

"Of course," Hades gave the prince one nod, "The Moon Princess's departure will be arranged as soon as you meet the conditions of our deal—I have that covered." He elegantly extended his hand and materialized a binding contract in front of Endymion that showed him the terms and conditions of the deal; the same Hades had already explained as the prince gave a cautious read and looked at the lord of the underworld, "Why are you doing this? Why going all the way to make a contract when you have been saying I am forcefully bound to spend an eternity locked in Inferno?"

"Like I said, I am a negotiator. Ares has insisted on the value of your lineage for so many years that I had to see it for myself, and just like he did, I measured your value and strength for a valuable purpose. He already conceded you a place in his celestial army to fight either way, so, I came to the conclusion that it would be such a waste to keep you locked in a dark hole if you were to stay here. If your soul will be chained to this realm, you might as well put that knowledge you have as a warrior to use and keep the gates of Tartarus closed—you know, to keep the family safe."

Endymion frowned, he knew perfectly what Hades was doing with such a deal. Proving his words, the god of death was not a barbarian contrary to what everybody thought of him in his or any other realm. The man negotiated until he would get what he wants, and right now, what he wants is to keep him locked in hell and settle the pending account he had with Gaia. He was his family's alibi and with him imprisoned, his honor and rank would become stronger and much more respected, even more than Zeus'. In the end, it is like he always thought gods would be like—ambitious and hungry for power, blind to ambition.

The prince looked at the contract in front of him and felt a tight knot in the pit of his stomach, he was disgusted, he was angry because he was allowed himself to be defeated in the most corrupted way. He had been focusing too much of his side as polemarchos that he never thought of Hades being the strategist kind; the god of death knew how to play this game well and he was using the person he loved the most as his wild card.

He knew what he was getting into, he was aware of the challenge and the consequences of his actions but just the thought of being pulled away from Serenity was crushing him inside; how could he look her in the eye and bid her farewell when they had promised themselves a life together and have a family on their own for more than two thousand years? There was no way to explain this, there was no time.

"Life can be funny like that, hybrid. Sometimes, the least expected are the ones who pay full price for other's mistakes—in this case, you have to pay for Gaia's treason and your mortal father's insolence—not to mention Chaos' barbaric crimes. Your existence, in the end, served a purpose. I am just keeping a balance in the universe, do not take it personal."

Endymion looked at the contract in front of him with his jaw clenched and traced his signature on the piece of parchment with his index finger, sealing the deal. Hades snickered with pride and snapped his fingers to materialize the contract in front of him and looked at the prince's precise and strong strokes of his signature, "I am very impressed to see you are more than just a beautiful creature of muscle and violence, Endymion De Terra. You are far more intelligent than I expected. I could even dare to say you are as resourceful as Helios himself."

The prince felt a burning sensation and looked down at the ancient symbols marking his wrists sealing the deal he just made with the devil, "It is done, then," he heard Hades say with some pride. The god of the underworld turned on his heel and began walking back to the dark palace that suddenly appeared out of nowhere, "Welcome to the Underworld, Hybrid. Come along, the path for you to follow will be cleared and the one you so desperately seek for revenge will appear soon enough,"

Endymion followed the god of death inside the palace in silence; as they walked down the long and unsettling silent halls toward he imagined would lead them to Hades' throne room he looked around at the sleek and elegant décor, silently admitting that this was not what he had in mind when he thought about Inferno and the dark lord's home.

Several guards in dark armor stood on each side of two large obsidian doors; the minute they saw Hades walking closer, they immediately opened the path for him to cross revealing a majestic gothic room with a throne sitting at the highest point of a long onyx staircase.

At the foot of the said pair of stairs waited Saturn with her silence glaive shining proudly with the flickering light of the hundreds of candles lit on the many chandeliers hanging from the tall and domed ceilings. She turned to look over her shoulder the minute she heard the doors open with a loud echo and widened her violet eyes with shock when she saw the terran prince walking behind her father. Hades stopped next to his daughter and looked at her in silence for a minute before arching his brow with authority, "It is done, child—you wanted to see him, here he is."

Saturn quickly turned and walked toward the prince half relieved and half mortified, "Prince Endymion..."

"Saturn," Endymion looked at her and gave an almost untraceable smile, "I am glad to see you are alright—"

"Princess Serenity—"

"The Moon Princess' departure is settled, Saturn." Hades interrupted his daughter, "The hybrid and I came to an agreement,"

"What?" Saturn frowned and looked at Endymion with worry clouding her always stoic eyes, "An agreement? What is he talking about?"

Endymion shook his head, "Saturn, there are things I need to do—the only thing that matters now is that I will make sure Serenity returns to Earth safe and sound."

"But at what price?! Prince Endymion..." Saturn looked at the prince with horror, "What did you do!?" She shook her head desperately, "No... no, no... what have you done?!"

"It's alright Saturn," Endymion's voice was distant and monotone despite being polite "I know what I am doing—trust me on this." Saturn widened her eyes and turned to look at her father, shaking her head with disapproval, "What have you done? I thought you—"

Hades sat on his throne and looked down at his daughter, "—Upon your request as sailor senshi I listened to what you had to say, child, but as Lord of this realm there are things I must do in order to maintain order in the universe." He looked down at the prince and narrowed his grey eyes, "It is time,"

Endymion arched his brow and walked into the darkness behind Hades' throne and stood behind a pillar taking Saturn with him. The senshi of silence looked at the prince and shook her head with confusion but before she could ask any further questions, Endymion covered her mouth softly with one hand and pulled her closer to him to keep her and her intimidating glaive hidden from view. He turned his head to the side and heard the crisp sound of Asteria's spiked heels accompanying her like a seductive echo until she finally stood before the god of the underworld and bowed her head and rested one knee on the ground with respect, _"Report to me the status of the mission."_ Endymion heard Hades' monotone command.

 _"Almost complete, Milord," Asteria remained with her head bowed down for Hades, "The hybrid is in these grounds, it will not be long until he is captured and locked in Tartarus."_

 _"I want a location,"_

 _"Milord, my sources tell me the hybrid is at the Mourning Fields—once he enters Limbo, I personally will go and retrieve him take its soul straight to Tartarus; it shall not take long," Asteria bowed her head lower._

Sailor Saturn's eyes widened with shock when she saw Endymion's hands and came to understand what was happening. The prince and her father had come to an agreement so the prince could locate the princess much faster and without having to look too much into the realm she knew to be an endless maze and the marks on his wrists was the high cost he had to pay for such impressive favor.

She had to admit that it was the first time Hades would concede such liberties and control over somebody gaining a whole new sense of respect and admiration for the terran prince because he, just like her father, was a man who planned his strategies in advance and with complete hermeticism. Saturn sensed there was more to his protective gesture, she could tell there were hidden emotions and words in the caring and brotherly way he was holding her, it was a warm embrace, like if he was trying to comfort her and bidding her farewell at the same time. It was then when it hit her—what he had done.

Saturn felt a lump forming in her throat and as she tried to hold her character in check and be silent, all she could do was to respond to the prince's caring gesture and wrapped her arms around him as she listened to her father talking to the dark titaness.

 _"I knew I could count on you Asteria, always so assertive and merciless—that is how things should always work in this realm." Hades tapped the tips of his fingers together and narrowed his eyes, "But tell me, just how did you manage to lure the mortal into this realm?"_

 _"Eris Milord, and also, the Andromedian. There is clearly an old tension between the hybrid and the fallen soldier from Andromeda which is why I wanted to keep his soul intact. I knew he would be a great excuse to ignite the monster's deepest fury. Eris helped him from getting lost in Limbo ever since my *Moirai cut his string of fate two thousand years ago—his soul is bound to this realm ever since he was exiled from Andromeda, Milord."_

" _Very well. Leave it attached to its body until the task is done. Allowing the living to come and go as they please from my realm is not something I am completely fond of. Finish the task as soon as possible and retrieve the souls of those condemned to their respective resting fields. This game has gone long enough—end it now."_

 _"Consider it done, Milord."_

 _"Is there anything else for you to inform me? Anything else I need to be aware of?"_

Endymion narrowed his eyes highly expectant of the titan's response, _"No, Milord—that is all I have to inform you. Everything is taken care of as you ordered."_

Endymion felt his chest burn with anger but the information Hades was getting from Asteria was exactly what he needed to measure the level danger of the situation so despite his murderous intentions toward her he had to remain still and quiet.

" _Asteria,"_ Hades' voice echoed in the room; " _The minute you find the hybrid I want you to inform me, restrain yourself from doing something else. There are words I still need to hear from its mouth."_

 _"Yes, Milord. I will give notification right away. My post will remain at Thanatos,"_

Hades looked at her dark figure disappearing in front of him and narrowed his dark grey eyes when he felt the prince's strong presence standing close behind him in the shadows and turned to look over his shoulder at him, "You know what to do."

Endymion walked out his hiding place with Saturn walking next to him and looked at Hades with a deathly glare; Hades stretched his hand and opened a portal in the middle of the throne room that would lead the prince straight to Asteria's nest in Thanatos, "Go get your little bloody revenge."

The gleam of a sword was the answer to the lord of the dead's request as he vanished the same way it appeared leaving the god of death with a satisfied and triumphant look in his face. Saturn widened her eyes and looked at the prince walk through the portal without saying another word or turning back. She turned to her father with worry in her beautiful face, "What have you done, Father?"

"Saturn," Hades walked down the long staircase and stood in front of his daughter, he cupped her cheek with his right hand very gently, "If loyalty is what you have for the Moon Princess and you believe in her idealism, I cannot stop you and I cannot judge you either, above all and no matter what I say, you are my daughter. I listened to what you had to say and you proved your words and it will be taken care of, but there is nothing else I can do. We are different, my child—unlike Ares, I am too old to change my ways and I put a high value on every deal I make for the benefit of this realm. The hybrid and I came to an agreement for the life of the late Moon Queen's daughter—you want to be of aid to him and to her? This is your opportunity, take it or leave it, and be on your way."

Saturn turned to the portal still open and shook her head, "I always believed that I was destined to be a living shadow, always conceding your demands. I never questioned your methods and never judged your actions—I have served your wishes each and every time my soul has been ripped apart from using my given powers and I never argued your reasons. To you, I have always been a reaper of souls... and it is alright, I have made my peace with that," she looked over her shoulder at Hades with a determinant glare, "I love you dear Father—but I cannot agree to your terms and ideals this time, I cannot stand biased and not do anything to help preserve what the Prince and Princess have fought to achieve with so much effort... I believe in such ideals and if I have to go against you to protect them and carry on with them, so be it."

Hades looked at his daughter vanish inside the portal he opened for the prince and went back to his throne in silence. With one flick of his hand, he closed the link from his palace to the depths of Inferno and sighed softly; for the first time his face showing genuine emotion for his daughter. "Oh, my dear Saturn, my dear sweet child... how much you have grown. I hope such idealism does not break your heart in the future."

* * *

 _The Divinity Series are rated M. Violence, cursing and intimacy may occur._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	61. Chapter 61

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Sixty-One

* * *

"Where is she?"

"She is currently roaming the Valley of Death,"

"I cannot believe such incompetence—I leave for a few minutes and control gets lost," Asteria muttered angrily as she walked toward the valley and was informed Athamas was chasing the moon princess like if it was a poor game of hide and seek; taking the upsetting news with a frown in her face. The minute she returned from Hades' palace she was informed by one of her Moirai what happened with the princess and how she managed to escape from the andromedian's imprisonment. Her long-spiked chains began to hiss behind her as she spotted her in the distance and finally caught up to Athamas "There," she pointed her long dark nail at the white princess in the middle of a valley of living corpses still fighting for her life and sanity.

"What a blasphemy," Asteria turned to Athamas and narrowed her black eyes when she noticed the wound on his arm, "And to think such silly little princess did that to you; are you not supposed to be a trained soldier?"

Athamas scowled at her words, "Clearly, there is some influence from the monster—"

"Ugh," Asteria rolled her dark eyes with annoyance "Such pitiful excuse... watch and learn how things are done." She took a step forward and stomped her spiked heel into the ground to command her long chains to throw aside the corpses and demons and clear a path for them to reach the princess that was clearly struggling to get away "What a little pest you are, Moon Princess..."

Serenity felt like she was walking in circles, she swore she had been in and out of passages, corridors, ruins, and valleys and still hadn't found a proper exit; a way that could lead her somewhere. She wasn't sure just at what point she began to feel so lightheaded but the more effort she put into crossing to another court, the more she felt her life was draining away, one breath at a time. At first, she could feel a warm tug in her chest that would give her enough courage to continue her path but at this point and after she felt were hours of physical and emotional torture, she felt like she was close to meet her end.

Her feet could no longer take her any further, her knees had started to become weak. She was starting to see blurry and her mind was becoming hazy and confused. After taking a few more steps, her body finally gave in and fell to the dirty ground, nauseous and defeated. She weakly looked up with tears in her eyes when she realized that all of her efforts had been in vain when she spotted Athamas walking toward her and Asteria watching proudly as she stood behind.

Asteria whipped her chains to trap her and handed them to Athamas carelessly, "Drag her back and make sure to lock her well this time."

Athamas grinned with madness in his eyes as he did as commanded, "Had your fun already, Serenity?" He said with mockery. The princess tried to stay conscious but the smell of rotten flesh and sulfur was too overwhelming for her to stand, not to mention the pain of the tight chains around her ankles. Her body was turning numb as she saw him kicking the crawling bodies to come close to her; with the remains of energy still left in her body she tried to stand up and move away but the andromedian caught up with her quickly by tugging at the chains and grabbing her long hair and pulled her back into his arms with unmeasured force.

"I told you this place is a maze, no matter how much you try to escape—you will always end up in the same place, you belong to me, Serenity." His hoarse and cold breath crashed against her flushed cheeks then violently threw her back to the ground and dragged her all the way back to her prison with the help of Asteria's chain. "Oh dear, what would the Queen say to look at her always inmaculate daughter in this condition..."

Serenity looked up at him and tried to free herself from her trap but her hands had started to feel numb and weak, so the rest of her body. She didn't know if it was the decoy in the air or the intense disgust she had for the man that a new wave of strength suddenly took over, giving her enough energy to try to fight him back again, "Let me go!" She demanded as she squirmed, trying to break free with panic overshadowing her voice.

Athamas cursed under his breath as he continued dragging the princess with brutal force back to the ruins with clear amazement by the princess' strong will and physical strength despite her current weak condition. Years of training and being a senshi had paid off—he thought to himself with bitterness. Serenity held the chains tight and managed to pull herself close to him and kicked his hand, releasing herself from his grasp for a second time and tried to run away again but Athamas reacted quickly this time and grabbed her by one of her lose pigtails and pulled her back with force making her fall flat on the ground. Serenity cried out in pain with the impact but before anything else she could do to save herself, Athamas had pulled her back up and pinned her against the wall like he did before, "The more you squirm, the more I want you—" he leaned closer but Serenity managed to jam her elbow in his jaw, pushing him back immediately. Athamas growled in pain and turned with fury in his eyes, "Bitch!" He yelped with exasperation and slapped her across the face and pressed her harder against the wall of the putrid cell. His hands began to roam her body once again, continuing where he left off before she escaped the first time; Serenity closed her eyes and let her roll down her flushed and dirty cheeks; she tried to kick him again but she was exhausted, she was emotionally drained and petrified. Her body no longer had enough energy to fight his aggressive touch and the hunger of his hands that so desperately tried to take control of her body as they made their way under the remains of the many layers of her royal gown.

"Endymion!" Serenity closed her eyes as she tried her best to keep her tears under control, "Endymion! Endymion!" She cried with desperation and horror when she felt Athamas' harsh breath in her ear. Her consciousness at this point had started to leave her due to his strong grip on her neck, "Shut up! Shut up! _Don't you dare_ say _that name_ in my presence!" Athamas roared with rage and tightened his calloused fingers around her delicate neck, "The more you reject me, the harder I will ma—" the man suddenly widened his eyes when he felt himself being pulled back with brutal force, releasing her from his trap.

Athamas widened her eyes with shock when he turned and met the face of his assaulter " _You..._ how d—" he growled, but before he could utter another word, Endymion went at him like a rabid beast and threw him against the wall with brutal force. With the same violent treatment, the prince grabbed him by the neck and punched his face with his now bloodied fist, with one hit angrier than the last, he muttered each word with a murderous tone in his voice, "I told you. _not._ to lay. a finger. on _her._ "

Athamas tried to gasp for air but Endymion punched his nose until he felt it shatter against his fist, "You wanted to breathe, asshole?!" Endymion grabbed a strong handful of his hair and crashed his head against the stone and bloodied ground, _"Try,"_

Athamas tried to fight back and threw a few kicks and punches that barely touched Endymion's face due to his lack of focus because of all the blood clouding his vision. He turned and managed to punch Endymion in his jaw a couple of times but not even his strongest fist was enough to kick him off of him. His lack of coordination made it easier for Endymion to pull him close to seize him and secured one arm around his neck while the other kept the rest of his body restraint and tightened the pressure enough to cut the air coming into his lungs. Athamas widened his eyes with panic when he felt his body had started to go numb and in a desperate measure, threw a few kicks and punches but it wasn't enough to break the prince's restraint. Endymion narrowed his dark-colored eyes and pulled him close enough to him and jerked the andromedian's head to the side with one strong press until he heard a crisp snap on his neck and let go of his motionless body. With one last glance with disinterest, the prince turned his back on the corpse and used his sleeve to wipe the blood splattered on his face.

Serenity felt everything moved in slow motion around her. She tried to force herself to stand on her own, but her body had given in and with much helplessness, she let herself go. She was about to hit the ground when a pair of arms caught her mid-air saving her from her brutal fall and pulled her into a secure embrace; her crystal blue eyes widened when she instantly recognized the way her body fitted perfectly into her savior's arms and gasped for air. The warmth was so familiar, the way she was being held was too; she knew those arms by heart but her mind had been playing too many cruel jokes on her lately that even this moment could be a bitter dream mocking her deepest desires. It was until she heard the sound of her name in the only way that could bring her back to her senses, "Serenity..." that deep and warm voice carved in her mind, the same one that cooed her every day and night; the one that made her feel complete and loved. Her foggy sight soon regained focus and pulled back to look into the face of the man she wished so much to see and feared to never meet again and could not contain her tears any longer. Endymion looked into her tear-glossed eyes with the same longing and emotion she was looking at him and put his hands on each side of her face, "Serenitati,"

"Endymion..." Serenity sobbed heavily as she ran her shaky fingers through his hair with desperation, finally confirming the realness of this moment and that the man holding her was not an illusion, but in fact, her husband in the flesh, "Oh, god... oh god... oh god... it is really you! This isn't an illusion!"

The prince shook his head and leaned his forehead on hers with tears falling from his eyes, finally feeling complete again as he silently thanked whoever he needed to thank for being able to endure the journey and find her in what easily could be Inferno's pit. "No love, this isn't an illusion," he pulled her back into his arms tightly and rocked her back and forth for a minute to calm her down, "It's me... I'm here..." he kissed her temples, "I'm here,"

Serenity widened her eyes in shock and let her tears roll down her cheeks without control, finally falling into account to what was happening. She wrapped her arms around his neck and shook her head, still crying her heart out, "You came for me... you found me..."

"Of course I came for you, love,"

"B-But... how?"

Endymion pulled back to look into her eyes, "You're my wife, Serenity. For your bad luck, this boring man can't function without you by his side," he slowly wiped the tears from her face with the back of his hand, "To the end of the world, remember? Although, my vows might have to change now that we're here and say that I would go to every length in the universe if necessary, Luna Bunny." He kissed her nose softly, "I am so sorry for taking so long, but I'm here now, and I am going to get you home." He sniffled softly, trying his best to keep his composure; Serenity looked at him with endless emotion as she held on to him to dear life and nodded with renewed hope.

"Also..." Endymion cleared the lump forming in the back of his throat and pulled back to undo the clasp of Gaia's pendant he was wearing underneath the jacket of his uniform and armor and tied it around Serenity's neck, "You left this at home, my dear."

Serenity widened her eyes when she saw the pendant hanging in her chest and felt panic for having been careless and take things for granted. She felt guilty for leaving him alone without notice in the first place and for thinking she could take matters into her own hands and without risking anyone else like she always did. Her senshi side always made her want to do everything by herself and have things under control, but this time, this was a much more dangerous and serious situation compared to what they have encountered in the past and it was something she could only overcome if she did it alongside her husband, as a team—now she understood, what marriage was all about.

"I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..." Her strained and mortified voice came between heavy sobs, "I was so careless... I didn't mean to leave without saying anything... I didn't mean to—but I had..." she bit her trembling lip; she took a deep breath and looked up into Endymion's deep blue eyes with fresh tears gleaming in hers, "There is something I have to tell—" Endymion shook his head and closed his eyes, this time not able to hold his own tears any longer and nodded softly, "I know..."

Serenity widened her eyes when she felt his hand resting on her stomach and couldn't help crying again when she realized what he meant, "I've known for a while, Serenity..." he muttered softly and looked into her eyes, "I knew there was more to your appearance and symptoms but I was just waiting for you to talk to me about it," Endymion took a deep, shaky breath and shook his head confused, "Bunny, why didn't you tell me?"

Serenity leaned forward and rested her head on his chest, "I was afraid to make you mad, with everything that's been happening... this too..." her fragile body started to shiver as she broke into desperate sobs, "I didn't know how to tell you... I couldn't find the words... I panicked..."

Endymion shook his head and brushed his lips on hers in the sweetest way, "Serenity..."

"I'm so sorry..."

"Bunny... there is nothing to be sorry about,"

"I should have been more careful..."

"No, don't say that—don't even dare to think such a thing,"

"The timing..."

"Don't think about that, time doesn't have to do with it,"

"I can't..."

"Yes, you can,"

"I'm scared..."

"Everything is going to be alright now," Endymion kissed her temple and put his arms around her, "Come on baby, get up..."

Serenity opened her eyes and looked at her husband with tears trapped between her long and dark lashes, "It will?" Endymion nodded feeling like a thousand rusty nails pierced through his heart by the truth hidden behind his words, "Yes, love, of course," he gave her the best smile he could muster to encourage her spirit to continue fighting and pulled her back into his arms and helped her stand up, "Come on... let's get you out of this hell hole... everybody is waiting," he kissed her temple again and put one arm around her waist, "Grab on my arm,"

Serenity nodded and hung on to her husband to dear life as he slowly pulled her back on the feet. She slowly turned and saw a bulk in the dark, dimmed by the soft dismal light from the chandelier in the room and immediately knew it was Athamas' corpse, but for once in her life, she felt nothing—not even pity or disgust. Serenity started feeling more fragile and dizzier than minutes ago and leaned her head on Endymion's shoulder as they walked out of the cell she had been taken and made their way to one of the courts that would eventually lead them back where the portal Hades opened for him was waiting.

"Well, well, well..." Endymion and Serenity stopped and turned to look over their shoulder at Asteria walking from the shadows with a creepy grin on her face, "What have we here?"

O—o—o—o—O

Nephrite was looking up at the night sky, deep in his own thoughts when he saw a steaming mug appeared in front of him, courtesy of Makoto "It's starting to get cold outside..." the general grabbed the hot mug and gave the senshi of courage a soft smile, "Thank you, Jupiter,"

"Mars made a fresh batch of tea and I thought you could use some to keep you awake and warm..."

Nephrite took a small sip and savored the delicate flavor with subtle hints of jasmine, "Always so thoughtful, sweet Jupiter." He turned and put the cup next to him. Makoto looked at him with worry and took a deep breath, "Well, I will leave you alone then, you are probably trying to—"

"No," Nephrite shook his head and looked up at her, "Stay, please." He sighed softly and took another sip of his tea, "I needed the air but not the solitude."

Makoto smiled softly before she sat next to him on the porch and bit her lower lip, "You are waiting for them to speak to you..."

"They always speak, Jupiter..." Nephrite took another sip of his tea, "Even when they are corrupted... even when they are scared... they always send a signal."

Makoto looked up at the sky and took a deep breath, "But you are waiting for them to tell you when are they coming back..." Her forest green eyes widened when he felt his warm hand caressing her cheek and turned to look at him, "It amazes me how well you know me, sweet Jupiter," he smiled softly at his beloved. Makoto leaned closer to the northern shitennou and rested her hand over his, "I have tried to be brave... but I am starting to crumble with dread and worry. With the barrier, nothing has happened after the last attack but it's been two weeks since the prince left to find the princess and there is still no sign of their return..."

"I know Jupiter, but... if something had happened to Endymion, things would have been disastrous by now." Nephrite wrapped his fingers around Makoto's hand, "This is the time when we have to be strong—all together, for them and for the sake of this planet." He gave a soft tug to her hand and pulled her closer to him, "Jupiter," he looked down at her with loving eyes, "If you feel weak, let me be your support—if you are scared, allow me to be the light that will clear the darkness troubling your heart. You are allowed to be worried for them, let me be strong for the both of us."

"Nephrite..." Makoto widened her teary eyes; the general leaned down until his lips brushed hers and took a deep breath, "I love you, Jupiter... lean on me, if you need to cry—use my shoulder. If you need a hug, use these arms of mine—I'm here. I'm yours." Makoto could take her feelings anymore and closed the gap between them with a sweet and tender kiss that slowly washed the troubles in her heart, renewing her faith and conviction.

Inside the temple, Minako was looking out the window at the couple kissing on the porch and pulled away to give them some privacy; she was glad that just like her, her friends had found their heavenly match but most importantly, a shoulder to lean on and a friend to soothe their troubled minds. Since the attack, all eight of them decided on staying at the shrine to be alert and on the call of anything that might happen around the city that would require their immediate attention. Fortunately, Hikawa, despite being relatively far away from everyone's homes, it was centric enough for them to tackle any emergency.

Rei put another pot of boiling water on the coffee table and several options for tea for them to choose; "Nephrite should come back inside, it's getting colder by the minute—he'll get sick." The priestess said softly as she made herself a cup of tea. Minako crossed her arms and smiled softly, "He's fine—Mako's with him."

"He is trying to find answers, he is waiting for the stars to tell him the prince and princess' whereabouts," Zoisite put his empty cup on the table and sighed softly, "I understand how he feels,"

"The suspense is overwhelming," Rei said as she joined the others around the coffee table, "Not knowing what might be happening up there—"

"Or down there—or wherever the Underworld is..." Jadeite finished the sentence, "It's been two weeks and there are still no signs of them..."

"We haven't heard anything from Uranus or Neptune either, I wonder if they managed to find Pluto and Saturn." Rei looked at Minako, then at the shitennou "The security around the cardinal points, is it still going strong?"

"The barrier has not shown any signs of distress—that said, it seems we are in an advantage," Jadeite nodded and crossed his arms, "We will continue the strategy until their return," then turned to Kunzite with a worried look, "Or until our first in command gives us a different order to follow," Kunzite took a deep breath and also crossed his arms, silently trying to dismiss the idea of having to change strategy because he was aware that if he did, it meant Endymion was not going to return.

The white-haired general still had the conversation he had with the prince just days before the princess was taken hostage very vivid in his mind. The reasons behind their intentions and what it had to be done to prevent more damage and fight those who already had managed to cross into Earth.

As Endymion's right hand he had to comply to the prince's wishes but it only left him thinking on how far Endymion would go to win this war. What he predicted had happened already but in a different take, starting with the fact that Ares didn't come to take Endymion to fight as polemarchos in Olympus like they expected it would happen sooner or later. His thoughts then landed on the white princess and the strain and conditions she must be under and felt worried, the prince was right, she was stronger than he remembered, more determined and skilled in battle, but going against an army of malice was too much, even for her. Sadly, Kunzite admitted Endymion's words, she was not tainted by death and as a soldier who fought for love and justice, the one who represented purity and mystery—she had to remain that way—for her own sake.

"People are starting to panic despite any attacks have happened lately, it is all over the news..." Minako sighed and shook her head, "We should have gone after him—it's unfair that we were left behind like this,"

"Endymion had his reasons," Kunzite turned to his beloved Venusian, "Both royals are trusting us to protect this planet, we are on duty." Minako looked down at her steaming teacup and sighed, "Yes, I know that, but still—we should be helping them. I can't imagine what they must be going through just thinking about where they are, it makes my heart cringe with fear."

"Endymion is trained and capable of fighting whatever stands in his way, you now have witnessed it yourself, Venus." Kunzite put a hand on the blonde's shoulder in support, "What he is doing is no easy task but his fate is tied to hers, he will find her—that I am certain."

Zoisite peered at Ami, who was quietly drinking her tea. Despite looking calm he noticed she was not into the conversation the rest was having, instead, it looked like she was having her own internal battle with her thoughts. Her hands were graciously wrapped around her cup of tea as she looked down at the pale golden liquid; she was worried, the blonde general could tell and he wished to know what was going on inside her head.

The European shitennou was not far from his thoughts, Ami was indeed concerned. The past couple of weeks have been like an emotional rollercoaster between erratic encounters and attacks and then the sudden peace that followed suit that put Ami's patience and always centered character to the test. The more she investigated and thought about it, the more cryptic she found everything that was happening around them and the more it confused her since she could not find any clues or answers and it was driving her insane.

All the girls were dealing with the situation differently, but beyond the obvious concern about Asteria's unpredictable tactics, Ami's thoughts always returned to float around Usagi and her well-being. Since the moment Mamoru fell unconscious she started to behave strangely making her wonder what might be happening to her; she knew how much Usagi disliked being treated like a patient and even when Mamoru had paid notice too there wasn't any time to talk further about it because Asteria appeared and put everybody on the edge once again.

But it wasn't just Usagi's uncharacteristic behavior, it was how fragile and pale she looked; it was how she always showed exhaustion and averse to all the things she normally liked. She could understand that she was concerned about her husband, but she was leaving all these tiny clues that made her come to a very shocking conclusion, one she couldn't talk it out with the other girls because it wasn't her secret to tell.

Her blue eyes widened when she felt a warm hand taking hers and turned to see Zoisite kissing it softly, "Are you alright, Ballerina?" He whispered to keep the privacy of their conversation intact. It still surprised Ami how the blonde general could decode every blush, every smile, and frown; how could he know her so well? —it was beyond her, but she had to admit how much she loved it. "Y-Yes..." she blinked and gave him a soft, reassuring smile, "I'm worried... about the prince and princess..." she sighed softly, "I am usually good at decoding an enemy's plan but this time it is so complex that I cannot find any thread that would lead me somewhere—I cannot find a path to the fourth dimension, much less to the Underworld. I cannot figure out where Mamoru is right now... or if he found Usa-chan,"

Zoisite looked into Ami's eyes and saw there was a cast of worry he hadn't seen before and felt the urge to dig more into what was really mortifying her aside from the obvious. "Ah, it seems we are out of hot water for more tea, shall I go bring some more?"

"I'll go put more water to—" Rei's eyes widened when she saw Zoisite stand up, "It is alright, Mars—Mercury can lead my way to the kitchen and lend me a hand," Rei blinked surprised and then at her friend, "A-Alright, that would be great, Zoisite, thanks." The priestess turned to look over her shoulder and out the window at the couple snuggled in the porch, looking up at the night sky, "Mako-chan and Nephrite might be in need of a refill, it's very cold outside."

"It's so strange how this planet has been resenting Mamoru's absence—it still amazes me..." Minako leaned her back on Kunzite, who was taking a sip of his tea. "Endymion's life was linked to Earth's fate the minute he was born." The white-haired general said softly and turned to Jadeite who was sighing softly. They knew perfectly well all of this and they got to witness it several times in the past and it didn't matter how many years went by, how many trials they had to confront it still amazed them, the mysticism running through their master's veins.

"He will find her,"

All eyes were on Minako who was looking down at her hands, fighting the tears pooling in her eyes, "I know he will find her—this is nothing, love can overcome anything and they love each other way too much to give up on their promise." She shook her head and shut her eyes tight, "They're too stubborn! We are guardians of two very stubborn royals! This weather change—it's nothing, it just means he's far away but once they come back, war will be over..." her blue eyes widened when she felt Kunzite's hand on top of hers; she turned to look at him with loving eyes; Kunzite smiled softly at her but then turned his attention quickly to his fellow comrade walking inside with a shocked look on his face, "Nephrite..."

Nephrite looked at his leader and first in command and then at the rest and hesitated for a minute before breaking the heavy silence, "The stars have spoken..."

O—o—o—o—O

Endymion narrowed his prismatic blue eyes at the woman in black and tightened his arm around Serenity's waist to ease her growing panic that confirmed that something else must have happened before he found his wife fighting the andromedian for her life. Asteria arched her brow as she continued walking toward them, "But if it is the hybrid—in the flesh," she snickered proudly, "You made it all the way to this place," she crossed her arms, "I am impressed."

Endymion turned to Serenity and looked down into her eyes, "I will get you out of here my love, just hang on a little while longer..." his hand pressed the stone resting on her chest and channeled some of his energy to activate its healing powers and help her regain some of her strength, "Find a safe place for you to hide and wait for me there—you can't fight in your condition," Serenity widened her crystal blue eyes with worry and shook her head, "I can fight,"

"I need you to rest. You need to regain your strength, I'll take care of this,"

"End—"

"Please," Endymion whispered in her ear with a beseeching tone before he slowly let go of her; as much as she tried to pretend she could handle the situation and take a stand, he was right, she couldn't fight in her condition. She was too exhausted to even blink, the heavy ambient and the andromedian's aggressive tactics have truly worn her out. Her mind was hazy and every muscle in her body ached like it never did in her life, it was an indescribable pain. Without much choice, she complied to his petition and quickly spotted a collapsed wall she could use as a hideout; Endymion nodded at his wife, knowing exactly what she was planning on doing and turned to look over his shoulder at Asteria to distract her while his wife took shelter, "So, you finally came out of your rat hole." He muttered dryly, "Like the plague you are,"

"Oh, though words from the hybrid!" Asteria smirked, "I must say, I honestly was not expecting you to survive in this realm. When I thought of luring you here it was with an intention to serve a purpose; your corpse was going to be more than enough," Her black eyes narrowed, "But you had to play the hero,"

"Your stupidity is appalling," Endymion shook his head with genuine disbelief, "How you were granted to be a pawn of the Underworld truly is beyond me." The mocking tone in the prince's voice was enough fuel to tease Asteria's ego and narrowed her eyes in annoyance, "You have no idea with who you are going against with,"

"You don't either," Endymion glared at her, "So you better shut your mouth if you don't want to swallow your own words in the worst way possible, I am done being condescending with you."

"Condescending? _You?_ Have you not realized your fate, hybrid?" Asteria began walking toward them and summoned her power, her dead looking eyes never leaving the prince's "You condemned your soul the minute you mocked my power, the minute you crossed these gates." She stretched her arms to call for her spiked chains to crawl around her arms and body like hungry snakes. Endymion rested his hand on the hilt of his sword and narrowed his dark blue eyes, "You condemned yours when you decided to cross paths with me and threaten my wife's life,"

The taunt was enough to spark the dark goddess fury and make use of her weapons against the prince when she spotted the princess running away and quickly turned to whip her chain to trap her and pull her back the same way she did before but Endymion stepped in and blocked her attempts by allowing the chains to wrap in his arm; he flinched when he felt the now familiar sharp needle-like thorns digging into his skin and quickly peered at Serenity to make sure she was already hidden behind the wall away from the battle zone and gave himself the permission to counter-attack Asteria without holding back. He drew out his sword in one swift move and swung it through the chains, making a loud deafening sound.

"Stop pretending you can win against me, _mortal!"_ Asteria whipped her chains in a downward motion and tried to trap and pull the prince along with them with a brutal force different from what was commonly seen in a warrior, especially a sailor senshi. Asteria turned to throw him against a wall but Endymion reacted before he could hit the stone ruins finding the act a little too similar to the attacks and moves Cerberus did with his long tail. He anchored on the ground with the help of his sword and rolled the chain with his free hand and pulled it back with force to create tension, "Your trick is getting old, Asteria," he narrowed his dark blue eyes and pulled out his sword from the ground and swung it in an upright motion cutting the chain and used the crumbled wall behind him as a support to impulse himself up and avoid getting hit from the other chains whipping in his direction.

"You fool!" Asteria grunted loudly, "This is not a trick, mortal, is the true power of a titan!" She ran toward the prince full speed, her sharp heels crashing the stone floors as she dashed through the court and extended her arms to whip another heavy chain but Endymion jumped quick enough to dodge the spikes that barely scratched his face and used his wrist to block the others coming at him and pulled tight to cut them again with his blade. Asteria looked at the living pieces of chains squirming on the floor and clenched her jaw with anger. The dark titaness dashed towards him swinging and whipping the heavier chains under her control, crashing everything in her way and stomped her sharp heel on the ground to make use of her poison-like energy within her to cover everything with dark matter and shadows.

From behind the wall, Serenity watched the battle with horror in her eyes; she felt frustrated for not being able to move freely and help the prince take down Asteria. She tried to stand up when she saw the titaness whip her long chains at the prince several times trying to at least land one hit but her body still was not responding entirely to her command.

Serenity paid close attention to Endymion's every move; the way he held his sword and clashed it against Asteria's chains without hesitation; the way he used his surroundings to jump, dodge, and counter-attack with such quick response was really impressive to see and came to realize that this was the first time she actually saw him be the murderous warrior everybody said he was trained to be. The glare in his eyes was something she had never seen in him before, it was beyond anger—it was a much darker sentiment, it was raw and hostile. Pure thirst for bloody murder.

Serenity pressed her hand against her chest and wrapped her fingers around the golden stone of the pendant and felt her eyes burn with tears silently pleading to make the battle end and not because she felt sympathy or because she wanted the prince to spare Asteria's life but because she knew that the more Endymion swung the blade in his hand the more vicious he would become until he reached the very edge of his reason, risking the good in his heart that made him fair and just, that pure quality that separated him from the rest. She saw Asteria's impressive mastery of her many variations of heavy chains flowing around her body and obeying every command and following every deadly move and felt afraid for the outcome of such brutal battle.

The princess' eyes widened when she saw the shadows crawl closer to where she was hiding and tried to stand up to get away but her body still wasn't yielding to her pleading. The air was becoming thicker, making it harder to breathe and the space smaller, giving her little to no chance to escape; she turned frantic and tried to crawl her way out when she felt being pulled back; Serenity turned and widened her eyes with horror when she saw one of the shadows coiling around her with pure malice.

Endymion felt a sharp sting in his chest that made him jerk in Serenity's direction and frowned when he spotted his wife pinned against the wall. Asteria took this as the perfect opportunity to break his well-maintained cycle of perfect dodging and wrapped her chains around his waist and legs and pulled him down to the ground then threw him against a stone wall that crumbled over him; Serenity turned when she heard the loud crash and let out a mortified sob. Asteria quickly turned to look at her over her shoulder and grinned with joyfulness, "What is the matter, Princess? Did you really think he could win against me?" She turned and began walking toward her, "Is this not what you thought it was going to happen?" Her grip on her weapons tightened and stretched her arm to grab the princess' neck once she got close enough but she was stopped mid-way. She turned to look over her shoulder and saw Endymion pulling the chain with a raged look on his face, "Don't you even dare,"

Asteria clenched her jaw and tried to use the chains rattling in her other arm but those were caught as well with the same impeccable timing "Predictable," Endymion gave her a vicious glare, hungry for revenge and murder. Asteria widened her black eyes with utter surprise, "W-What?!"

The prince used the tension in the chains to pull himself from under the pile of rubble and cut the chains wrapped around him with his sword, "An attack shown to be more than once has no effect on me anymore. There is a reason polemarchos are different from other soldiers,"

Serenity saw a golden aura around the prince and gaped with shock; so many times she heard him being called polemarchos in the past and even now, this was one of the few times if not the first he used the title to address himself. He had been always been too modest with the skills and knowledge she knew he mastered but not once she'd seen him access to this kind of power and she could see that he had reached a point where he no longer showed any specs of mercy in his blue eyes. This was a side she yet had not seen of him, the one he always warned her about and granted him the despicable title of monster.

Endymion narrowed his eyes and pulled Asteria toward him and without any expression in his face or warning, he shoved his knee in her stomach, then hit her jaw with his forearm and finished off with thrusting his elbow on the back of her neck making her fall face down on the ground. Asteria gasped for air and rolled away from him quick enough to give her time to recover and called for her power on the chains again, she looked at him and wiped the dark blood pooling from her parted lip with a mocking grin, "What? Is that it?"

Endymion narrowed his eyes with threat. He dashed in her direction like a beast hunting its prey and raised his golden sword above his head; with one long and unforgiving move, he cut through the thick chains she was using as a shield and grabbed her by the neck to lift her up until they were at the same eye level, "Far from it," he pulled her closer to him and used one of her chains to restrain her while wrapped his arm around her neck, a move very similar to the one he applied to Athamas before he disposed of his lifeless body. Asteria was taken completely off guard as he grabbed a handful of dark hair and pulled down to tilt her head close to him, "He is not protecting you anymore—just so you know," Endymion muttered in her ear "You're on your own,"

Asteria's eyes widened, knowing what his words meant. She grunted and glanced over at Serenity who looked petrified and with a face of pure shock she managed to crack a chuckle, deciding to play her remaining cards of manipulation, "Has she ever seen you like this, hybrid? Has she ever witnessed your true murderous nature?" She curved her blood-stained lips, "Go on, kill me, so she can see why you are called a monster—" she looked at the white princess and chuckled again, "See it for yourself Princess of the White Moon! This is the true nature of your charming _Prince_ —this is the ungodly result of the disgusting union between a mortal and a titan."

Serenity's eyes widened twice in size with shock "T-Titan?"

Asteria choked between laughs when she felt Endymion put more pressure on his arm to keep her restrained, "O-Oh... you did not know?" she tried to catch a glimpse of Endymion's face and grinned with pleasure, "She does not know why you are called a hybrid? You are quite the charm... _and_ a liar," she chuckled and turned to look at Serenity again, "Your precious Terran Prince is nothing more but an unnatural creation of the universe—his existence is heresy because he has titan's blood mixed with one of a mortal's running through his veins, yes, it is as disgusting as it sounds."

Endymion frowned and threw her to the ground and pinned her down with his foot stepping on her head without any consideration, "I am going to rip your tongue off!" He went down and jammed his knee on her back, making her screech in pain; Asteria tried to break free from the restraint and turned her head, finally out of her manipulative charade, "I am a polemarchos, you piti—"

"You are fucking _nothing,_ " Endymion growled with disgust, "That is something he made you believe so he could do whatever he wanted with you like the disposable demon you are. You have nothing and apparently, you are not that bright either—you are a laughing stock... a piece of waste taunting my desire to break your neck and spit on your damn corpse."

Serenity widened her eyes and felt her blood run cold in her veins; the look in Endymion's eyes was nothing she had seen before and felt a cold chill down her spine when she realized they weren't even blue anymore. No light reached to them, there was no spark or a merciful gleam in them, they had become close to be completely black. Endymion had reached a stance that was beyond recognition and she didn't know what to do with that revelation; she didn't know what would be of him after he fulfilled the thirst for murder and blood haunting his handsome face; she didn't know what to do to bring him back. It was as if he was enjoying torturing and causing Asteria pain and he wasn't going to stop until he held her head in his hands, until his darkest desires are fulfilled. Serenity wanted to stop him but she was well aware she couldn't, not when she had it clear that this is exactly what he tried to explain to her and the reasons he tried to be away from her when they first met, thousands of years ago.

With desperate measure, Asteria roared with anger and jabbed her elbow on Endymion's jaw to create an opening to break free from his restraint and turned to look at Serenity with a distorted grin, "I will rip your head off!" She ran towards her but Endymion grabbed the last chain attached to her body and pulled her back to stop her right before she could get to the princess; he looked at her and tightened his grip on the chain and narrowed his eyes, _"Solaris Ardeat."_ In response to his low command, golden sparks started to flicker in his hand as he dragged her back and threw her against a wall with unforgiving force. Endymion turned to look at her on the ground and narrowed his eyes, *" _Adolebitque ea ad vescendum, et tenebrae super terram ejus."_

Asteria widened her eyes as she watched the flames feeding on her chains and quickly engulfing her and screamed in pain; she turned to break free but it was already too late, the shadow she had sprawled all over the ruins were already caught up in flames too, feasting all in the same merciless force. The dark titaness looked down at her shaky hands and panicked when she saw her skin becoming raw and vivid red by the golden flames and it started to peel in flakes "No!" She fell on her knees and let out a harrowing cry of desperation, "Nooooo! Noooooooo! I cannot be defeated! This is not how it is supposed to end!"

"You're right—it's not, but fate can be a bitch sometimes..." Endymion arched his brow, "Squirm to death, like the fucking leech you are," he looked down at Asteria rolling on the ground in hallowing cries of pain trying to appease the flames devouring her and tightened his grip on his sword. He couldn't deny there was sort of pleasure to see her begging for her life the way she did; with his sword proudly catching the light of its fire, he was ready to take her head but in a fraction of a second, he felt a tug in his chest that made him stop and reconsider; the darkness in his eyes slowly lifted and changed to a more sapphire shade pulling him from his murderous trance and took a step back from the burning woman. Endymion took a deep breath and looked up at Serenity leaning against a wall, witnessing all this massacre "It is done—let her go, the contract is yours." He muttered and looked at the princess with both worry and shame as he walked toward her, no longer showing any interest in Asteria's fate despite her harrowing screams.

As he moved closer to his wife, he thought about the dark woman's words and painfully agreed with her; it was true, he didn't want Serenity to see that dark and merciless side of him, but it was already too late, he had been exposed and in the worst possible way. With one heavy sigh, he put his sword back in its sheath and kneeled in front of his wife feeling completely ashamed for his unmeasured and brutal behavior and looked into her eyes with worry but before he could say something to appease the horror of what she just witnessed, Serenity wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close to her, "No, no, no... _don't_ —her words mean _nothing_ to me," she whispered in his ear and kissed his temple softly, "I love you... to the Moon and back..."

Endymion leaned his head on hers and closed his eyes, "I love you too."

The unusual low tone in his voice startled Serenity and widened her eyes when she noticed he didn't respond to their usual and small declaration of love as he always did. He turned and cupped her wet cheek and leaned forward to kiss her lips softly before wrapping one arm around her waist while the other put her arm around his shoulders and slowly lifted her off the ground, "Let's get you home,"

Serenity nodded and held on to her husband to dear life as he helped her stand up completely and made sure she could move and walked slowly out of the burning ruins. Like a curtain of smoke, the warp that was keeping her imprisoned finally dissolved showing two pillars ahead that indicated that they were close to the exit she so desperately tried to find from Asteria's nest.

Serenity took a deep breath, the first of genuine relief as she walked farther away with Endymion by her side but she knew there was still something troubling him since he was being uncharacteristically silent and she immediately thought it might have something to do with what they briefly talked about before Asteria made an appearance. The princess noticed the tension in his handsome face and the worry in his ever-alluring eyes and tried to stop him to have a moment, "Endy—"

"I wish you didn't have to see that..." The prince muttered with regret and frowned, still unable to look her in the eye as they continued walking, "I wish you weren't involved in this mess..."

"She didn't deserve anything less than that," Serenity looked up at him and frowned when she saw Endymion tensing his shoulders and turned to look at the large gate open in the distance and saw a person walking through. The prince tightened his arms around Serenity's weak body when he saw the gates Hades' promised to open and knew what this meant. "Somebody is coming..." he heard her say softly and took a deep breath; minutes after, Saturn came to view and stood in front of the royal couple with her glaive shining proudly in her hand, "Princess, thank goodness you're safe!" She sighed with relief "I'm so glad,"

"Saturn!" Serenity gave her a soft smile and nodded, "I'm ready to go back and leave all this behind,"

Saturn looked at the prince and tightened her grip on her glaive. By the look in the princess' face it was clear he hadn't spoken to her and she wasn't aware of what he was going to do and it pained her, it pained her to see things happening this way "Prince Endymion... it's time."

At the senshi of silence odd request, Serenity frowned at the low tone of her voice, "Saturn?" Endymion nodded at Saturn, "Please, give me a minute alone with her,"

Saturn nodded and stepped back to give the couple some privacy but her eyes were already burning with tears knowing the consequences of their departure. Endymion turned to look at his wife and cupped her cheek softly, "Serenity..."

"Love, what is going on?" Serenity's frown deepened with worry; Endymion took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "Saturn is here to take you home, my love," he caressed her flushed cheek with his thumb, "She will help me take you back safely,"

"Oh, okay... let's go then," Serenity nodded with a warm smile and turned to walk but she was stopped by a soft pull on her hand, "Love?"

"Serenity..."

"Endymion, what's going on?" She tried to giggle and brush the awkwardness from his strange behavior, "What are you doing? Come on, let's go!"

"Serenity," Endymion closed his eyes for a minute, "You have to go with her, alone."

"W-What?" Serenity widened her eyes and shook her head, "W-What are you talking about?" The prince looked up at her, "I won't go with you."

"N-No..." Serenity felt her heart sink and started to pound stronger in her chest with anxiety, "N-No... no, no, no... what are you saying?! We can go back now—it's over! Asteria has been defeated... Athamas too! We can go back home, to _our_ home! Come on!"

"Serenity..."

"We're free now!"

"Serenity..."

"N-No, don't be silly! You're being silly! You're being sarcastic... I know you are... this is another one of your jokes I don't get!" Serenity cracked a light chuckle to try to dismiss her husband's comments, still feeling like this was all some kind of morbid joke and tried to pull Endymion to walk along with her but her eyes started to burn with tears when she saw he wasn't moving and that is when she started to feel panic creeping into her chest and made her snap with frustration, "Why are you doing this?!"

"Serenity, please, listen to me..."

"No! No! I won't listen! I don't want to listen! I won't accept this!"

"Listen to me... _please!_ " Endymion intertwined his fingers with hers and pulled her back into his arms and stared into her tear-glossed eyes with determination, "I need you to do something for me," his quivering voice made Serenity realize what he was doing, what he was trying to say and it all suddenly started to fall into place, "No..." she shook her head, "No!"

"Serenity—"

"No!" Serenity broke into sobs and pounded his chest with her fists with anger, "No! Nooo! Nooo!"

"Serenity," Endymion leaned down his head close to her ear, "Baby, you don't belong to this place, you can't stay here. You have to go and fight for the both of us back home... _I need you_ to do that for me. I have to stay here, I can't—" he felt like he was going to break any minute; having to say goodbye to her was the hardest thing he ever had to do, "Serenity please be strong, please be brave, the fate of Earth is in your hands... _please_... cherish it..."

Serenity's eyes widened and shook her head desperate to understand, "No! Don't say that! Don't say these things to me! Why are you saying this to me!? I can't go on without you! You know I can't do this without you!"

"Yes, you can... you are very strong, you are a warrior princess... _my_ warrior princess." Endymion kissed her tears, "The shitennou and senshi will be there with you in every step of the way, they will look after you... trust them... let them be a part of your life, let them be there for you." He looked at her in the eye and gave her a sad smile, "Also, Megumi... rely on her, keep her close to you, support each other... and please, tell her that I love her, tell her I'm sorry,"

"You can't do this to me Endymion!" Serenity felt as if her body was about to give in, like if her heart was being ripped from her chest. "You are my life! You are _my husband!_ How can you say these things to me!? How can you make these morbid decisions without telling me!? Why are you staying in this horrible place!? Why are you doing this?! _Tell me!_ " The princess put her hands on each side of his face and looked into his royal blue eyes, now gleaming with tears, "What are you doing Endymion?! Why do you say you have to stay!?"

"Please trust me—"

"No! No! We have to go back home!" Serenity shook her head frantically and pulled him down so they could be at the same height, "We have a new house waiting for us so we can eat take-out food while we watch that silly costume show, spend our afternoons taking naps on the couch or eating pancakes every Saturday morning... wake up early and drink bitter coffee, read a boring book, going to the supermarket and dance to the corny music! I promise I'll drive you to wherever you want to go without complaint, I won't shrink or stain your clothes anymore, I won't steal your favorite hoodie! I won't eat the pint of dark chocolate ice-cream you hide at the back of the fridge for when you're having a bad day! I'll cook, I'll clean the vacuum filter— _whatever you want_ —but you have to come back with me so we can do all those things together!" She put his left hand on her belly and sobbed as she traced his wedding band with the tips of her fingers, "What about the promise we made to each other?!" She held his left hand up high along with hers, " _These_ rings mean something! It's _our_ promise!"

Endymion shut his eyes feeling like if his heart was being crushed inside his chest, "Serenity... heavens know how much I love you... heavens know how I devote my life to you, but I can't go with you... not this time..." he leaned his forehead on hers, "Moon Princess, since the very first moment I saw you, you had my fate and soul in your hands... _please_ , don't ever forget it,"

"Please don't do this! Don't leave me! We can do this together!" Serenity pulled him closer between sobs, "Please, _please_ don't leave me alone! I can't go on without you... I can't... End—" Endymion dried her falling tears with his thumbs and took a deep breath, "Please keep the pendant close to your heart, don't let go of it... hold on to it,"

"Endymion! Nooo! Don't do this! Don't leave me alone!"

Endymion kissed her deeply on the lips for a minute and leaned close to her ear, "Luna Reginae, cum subito primum vidi, tu animam tuam... meminerint fatum et tenere quicquid iuramentum. Placere parce mihi, sed suus habebat aliquid quod fieri et non solum non facere. Te amo Pulchra Serenitati, usque ad consummationem temporis." He took the key he got from Pluto and muttered the prayer to call for its power as he looked into her eyes with tears pooling in his, _"Custodis Pater Chronos... mihi fecísti vias lucem."_ He turned over his shoulder to look at Saturn and nodded to let her know it was time. Saturn walked closer and took the princess' hand and pulled her away from him against her will.

"No! No! No! Endymion! Nooooo!" Serenity tried to cling to Endymion until she could no longer hold on any longer and was pulled into the vortex in front of them and disappeared seconds after.

"I'm sorry my love, I'm so sorry," Endymion looked up and let the tears pool down from his eyes and took a deep breath before looking at the gates in front of him and kept walking forward while he mourned the painful and inevitable separation from his beloved wife in silence.

O—o—O

Inside the burnt ruins, Asteria was found close to meet her demise by the lord of darkness himself; he stood by her side and looked at her with both disgust and satisfaction. Asteria was now to a point of being unrecognizable, her hair was gone, her skin was blistered and scorched red like hot coal. She could no longer move; her body wasn't hers anymore—nor her soul; she was now confined to the terran prince's punishment and what would happen to her after this, was uncertain.

"How ironic, the titaness of the oracles and fallen stars... has fallen to her demise," Hades muttered with a cynic tone, "Oh, just look how the terran left you—burned to a crisp."

Asteria slowly moved her head but still couldn't meet the lord of death's eyes, "Milord... help... me... the hybrid... he..."

Hades clicked his tongue and crossed his arms, "I thought he passed the message— I suppose that is fair, after the deal I made with him," he walked around her to meet her face, "Your fate is mine rebel, always has been. You underestimated my power—you thought I did not know,"

"W-What?"

"But the truth is, rebel, you condemned yourself the minute you decided to lie to my face and pretend to be on my side; I specifically gave you a task and you did whatever you pleased—you opened portals, broke taboos, disposed of my army—crossed from realm to realm like if I was non-existent..." Hades narrowed his deep gray eyes, "Just with who do you think you are dealing with, you disgusting waste of matter?!"

"I-I am... a polem... archos... a Ti—"

"You are not a real titan, Asteria, you are their leftovers; creatures of the night who thought they could fight for a rebellion and for power that was not even granted to you in the first place by nature and your appalling condition is clear proof of it. All you had was a gift from me, sure, you were skilled with weaponry and you were above the rest in terms of efficiency but that does not make you any different from their lowly descendance."

Asteria felt like her body was ripping apart, all she did was futile in the end, she tried to move but a dry chuckle from the lord of the underworld made her glance at him with fear, "It is pointless, they will not stop—the flames. That is not a common fire, I have seen it before, titan power, which only proves my previous words concerning your worth." Asteria's eyes widened when she saw Hades calling for his majestic scythe, "As agreed, I will grant the hybrid a minute of my time to offer him your post—he is much more qualified to excel in this position."

"I may be condemned to live as another rotten soul in this realm, but this... this... is not far from being over..." Asteria muttered catching Hades' attention "Even in my condition, I will still get to find out just what do you fear the most, Lord of Death..." Hades narrowed his eyes but remained silent; Asteria coughed and chuckled weakly, "Darkness will rise... from underneath your feet... and not even you will be able to stop it... in the end... my mission has been accomplished... rot in your own realm, God of—"

Hades swung his scythe to put an end to her contract. Her body started to rot and scale with ashes caused by the golden fire burning her flesh and started to flow in the air like fiery specks of dust, "Lethe—this one will be delivered to you, drown her soul in your river and do whatever you think suits best with it, get Charon to follow my command." He turned to look over his shoulder and narrowed his grey eyes when he repeated her words in her mind and realized Endymion was nowhere to be found, proving his fight wasn't over, "You lowly scoundrel... what have you done..." he muttered with disgust at Asteria and disappeared without noticing another presence close.

The soft sound of footsteps crashing the debris of stone and marble echoed inside the destroyed ruins until the person was caught into the light of the fire feasting on Asteria's remains. Athamas stopped right next to Asteria's charred corpse laid and looked down with his pitch-dark eyes, "Quomodo congemuisti... scilicet res bene sis, facis ea tibi."

O—o—o—o—O

Saturn and Princess Serenity appeared at the gates that divided Tartarus' grounds from the underworld, right close to the Asphodel Meadows. Thanks to Saturn's power and the key Pluto gave the prince and that he later handed to Saturn, they had managed to reach there safe and sound, as strange as it sounds, the worst part was over but they still needed to figure out a way out since clearly Hades had washed his hands on the matter and just complied to his part of the deal with made with the prince on letting the princess go but he never said he would offer any further help.

"Endymion!" Serenity gasped with urgency and turned to run back to him but Saturn pulled her from her arm to stop her, "Princess!"

"Take me back to him! Take me back! Take me back Saturn!" Serenity tried to break free but Saturn wrapped her arms around her waist and pulled her into a loving embrace, startling her, "S-Saturn..."

"Forgive me Princess—" Saturn shook her head, "Please forgive me for not being able to do more for Prince Endymion... for not being able to bring sense into Father," she looked up at her with deep sadness and shook her head, "But what I can do know is to listen to the prince's request and take you back to Earth safe and sound—please Princess, allow me to be of service and take you out of this realm,"

Serenity couldn't help her tears and covered her face with helplessness; Saturn tightened her arms around her, "The prince did it so you could get out of this place..." she looked up and dried the princess' tears with her gloved hands, "We will find a way... we won't stop fighting, but for now... I must take you out of here,"

"Well, this is one unexpected surprise... "

A male voice startled both women and turned to look at Charon sailing his boat close to the shore of the meadows, "More souls... _living souls_..."

Saturn quickly raised her majestic glaive and put it in front of Serenity, giving Charon a silent and very threatening introduction. Saturn looked at the cloaked old man in his longboat and frowned, waiting for the man to introduce himself. Despite being the daughter to the god of the underworld, she was not allowed to roam the realm freely, usually and as senshi of silence, she had to remain in her post in Tristan Castle with her mother, Persephone, and just visit Hades' throne when she was summoned to perform a task. So, to her, being able to walk through such mythical lands was all new to her too.

"Ah... I see..." Charon stopped paddling and saw the white princess standing behind Saturn and exhaled softly as he pulled his cloak back to reveal his face. The ferryman nodded when he remembered what he talked about with the prince before he left in search of Asteria and let out a soft chuckle with both surprise and admiration, "Damn you boy, you did it."

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is rated M. Violence, cursing, and intimacy may occur._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _*AN: Feed on its darkness and burn it to the ground._


	62. Chapter 62

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Sixty-Two

* * *

 _"If you ever find yourself in need of my services—" Charon bowed his head and pulled his paddle back into the water. Endymion tilted his head low and looked down at the pocket watch hanging from its golden chain pinned in his uniform jacket and then at the man on the boat, "Speaking of which, old man, I may be in need of your services sooner than expected..." Charon quirked a long, bushy brow and allowed the prince to continue, "You asked why I was here while still living—" Endymion looked at the man with a serious glare, "A very special person to me was taken hostage by Asteria,"_

 _"Aye, aye—so it is about a fair maiden then..."_

 _"Not just any maiden, old man, but the rightful Sovereign of the Moon and the Earth... also, my wife." Endymion saw the man widen his eyes showing surprise, "The Goddess of the Moon... your wife, you say?" Charon leaned closer to the edge of his longboat, "What exactly are you asking of me, boy?"_

 _Endymion stared at him with unbreakable determination, "I am asking you to take her as far from this realm as possible, as close as she can get to the fourth dimension."_

" _The Gates of Time,"_

" _Yes, the Gates of Time."_

 _"And what about you?"_

" _At this point, my fate is settled." Endymion exhaled, "I know the consequences of my trespassing, old man, that Lord of yours will not stay hidden much longer—I know. If he is how I imagine him to be, he is just waiting for the perfect opportunity to show his face but I don't care about him, I don't care about anything but my wife to be taken out of this hellhole, that is why I crossed to this realm—to bring her back,"_

" _Oi, oi..." Charon tightened his grip on his bone paddle and sighed, "Boy, what you are asking of me is dangerous; I find it difficult to believe how Hades has not done much to stop you. Knowing the kind of god he is, it is like if he wants you to stay here for some particular reasons." He narrowed his fiery eyes, "I would be disobeying my Master's orders—what you are asking me to do is out of my jurisdiction, treason even, but, if you get to save her life—if I see with these old eyes of mine that you accomplished your mission and took her out of Inferno then I will break the rules imposed to me and take it as enough proof that you are worthy of my loyalty and respect."_

 _"I thank you, old man," Endymion pointed the royal medal hanging from his wrist "You take good care of that, alright? It cost me a great deal to earn it—twice." He arched a brow, "I don't want to hear you lost it in one of your grody old rivers."_

 _Charon let out a raspy chuckle, "Nay, nay—this precious jewel stays with me... but I do have one final question, boy. For you to be married to a magnificent goddess like her, and for you to be here, it makes me wonder... just who the hell are you, exactly?"_

 _Endymion's lips curved into a sad smile and turned to look over his shoulder at Charon, "Have you ever heard the bitter tale of a hybrid monster living somewhere in the universe?"_

" _Oi, boy..." Charon blinked with great shock when he indeed recognized the myth of the creature the gods have been trying to suppress and eliminate for a very long time. He has drowned and sailed many of the souls taken by his hand that it was shocking to see that the so-called monster was nothing like he imagined him to be and look like. "Are you, really?"_

 _"As you can see, I am not a monster, old man, but a human being. My name is Endymion De Terra—son of Gaia, the Titaness of Earth and her beloved mortal king of Earth… there lies the sin the gods have spoken for thousands of years, it's my nature. The blood that runs through my veins." The prince gave the man a weak smile when he saw Charon's eyes growing wide, "I did tell you not to believe everything you hear, no?"_

" _Oi, boy, are you—"_

" _It was nice meeting you, old man. Endymion nodded his head to pay his respects to the ferryman and turned to leap from the man's paddle and land on the shore, close to the entrance of Infernos' pit. Charon watched Endymion crossing the dark gates in silence as he pushed his boat farther and farther away from the shore, "Oi, boy... your plan is an ambitious one," he muttered as he returned to the river's current and smirked with excitement, "But I want to see you succeed—I want to see just how strong the myth really is." He looked at the medal hanging from his wrist and nodded, "May the fates be on your side, boy... good luck."_

O—o—O

The old ferryman stopped his boat at the shore and looked down at the woman in white and admired her immaculate beauty in silence, "Aye, aye... I see now..."

Saturn took a defensive stance and tightened her grip on her deadly glaive, "Who are you?"

Charon let out a thick and raspy chuckle and walked closer to the edge of his longboat with a slow stride, "I am the ferryman of the Underworld—Charon. The souls that wander into this realm are my jurisdiction and to take them to their respective resting place, my duty." He bowed his head with respect, "I do not need much to tell that you are indeed, God Hades' daughter—Saturn, the Emissary of Death and Silence." His eyes landed on the white princess standing close behind, "I offer you my services, Goddess of Silence; I can take you far from this place. As of now, you are at the very entrance of the Meadows of Asphodel, at the east side of the Fields of Mourning." His neon red eyes glanced at the white princess with her gown torn to shreds, trying her best to stay on her feet and then back at the senshi in dark violet uniform, "It would be a long and harrowing journey for you to reach and travel to the mortal realm on your own. I can take you there. The waters are calm, there should be no problem."

"You, taking us back?" Saturn narrowed her violet eyes, "For such labor, there must be a high price to pay, Ferryman, what are you expecting in return?"

"Nay, nay," Charon chuckled, "That account has already been settled." He closed the gap between the shore and his boat and laid down a ramp for them to step in and quickly offered his hand out to Serenity since it was still difficult to her to walk on her own, "Goddess of the White Moon, the circumstances may not be the best for us to greet each other but it is without a doubt a pleasure to meet you in person. My eyes can confirm the truth behind the solid myth of your breathtaking beauty, so is the magnificence of your presence."

Serenity widened her pale blue eyes when he looked into the old man's; like two orbs of fire looking into her soul, she thought, "Y-You know who I am?"

"Aye, aye... " Charon helped her sit close to the edge, "Please, watch your step, Moon Goddess."

Once the two women were secure inside, Charon pushed his boat far away from the shore into the universal current that would lead them to Oceanus, the river that connects the underworld to the living world and continued their journey in silence. Serenity looked at the many gates in the distance with a heavy heart and could not help to think through which one of them her husband must be trapped in. She wanted to cry, she wanted to jump to that river and swim her way back but her body was still suffering the effects of Athamas' abusive tactics and for being in the underworld for far too long. She looked down at the calm and deep colored waters and peered to her side when a gleam caught her attention. Her eyes widened when she saw the very familiar object hanging proudly from the old man's wrist and turned, "That medal..." She pointed the medal with a shaky finger "W-Where did you get it?!"

Charon continued paddling without looking at the princess, "Ah... this... I made a bargain with this pretty looking boy that turned out to be quite the negotiator, I must say. He was on a very important mission to save the life of his beloved wife." His fiery eyes finally landed on Serenity's clear blue ones, "He gave me this in exchange for my services, making sure that once safe she was taken back to the safety of her living world, no matter what."

Serenity felt her eyes burn with tears as she listened to the old man's tale, it made her remember when they would playfully negotiate over the silliest of things like who would have to empty the vacuum filter or who would get to eat the last pint of chocolate ice-cream left in the fridge; who would have to make dinner or who would have control over the remote for the evening and how she would always tease him with a mischievous smile that would always end in sweet and passionate demonstrations of love. But this was different, this time, he had negotiated his own life for hers. She knew how valuable that medal was to him, one he had earned with so much effort, sacrifices, sweat, and blood. That medal encased the essence and meaning of his royal home, the one he protected and looked after with love and passion until the very end. It represented his family, it represented his kingdom and land, his dreams, his duty as prince and warrior. Her heart felt like shattering into millions of pieces inside her chest just to think of all the things he did for her sake and how such valuable treasure, the only thing that had stayed with him through the passage of time came to be a plain coin to pay for someone's services.

"He is one fine warrior—" Serenity heard Charon say and turned to look at him as he continued to paddle through the long deep river, "I have never seen anyone fight like him... it was truly something to witness,"

"That medal you hold there..." Serenity stared at him with tears gleaming in her eyes, "It's his pride... it holds great meaning to him."

"Aye, aye..." Charon looked at it and nodded, "It sure is something to be proud of,"

Serenity leaned on the rail of the boat and began to resent the separation from her husband; Saturn quickly turned and moved closer to her to wrap her arms around her in support. Charon could see the pain and sorrow in the princess' eyes, the way she was sobbing just showed how broken she was inside, leading him to believe there was no will left in her now that she had left her life partner behind. He wanted to ask, he wanted to know what had happened to the young warrior but as they talked before they parted ways, it was left clear the moon princess was his top priority and Hades had probably played his cards around that matter.

They continued their journey in silence, only accompanied by the moon princess' soft sobbing and constant calls for her husband between muffled cries. The more Charon thought about it, the more it surprised him: if the prince was really the cursed monster the gods swore he was, then how could an immaculate goddess like her cry for his absence with so much pain and sorrow? If he was so merciless, how could he risk his life and putting everything in stake the way he did just for her? That is when the prince's words made perfect sense:

" _Don't believe everything you hear, old man."_

The current of the Oceanus' river started to become livelier, brighter, and clearer, indicating the change of realm. "The Underworld has been left behind—this is where life meets death," Charon muttered as he slowly paddled to the shore, "The Oceanus' river is the connection to the living world. It sure is a safer, much quicker route than to go to Tartarus,"

Charon finally stopped at the shore and turned to the white princess and offered his hand out to her to help her stand; Serenity looked up at him and took his hand with a gentle grip before getting out of the longboat.

"Goddess of the White Moon,"

Serenity turned to look at him over her shoulder with swollen eyes. The man for the first time in all his existence put his paddle aside and walked down the ramp to take her to land with safety, fulfilling the deal he had made with the earth prince. He held her hand up high and wrapped the medal's red sash around her wrist, letting the heavy piece of jewelry hang proudly to catch the light of the living realm. The princess widened her eyes and looked at him, "Y-You're... giving it back? But..."

"He knew what he was doing..." Charon nodded and looked at her, "And despite knowing the outcome, he never slowed down or showed any specks of hesitation. All he had in mind was you—he did not need to tell me, it was written all over his face. His devotion to you was demonstrated with every swing of that majestic sword he carries around with him," he pointed the medal with his bony finger, "That medal may mean something special to him, but his real pride, his real treasure, is you."

Serenity's tears started to roll down her cheeks again; Charon bowed his head to show his deep respects, "If you give up, it would be like discarding his act of bravery and that is the worst thing you could do to a warrior's spirit." He turned to walk back to his boat and grabbed the long paddle with a proud smile in his face, "Goddess of the White Moon, Tartarus is a place as far beneath the Underworld as Earth is beneath the sky—it is its own vortex and this boy went there without a speck of fear. I have never seen such determination in someone's eyes before. He fought countless of demons in his way, he challenged and took care of Hades' most loyal servant, he convinced me to go against my jurisdiction and even fought the dark rebel with success—your presence here, confirms it. Do you really think that he, who went to the depths of hell to bring his beloved back is going to give up just like that and never return? His heart is in your hands—so is his fate. Hold on to that thought and do not let go. In the meantime, let him do whatever he needs to do and fight on his behalf by being where you are needed to be and remember him with pride."

Serenity tightened her grip on the medal and brought it close to her heart; she gave the old man a nod and looked up at him, "I thank you for your words and for bringing us all the way here."

Charon bowed his head one last time and sailed his boat away from the shore and into the rivers that would take him back to the underworld. It was until he was out of sight that Serenity felt like her last connection to Endymion was gone and felt like breaking again, despite the old man's encouraging words.

She knew it was true—what he said. She had to honor everything he did with bravery and pride, she had to be strong for both of them and hold on to the promise they made to themselves two thousand years ago and reaffirmed on their wedding. But that didn't mean she could go on without feeling the pain of his absence; how much could she endure without listening to his voice or looking into his piercing blue eyes. Just how long could she hold on without seeing his smile or taking in his scent, without feeling his warmth or loving arms. That was the real challenge: to be apart from her other half, her soulmate—her best friend. The one that brought calmness and reason to her always hectic life, the one that made her feel strong; the very one that inspired her to become a senshi for love and justice in the past and later on in the present helped her find her confidence in becoming the senshi of mystery, Sailor Moon.

Her thoughts were cut off when she felt Saturn's hand softly holding hers and turned to look into her violet eyes so full of understanding, "Princess... we have to go, Pluto is waiting."

Serenity nodded and let her self being pulled against her will like a broken doll toward the gates of time and space in the fourth dimension. Saturn raised Pluto's key to activate its power and waited for her permission to be granted, showing the senshi of time and revolution at the other side of the heavy gates with Uranus and Neptune waiting alongside her.

"Saturn!" Pluto widened her eyes when she saw Serenity slowly walking behind and felt a tug in her chest when she noticed the prince was nowhere to be found, "Princess!" Neptune and Uranus ran to her rescue being the blonde the first to take Serenity into her arms with heavy relief, "Thank goodness... thank goodness you're back safe and sound..."

Serenity closed her eyes and surrendered to the loving embrace from her blonde friend and nodded but her body could still not entirely respond to the gesture; Neptune noticed the somber look in the princess' face and tightened her lips, already suspecting the worst. Uranus' noticed the princess' odd behavior and widened her eyes when the facts hit her and quickly saw Saturn shaking her head to prevent her from asking for the prince's whereabouts. Pluto tightened her grip on her rod and looked back at the infinite warp behind her, silently wishing Endymion would walk from it there any minute now looking beyond exhausted but with a wide smile of accomplishment and relief in his handsome face. Her garnet colored eyes widened when she heard Serenity started sobbing with heart-wrenching sentiment confirming what she was fearing and so much wanted not to believe:

The prince did not make his way back.

"Nooooooooo!" Serenity started having a nervous breakdown and felt like she was being pulled apart from any sort of reason. Her cries were hoarse and full of pain and lament, worrying Uranus to a point of breaking her usual strong character, "Princess..." she whispered softly in her ear, "Please, you need to calm down, you will hurt yourself,"

"Noooooo! Noooooooo! Endymioon! Come back, please come back!" Serenity tried to break free from Uranus' arms but she was so weak she could barely stand on her feet. Neptune couldn't hold her tears and covered her mouth to muffle her sobs and turned to Pluto who was in the same position if not worse because she felt responsible that he wasn't there with his princess. She allowed him to do such reckless act of bravery in thinking how she could look into the princess' eyes again after what she had done.

"Endymion! Endymion! Noo! Let me go back! Let me go back! Noo!" Serenity panicked cries echoed in the vasticity of the space corridor as she tried to break free and turned to Pluto who was now making use of her garnet key rod to close the gates behind them and felt like her world had finished collapsing and fell unconscious in Uranus' arms.

"Princess!"

"Princess!"

"Princess!"

"Princess!"

O—o—o—o—O

"The stars have spoken? " Minako asked anxiously, "Nephrite, what do you mean?" Her cornflower blue eyes widened when she felt Kunzite's hand on her shoulder; the general took a deep breath and looked at his soul brother, "It means they have given signals from them,"

"Oi," Jadeite sighed with relief and leaned his head back on the sofa behind him, "Thank heavens..."

"So... could it mean it's over?" Ami looked hopeful as she turned to Zoisite who tightened his grip on her hand, "Let us hope it is,"

Rei widened her eyes and turned quickly out the window, catching Makoto's attention "What is it Rei-chan?"

"I sense something—I can feel _her_ aura... they're here..." The priestess jolted from her sitting place and ran toward the temple's entrance. All girls and shitennou followed suit with hurry and just as she predicted, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, and Pluto were back with the princess unconscious in Uranus' arms.

The girls immediately ran toward the outer senshi while the shitennou stayed behind with a troubled look on their faces. Nephrite being the first to break their silence, "He... he is not with them..."

Zoisite widened his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to keep his head cold and his reason intact. Kunzite hung his head low and closed his teary eyes, "Damn it, Endymion..." Jadeite chuckled with disbelief, at the older general's reaction "No... no, he cannot be missing... he is playing us fool... no..." he shook his head and turned to Kunzite, "R-Right?"

Megumi was the last to appear and stood by the shitennou and felt her eyes burn with unshed tears; her chocolate eyes searched the prince with desperation but Jadeite's hesitant voice made her realize the truth; he was not there, he had not come back home with the princess. "P-Prince... w-where is the prince?!" She looked at the girls with panic and then turned to the generals and let the feeling of loss of the pillar of their family finally hit her when she saw they held the same anguished look on their faces, "N-No... no!"

Minako turned to look at Jadeite with a crying Megumi in his arms and Nephrite, Zoisite, and Kunzite with their heads low and felt like her heart had stopped in her chest when she turned and didn't see Endymion with them. She turned to Uranus but just when she was about to ask, Saturn held up her hand, "We need to talk—but first, Princess Serenity needs medical attention right away, she's very weak."

"Let's take her to my room," Rei motioned Uranus to follow her inside. Megumi lifted her head when Uranus passed by and looked saw the princess was covered in cuts and bruises and felt her blood run cold; with urgency, the young maiden stepped back from Jadeite and immediately went after the girls to help. Ami quickly went to give Zoisite a hug and dig her head in his chest to muffle her sobs, "He didn't come back with them... Mamoru didn't come back…" Zoisite closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. He knew well the relationship between them had strengthened over the years and easily be compared to one of a big brother and little sister; proving how much they have truly bonded over the years. she cared for him very much, and this was going to affect them all the same; it was going to be really hard for all of them to process what had just happened and it left him thinking:

This war was far from being over.

He couldn't take this as the end of things. He didn't want to believe it.

This couldn't be how things ended.

O—o—O

Inside the temple, Rei walked into her room and quickly undid her bed to let Uranus tuck the princess in and fight the coldness taking over her fragile body; Ami walked inside soon after she regained composure and focus to evaluate her friend's status and started by cleaning her wounds and treat the bruises; the more she looked, the more it proved the torture the princess went through in hell. The tension hung heavy in the room and it only intensified with the silence that fell over them; the girls didn't need to utter a single word, they all knew what they were asking in their minds: what happened and why the prince had not returned?

The four shitennou waited for news in silence at the living room and turned when Pluto walked in minutes later, no longer wearing her senshi uniform. The desolated look on her face was enough for them to read that she knew more about the situation; Kunzite frowned and finally dared to break the heavy silence between them, "He found you,"

Zoisite, Jadeite, and Nephrite turned to their leader and then at the senshi of time; Kunzite didn't flinch or change his cold glance toward Pluto but before the conversation could continue, the other girls joined in minutes after with Luna and Artemis following behind. Zoisite turned to Ami with worry as soon as she came into view, "How is she?"

"Very weak—it's a miracle she's alive," Ami sighed softly, "But with plenty of rest and a proper care and feeding, she will be alright."

"She had a nervous breakdown right after they walked through the gates and right after, she fainted," Neptune stood next to Uranus who was leaning on the back wall with her arms closed, "I have never seen so much pain mirrored in her face or heard her cry like that before... it was heartbreaking."

Saturn stood by the door and took a deep breath, "Now that we are all here, we must be prepared for what's about to come once Princess Serenity regains consciousness and starts asking for Prince Endymion again,"

"We need to know what happened first," Kunzite narrowed his eyes, "Where is Endymion? Why has not he come back with the Princess?"

Saturn, now dressed in her civilian clothes, her usual choice of black pieces, this time a tunic blouse and black tights. The young lady walked to the center of the room and sat on the vacant sofa and crossed her hands over her lap, "Prince Endymion is in a place far beyond the Underworld— _Thanatos_ —close to the gates of Tartarus. In order for our Princess to be freed, a pact was made between him and Hades that forced him to stay behind but not without a fight. I was informed he caused a rebellion and that he fought many demons in his way including the sins at the gates of the Underworld and Father's most loyal servant, Cerberus in Inferno. He also made a deal with the Underworld's ferryman to take him straight to Thanatos in search of Princess Serenity and arranged an agreement with him to safely sail her back and out of the realm once freed."

Pluto closed her eyes trying to keep her composure under control as she continued to listen to the youngest of the senshi. Uranus and the rest looked at Saturn with shock in their faces, "T-The prince did that?!" Luna asked with great surprise, Saturn nodded, "I was oblivious to the pact Father and Prince Endymion had made until I saw the marks of the Underworld on his wrists. I tried persuading Father out of it but it was futile. The only thing I could achieve was to guide Prince Endymion to where Princess Serenity was held captive and later, taking her back to safety. Confronting Hades right then and there would have put both prince and princess' life in danger and I did not want to risk our chances to return safely."

"Did you speak to him?" Jadeite's voice was charged with worry, "Did he say anything to you?"

Saturn looked at the blonde shitennou and shook her head, "There was not much time, I only saw him for a very brief moment. All he asked was to take her back home and look after her," she lowered her gaze and curled her fingers on her black skirt tightly, "It was like he had already resigned... like he knew what was going to happen to him after the princess was sent away but he didn't care, he just wanted her out of such horrible and dark place, not even I, the daughter of the God of Death had stepped foot in those grounds... I never went pass Hades' throne room—what Prince Endymion did was admirable, without a doubt."

"Asteria... the titaness... what happened to her?" Jupiter asked for everyone in the room, Saturn looked up at the Amazon and exhaled softly, "She's dead—the prince took her life,"

Silence fell over them again to respect and grieve the prince's absence. Mars sighed softly and closed her eyes; it came clear as day, as she remembered what Ares' told her the last time he was there.

 _"Child, the prince you all thought you knew does not exist—he never existed... I must warn you, your whole perception of him might change once you see him use his true power."_

Ares was right, the prince she thought she knew didn't exist—he was stronger and fearless than she ever imagined him to be, making her understand his weight in the world and the universe. He might have awoken and gained full control of his power becoming this destructive force to be reckoned with, but his love and devotion for the princess never faltered but it only became stronger.

To be capable of breaking so many taboos one after the other without losing the focus of his mission in such a dark place like hell was indeed something admirable. It was something she was sure she or any of the girls wouldn't have achieved with the same results if they have gone in his place and that is when it hit her—the tremendous and selfless labor he performed. Endymion not only looked after Serenity, but he also looked out for them too by not allowing them to follow him; his sudden disappearance was a plan he had already made up in his mind. He wanted them to stay behind because he knew since the very beginning that this is what was going to happen; he knew Serenity was going to need them when she returned to take his place and he wanted all of them by her side to guide her and support her regardless of what happened to him. The prince was leaving Earth in their princess' hands.

Mars' eyes gleamed with tears just by thinking about all this, how thoughtful and loyal he was to his planet and loved ones more than any god in the heavens—he, the monster. She looked up and gave Uranus a fiery glance, one the senshi of heavens caught and interpreted right away.

"Without Endymion here..." Jupiter's voice was close to finding a breaking point, they were all emotional, they were all broken and scared, "The princess..."

"We have to be strong for her," Venus looked up, also with tears pooling in her eyes, "We have to stay by her side because this is not going to be easy... this isn't anything close to when Prince Endymion was unconscious, this is way worse because this time, he is not here. She can't see him, she can't touch him, she can't sleep by his side; she can't talk to him or reach to him. Her husband traded his life for hers and she will not take it well if she learns this—at least not now. She will become destructive and her own worst enemy, just like two thousand years ago."

Megumi froze by the door when she heard Venus' horrifying warning. Her heart started to beat stronger and faster in her chest when she thought about the time she saw her dead body lying next to the princes' with his sword impaled in her chest, right where her heart once beat out of love for him and silently agreed with Venus because she had seen firsthand how much she can deteriorate if something happened to the prince. Her devotion to him was as strong as his devotion to her and now that he was not there, it was going to be heartbreaking and very difficult to assimilate. Megumi knew what the princess was capable of doing, she knew she could give her life to Hades without thinking it twice in order to go back to hell and look for him, that's how much she loved him.

She felt like she had heard what she needed to hear, all she wanted to know was what had happened to her and her beloved prince and while the truth broke her heart, she couldn't be prouder of him and to be part of his family, like he constantly reminded her she was. Turning on her heel, she walked back to Mars' room to check on the princess and closed the door behind her when she saw her still asleep on the bed.

She went to wet another cloth and sat at the edge of the bed, next to her, and started patting the cool cloth against her flushed face and lips. The strains of her travels were still marking her beautiful face, her porcelain skin was bruised and her lips were bloody and chapped. Her always perfectly styled hair was half done and tangled; her impeccable white gown was now torn and dirty so where her pearled heels. Megumi continued patting the cotton cloth on her cheeks all the way down to her collarbone and stopped when she saw the pendant hanging from her neck and felt her eyes burn with tears when she remembered giving it to the prince before pleading him to bring her back.

Of all the things she heard he did, Megumi knew there was probably more that happened but nobody witnessed. She knew what hell was like, maybe she had never stepped foot in the underworld but she knew what it was to live on a mission and to do whatever it took for someone's sake; the more she thought about it, the more she admired the prince and the more she wanted to honor his memory and the best way to do it was by looking after his princess.

Megumi eyes widened when she saw Serenity move and slowly opening her crystal blue eyes; it didn't take her long to recognize where she was and notice she was not alone. She slowly turned her head to the side and looked at Megumi in silence for a minute before breaking into sobs. The young maiden immediately leaned down and wrapped her arms around the princess in comfort and stroked her pearlescent hair in comfort, "Cry Your Highness... cry as much as you need to... I am here... I am here..."

The words felt so familiar and so the way they were spoken. It was what made Serenity react to the gesture and pulled Megumi into a tight embrace; it was like she needed the support—her support. Her sobbing while still heavy and heartbreaking it wasn't as alarming as when she fainted in Uranus' arms but it clearly reflected the pain nested in her chest "Megumi..." Serenity cried, "He didn't come back with me... he didn't come back... I couldn't..."

Megumi closed her eyes and muffled her own sobs by pressing her lips tight. She pulled the princess up with her and began rocking her back and forth the same way she saw the prince doing it to calm her down; silently letting her know she knew and that she was there for her. She tightened her arms and felt her heart stop for a second when she felt just how alarming Serenity's fragile state really was. "I know Your Highness... I know... but you have to be strong... you have to stay grounded... I know how stupid that sounds, I know there is no way to describe what you are feeling and that there are no words that would give you the solace your heart needs but you must know you are not alone, you have all of us—you have me by your side, always."

Serenity continued crying on Megumi's shoulder for a while and stayed cuddled with her until her sobbing slowly calmed down, "Where is everyone?" she asked tiredly. Megumi combed her hair back with her hand as she continued holding her in her arms, "In the living room, Your Highness,"

"They know what happened..."

"Yes..."

"The shitennou..."

"They are in the living room with the senshi, Your Highness..."

Serenity took a deep breath, "Are they mad?"

"No," Megumi closed her eyes for a minute, "They are worried for you."

Serenity opened her eyes and remembered Endymion telling her to trust them and to rely on them but she felt like she had failed them by not bringing their brother back with her. She was afraid to look at them face to face, she was afraid to confront them because she knew better than anyone just how close they were to their prince. She pulled back and looked into Megumi's eyes, "Megumi... I need your help,"

Megumi blinked "What is it, Princess?" Serenity cupped Megumi's cheek with her hand and took a deep breath, "I need you to help me go home," Megumi widened her eyes with panic, "P-Princess? But... the girls... they will not allow it, you are very weak, you cannot be by yourself,"

"I know, that is why I need your help... I don't want them to notice—I don't want them to stop me... but it's something I need to do."

"But, Your Highness... being back there would only make you feel worse..." Megumi looked at her with worry, Serenity lowered her gaze and nodded, "I know my condition Megumi... I know it will be hard knowing Endymion will not be there but right now the only thing that would make me feel close to him is if I am home. That is where I want and need to be,"

Megumi dueled an internal conflict between the princess' wishes versus the guardian's wishes. She knew the best for her was to be surrounded by her friends but she felt the longing in the princess' voice for being back to the place she shared with the prince. She knew the girls would stop her the minute she asked for the favor and forced her to stay against her wishes but she also thought the princess had every right to choose what she wanted to do and as she knew the prince would have asked her, she had to be by her side and look out for her no matter what.

"They will get upset when they find you gone, Your Highness..."

Serenity sighed with exhaustion, "Don't they always?" She turned to look at her, "I know they are only trying to look out for me and I respect them, but I really want to go home," she leaned closer the maiden, "Please, Megumi, come with me..."

"Very well," Megumi nodded, "As you wish, Your Highness." She stood up and helped the princess stand up slowly, "Careful... careful..." Serenity flinched and took some air before finally being able to get up from the bed; she looked down at her tore and blood-stained gown and sighed, "This will catch people's attention... I don't have enough energy to de-transform..." she turned to her side and saw one of the kimonos Rei wore around the shrine and put it over to cover her dirty gown as she waited for Megumi to give her a signal to escape.

Megumi opened the door and saw the girls were still talking in the living room and quickly turned to look for another way to get out without being unnoticed. She returned to the bedroom and helped the princess walk out in silence and went the opposite way until they found a back door in the kitchen. Once outside, Serenity stopped and looked up at the night sky and felt the cold breeze against her warm cheeks. She felt a soft tug on her arm and looked at Megumi who was silently motioning her to hurry.

"May I ask where are you going this late at night, Princess Serenity?"

Both Megumi and Serenity stopped and turned to find Jadeite leaning against a tree close to the stairs that lead to the shrine. The general walked closer to both women and turned to Megumi first, "Megumi... what do you think you are doing?"

"G-General..." Megumi widened her eyes and blinked, trying to come up with a good excuse "I—"

"I asked her to take me home, Jadeite, it's not her fault," Serenity finally took the courage to look into the blonde's grayish blue eyes. "Please don't take it out on her."

"Princess, you know you cannot be by yourself... you are very—"

"—Weak, I know... I know my condition, but it's something I need to do..." Serenity nodded, "Jadeite... I know you all try to look out for me... the girls—I know it's their way to keep me safe, but I need to be by myself... I need to go to a place that makes me feel closer to him... I need to go Jadeite... please... I beg of you, don't say a word."

Jadeite sighed the heaviness in his chest and lowered his gaze, "It is funny... I can almost hear Endymion's voice saying something like ' _Please look after her while I am gone,_ ' or " _I swear if something happens to her you will not see the end of it,"_ he shook his head trying to fight the lump forming at the back of his throat, "I know for a fact that this is what he would want from us—to protect you, to be there for you because he is so madly in love with you that he just cannot let anything happen to you—he is so crazy about you that he goes to the very end of the universe to bring you back home—that same home you now want to return to..." He looked up at her with tears in his eyes, "Now, who am I to stop you from doing something I know he wanted you to do in the first place? No one... I cannot interfere with your wishes, Princess, I only do what I know he would have asked me to do."

Serenity felt a tug in her chest and wrapped her arms around the general and pulled him close in an embrace, "You are someone very special, Jadeite, you are Endymion's brother... you are my family and I know you are looking after me, but you're right, I want to return home—that home where his scent still lingers in the air and on the sheets of the bed we share. That home where I can clearly imagine him drinking coffee or humming a silly song to help me fall asleep when I feel worried about something or because I drank too much coffee at night and I can't deal with my caffeine overdose... that home where all of our memories are. I need that to gather the strength I need to fight back and find a way to bring him back."

Jadeite widened his eyes and pulled back to look at her in the eye; while she was clearly heartbroken, weak, hurt, and with the thinnest will to live, her words were determinant. He dried the tears rolling down her cheeks with the thick fabric of his sleeve and nodded, "In order to cover your plan, I must remain here… if I leave it would raise suspicion."

"I understand,"

"Please be very careful, Princess. I need to trust your word."

"We will, Jadeite."

"Is there a way for you to get inside?" Jadeite looked at her with concern; Serenity nodded, "Yes, there is a way for me to get a spare key,"

Jadeite nodded and turned to Megumi, "I will leave her in your care for tonight, Megumi," his eyes then fell on the princess, "But tomorrow, we will go and make sure you are alright."

"Thank you, Jadeite..." Serenity sniffled softly; Jadeite nodded and took a step back, "Please be safe Princess... if you need anything, please let me know."

Serenity nodded and turned to leave, leaning on Megumi as they walk down the stairs. The blonde soldier sighed heavily and dried the tears falling from his eyes and looked up at the night sky, "I will look after her in your name my brother, just hurry up and find a way back... please do not leave her alone for too long."

O—o—O

Inside the temple, the girls were still trying to assimilate the situation but it was still too unbelievable and painful to grasp on the idea of not having Endymion around. It was crazy how things unraveled into this life-changing scenario when just months ago they were all leading normal lives, away from the idea of taking back their post as senshi and fight for a future they thought they had made and molded to their current lifestyles.

This was completely different from what they thought it would be. Back when they traveled to the 30th century, they learned a few things about what had led them to create the new silver millennium and Crystal Tokyo and for how things were happening now it was completely far from it starting with the fact that the big freeze never came and that the terran prince was no longer with them.

The shitennou's presence was another one big difference and so were the enemies they have fought up to this point. This was surprising even for Pluto and it was starting to make her lose all belief in that future she thought was real. Not even when she was back at the gates of time and space, every time she saw the queen or king, none of them showed signs of aftermath from this string of time; she never heard the king talk about his titan nature, she never saw him use his power; she didn't know the whole taboo label that was put under his existence and most certainly, she never imagined he had gone to Inferno itself to save the queen.

The man she remembered, while strong and benevolent, it could not be compared to the Endymion she saw minutes before he threw himself into the Underworld. The king she had in her memory was a very intelligent man but the Endymion she knew in this time was a man experienced in war, one that had taken lives without thinking it twice and was not afraid to get his hands dirty for the sake of others—a man of action more than a man who relied on just words and strategies made up inside a control room. As much as she respected and admired the pristine image from that king from that future, it was like he was a completely different person from the prince she knows and admires now and who was supposed to follow his footsteps—it didn't match, it didn't make sense. And it almost looked like it was that same king who had urged his past self to thrive for more; after all, it was him who taught him how to use some of that hidden power.

"I haven't seen Megumi since we carried the princess to your room," Minako turned to Rei and looked around. Rei nodded, "She is probably with her,"

"I'll go check on her," Ami stood up and walked towards Rei's bedroom. Rei sighed heavily, "It worries me—that thing you said,"

"What?" Minako frowned, Rei rubbed her temples "That she will become destructive and her own worst enemy..."

"I don't know what's worse... the fact that back then she saw him die or this time when she saw him stay in hell—literally," Makoto said with her head low, trying her best not to cry. She halted when she felt Nephrite's hands on her shoulders and gave him a sad look, "Oh god... Nephrite... no... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

"No, don't." Nephrite shook his head, "It is alright Jupiter," he looked up at Kunzite, "We kind of knew Endymion would do something like this,"

"What?" Rei frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Under extreme circumstances, extremes measures must be taken..." Minako mumbled and turned to Kunzite, "This is what you meant with those words..."

"If he went all the way there... he can still find a way back, doesn't he?" All eyes turned to Haruka who was still leaning on the wall with her arms crossed but with her head low, "If he has that much power—he can come back for her, doesn't he?"

"Irony is bitter," Kunzite narrowed his eyes, "You of all people... asking such questions," He felt a rush of anger boiling through his veins and stood from his seat next to a startled Minako "Kunzite..." she tried to pull him down to his seat but obviously she was no match for him when it came to natural human strength, "Which damn side are you on?! First, you fight him and now you are here asking questions that do not correspond to you?"

Haruka looked up at the general, "I know what I did, General, and that is something I want to personally address with him," she frowned, "Up to that day I kept biased between what the gods have wanted us to believe and how things really are—the prince is not a monster but this situation is and it is devouring us, one by one."

Ami ran into the living room seconds later with a pale face and a horrified look on her face startling everyone present, "Ami?"

"She's not in the bedroom—the princess..."

"What?!" All girls widened their eyes, the shitennou turned to look at each other and immediately went outside the temple to look for her. Ami gasped for air and turned to Rei, "She's not there and neither is Megumi!"

"I will go look for her around the temple, maybe she just went to take some air," the urgency in Makoto's voice didn't help ease Ami's worry; it was because she knew more about her friend and princess' health that it panicked more to know she was gone. Minako and Rei both ran to check at all the rooms inside the temple, including the cottages they used as storage.

Zoisite caught Jadeite still standing at the top of the stairs that led to the shrine and walked to him with urgency, "Jadeite!" The blonde turned to look over his shoulder and sighed, "You will not find her here..."

"What?"

"The princess... you will not find her here,"

Zoisite frowned, "You know she is missing?"

Jadeite turned to look at Zoisite with defeat and sadness marked in his eyes, "She asked Megumi to take her home—her home," Zoisite turned to leave but Jadeite stopped him, "Jadeite!"

"Don't..."

"What is happening here?" Both blondes turned to Kunzite and Nephrite who were walking toward them; Zoisite looked at Jadeite with confusion and then turned to Kunzite, "Princess Serenity has left the temple," Nephrite widened his moss-colored eyes, "What?!"

Kunzite sighed and shook his head, "I was suspecting she would do something like this and for the look in your face I assume you spoke to her before she left, Jadeite,"

"She does not want to be disturbed—at least not tonight and I want to grant her that wish." Jadeite turned to his big brother and leader; Zoisite frowned and turned panicked "A few hours alone is all she needs to do something reckless!" He turned to Kunzite, almost pleading him to give him a command to go and bring her back, "We must go after her—she is in danger!"

"She is not alone, Megumi is with her..." Jadeite frowned, "Zoisite... her husband just traded his life for hers... and she is still a newlywed. She married Endymion a little over a month ago... right now that home is all she has that can make her feel closer to him. I cannot—I have no right to take the only feeling of attachment to him she has left right now. The only thing that makes her want to keep her going... I do not think she will do something reckless... I trust her." Jadeite sighed softly, "By the way she spoke—it is clear Endymion said something to her before parting ways but we will not know if we pressure her, she just returned from damned Inferno for goodness sake! Listen to her pain!"

"Jadeite..." Zoisite mumbled his brother's name with awe, this was one of those rare occasions where he could see the blonde general allow himself to be raw and expose his kind and romantic personality, the one he always masked with sarcasm and silly jokes.

"What should we do, Kunzite?" Nephrite turned to the white-haired general with concern; Jadeite crossed his arms still very much immersed in the conversation and with the mission to justify the princess' reasons to be absent, "I told her we would be going to see her tomorrow and she agreed—she is overwhelmed and right now she does not want to answer any questions or tell anyone what happened. Brothers... just think of all the things that she must have seen there... the things she went through..."

Kunzite paid close attention to the mortification and pain in Jadeite's voice; it was strange to hear him speak with such desperation and seriousness and not because he did not think he was a capable soldier, but because he, of all five, was the first to find a more positive side to any situation. It was his job after all, as a strategist—to keep a mind cool and centered but it was clear that he was the one that was having a harder time to keep his emotions at bay when it came about Endymion's decision to stay in Inferno. As soldiers, they all knew this was something that could happen and because they were trained to follow certain rules and disciplines, they were aware of the risks one would have to take to complete a mission and this was not just any mission, it was a matter of life or death.

All four shitennou finally took a moment of silence to mourn the prince's absence, all admitting that while very risky, it was something very admirable and heroic thing to do for his wife. What better proof that his devotion to her than sending her back safe and sound from a place where infinite pain and suffering is absolute.

Kunzite opened his eyes and came to realize a few things he needed to confirm with the princess present and ready to talk. What Jadeite said was true, no one could truly understand because no one has ever been in a place like that—nobody knows at this point what happened to her, what she saw, what she heard and what did Endymion say before they parted ways. "I will talk to Venus..." The first in command of the shitennou turned to Zoisite and the others, "We will go there first thing in the morning, we need to talk to her first."

"But Kunzite!" Zoisite widened his eyes, Kunzite sighed softly "I am putting all my trust in Megumi's hands... if Princess Serenity asked her the favor to take her away, it is because she is the only person she wants to have by her side right now. Maybe because she is the closest to understand her grief and fear of being alone in a place filled with terrors and then return to a place she can now barely recognize as her home,"

"It feels like things are falling apart beneath our feet..." Zoisite rubbed the bridge of his nose with uncharacteristic frustration, Nephrite frowned, "What do you mean?"

Zoisite looked up at his fellow comrades and let out a heavy sigh, "Mercury is worried about her health, she hasn't said much but given the circumstances... I think it is important we all are aware of it as well."

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is Rated M. Violence, cursing and intimacy may occur._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._


	63. Chapter 63

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Sixty Three

* * *

Megumi sighed once they stood outside of their apartment building and turned to Serenity when she felt tightening her grip on her hand for a minute before finally taking enough courage to walk inside. She was so frightened, like a lost girl barely recognizing her way back home.

Serenity took a deep breath and walked toward the manager's apartment on the ground floor and pressed his doorbell a couple of times until the man came to view, "Ah, Tsukino-san!" He smiled softly and blinked in recognition, "Or should I call you Chiba-san now that you are a married lady?"

Serenity managed to muster a smile to give the man but she was so exhausted it was hard to sound her usual playful and bubbly self, "Good evening, Takahina-san,"

The manager noticed the bruises and dirt on her beautiful face and frowned, "Tsukino-san? W-What happened to you?! A-Are you alright!?"

Serenity brought a hand to her cheek and let out a soft but very fake chuckle, "Oh, this... yes... I did this 'warrior princess' photoshoot for the magazine and well... some of the models didn't show up at the very last minute so this why I am looking like if I just came straight from hell, it's all stage makeup, Takahina-san, don't worry." She felt her knees shaking as if they were made of gelatin underneath her torn gown; it was taking more energy to keep herself composed to continue her little façade in front of the man and silently thanked her former job gave her enough material to create believable excuses of this caliber since it was not the first time he saw her show up with the weirdest costumes or props for when she had to work on a photo-shoot, giving her the perfect alibi to actually tell the man the truth without sounding like a crazy woman. The manager chuckled, "Ah, I see, I see... you got me scared there for a minute, Tsukino-san!" He turned back and walked over a very fancy wooden cabinet he had at the foyer of his office and opened one of the doors, "Keys?"

Serenity nodded with a tired smile, "Keys..."

"Lost them again, huh?"

"You know me, silly me..."

"It's alright," The man chuckled as he walked back, "Actually, I do have a new set of keys Chiba-san asked me to keep around in case of an emergency some time ago, he knows you well, child."

Serenity felt like it was only a matter of minutes before she would collapse in front of the man at the mention of her husband. "Better than anyone..." she said softly and took the keys from the man with a shaky hand, "Thank you, Takahina-san... I'm sorry for having bothered you at this hour,"

"No problem, Tsukino-san, that is why I am here for," he smiled "Say, I haven't seen Chiba-san around lately, is he doing alright?"

Serenity felt as if she just swallowed a ball of fire and nodded again with a smile on her face. This was pure torture for her. "Yes, yes... he left for this important medical convention out of the country—he had to take some courses, you know he has to keep up to date with everything,"

"Yeah, that's the thing with doctors... they never stop studying, there is always something new to learn and keep up, but, it's thanks to people like him that people like me can live a peaceful and healthy life. I have deep respect for that young man, having a job like that is very selfless and noble despite the amount of sacrifice it requires to be on call 24/7." Takahina's words felt like daggers on Serenity's heart, even him, as a person alien to their real identities could value the effort the prince makes to keep them safe, bringing more sense as to why he became a doctor. It's in his nature, to be protective and to be of service to people without expecting anything in return. Serenity smiled softly, "Thank you, Takahina-san... I truly value your words and I am sure, Mamoru will too. Good evening and again, I am sorry for the inconvenience."

"Don't worry about it. You look tired Tsukino-san, go and have some well-deserved rest." The man smiled and waved his hand at Serenity as she turned on her heel and walked toward the elevator.

O—o—O

The soft bell sound of the elevator as it went up was the only thing preventing silence from creeping into both women's minds. The princess and maiden stood side by side with their stomach feeling the pull effect of the motion of the elevator as it took them to the twenty-fifth floor.

Serenity sighed and leaned her head back on the wall of the fancy elevator, "He has left such big mark in the world with every choice he has made..." she closed her eyes to keep her tears from falling, even though she knew it was a futile attempt, "And I know he doesn't even look at it that way... it has always been a natural thing for him to do,"

Megumi turned to her with the saddest look on her face, "Princess..."

Serenity took a deep breath and furrowed her brows, "I am a scoundrel Megumi... sometimes I hate it—that undying sense of duty he has for everything. Sometimes I curse Ares' name in silence for bringing his memories back. Sometimes I wish he wasn't the Prince of Earth, or me, the Princess of the Moon. Sometimes I hate it because I don't care about those things, because all I want is _him_ —what is underneath that very demanding title, the simple man he really is." She brought a hand up to her forehead, as if she was trying to cover herself from shame and guilt, "I just want to be with him and spend our days cuddled on the sofa or in bed and do nothing. I am a horrible person Megumi, I don't want to share him with anyone... anymore. I just wish I could steal him away and hide him from everyone and everything and it angers me to the very core because I know I can't do such low thing." She opened her eyes and let her tears roll down her cheeks with complete freedom, "Endymion is not a monster or a hybrid—nor a weapon or a disposable tool for the gods to do their damage control when things get out of their hands! He is my husband, goddammit! _My_ husband!" She threw her fist back and punched the wall with force, "He's a person with feelings, not a fucking amusement to all! He's—" Her eyes widened when she felt Megumi wrapping her arms tight around her and looked down, "M-Megumi..."

"That does not make you a scoundrel, Princess, just a woman who madly loves and cares for her husband. It is more than fair to feel this way, to be this angry, because you have every right to be with him." Megumi closed her teary eyes for a moment, "I know what it is like to hate divinity... the gods... the unforgiving laws of nature..." She pulled back and looked into the princess' eyes, "But I know that it is not who you are—you are not a goddess who hate or hold grudges in her heart and I know it is not something my Prince would like for you to do..."

The sound of the elevator doors opening pulled Serenity back from the somber place she was slowly falling into and leaned on Megumi as she guided her to the apartment. Megumi took the keys from the princess' hand to turn the locks on the door and pushed it wide open for Serenity to walk inside first and closed it once both were in and turned to switch the lights on. In an instant flash, both women were welcomed by desolation.

The apartment felt and looked like a field post-war. Serenity turned to look around and saw things were exactly the way they left them. The princess couldn't figure out how long it had been since she left but she could feel the characteristic coldness of a place when it had been vacant for a long period of time. There were dirty plates left on the sink, the coffee machine was left half full; the curtains and windows were left open and there was a neatly folded newspaper on the dining table that left clear Endymion was still sleeping before he rushed out the door to help her and everything else unraveled to catastrophic proportions. Serenity looked down and saw small stains of blood on the hardwood floor coming all the way from the small hallway and remembered about Endymion's wound on his leg while on her way toward the bedroom as she let the kimono slide off her shoulders with disinterest and pushed the bedroom door open only to find more pieces of tragedy manifested in uncharacteristic traits like it is to see their bed undone and clothes scattered all over the floor.

An instant wave of memories suddenly haunted Serenity's mind as she stood frozen by the door, staring into the room that seemed to have been suspended in time. Her eyes began to burn with tears when she confirmed what she had said to Jadeite moments earlier. The fresh and woody notes of his cologne still lingered in the air like if he had just gotten dressed and had left for work that very morning; the clothes he wore to sleep the night before looked like they were carelessly thrown over the lounge cushion chair they had close to the window, next to a table she always liked to keep neatly decorated with her favorite scented candle of the season and a vase with fresh flowers that were now wilted and dry. Serenity felt a strong chill running all over her skin and noticed the room was colder than usual because the curtains and window were left open just like they were in the living room.

Megumi turned to go to the linen closet to get clean sheets for the bed but she was immediately stopped by the anxious tone in the princess' voice "No... don't..."

"Princess?"

"Don't change them... don't..." Serenity shook her head in almost panic, "Please... I just..." she turned to look at her over her shoulder, "I—don't..."

"It is alright Princess, it's alright, I understand. I will not change the sheets..." Megumi nodded and walked to the bathroom to prepare a hot bath to wash away the dirt, the blood, and the feeling of abandon from the princess' body—at least a little.

Almost unwilling, Serenity walked to her husband's side of the bed and looked at Endymion's belongings neatly placed over his nightstand: his sleek phone, his wallet, his keys, the special astronomic wristwatch she gave him for his last birthday and that she clearly remembered he was wearing the day before; the book he just started reading every night before going to sleep and she had heard mutter with annoyance at how boring it was even for him, who loved to read. Some crumbled receipts from the café where they had brunch the previous day and a small box of peppermints—because he constantly said it was important to always have minty-fresh breath especially when having a work like his were he had to talk to people all day. It's because of things like these what made her miss him even more. Endymion was a master of detail and it was what Serenity loved and missed the most. He had a fixation and attention for everything, a quirk she always mocked him for, it was all the little things he did on a daily basis—from the moment he opened his eyes to the moment he always let out that long and characteristic yawn before falling asleep that made him so unique—so _him_ , but what really shook her ground was to see his favorite black mug was left half-full.

Serenity felt a blow in the pit of her stomach and a cringing pain in her chest to take into account how things happened that day since he was not the kind of man that voluntarily would waste a cup of hot coffee—never, _ever_. As she carefully unwrapped the red sash from her wrist and placed the royal medal next to the rest of his belongings, she kept thinking on how even when she made the blandest batch in the world, he would drink it all without complaint and even dare to ask for more. Serenity secretly knew it was a guilty pleasure of his whenever she made coffee for him no matter how bland or awfully strong it turned out. Just the fact of knowing she thought of him and went through the trouble it is for her to wake up early to put it to brew while he was out for his morning run or taking a shower made him feel adored. It was the sole reason he knew how much she valued her sleep and how hard it was for her to get up at the same time he did because she was by any means a morning person.

She didn't notice how long Megumi had been standing close, but soon after let her guide her to the bathroom and started to lose the laces on her back that kept the remains of her gown in place and helped her get into the bathtub she had prepared with essential oils to soothe her sore muscles and calm her nerves. Megumi sat on the edge of the tub and slowly worked her fingers through her tangled hair and undid the remains of one of the hair buns she still had loosely formed in her head. With much care, she squeezed a large sponge to allow the warm soapy water run down her hair and face and repeated the process several times to get as much grime and dirt off her skin before she proceeded to work a thicker lather with another washcloth. The moment itself felt a little bittersweet for both of them; to see how the tables had turned and it was now Megumi comforting Serenity and helping her feel more at ease and at home. The maiden took the sponge again to wash away the lather on her skin and repeated the process a couple of more times before she continued to gently scrub the remains of dirt and dry stains of blood from her arms and back and then proceeded to gently massage the thick lather of shampoo on her scalp and long hair.

"Smells nice..." Serenity mumbled hazily as she stared at the wall and let Megumi continue washing her long platinum hair. Megumi smiled softly, "I am glad you like it, Princess... it will help you feel better,"

"I believe this is the best I will ever feel..." Serenity closed her eyes and let her tears run down her cheeks and started to sob again, "I know Princess," Megumi said sadly as she cleansed the shampoo off her pearlescent hair, "I know you will not feel better until you see His Highness again but... a little speck of good in this swarm of sadness is better than nothing at all,"

Megumi's words meant more to Serenity than the maid imagined; it was something Endymion would have said if he was there with her. Serenity could see Endymion's influence on Megumi; it was strange because they were nothing alike but the way they thought was very similar. Maybe it was because they both were from the same realm, she grew surrounded by his family's customs and despite having lived for more than two thousand years, she was a still a simple girl from Elysion, and she, just like Endymion, had that peculiar way to see things. That is what caught Serenity's attention when she first stepped foot on Earth, their passion and perspective on life and the way to find light where there was darkness.

They stayed in silence, both grieving the prince's absence in their own way and both giving themselves the comfort they needed and felt nobody else could give them. They knew this, they needed to be alone; Serenity was terrified about coming back to the apartment alone because she knew what she was going to find, she knew it was going to be like getting a punch in the stomach as soon as she walked through the door and let herself being pulled into the swirl of emotions and memories that lurked in every corner but they needed a space to heal and mourn without feeling the pressure of having to answer questions she was still not ready on being asked. She was aware it was something that was going to happen more sooner than later, probably the next day, but right now, they both needed each other's company and nothing more.

She imagined that by this time the girls probably had found out she had fled the temple and were looking all over for her; she felt bad for sneaking out and not tell them anything, she loved them with all her heart and soul but right now, their natural way of showing comfort was not what she needed at this very moment. She didn't want to be protected, she just wanted to be understood.

Megumi helped Serenity step out of the bathtub with great care before wrapping her body with a large sized and fluffy light grey towel and walked out of the bathroom with her. Serenity went to grab some clean clothes and underwear and minutes after walked out of the walk-in closet wearing a plain white long-sleeve cotton shirt and light pink pajama pants with a star-print pattern and went to sit on the bed with a lost stare. Megumi went to sit next to her and started to dry her hair with another towel and proceeded to blow-dry the remains of moisture off her long tresses with the hairdryer; Serenity turned and looked at her with tears in her eyes once done and took a deep breath, "Can you stay with me tonight?"

Megumi dried the princess' tears with the towel and gave her a soft, reassuring smile "Of course, Princess, anything you need," she went to hang the towel to dry inside the bathroom and opened the large window to increase ventilation and then pointed the linen closet once out, "I will go get some blankets to make myself a tent on the floor and—"

"No," Serenity shook her head and went to pull the fluffy duvet and sheets on her side of the bed and turned to the maiden, taking Megumi by surprise, "P-Princess?"

"Here," the princess stared at Megumi with the same panic and patted the mattress on her side, "Sleep with me _here_ ,"

"B-But... Princess... I cannot possibly... that is..." Megumi blushed, Serenity blinked and shook her head, "It's just a bed, Megumi, and it's too big for me to sleep alone," she looked down sadly, "Besides, you are family, please... take my side," Megumi felt her eyes burn with tears, "P-Princess..."

"You're _my_ family Megumi, you are that little piece of Endymion I need with me," Serenity looked at her with longing and deep emotion. Megumi felt like if her heart was being wrapped in a warm blanket with her words; it was without a doubt the most loving and emotional statement she was ever given, she thought. Without any point of negotiation, Megumi nodded and followed the princess' wish; she went first to help her lay on Endymion's side of the bed and then went to take what was Serenity's side and let the princess pull the fluffy duvet all the way up to cover them and snuggled next to her while holding her hand to dear life and let themselves being lulled by their warmth and companion.

"I don't know what I would do without you Megumi... thank you, for everything,"

"There is nothing to thank me for, Princess, I am glad to be here with you."

Serenity took a deep breath and looked at the maiden with teary eyes, "He asked me to tell you he's sorry..."

Megumi widened her eyes, "Princess?"

"He asked me to rely on you, and to tell you that he loves you..." Serenity tightened her grip on her hand, "He loves you very much, Megumi."

Megumi felt her cheeks flush and let her tears roll down slowly, she felt a lump in her throat that would not go away. "This is so hard..." Serenity snuggled closer to Megumi and dried her tears with her sleeve, "But, you're not alone Megumi... you have me. I'm not going anywhere—no matter how much effort it costs my heart to keep beating without him here, I am not going anywhere." She wrapped her arm around her and pulled her close, "I can't go anywhere..."

Megumi watched the princess slowly close her eyes and couldn't help but wonder what else must have happened to them in that place to carve such determination in her heart despite being pulled away from her soulmate in such traumatic way. As she slowly felt Serenity's warm grip on her hand started to loosen, Megumi took a deep breath to calm her own fears and tucked a long piece of pearlescent hair behind the princess' ear, "Please, come back to her..."

O—o—o—o—O

Makoto returned to the living room with a distraught look on her face, "She's not anywhere around the shrine..."

"The outers went to look for her in Uranus' car..." Rei sat on the couch with her hands covering her face, "I should have known that she would do something like this—it just never crossed my mind Megumi would agree to help her escape in her unstable condition,"

"She's very weak... she can be walking around the city in her state..." Ami said on the verge of tears, "I can't stay here and do nothing—I am going to look for her too, she can't be too far..."

"What!?"

Makoto, Rei, and Ami turned to a very flustered Minako walk behind Kunzite in the corridor, "Why didn't you told us about this!? What is the matter with you!?"

"Venus..."

"What's going on?" Rei asked Minako; the blonde didn't avert her angry gaze from Kunzite's and shook her head as she walked into the living room, "Usagi went back to her apartment,"

"What? B-But... she can't... how..."

"Exactly, she can't be alone right now," Minako put her hands on her waist and started to roam the room with anger, "I can't believe this..."

"Venus, the Princess is not alone—Megumi is with her, she is not going to leave her side..." Kunzite tried to sound as calm and reasonable as possible, "You need to trust her,"

"The last time she lost him, she killed herself Kunzite!" Minako raised her voice, "She took Prince Endymion's sword and killed herself! And have you already forgotten what happened to her when he was unconscious?! She almost starves to death, she didn't want to eat anything—all she did was sleep!"

Ami felt a sting in her chest at the mention of the princess' condition and covered her face with mortification as she watched her leader and friend storm around the living room.

"Princess Serenity is stronger than you believe, Venus—she is not the same helpless girl from two thousand years ago." Kunzite frowned, "Yes, you are right, she committed such atrocity due to her immense grief but remember she was a girl whose hands were tied by standards imposed by the gods. She could barely throw a punch, she could not defend herself—she had the courage and the determination, yes, but she did not have the strength, she depended on Endymion to look out of her—this time is different. She knows how to fight—she _is_ Sailor Moon. She has fought for this planet many times and she has seen enough madness and malice to last her a lifetime."

Minako frowned, "That doesn't change the facts that she is self-des—"

"—Endymion taught her battle skills," Kunzite nodded, "She asked him to teach her combat techniques like the soldier she is; she prepared for something like this. Venus, this is a woman who knows how to defend herself, she is a force to be reckoned with. Princess Serenity is a warrior and if she was not strong enough, Endymion would have never done what he did. I know my Master—he would have never put the fate of this planet in her hands while he is down there paying for other's sins if she was not strong enough to take charge—why do you think this planet has not crumbled beneath your feet?"

The girls froze in their place with shock; the remaining three shitennou walked into the living room when they heard the conversation between the love senshi and their leader was heating up. "Venus," Kunzite didn't avert his attention from the blonde woman in front of him, "If she was not strong enough she would not have survived a second in that place—she would have died, right there and then. She was in Inferno; just try to imagine the things she must have seen... the things she must have heard... the desolation she must have felt..."

Minako felt like she was close to breaking into tears in front of everyone, Kunzite took a deep breath, "She was in another dimension away from her friends, her family, away from home—from her husband." He narrowed his grey eyes, "It pains me... it angers me just to think the desperation they both must have felt—one for being dragged to hell and the other for wanting to get there as fast as possible but with hundreds of obstacles thrown in his way with the sole purpose of killing him."

Minako couldn't help it anymore and took a seat on the coffee table with her hands covering her crying face; things fell like pieces of a puzzle in her head. She had to give Kunzite the reason on this argument and agree that Princess Serenity was not the same woman anymore—she didn't depend on them for everything, she was not the helpless cry-baby who didn't want to believe that bad people existed and that true evil was real.

The same went for Rei, Makoto, and Ami. Kunzite's words were powerful and full of admiration for their princess. It was unexpected to see the always skeptic and stoic general talk with so much passion and respect about her; settling the question as to why the man earned his place as the prince's right hand.

All four shitennou shared a close relationship, they all blindly trusted each other and were like brothers but Minako could see the level of confidence Kunzite had with Endymion was as deep as the one she had with Serenity and the words that were coming from him were not from the general, but from Endymion's confident. He knew more things about the prince than the rest of the shitennou did, just like Minako knew the deepest secrets Serenity was afraid to tell anyone else. Maybe that is why she felt so helpless and desperate, because she didn't know what was going through the princess' mind, because she wasn't there to keep her grounded, because she's so broken that solitude was better than being with them considering Serenity was not the kind of woman who liked being alone.

"I still... I can't leave her alone..." Minako sobbed, "No matter how strong she is now... she is still broken inside... and one can do terrible things for love,"

Kunzite kneeled in front of the blonde and cupped her face to look into her eyes, "That is absolutely true—one can do terrible things for love... but what those two feel for each other surpasses any logic about love—her love for him is so big that she has a bigger desire to see him alive more than she wants to die."

Minako's eyes widened, "Kunzite..."

"I too was against the idea of her being alone in that apartment but Jadeite is right—her husband just traded his life for hers in the Underworld and she practically is still a newlywed. Right now, that apartment is all she has that can make her feel closer to him." Kunzite pulled her close and tightened his arms around her back, "I know it is you who wished to be there to comfort her, I know how close you are, but she needs time. She is not alone, Megumi is with her and tomorrow we can all go see her... right now, she is not ready to talk and maybe it will be a while before she wants to speak of what happened there. We need to give her some space—what she went through was a traumatic experience that could break anyone."

"It is not about preference... this is not about who she prefers the most, who she loves the most... who is the better confident," Jadeite joined the conversation, "Princess Serenity asked Megumi to take her home because, in some way, Megumi can understand what she went through because she also lost the prince twice. They may care for him in a different way but their grief is the same."

Rei nodded in agreement, completely understanding and accepting Jadeite's words. It was true, none of them didn't know what she must have felt in a place like that—a place, not even the gods could deal on their own. As much as they all loved her, they had to respect her wishes and give her the time to process everything until she feels it is time to come forward and speak. They have come to accept that they no longer could see her as just good old Tsukino Usagi, the girl with the light and bubbly personality, but Serenity, the brave and fearless woman who takes charge of her own emotions and decisions without asking anyone's permission, an heir of a powerful throne and high position in the divine realm. The woman who decided to put her royal status aside to become a soldier for love and justice just so she wouldn't be a damsel in distress anymore and to actually fight alongside her warrior husband without hesitation and showing no fear. Rei accepted this with pride and honor and she knew the other girls did too without feeling like they have lost her best friend.

"I think we need to be very careful as to how we deal with this situation," Zoisite said softly as he sat next to Ami and held her hand, "If we all go in one visit it might be overwhelming for her this time—we should go visit in small groups and take turns to see her."

"And under any means, we should mention what happened between Uranus and Endymion right after she was taken by Asteria..." Makoto muttered dryly, "That is the last thing she needs to know right now," Nephrite nodded and leaned to kiss her temple, "Absolutely. We must very careful with that and they need to know this too."

"I want to go see her first..." Ami said in a low tone, "I want to check on her and make sure that she is taking proper care of herself," Zoisite squeezed her beloved's hand and nodded in understanding of what she was talking about. The white-haired general sighed more relaxed, "Very well, this sounds more like a plan," Kunzite nodded and turned to Minako, "Venus?"

"I will go tomorrow too—I want to see her, I won't ask her anything... I just... I want to see her," the blonde said softly and dried her tears, "You're right, I need to snap out of my frustration and be there for her as her friend and not just her guardian and be strong _with_ her, not just _for_ her—we need to do this first before we can think of a way of how to bring the Prince back."

"That's my girl," Kunzite smiled proudly and kissed her softly on her temple. Rei sighed softly and stood up, "I will call Haruka to let them know what happened so she can tell Hotaru-chan, Michiru, and Setsuna—I will also make great emphasis on how not to pressure her to do things she's not feeling of doing—like answering a round of questions in a quarter of a second."

"That sounds reasonable," Jadeite nodded and turned to his brothers and senshi, "I suppose all we can do now is to try and have some rest... I know it sounds easier than it actually is but we have to if we want to show a good face tomorrow."

"Yes, Jadeite is right..." Nephrite sighed softly, "Asteria has been defeated... and while it does not mean we will lower our guard, at least we can expect some peace tonight knowing that she will not crawl back into this planet," Makoto nodded, "I agree... I think it's safe to go home." She turned to the chestnut-haired man and gave him a soft smile but she didn't need to ask him anything to know he was going back with her.

The same happened with Kunzite and Zoisite as they all decided to leave with the girls to their apartments, being Jadeite the only one left behind and thinking about the choices he had in hand. As Rei ended the call with Haruka, she walked back to the living room and noticed everyone was gone.

"They went home,"

Rei widened her eyes and turned to look at Jadeite standing by the door, ready to leave as well, "Oh," the priestess said softly and blinked curiously, "And they left you?"

"It is alright, it is only natural to be emotional and extra affectionate toward each other in moments like these..." The blonde gave Rei a soft smile and waved his hand, "Good evening, Mars, I will see you tomorrow—try to have some sleep."

"W-Wait!" Rei followed him to the porch with an anxious look on her face; Jadeite turned to look at her over his shoulder and arched a brow, "Yes?"

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

Rei frowned, "Well... where are you going to spend the night?"

Jadeite sighed softly, "Well, I think I will go back to the apartment Uranus' kindly lent us when things were still alright between us... I still have the key and I highly doubt she cares about it right now—that is the last thing on her mind, I am sure." He smiled sadly and waved his hand before continuing his way out of the temple, "Do not look so distressed, Mars... it makes you look like if it is something that truly worried you,"

"But I do!"

" _It is time to do your part and make a decision..."_

Jadeite froze mid-track but couldn't come up with anything to say in return or to look back at her again; Rei took a deep breath and closed her eyes to gain enough courage, thinking about her grandfather's words:

" _Which path do you want to follow? You have a right to choose..."_

"I do worry... about you."

 _"Dance, Rei-chan... dance..."_

Jadeite widened his eyes and finally gathered enough courage to turn to look at the priestess. Rei bit her lower lip nervously, "I worry—I do worry about you... very much,"

" _Dance,"_

Jadeite shook his head, still very touched by her words, "It is nice... to hear such sweet words when dealing with all sorts of pain,"

Rei blushed, "Jadeite..."

"I know, Mars... you do not have to tell me again." Jadeite put up his hands apologetically, "Do not worry, I do not plan to misunderstand your words. I really must go... it is very late; I will see you tomorrow." He waved his hand and turned to leave. Rei felt a rush of chills down her spine pushing her to break free from the shadows of failures and bad decisions she has made in the past.

" _Move on,"_

"What if it is not a misunderstanding?" Rei took a deep breath and let it out along with her bottled up emotions—finally, "Would it be too late?"

Jadeite stayed with his back toward her, "For what?" His voice didn't hold any recognizable emotion neither his posture and it was putting Rei in a very vulnerable place because she couldn't read the man, "Y-You... to misunderstand my words..."

The blonde frowned and turned his face at her over his shoulder with a very confused look, "What?"

Rei blushed crimson red and looked down with shame, "I am not used to this... I don't know what else to say or do to make you understand what I am trying to say—I am not good at this..."

Jadeite widened his gray-blue eyes with shock, trying to process what he was hearing from the priestess. He learned to suppress his feelings and has been doing it for so long that he didn't realize when did her feelings toward him turned the other way around—the way he wanted them to go since the very beginning. There she was, the majestic goddess of passion—the beautiful daughter of the god of war himself fidgeting nervously and trying to get his attention in the most adorable way possible.

Her vulnerability was incredibly beautiful, it was raw—it was real, and that was enough for him to pull the string to unleash his deepest feelings he has been keeping from her. Words were not needed anymore, none of them could say anything else but the facts were crystal clear. With this realization hanging between them, Jadeite started to walk back toward the porch where she was standing and still trying to avoid any visual contact with him and cupped his hands on her cheeks and leaned down to kiss her without asking her anything else.

Rei felt like she was standing on a cloud, she could feel her heart slowly becoming whole again as she responded to the general's sweet and tender kiss. She put her hands on his neck and let her fingers play with his unruly hair and both let the emotion put into the kiss intensified. Jadeite pulled back after a couple of minutes and smiled, "Was it good enough for the both of us to understand?" Rei blushed and nodded, "Yes..."

"I must say, this is the best misunderstanding I have ever gotten myself into..."

Rei chuckled, "That's the first joke you have made in so long..."

"It is not a joke," Jadeite put his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him, "It is the truth—you will hear nothing but the truth from me. You will not cry any more tears unless it is because you have been laughing too much, you will not feel uncertainty about a thing anymore unless it is because there is a surprise planned for you; there is so much I want to give you Mars—I would give you this world, but... well... you know... it has been taken by someone else. I do not technically _own_ it but I am brother's with who actually does and that should count something."

Rei chuckled heartedly; Jadeite leaned closer to kiss the tears that were rolling down her cheeks and took a deep breath, "But everything else, is yours to have. Just ask and I will give it to you. Friendship, dedication, confidence, companionship, fidelity, loyalty, complicity, passion, trust, and an undying desire to love you for the rest of my life, that, if you accept me." Rei sniffed and combed his hair back with her fingers, "Only if you promise not to leave ever again,"

Jadeite's eyes widened, "I-Is that a yes?" Rei smiled and nodded making Jadeite flash her the widest smile she has ever seen, "Seriously?!"

"Yes, you silly!" Rei chuckled and squealed with delight when she felt him lifting her up in his arms. Jadeite pulled her closer and kissed her again wholeheartedly, "You just gave this man the best reason to stay—I am not going to promise you anything Mars, I will just let you witness my love and devotion to you every day with facts,"

"Is this..." Rei blushed, "Is it even possible? To love so intensely?"

Jadeite smirked, "Oh, my dear... just wait and see," he caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, "When a man truly loves a woman—he gives it all... even his life without thinking it twice. You may see it as something surreal but that is because you have not been with a man that truly makes you his priority."

Rei felt like she was going to be lost in the intensity of his eyes, they were so full of honesty she could not get enough of; her hand caressed his face and took a deep breath thinking how she never felt her heart could burst with so much emotion with Yuiichiro, not even during their good years. This was something else, she just had to let Jadeite dive into her life and she was already seeing what he meant by making her a priority. "You are going to spoil me if you keep saying things like that..."

"Mars... this man only wants to give you everything you deserve," Jadeite kissed her cheek, "And more,"

It was very hard for Rei to keep her tears under control, but just as the general said, they were not tears of sadness but the contrary. She smiled and tousled his already messy hair, "You must return that key—there is no need for you to keep it,"

"Yes, Miladi," Jadeite blew his bangs out of his face and held Rei's hand as they walked back inside the shrine, "Well, after I pack my belongings that is, I will return the key," he stopped and tug her hand to make her turn to look at him, "You are going to see her, right?"

Rei nodded, "Yes, but, I will respect her wishes if she wants some space. I understand it is not because she does not want us there with her, I know she loves us as much as we love her but she needs to heal before anything else—I know she wants to fight for him but she can't do it as she is right now."

"That is the best response I have heard concerning her decision to be away," Jadeite tucked a strand of raven hair behind her ear. Rei bit her lip and tightened her hold on his hand, "And you? How are you?"

"Endymion is my brother... I am beyond mortified. I can't imagine what must be of him in a place I cannot even fathom to how horrible it is in reality," Jadeite sighed with heaviness, "They have him right where they wanted him to be—but..." he shook his head, his brows knitted together in thought, "I have this feeling that makes me think he stayed there for other reasons, almost as if he is working on something... I don't think he just made a deal with the God of Death and condemned himself to die just like that, you know? Not when I know of his deep love for Princess Serenity. It does not make any sense to me... I refuse to believe this is all there is, I refuse to believe he surrendered."

Rei bit her lip in thought of Jadeite's words and came to agree he had a point—the prince would never give up so easily, not when he and the princess had gone such a long way to be together. The prince had shown an admirable capacity to overcome very difficult challenges and obstacles, the princess' rescue being one perfect example, but right now, with things as they currently were all they could do now was to hold on to that thought and pray for his safe return.

O—o—o—o—O

Megumi had woken up in the middle of the night because Serenity has had a bad dream and woke up sobbing again. The maiden went to the kitchen to make her some tea to calm the princess' nerves when a soft knock made Megumi turn from the kitchen and went to open the door; he chocolate brown eyes widened when she saw Ami standing on the hallway with a worried look on her face. "Hi..."

It has been already three days since Serenity's return to the real world but ever since Megumi helped her bathe and lay her on the bed, she has not moved or spoken and it was worrying the girls, especially the young doctor who has been going back to the apartment to try and check on the princess almost every two hours.

"Lady Mercury,"

"Any news?" Ami walked inside and turned to Megumi who was shaking her head slowly as she closed the door. "No... she does not want to eat, she does not want to speak, she has not moved from the bed—she only breaks into desperate sobs at the most random times..."

Ami sighed softly as she put her purse and the duffle bag she carried from the hospital on the sofa, turned to the hallway, and stared at the closed door, "She's been like this for three days..."

"She is not sleeping either... every single time I have gone to check on her, she is with this lost stare... crying..." Megumi took a deep breath, "It is frightening... I do not know what to do... when I brought her here she was responsive but now it is like she has fallen into another dimension... her body is here but her mind is not..."

"She's falling into a catatonic depression," Ami said with a worried tone, "The trauma has been so great for her that her mind is unstable, she can't grasp reality." She sighed and sat in one of the stools at the kitchen bar and rubbed her face nervously, "As a doctor, this worries me greatly... but as her friend, this is breaking my heart..."

Megumi put a cup of simmering tea in front of the bluenette and sat on the stool next to her, her hands were shaky and cold, and her eyes were making the best of efforts to say openly, she was exhausted and beyond mortified, "I do not know if I did the right thing, I do not know if this is something my Prince would have approved—bringing her here..."

"I think it would have been worse if she stayed in a place where she would feel completely disconnected—coming here was a reflex for her and it makes sense but sh—" a hysterical and disconcerting loud cry inside the bedroom caught both Megumi and Ami by surprise and ran quickly to see what was going on. Megumi walked in first and quickly went to Serenity's aid who was shaking, kicking, and screaming at the top of her lungs with horror and pain in her hoarse voice, "Princess!"

"Noooooo!"

"Princess!"

"Noooo! Noooo! Let goooo let goooo!"

Ami widened her eyes and watched her friend shaking without control, "She's having a panic attack!" She went to check on her and looked into her eyes but couldn't make eye contact with her, "Usagi-chan! Usa-chan! Serenity! Serenity! Look at me! It's me! It's Ami! It's Mercury! Look at me! You are home!" Ami tried to wrap her arms around her but the princess was shaking too much for her to keep her steady, "This is a post-traumatic effect of what she went through in that place—she's not entirely conscious," Ami took a deep breath and turned to Megumi, "I need you to hold her as steady as you can, I am going to put her a sedative—she needs to sleep and the only way she can do that is by being completely unconscious."

"Noooooo! Noooo!" Serenity shook her arms and kicked her legs with stress. Her face was red from the strain she was putting on her body and her eyes while teary, they were lost and without focus, "Endymion! Don't leave me! Don't leave me!" Megumi quickly took Ami's place and submit the princess with as much strength she could muster and tried to keep her from hurting herself while Ami ran back to get the sedative from her duffle bag.

"Princess, please wake up! Please!"

"Nooooooo! Endymion! Endymioon! Endymion noooo! Come back! Come back! Help me! Help me! Please help!" Serenity started to choke with her tears as she frantically started to swing her arms, trying to free herself from Megumi's strong grasp. Megumi turned to Ami who was walking inside the bedroom checking the solution inside the syringe she was holding in her hand, "Restrain her down on the bed Megumi—I don't want to hurt her... I need to find a vein first."

Serenity's cries sounded tired—hoarse. She was beyond exhaustion but just like Ami said, she was not entirely conscious of her actions and she was reliving the events in Inferno over and over again. Ami sat on the edge of the bed and put the shot on the princess' vein on her wrist and pressed her thumb over a cotton swab where the needle released the solution as she waited for it to take effect; much to Megumi's surprise, Serenity started to calm down shortly after and slowly but surely fell into a deep sleep, "I-It worked..."

Ami nodded and slowly laid down Serenity's hand on the bed, "Yes, I put her a strong sedative, but it's safe for her—given her condition. She will be out for several hours so that will help her rest. She is emotionally and physically exhausted." She pressed the back of her hand on her cheek and sighed a little more relieved to see her friend finally sleeping, "I think it's best if I spend the night here and keep an eye on her if you don't mind..."

Megumi nodded, "Not at all, Lady Mercury." Ami turned to look over her shoulder, "You should sleep too—it's getting late and you are as tired as she is,"

"I could not..." Megumi shook her head, "Not while you are on watch,"

"This isn't new for me, Megumi..." Ami gave the maiden a soft smile, "I have the craziest schedules at the hospital... I am used to it. It's all part of being a doctor—it's better than I am fully awake... go on, have some sleep."

"B-But what will you do?"

"Ma—" Ami took a deep breath and exhaled softly and smiled, "Endymion has enough books to keep me busy and entertained," Ami smiled, "Don't worry about me,"

"Are you sure?" Megumi gave the bluenette a dubious look, making Ami chuckle softly "Yes, plus, I know my way around the apartment—don't worry about me, go and have some sleep." Megumi nodded, "I will take your word and offer, Miladi. Is there anything you need before I leave?"

"No, Megumi—it's fine. I will stay here with her for a while, then I'll be in the living room—I just want to make sure her blood pressure goes back to normal."

Megumi looked at the sleeping princess then at Ami and she finally noticed that she was equally exhausted but she understood that her desire to be by the princess' side went beyond her position as her close friend but she was taking her stance as her guardian too, just like the other girls. "I-Is she... is she going to be alright?"

Ami sighed softly as she combed Serenity's sweaty fringe to the side and closed her eyes, "I really have hope that she will—I want to believe that this is just another test of endurance, another thing that we will one day remember as another battle scar," she opened her royal blue eyes and looked at her friend, "Right now, we might see things uncertain and dark but I believe in her—I believe in her strength and light... but she needs to believe in it too..." her hand went to hold the princess' and took a deep breath, "She really needs to believe it too..."

O—o—o—o—O

Serenity opened her crystal blue eyes slowly and blinked several times when she saw the sun was shining brighter than usual outside. She rubbed her tired eyes and sat on the bed when she realized she was alone in the room, thinking that maybe she had overslept until the next day and Megumi was in the kitchen, fixing her something to eat. She frowned softly when she felt a cool breeze crashing against her skin and it was then when she came to notice that she was not wearing the same clothes she put on the day before but instead a white simple floor length dress with thin straps, "M-Megumi?" she asked but got no response, thinking if something happened while she was asleep that made Megumi had changed her into these clothes without her noticing; her long platinum hair was down, looking like a cascade of moonbeam as her husband would often say. The princess stood up and went straight to the door to look for the young maiden but her eyes widened when she saw that the apartment she knew by heart was replaced by a wide and long hallway with exquisite design and gold trimmings.

She turned to look back but much to her surprise the bedroom where she had woken up was no longer there, startling her completely. Serenity felt a soft tug in her chest and began walking down the long hallway in silence while admiring the intricate designs on the walls and dome-like ceilings and could not help to feel nostalgic about the place as she felt like she had walked through this private garden before. The soft and elegant smell of fresh flowers indulged her senses, calming her troubled mind. Not sure why, Serenity didn't feel any threat about this place, she didn't feel in danger or lost; the breeze, the way the sun filtered through the stain glass windows, the scent of nature—it was all too familiar.

She reached two large wooden doors and with a trembling hand pulled the handles and opened them wide and walked inside. Serenity widened her eyes when she saw she was standing at a beautiful court that led to a beautiful garden with a pond and a large stone fountain in the middle; she walked in silence toward it and was immediately welcomed by the sweet and elegant scent of roses and went directly to a bush full of pink delicate flowers in full bloom. Her fingers lightly touched their velvety petals and could not help the wave of nostalgia overcoming her as she leaned down to take more of its scent, "Beautiful..." she whispered to herself when she felt the same tug that led her there and looked up; her pale blue eyes widened with surprise at the woman in a rich blue gown standing near the fountain across from her.

Serenity blinked surprised and let go of the delicate flower, she blushed and shook her head, slightly confused and embarrassed for her intrusion. The woman nodded, "That is indeed a beautiful flower... but not even a flower as delicate as a fresh bloomed pink rose can match your beauty and elegance, Serenity."

"H-How..." Serenity widened her eyes twice in size, "Y-You... you know me?"

"My, my... of course," The woman walked around the large fountain until she stood in front of the princess, "I could never forget the beautiful face of my best friend's daughter," she arched a brow with pride, "And the divine woman that captured my son's heart,"

Serenity felt her heart skipped a beat in her chest when she finally realized who the woman before her was. It had been so long since she last saw her it was surreal to see her there alive, "Queen..." she shook her head with disbelief masking her beautiful face, "Queen Gaia..."

Gaia walked closer to the white princess and cupped her cheek in a motherly fashion, "It has been a long time since we last met, Serenity, but I can see you have grown out to be one precious and courageous woman."

"What is this place?" Serenity blushed and looked around at the garden court, partly confused and amazed, "W-Where... where am I?" Gaia smiled softly and let go of Serenity's cheek, "Do not worry, child, nobody can find us here, you are safe." She held Serenity's hand softly and gestured to follow her, "Walk with me?"

Serenity nodded and walked beside the woman in a deep blue gown that moved around her like stardust; she carefully peered at her profile as they walked in silence around the wide court and noticed the previous terran queen looked slightly different than she remembered. Her long hair was almost midnight black and it reached her waist in a long, full braid with crystal pins adorning it. Her body didn't look fragile anymore, instead, there was a strong aura around her and covering her like a sheer veil of light. Their height was almost the same, with the queen being a few inches taller. She remembered her being petite, but her intimidating poise and warm, silky voice remained the same but what truly caught most of Serenity's attention was not the way she looked but the way the queen's eyes changed colors from hazel to green, very similar to the way Endymion's prismatic blue eyes did.

Gaia noticed there was something happening to the princess, her whole aura was weak and she looked paler, sad, and immediately tried to divert her attention from it and lift her mood, even a little. "I always liked to be surrounded by nature... I have always found it soothing. I remember clearly the Moon's precious gardens and its crisp and soothing white light. I could stay there for hours just admiring the view." Gaia smiled softly as they continued walking around the gorgeous garden full of flowers of all kinds and colors. The mention of her previous home was not enough to engage Serenity in the conversation. Gaia turned startled when she felt the princess had let go of her hand "Serenity?"

"Is this a dream?" Serenity looked around, then at the queen and shook her head, still very confused by what was happening, "Am I dreaming?"

Gaia blinked a little taken back by Serenity's uncharacteristic defensive stance and sighed softly, "You are in a suspended state—yes,"

"You are not real then, you are just part of this dream—part of my imagination."

"I am as real as you want me to be, Serenity,"

Serenity frowned, "I do not understand..."

"What you see is in part created by your subconscious..." Gaia turned to the pink roses blooming next to her and suddenly turned crimson red when she touched them lightly with the tips of her fingers. She turned to look at the princess with a knowing look, "But, it is also real because it exists somewhere in a pocket created in the space-time continuum where I am currently living in."

"A space-time pocket?" Serenity shook her head, "How is that possible?"

Gaia nodded and walked back, her hazel eyes never leaving Serenity's icy blue eyes "This place..." Gaia took a deep breath and looked around, "This is where I have been living ever since the fall of Elysion and the Silver Millennium, two thousand years ago." The confession made Serenity feel a chill down her spine and widened her eyes in shock, "W-What? B-But... I heard... you..."

Gaia's lips curved into a melancholic smile, "That I died—yes, I did." She sighed softly and drew back, "My mortal body perished the night Elysion fell to its demise with the help of Beryl and Metallia, but my divine entity was taken by Chronos and hid it in this place to keep me away and avoid any more tragedies." She turned to look around with that same bittersweet smile, "Usually this place would be a shrine but since we are speaking through your subconsciousness... this place is really built by your memories—what you remember of this place; that is why I say it is a dream but at the same time it is not."

"I... I don't understand..." Serenity took a deep, shaky breath and exhaled, "Why am I here?"

Gaia looked at the stone hanging from the princess' neck and pointed at it with an elegant move, "You called for help and that stone reacted to your plea by sending you here..." she tilted her head, "That stone—"

Serenity looked down at it and then at the queen. Despite the politeness and sweetness in the queen's warm voice, there was an intimidating air of authority only the queen could reflect and also nervous strain between them. It was like both had too many questions they both were too scared of their answers. Serenity closed her eyes with sorrow and nodded, "Endymion gave it to me... for my protection."

Gaia felt a tug in her chest at the mention of the prince's name but couldn't find the right words to say. She couldn't say much despite wanting to ask for her son but after everything she now knew it happened with Ares and how he revealed to them the truth about their nature and family it was more than clear that part of that hostility she felt from the princess was a result of the tension caused by the truth. Serenity, on the other hand, felt as if her body could crumble at any time. She was scared, she was worried, and also desperate to communicate to the regal queen of what was happening.

"Queen..." Serenity looked up with tears rolling down her flushed cheeks breaking the awkwardness and Gaia's heart into hundreds of pieces at the same time. She could read the raw emotion and the deep pain and desperation in the princess' crystal blue eyes and immediately pulled her into a protective embrace, "It is alright, breathe..."

"I can't..." Serenity's muffled sobs finally opened the door to her emotions, leaving her fate and the remains of her sanity in the queen's hands. Gaia stroked Serenity's hair in a motherly fashion and closed her eyes, "Come with me, dear," she drew back and dried Serenity's tears with her sleeve and held her hand. She gestured her to walk with her through two tall smithy doors into a large hallway with tall windows that allowed them to look out to the gardens as they walked to another, much more private court. Serenity looked down at the queen's hand gently holding hers and realized that despite being in silence for a long time, it felt comfortable, she felt safe. Her grip on her hand was soothing and protective, very much like Endymion's.

They finally stood behind two large oak doors the queen soon after pulled to open and allowed Serenity to walk in first to take a look around the warm living space. There was something about it that made her feel nostalgic and more at home. She turned to her left and saw a pair of oak doors and felt drawn to go and look what was on the other side of that room; her crystal blue eyes widened when she looked around the large bedchambers and immediately recognized the deep color on the walls and its wooden panels, the thick curtains on the tall windows, the large oak desk in the corner, one that in its time was always full of parchments and maps and a cup of coffee religiously placed next to them. The king-sized bed in the middle and the deep blue color of its covers; Serenity turned to Gaia who was standing by the door with a look of disbelief and nostalgia.

"You recognize this place,"

"These are Endymion's bedchambers... and his personal study..." Serenity nodded as she looked around, still mesmerized to see the place intact, like if time never went by, like if he was there somewhere around the palace and that he would walk past those doors any minute to greet her with that charming smile of his. "This is where I felt most safe and more at..." she widened her eyes, realizing what Gaia was trying to do by taking her there, she wanted to make her feel more at home, like she belonged to that place as well.

"Peace..."

Gaia nodded and walked inside the bedroom and stood by the balcony doors as she looked outside at the nothingness ahead and sighed heavily, finally expressing the sorrow and regret she had been feeling for more than one lifetime. "I know what Ares did... I know he remembers..." she closed her eyes for a minute, "And it frightens me to think what must have crossed his mind when he learned the truth. Why I did not trust him? Why I kept all this a secret for so long? Why? Just why." The queen shook her head and opened her gleaming eyes of jade and gold, "And while I have tried to come up with a good and valid answer to give him—one he deserves—I was always restrained by my own fears because all I cared about was to keep him safe, but I also was afraid that he might think of me like a curse." The regal queen finally turned to face Serenity and shook her head, "I wanted him to live the life I never got the chance to live—for him to have a normal childhood and learn everything about this planet, its people, and its many wonders."

"What is normality for those with a royal heritage, anyway, Your Majesty?" Serenity shook her head and gave the queen a daring glare. Gaia noticed the anger and frustration behind the princess' eyes; it was more than clear to her that she was upset and that she was desperate for some answers, the same answers her son had demanded for years.

"Freedom, Serenity," Gaia looked at the princess with sad eyes, "When divinity is involved, you better than anyone knows things are far more complicated and that it is freedom what we desire the most. The liberty to decide without being frowned upon or restrained by our origins and our title."

"Freedom..." Serenity mumbled the word until it made sense what the terran queen was trying to say. She looked up at her with both wonder and a desperate need to clear Asteria's tainted words. "I-Is it true, then?"

"What is?"

"That you are really Titans, those of ancient blood?"

"Ah... that." Gaia gave her daughter in law a soft sad smile, "I see it is still a latent issue..." she took a deep breath and exhaled as she pushed away from the balcony rail and turned to walk back into the room. Serenity frowned, "Is it?"

Gaia braced herself for the answer she might hear from the moon princess as she leaned her back on the tall window with evident pain marked in her eyes, "Would it be so bad, Serenity?"

Serenity widened her eyes, completely taken by surprise by the queen's quick retaliation. "What?"

"Would your perception of him change if he was one of those with ancient blood running through his veins?"

Serenity shook her head, "No,"

"Would you think of him as a curse?"

"No, of course not!"

"Then I do not understand," Gaia tilted her head and her beautiful eyes with consternation, "Why is it so important to you for us to be what we are?"

"I want to understand why there is so much stigma around it... around you... _all of you._ "

"A titan's nature has been a factor of question for millions of years, but that is the only side gods want to look at—it makes it easier for them whenever they have to deal with the past."

"I don't understand," Serenity frowned, "If you are really a titan, then why were you always referred to as the Goddess of Earth? Why?"

The question and the princess' need to learn the truth was enough to make Gaia lower her guard. She was well aware that things were not as simple as she hoped if she stayed silent. The princess was a part of her now, a part of her family—her son's soulmate, and just as she owed it to him, she owed her as many answers to as many questions she had about herself.

The queen sighed softly, almost defeated, "War, dear—that is why."

Serenity's eyes widened "War..."

"It is no secret that war is part of our lives and what has followed us and marked us for so many years," Gaia took a deep breath, "You most likely know about the great divine war that ended up imprisoning or taking the lives of most of those with titan blood—the rebellion against Atlas that ended up in what everyone knows as the Titanomachy."

"Yes, I know the story," Serenity nodded, "A bloody war that later set the foundation of what we now know as Olympus, the new reign of the gods."

Gaia crossed her arms, "The reason as to why our titles were changed is because when that war came to its end, many were reluctant to the idea of titans still living among them. Not all titans are corrupt and imprisoned; not all fought against the gods. Those who survived and that had agreed to live in peace under the High Gods' new ruling were given a new title as _god_ or _goddess_ in an attempt to neutralize their nature and allow them to coexist with other gods without being judged. My grandfather, Helios, was one of those titans that fought on behalf of the gods, and while he was not entirely comfortable with some of the decisions they made after the war, he wanted his family to live in peace and safety, which is why from that point forward he was referred to as the God of the Sun and why mine was changed from Titaness to Goddess when I took my position as sailor senshi and guardian of Earth. But sadly, and as I mentioned before, war and tragedy have shadowed and defined our family for thousands of years... the reason may not come as surprise to you now, as Ares may have probably told you the truth."

"You were the first and only sailor senshi who has ever earned the title of Polemarchos..." Serenity said with awe; Gaia found endearing how the princess rather chose to ignore the last part of her reasoning to admire a side she never really thought worthy of admiration, "Father Helios was a very skilled polemarchos, so it was natural for us to follow his footsteps. I was chosen to be Earth's guardian from a very young age; at the age of ten, I was already taught combat skills and I mastered a sword by the age of twelve. At fifteen, I was in the line of battle alongside Ares as polemarchos of the Celestial Army." Gaia turned to Serenity with a sad smile on her face, "Your mother... she led a different life than me," she smiled with a sad hint behind her warm chuckle, "We were so different. Serenity was so sweet, so graceful, so poised and educated, and I was... well... a girl who liked weaponry, one who always got her hands blistered and dirty and had cuts and bruises all over her body—unrefined and brusque with words. A mother and regal queen's nightmare." Gaia sighed with melancholy, "My dearest mother, Nut, how much she tried to convert me and turn me into a fine lady. She hated me being a sailor senshi and she always referred her frustrations at Navus."

Serenity widened her eyes, "N-Nut..." her pouty lips parted with awe when she remembered the beautiful queen of heavens, "Nut is your mother... that is why..." she took a quick breath, "The resemblance... that is why I always felt something familiar about her..."

Gaia nodded, "All I knew was to fight and gain power for others... and while I excelled at it, it was not what I wanted for myself..." she sighed softly, "No girl likes to be feared or to be treated like some sort of a prize due to a sacred treasure I vowed to guard and protect with my life."

Serenity felt immediately drawn to the queen's story, it felt so much more different to listen to the story Ares brusquely confessed to them from the one who lived it firsthand. As a woman in love, and a princess that led a life of luxury and constantly feeling like she was encased in a crystal prison, she understood the longing stamped in the queen's voice because she knew well what it was like to wish for more, what it was like to want freedom and to find love. Gaia looked up at the clear blue sky and took a deep breath, "You probably know what I did... how I end up living the life of a mortal being."

Serenity nodded, "Love,"

Gaia leaned her back on the wall with a small smile on her face, "I may have been ill-tempered and unmannered at times, and I may not have been very fond to follow any divine etiquette, but what I loved the most of being a senshi was to be able to live for my planet—away from any divine protocol. I chose not to follow their rules because I never felt like I fitted anyway; I was always an outcast—an open secret in everyone's mouth."

Serenity felt the pain in Gaia's words, the feeling of being misunderstood—she knew the gut-wrenching sense of it. Her crystal blue eyes sparkled with wonder and curiosity to know a side of the queen fewer probably knew, not even Endymion, who always referred to her as an unbreakable woman, who, she really was but who also had to be this way to protect her soft heart. Deep down the intimidation of her warm voice and her intense gaze and poise, Gaia was a woman that believed in the same things Serenity did and who also fought for love and justice. Ever since Ares told them the terran queen once was a fellow sailor senshi, Serenity felt this undying curiosity to know more about her and those years she has kept in the dark and now, it was slowly coming into the light.

"Back then, when you were a senshi, did you live in a palace or were you guardian to anyone, Your Majesty?"

Gaia shook her head, "No, I had other duties. I was the sailor senshi of evolution, blessed with the powers of the mighty Sun. I lent my strength as a polemarchos whenever Ares sent me to step in the line of war. My jurisdiction was different from that of an inner or outer senshi, dear. I was an emissary of chaos—I killed to bring peace in order to cause a transformation. I was given the title of Goddess of Earth because from the very beginning I nurtured and protected until it bloomed into the beauty it is now—with my birth, Earth started to evolve. With this revelation, my grandfather later gave me the task of being its divine guardian and while I served to protect peace and the balance between realms as sailor senshi, I always chose to live for Earth and its inhabitants, although, I voluntarily chose to be your mother's guardian whenever I was on the Moon." She smiled softly at the blushing princess whose eyes went big and round with surprise, "Y-You did?"

"Yes," Gaia nodded with a warm, proud smile "To me, your mother was a precious little flower—she may not have been chosen to be a senshi, but she didn't need to become one to fight for her dreams—she had me for that, and I did it gladly for as long as I could." The terran queen turned on her heel and walked inside the room, "She had strong ideals and beliefs many in the divine realm found too innocent and pointless but I believed in them—I believed in her, and that is why I chose to follow my path of service to the people on Earth, I wanted to share my friend's ideals and make them a reality and create a special bond with it—a strong alliance between worlds."

Serenity looked at the queen with a strong sense of admiration and endearment. It was incredibly amazing that even before Endymion or she existed, the bond was there with them. Queen Gaia had been to Queen Serenity what Endymion was to her—a protector, a confidant, a friend. And while the queens' relationship was one of sisterhood, the same undying support, loyalty, confidence, complicity, and protectiveness was there—intact.

The queen leaned on the wall with her arms crossed and took a deep breath, "I always found myself fascinated by Earth's beauty and the ways terran people lived with so much passion and care into everything they did. To me, it was so real, so vivid, so true, and so different from what I saw in Olympus every day. I loved living on Earth and listen to the people's prayers. I lived in a little, shrine that soon harvested the most beautiful flowers and greenery, all planted in gratitude for my blessings by the people who passed by to share a prayer."

"That is why you love being surrounded by nature..." Serenity said with a sweet tone; Gaia nodded, "I lived there with my dear friend, Obelix, the Holy Priest of the shrine. He was the only one that was allowed to see me on a daily basis due to his divine gift and his connection with us; he worked as a link between both worlds and through him, I spoke to the people whenever I chose not to let my presence known." She smiled softly and looked at the greenery in the distance, "The divine realm has many rules that we, as gods, must follow without fault or question. One of those important rules was to always keep our distance with those with mortality so they would not let themselves be carried away with codependency and false obsession; we are deities, not miracle workers. We serve a bigger purpose, we do not solve people's lives; that is up to them—the choices they make, how they think it is best for them to live. We give them a safe environment to do so, as deities we protect them from afar and fight so they can live in peace. As divine guardian of Earth, I took my duty to serve my people very seriously without breaking that taboo but... one day... without planning it and without me expecting it... I met a man—a mortal man—and... well... love took a whole different meaning to me from then on,"

Serenity imitated Gaia's posture and kept her gaze fixed in the distance as she continued to listen to the queen's story, "Limited by my divinity and his mortality, we did not have much choice but to keep our love affair a secret from both realms, mortal and divine, and with the constant help from your mother I was able to see him every day without being caught."

"What?" Serenity widened her eyes, "Mother did that?"

"She did," Gaia smiled and nodded, "She was the only one I could trust, the only one that knew my secret and the only one that supported me. Serenity never put judgment over me, she did not see me differently... she knew my love for the terran prince was genuine and that it was something that truly made me happy, that made me feel alive."

"I..." Serenity shook her head, "I can't believe this..." she looked at the queen, "She never did anything outrageous... she never broke the laws, she was always so... so..." Serenity blinked with surprise, "Mother always followed the rules imposed by the gods without complaint... almost to an extent of being annoying."

The comment made Gaia chuckle, "Your mother was braver than you imagine, child. She was courageous and in her own way, she fought." She smiled, "But, I suppose this serves as a good example to show how close we were. Your mother and I were like soul sisters; nobody truly understood how such strong bond came to be because of our completely different characters but we were always there for each other, no matter what. I was at her wedding... the dress you wore that night for the winter ball, it was specially made for that day."

Serenity's eyes went wide, "T-The gown... the golden gown..."

"Yes,"

"You knew my father..."

"Yes," Gaia sighed softly, "I met Athan—briefly. I did not stay much longer after they wed. My secret was exposed and well... I was exiled from the heavens and contact between Earth and the Moon became strictly forbidden."

"You never saw each other again..." Serenity said with sadness, "You never had a chance to say goodbye..."

"After I was exiled from the divine realm, Serenity did find a way to come and visit me a few times without being caught. She was present the day I married Eros, and she met Endymion shortly after he was born."

"Oh my goodness..." Serenity felt her heart skip a beat at the mention of her husband as a baby, "She did? R-Really?!"

"Yes, she even carried him in her arms!" Gaia walked to the bed and patted the spot next to her, inviting Serenity to sit next to her, "That is the first time I heard him laugh," the terran queen smiled with melancholy, "That was the last time we met. For the sake of both of our kingdoms, we knew that was our time to bid farewell,"

Serenity felt as if her heart was suddenly hit with an arrow. Never in a million years, she would have imagined the suffering in her mother's heart and it pained her to know how she had dealt with everything in silence. It made her think in so many things she didn't value as much she should have back then and not because she was a spoilt princess but because it was the image her mother portrayed, to her it was a part of her normal life. She tried to put herself in her mother's shoes and tried to imagine her life without the girls—without the sisterhood she has with Venus and it was heart-wrenching. The moon queen dealt many things without the support of her dearest and closest friend and without her husband. For Serenity, it was like losing contact with Venus, or worse, it was how she felt right now without Endymion by her side.

Gaia didn't need words to notice the internal battle the moon princess was having with her thoughts and emotions; her fragile figure and weak aura was enough for her to know things were challenging for her and that she was too confused and clouded with anger to really understand or know what to do to from this point forward.

"Serenity, taking an oath as Queen is not just changing to a higher status and wear a beautiful and shiny crown over your head. It is a title that demands attention, time, guts and dedication. In your mother's case, she had to stay by your father's side and work on the new Alliance—the Silver Alliance. Mine was to make our Kingdom survive the strains of division and war happening on Earth, again, I had to help our planet evolve." Gaia sighed, "You have to make difficult decisions—painful decisions not everyone will understand or approve. Not everyone will agree with you and not everyone will want to support you but you must stay rooted to what your gut tells you and carry on. You must carry on, Serenity."

"Queen..." Serenity blinked with astonishment as words fell into place. Gaia nodded slowly, "Back then, Earth was divided into four realms: North, East, South, and West. All four with much strength but also, in conflict with each other all the time, they never agreed on anything; what one had, the other wanted it, and one lacked, the other had it for heaps and did not want to negotiate. Endymion's father, Eros, was the crowned prince of the Kingdom of the North, and despite our obvious dilemma, we wanted to make a difference and change things for the best. It was not easy but we made it work." Her hazel eyes darkened, "When my affair with the terran prince was exposed to the high gods, I was stripped of my titles and jurisdiction. I was banned from Olympus and the divine realm and I was sentenced to live the rest of my life as a mortal being," Gaia closed her eyes and shrugged her shoulder, "To me, living in exile was not a punishment—I could live with that, after everything they said and did to me and my family, I had no desire to be called a goddess ever again, but my duty as sailor senshi and guardian of Earth came first, so, when I left the divine realm, I took it with me—that stone you now carry on your neck for your protection."

"This stone..." Serenity looked down at the pendant then at the queen with wide eyes, "I-Is this the golden crystal?"

"No, not anymore," Gaia shook her head, "In reality, that stone worked as a vessel for it—its real power resides in the heart of its guardian and it manifests as a crystal when it is summoned by it, that is why it is said that the crystal chooses its next protector—one worthy and strong enough to carry its power but during that time, even when I was no longer one of them... I still had my grandfather's blessing." She exhaled softly, "The golden crystal has been the sacred treasure of my dynasty for thousands of years—millions. And we, as titans, our duty is to keep it safe from darkness due to its savage force. That is his biggest fixation... despite his strength, he was not chosen as its guardian."

Serenity felt like she had gone three shades paler at the mention of Chaos, who for a moment she had completely forgotten was the queen's actual brother. Her mind has been so focused on the prince and everything that happened in the underworld that she had forgotten they were all connected to the same shadow that tormented them eight years ago. Gaia turned to look away and narrowed her hazel eyes, "I asked myself that question one too many times—we all did. Why me instead of him? It was a natural choice, he was stronger, the first born, a male, a respected polemarchos and once Ares' best disciple... why wasn't he chosen as its next guardian? Why it had to be me? The girl in love with flowers and nature?" Her stoic stance didn't change. The more Serenity looked at her the more she could see Endymion within her; the way she spoke and the way she modulates her warm voice, her pose, and her gestures. The vibe and resemblance while not identical it was so obvious and vivid that made Serenity's heart ache with longing for him.

Gaia lowered her gaze with elegance, "One never questioned Father Helios, so we never fully understood his reasons as to why he did not entrust the task to him back then. *Navus was a kind and loving man, but he was very strict and had an unbreakable character when times required it—Mother always felt he was unjust with the life he imposed to us, but, I always felt he was preparing us for something like this... it is like he knew what was going to happen." The regal queen turned to look at Serenity and arched her brow with undeniable pride, "When the high gods learned that I took the stone with me, they made sure I would pay the consequences for my actions and put this planet in danger one too many times, risking my reputation and the trust given to me by many, including my new family and all the progress we had made with the four kingdoms of Earth."

Serenity felt a sting in her chest when recognizing she had lived the consequences of that law, that damn law she knew perfectly well and that kept her apart from her one true love. Gaia looked up as she felt tears started to burn in her eyes but she kept her ground, "There were times where I felt I could not go on, I felt betrayed by my own family... I was heartbroken. But Eros never left my side, and after a long period of many trials and battles, we managed to solidify the four realms and turned them into the Four Cardinal points of Elysion and ascended the throne as the first King and Queen of Earth. If we were not permitted to live among them, we were going to be strong and evolve on our own—the rest is history and a blessing." She smiled softly.

Serenity knew what Gaia meant and felt a hole inside her chest, it was the same blessing she had the bliss of knowing and that later had left her dealing with the scraps of dreams while still trying to deal with so much pain and void in her heart. Gaia sighed softly, noting the tension in the princess' face and leaned closer, "There lies the answer you seek, my dear. Why we are what we are. To them, we may be a curse, but, you now see it very much depends on the perspective from which you want to see the truth. They want culprits, they want something to put judgment on to feel safe, but, do not we all want the same? As a titan, I could pass judgment on them—gods, and say it was all their fault, but, what difference would that make?"

"Yes, they have a fault in this. Up to this day the gods consider Endymion a threat—an abomination." Serenity muttered angrily and closed her eyes, "They have pushed him to the very limits of his patience..." the princess started to shiver with impotence and curled her hands into tight fists, "They have sent their pawns to attack us one time after another... they stole our peace, they invaded our home—they keep trying to pull us apart and I can't take it anymore!"

Gaia watched the princess' fragile body shake with rage as tears pooled from her eyes without control, "I can't take it anymore!" Serenity finally broke the shell that was keeping her emotions at bay, "I want to see him! I need to see him! I need to go to him!"

"Serenity..." Gaia felt her heart breaking into millions of pieces as she saw Serenity fall on her knees and started to pound her fists on the floor with anger, "Why!? What do they want from us!?" Her eyes widened when she felt the queen wrapping her arms around her and pulling her into a protective embrace, taking her completely by surprise, "Q-Queen..."

"My son always has had a strong sense of duty. He is impulsive, stubborn even, but that fire within him is what prompted him to become who he is now. I realized it was impossible to pull him away from his fate because it is the same as mine, he is here to protect Earth and help it evolve. But, they do not see what you do, Serenity." Gaia ran her slender fingers through Serenity's platinum hair and drew back to look into the princess' eyes as she cupped her flushed and wet cheeks with her hands, "Even when I have been light years away from you, I have witnessed every step you have made together. Your mother and I always believed you were meant for each other... and we were not mistaken, you are his perfect match and he is yours. You have looked after each other without fail and despite my son's limitations, you stayed together and faced evil without a speck of fear in your hearts." Gaia smiled sadly and tilted her head, "My dearest Serenity, we are a very complex family and our honor has been stained and strained with the passage of time; the gods believe Endymion is the same malignant force Chaos represents and added to that, he is the product of the union between a titan and a mortal—to divine nature, he is not supposed to exist, and that only ignites their need to call him a monster. To them, he is a sin."

"But he is nothing like they so much want to believe!"

Gaia took a deep breath and dried the princess' tears with the back of her hand, "I was against the idea of him following our steps but I also felt obliged to prepare him to fight back in case they ever attempted on doing something like this. I contradicted myself many times and I confused him in the process. I broke his spirit, I failed him, and that is something I will carry with me for the rest of my existence."

Serenity tightened her arms around the queen; in an instant reflex to appease her growing guilt. She had seen it reflected in Endymion's eyes far too many times, the doubt, the anger, the confusion and desperation to try and be more than he was limited to believe. In this time or during the Silver Millennium, Endymion always felt trapped between two realities, two quiet truths. He knew there was something else, he knew his mother was keeping secrets that later sprouted in bitter claims and remorse that pushed him to believe the worst of himself.

"Deep down, I knew we were never going to be left alone. That we were set to face as many trials and challenges as long as our dynasty existed. That is why I secretly asked Obelix and later Leonidas, Eros' right hand and Endymion's godfather, to train him from a very young age until he decided his own path in the future that resulted in him making the choice to become a man of war." Gaia took a deep breath, "In the end, I failed my promise to keep him hidden and let him follow the same path I did when I was his age. Unwillingly, but very conscious of the consequences, I put him through the same strict regimen and training of a polemarchos; the moment I passed my sword on to him... his fate was sealed. He was officially the next in line to protect Helios' legacy."

Serenity took a deep hasty breath and looked into Gaia's eyes with angst and remorse, "Queen..." she hung to Gaia to dear life and felt like she could not take it any longer and let herself break in heavy sobs charged with desperation, "I don't... I can't..."

"Serenity?" Gaia frowned with worry, "Dear, what is the matter?"

"I need... help... I need..."

"Serenity?"

"He stayed... he stayed there... and I couldn't help him... I couldn't bring him back..."

"Serenity, what do you mean? He stayed where? You couldn't bring him back from where?"

"Queen Gaia... Endymion..."

"What about Endymion?"

"Endymion is in the Underworld,"

Gaia widened her eyes as she listened to Serenity and felt like she had a hole in the pit of her stomach and looked at Serenity with horror; the princess took another hasty breath and closed her eyes allowing her tears fall down without control and hung her head with shame and fright, "I was captured by the Titaness of Fates and Fallen Stars... but even when she was defeated by him... he sent me back... he stayed there and I couldn't... I couldn't bring him back with me..."

"Asteria," Gaia muttered the rebel titaness' name with disgust; "Hades' pawn; I am surprised she was granted such privileges despite her corrupted origins," her hazel eyes slowly turned darker with anger. "But I am truly not surprised that she betrayed who she dared to call Master,"

"W-What?" Serenity's eyes widened; Gaia nodded and narrowed her beautiful eyes, "Hades has been hunting our souls like a hungry beast for a very long time. He has a great desire of bringing us to our demise, even when I was still part of Ares' army. Hades is an unforgiving and merciless god... he is very strong, I will not argue that fact," her eyes turned a shade dark with courage and determination, "But _we_ are stronger."

Serenity widened her eyes when Gaia pulled her back on her feet and looked into her eyes with that same unbreakable determination and put a hand on the princess' chest, "I can feel this heavy pain revolting inside of you..." the regal queen took a deep breath and closed her eyes, feeling there was more than the princess would say with words. Serenity tilted her head low, "I feel my life and dreams are slipping away through my fingers..." she took a deep breath and opened her eyes, "I know I have to keep my ground, I know what I have to do, but without him, I don't know how... he has always been my support—my rock..."

"You are much stronger than you think, Serenity. I have seen it—that power that comes within you is nothing I witnessed in all the years I served as a sailor senshi." Gaia turned to Serenity and tilted her chin up to meet her gaze in the same fashion Endymion did, "I am sure your mother is very proud of you and of every single thing you have accomplished as senshi, and as a princess." Serenity opened her eyes and turned to Gaia, "Q-Queen..."

"Serenity," Gaia quirked a brow proudly, "My time has passed, so has my reign and everything in it. I did what I had to do in my time to live the life I wanted and Earth's inhabitants deserved. I fought for peace in any ways that I could... as a goddess and as a mortal, but now, the time to pass the crown to its new owner has come."

Serenity widened her crystal blue eyes and blushed, "I-I.."

"Serenity, listen to me..." Gaia's sweet expression soon turned serious, "You are important to many people, but to my son, you are his life force... whatever he did, he had reasons to do it, and right now, he is fighting to save the good left in this family and you need to do the same. Yes, things are complicated, I can still feel dense ripples of darkness lurking close but whatever Hades has planned, it can be fought—I am telling you this not as a former Queen but as a fellow Sailor Senshi." Gaia looked down at the pendant and softly tapped it with the tips of her finger, "This precious stone belongs to you now."

Serenity exhaled softly as she felt a warm and cozy energy surrounding her like if a warm and protective blanket was put over her shoulders. She looked at the queen irradiating a soft glow, like the sun in the hours of dawn; different from the princes' that looked more like that of the sun in its golden setting time, "You share the same warmth in your voice, the way you speak and gestures... you are so much alike..."

Gaia let out a soft sigh, "So I have heard... but also, he inherited some of my worst qualities, I will painfully admit. He is stubborn... he does not like to admit defeat and he always wants to do things by himself he is terribly independent."

"Yes!" Serenity blushed, "I mean... I do know what you are talking about,"

"Endymion is a complex man, child," Gaia smiled, "But I never doubted his feelings for you; it is more than clear why he is so in love with you," Serenity blushed, "Q-Queen..."

"You are strong, independent, and courageous—there is a light in you that irradiates like moonglow—so soothing and beautiful. You are a beautiful woman, Serenity, inside and out." Gaia tucked a piece of pearlescent hair behind Serenity's ear, "And your hair—it is like touching silk... like rays of moonbeam." She smiled softly, "You share your mother's beauty and calming aura; so sweet and yet, so loyal to your beliefs. Do not ever lose that charm," Gaia shook her head, "Do not lose yourself to grief. In order to evolve, we must go through a catharsis... you need to stay strong. You are not alone."

"Queen Gaia... please help me..." Serenity leaned her head on the queen's shoulder and started sobbing, "I feel like my heart has been ripped off my chest..."

"I know dear," Gaia closed her eyes, "I know... but you have never left his mind. You never will. He is devoted to you in heart and soul, it has been that way for thousands of years." She took a deep breath and released it. Gaia turned to the balcony doors when she felt a tug in her chest and moved her hand away, startling Serenity by her sudden change, "Est tempus,"

Serenity pulled back, "W-What?"

"Aliquam aperi oculos,"

"Queen?"

"Aliquam redire,"

Gaia gave her daughter in law a gentle smile and cupped her cheek, "Serenity, your mother gave her life to save you and my son and that is something I will always keep carved deep in my heart. I will forever be thankful to her, and now, it is my turn to do the same. I am here for you, you are not alone... my sweet daughter." She leaned close to her and planted a chaste kiss on the princess' forehead, "Open your eyes, child... it is time." Gaia tapped the stone proudly gleaming in the princess' chest. Serenity felt it react to the queen's touch and saw it glow and wrapped her in its warm light.

"Queen!" Serenity felt her body was being pulled away from Gaia's and shook her head with panic, "I don't... no! Queen!" She wasn't given much time to say anything else before she vanished leaving a trail of golden specks in her place. Gaia raised her hand and slowly reached for the gleaming sparkles with the tip of her fingers and closed her eyes, "Non timor, non solum principis... et habentes fiduciam in fretus eo et pro futuro." She opened her eyes and let her tears roll down her cheeks slowly, "Latmius Endymion fili mi, quotienscumque autem fortes estis, iam placet..."

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is rated M. Violence, cursing, and intimacy may occur._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _*Navus: Grandfather_

 _*Aliquam aperi oculos: It's time to open your eyes._

 _*Aliquam redire: It's time to go back._

 _*_ Non timor _,_ non solum principis _... et_ habentes fiduciam _in_ fretus eo _et pro_ futuro _: Fear not Princess, rely on them... rely on him... and fight for the future._

 _*Latmius Endymion fili mi, quotienscumque autem fortes estis, iam placet: Endymion, my son, whenever you are now... please be strong._


	64. Chapter 64

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Sixty-Four

* * *

The sound of chirping birds and the warm rays of the morning sun slowly brought back Serenity from her hazy and quite hectic slumber. Slowly, she fluttered her eyes open only to find out Megumi was no longer sleeping by her side—the last thing she remembered before falling asleep. She let out a groggy groan as she slowly brought a hand to her head, still feeling the heavy effects of the sedative Ami gave her the night before.

Serenity thought for a minute that everything had been a long and crazy dream and that it was just another lazy Sunday where she had overslept and Endymion would be in the living room reading the paper or working on something on his computer while drinking his usual morning coffee but it didn't take her long for the pain in her body remind her she wasn't sleeping on his side of the bed because she rolled over and kicked him out, or that it was just another simple day in their lives, soon after, it hit her, the simplicity Mamoru represented wasn't there anymore. He hadn't slept by her side, he hadn't wake up early to do all his morning routine, he wasn't waiting for her to make breakfast—he wasn't there at all.

She pushed herself back up and gently rubbed her sleeve over her eyes to wipe away the tears and took deep breaths to calm the anxiety that was trying to take over her again when a soft knock on the door snapped her out of her torment and turned to see Megumi walking inside the room with a hot cup of tea and placed it right where Endymion's mug used to be when she first returned. "Princess! You are awake!" She let out a soft breath of relief, "I brought you some tea," she sat on the edge of the bed and placed her cool hand on Serenity's warm forehead and smiled softly, "It will help you wake up and keep you calm after the rough night you had,"

Serenity blushed and turned to pick up the mug. She knew about her tendency to kick and roll during the night and that it had been an important factor of sleepless nights between the couple when she started to spend more nights over and Endymion began to learn more of her quirks during bedtime. Serenity turned to Megumi and gave her a weak but shameful smile; her lack of commentary proved she was completely oblivious to what had happened to her these past couple of days. She bit her lip, "I kicked you... I-I'm so, so sorry." She took a long breath and let it out, "Endymion is so used to it he doesn't pay attention to it anymore, I completely forgot to warn you about that,"

"Oh?" Megumi blinked a little startled but quickly figured the princess was still under the effects of the sedative, just as Ami had warned her, "No, no, do not worry about it. It is alright—no harm done, Your Highness."

Serenity sighed and gave the young girl an apologetic look, "My, you are going to think that I become this crazy woman in my sleep..."

"Not at all, Your Highness..." Megumi looked at her with curious eyes and a soft smile on her face, "Although, I must say, you were talking in your sleep quite much,"

"I-I was?" Serenity's eyes widened and felt her heart stop for a moment, Megumi continued, "Yes. You did not say a name but it was like if you knew the person you were talking to,"

"Can you remember anything I said?" Serenity looked down at the steaming mug in her hands and saw it was none other than her husband's favorite black mug. The same one she gave him for Christmas. Her delicate fingers slowly traced the small design of the constellation of Leo engraved on it as she continued to listen to Megumi in silence.

"They were mostly random words rather than an actual fluent conversation," the maid sighed softly, "I immediately thought you were re-living what you witnessed back there because you were pleading for help," Megumi cupped the princess cheek as she looked into her crystal blue eyes. She wished to know what happened, she wanted to know more about her brief reunion with the prince but she was aware that it was not something one could speak of so easily and without feeling any pain, it was still not time. "Is there anything I can get you, Your Highness? Are you feeling hungry? I can—"

Serenity shook her head tiredly, quickly interrupting the maiden, "No... not right now, thank you, Megumi." Megumi nodded and took a deep breath, "Princess... I do not know how you will take this but... there is somebody who wants to see you,"

Serenity looked at Megumi with a serious face and exhaled softly, "Well, it was expected. I knew they would come... I left without telling anyone..." she leaned forward and combed Megumi's wavy hair with her fingers and smiled, "It's alright..."

Megumi nodded and pointed the steaming mug "Please drink the tea," the motherly tone in her voice made the princess feel a warmth inside her chest as she watched her walk out of the room and brought the mug to her lips to take a small sip and let the delicate and sweet liquid sooth her throat and chest with its warmth. It wasn't long until another soft knocking on the door caught Serenity's attention and looked up to find Ami standing there with a worried look in her face, "Mer—" she said softly and sighed, taking a mental note that unlike her or the prince who started calling each other by their other name, at least for the time being, the girls still called themselves by their civilian name, "Ami,"

"Hi..." The bluenette said as soft and sweet as the rustling whispers of tree's leaves moving in the breeze in spring. An instant wave of relief washed some of Ami's worry as she saw Serenity awake and finally looking a little more like herself while sitting on the bed, still tucked under the fluffy duvet drinking tea. If she didn't know the truth behind the princess' puffy eyes, she would think it's just another lazy weekend and she just popped for a quick, casual visit. This is not something she was expecting to find, after what happened to her these past few days, especially the night before when she had to put a sedative to calm her nerves. She didn't want to risk her friend's mental state so she thought it would be best not to mention any of it, at least for now, "May I come in?"

Serenity nodded and turned to leave the steaming cup on Endymion's nightstand and leaned her head back on the headboard, still feeling a little light headed. Ami closed the door behind her to have enough privacy and pulled the lounge chair from the window all the way next to the princess's side on the bed. While they had a very deep level of trust and she had been inside that bedroom a few times before, she always respected the intimacy of the room and the bed Usagi and Mamoru shared as a couple. Ami always thought a bed was a sacred place, a haven of comfort and security, and not just a piece of furniture to use as a common couch—it is a philosophy she had since she could remember and she applied it with each and every one of her friends' bed and even her own. She also had a good share of quirks.

The bluenette sighed softly as she took her seat and looked at the princess, "I know it is a very stupid and inappropriate question to ask but... how are you feeling?"

Serenity had a sudden flash of the terran queen looking back at her with those beautiful eyes full of compassion and knowledge and felt all the raw anger that was overpowering her had slowly morphed into sadness and regret. With one shrug on her shoulder, the princess she shook her head, "Is there really a need for me to answer?" She sighed softly and closed her eyes, "My husband isn't here because he saved me from things I could have avoided in the first place."

Ami frowned, the tone in Usagi's voice wasn't familiar at all and not just because of the hoarseness as an aftermath effect of being crying non-stop or going in and out of panic attacks but because of the seriousness and maturity wrapped in her words, her tone while calm it felt disconnected, it held remorse and pain—too much pain. With time, they all have reached a level of maturity much higher than normal 24-year-old women did and Usagi was no exception; she had grown to be a very graceful lady with her well-known clumsiness and distrait nature showing up from time to time but the woman sitting in front of her with her silky hair falling like a cascade of moonshine around her face and her eyes with such intense gaze was clearly not that same sweet Usagi she knew. She was in another level, one that had seen good and evil as an equal force, both powerful and both very real.

"You are not seriously blaming yourself for what happened, right?"

Serenity looked down and bit her bottom lip softly, "I should have known better, Ami, that day... I should have let him know what I was planning on doing. I shouldn't have thought I could handle everything on my own like I always did." She frowned, "I know I am a sailor senshi—I know I can defend myself. I know I can fight and what I am capable of doing—I know how to do it, but a part of me still didn't want to believe that my level of strength was not the same as Asteria's, Athamas,' or even Endymion's. I should have accepted there were limitations, I should have listened..." She shook her head, still with her brows furrowed, "My actions were careless, he warned me—he asked me in the best way possible not to leave home without notice and now I know it was not because he was overreacting but because he knew they were waiting to hunt us like rabid beasts. He had a strategy that was keeping us safe _here_ until the moment for us to fight came again. He was trying to heal on his own so he could have all his strength intact for when the time required him to access to its full potential. He asked me not to take off the pendant he gave me... and what did I do? At the first opportunity, I sneak out of the apartment while he's still sleeping and without the pendant, because I forgot to put it back on after I took a shower."

"It was an honest mistake, Usa-chan, you can't—"

"It was plain stubbornness, Ami—that's what it was." Serenity looked at her friend with hurt, "This wasn't something it could be solved with just one of us fighting, Asteria is a demon—was—" Serenity closed her eyes and shook her head when correcting her words as she remembered her being devoured alive by Endymion's fiery energy, it was still all too vivid and too confusing—she was too confused. "My selfish actions put him through so much and now... look at the result..." she opened her eyes, finally allowing her tears to come into view "He's not here."

It was so strange to hear Usagi admit defeat and accept the consequences of her actions. It was not because she believed all she did was right but because she constantly said she could be trusted and she always told everyone to rely on her. This is how it always was, everyone trusted her skills and power; she was dependable and she always found a way to justify her actions but this time, she was admitting that she underestimated both, the situation and her husband, and that had brought catastrophic results. Ami soon understood the intensity in Usagi's eyes was none other but anger toward her own self for having been so careless when times required other types of action, when it required for her to be patient, to listen and rely on them—to rely on her husband. In the end, she, just like her, and the rest of the girls still couldn't look at the prince as someone who knew war and malice like the palm of his hand. In a way, they were all still looking at him as Tuxedo Kamen and not as the warrior the shitennou tried so much for them to believe actually existed.

"So, to answer your question, Ami," Serenity looked at her with a serious face but with tears glistening in her clear blue eyes, "I am devastated."

Ami didn't know what to say after such bold statement and confession, for the first time in her life, she didn't know how to approach the always dependable, cute, and friendly Usagi. With a heavy sigh, Ami lowered her head with shame, "Please forgive me... although it is a _very_ stupid and obvious question... I wanted to know how you were... after we found out you left the shrine... I got really scared and mortified,"

Serenity felt guilty for giving Ami such an intense lecture and took a deep breath, "I'm sorry—" she said in a softer tone and looked into her friend's wide eyes, "I needed to be alone... I needed to get away and seclude myself at the only place that could make me feel closer to him... somehow. I know it was very selfish of me leaving without saying anything, without thinking about anything or somebody else..."

"I understand—we all do," Ami said with worry still reflected in her powdery voice, "But... your health wasn't entirely recovered when that happened,"

Serenity gave her friend a soft smile, "Ami, sweet Ami. The doctor in you really wants to scold me for my carelessness... am I right?"

"No, it is not that. It's..."

"Ami?"

Ami sighed and gave her friend a much more steady glance, despite the sweet tone of her voice, "Usa-chan... I wanted— _no_ —I _needed_ to see you first to talk to you about something else, but, equally important,"

"Yes?"

Ami took a deep breath and hoped for the best as she just let her suspicions come afloat and manifest in the form of words, "Back when Mamoru was unconscious... I couldn't help but notice some things that were unusual in you. And while the girls and shitennou might have thought it was because you weren't eating or because you were depressed, which is a valid cause, I had the feeling it was because of something else... something that was happening within you, and since then, it has been on my mind and keeping me on the edge with worry."

Serenity tightened her lips and looked down and gave a nod in response, finally allowing Ami to peel the layers of her pain. Ami widened her eyes and unveiled her concerns, "Usa-chan... are you pregnant?" The bluenette noticed Usagi's shoulders tensing and her slender fingers tighten her grip on the duvet giving her the response she was looking for but she couldn't deny her friend's silent and nervous reaction took her by surprise. Serenity licked her lips and took a moment to continue, "It was unplanned and obviously unexpected for several and very valuable reasons, but, somehow... it happened." She shook her head with the same nervousness as before and took a deep breath and exhaled but it didn't matter how much she did it, she still looked unusually anxious. "I found out around the time we returned from our honeymoon... I had started feeling weird—off—and when I started making numbers they didn't match like they usually did and I realized something was not normal. I took a test just out of curiosity but then I took three more out of pure shock and disbelief only to find those coming out positive too; after that, Asteria appeared... Endymion fell unconscious, and well... everything else happened..."

"Oh my god..." Ami widened her eyes, "Usa-chan..."

Serenity nodded slowly, "It's so strange... the way your body starts to react to the changes so quickly... I don't know why the precautions we were taking didn't work. I don't know if it's because I'm not, well, we're not, _normal_ or if our close contact with divinity affected it, but again, it doesn't make any sense." She sighed, "It took me a lot of self-control to keep it a secret and to not let any of the symptoms show while I was with you but everything made me feel so sick..." she looked at Ami with tears rolling down her cheeks. "I-I don't... know..."

"Usa-chan?" Ami frowned and pushed herself to the edge of her seat to be closer to the princess and hold her hand. Serenity tilted her head low again like if she was ashamed and shook her head, "The night before Motoki-oniisan came over... I felt a very strong and sharp pain that woke me up in the middle of the night and urged me to run to the bathroom..." Serenity's voice started to break into tears giving Ami enough information to understand what she was trying to say and jumped from her chair to sit next to her on the bed and wrapped her arms around her in a tight, supporting embrace and let her friend unleash her emotions. "It didn't stop... without control..." Serenity said between sobs, "It was an intense pain that lasted just a few seconds and after that... I was left empty and with an immense feeling of abandon and solitude... I knew what it was... I knew what had happened but I couldn't understand why… I still can't… I don't know why..."

Ami couldn't fight the tears pooling in her eyes and started crying over the loss of her friends' baby. Serenity's sobs were heavy and charged with the raw emotion and desolation; as a doctor, Ami had seen and attended several cases of miscarriages and how it deeply affects the future parents. She had seen their faces of shock and panic because it occurs so fast it doesn't give them enough time to digest what just happened. As a doctor, she had grown a thicker skin to endure the bitter side of medicine, the side where she fails to succeed and loses occur. Where she can't fight an inevitable death or disease, but she never thought something like this could ever happen to a woman like Usagi.

It was then when everything began to make sense to Ami as she put the pieces of the puzzle together; Usagi's pale face, her fragile figure, her lack of appetite, her lack of strength and motivation. She was depressed. She had a miscarriage under the shadow of another tragedy and she dealt with it in silence and alone.

"Usagi... oh my god... Usagi... why didn't you tell me anything!?" Ami broke in sobs and pulled her friend closer, "Why did you go through this alone?!"

Serenity cried and shook her head, "I couldn't do it... I couldn't tell anyone. I feel so ashamed... I feel guilty... afraid... I was taking care of myself, I promise I was Ami-chan!" She pulled back and looked into Ami's eyes desperate to prove her words, "I swear I was taking care of ourselves! At first yes, I was very scared because it was something new and unexpected but then... this unthinkable amount of joy overcame me and started reading all sorts of articles to do things right," she shook her head and closed her eyes, "When Endymion woke up from his coma... I couldn't tell him... I couldn't arm myself with enough courage to tell him that I was pregnant with his baby only to give him the news that I had lost it right after... I just couldn't do it... I was so ashamed and so afraid that he would get mad at me for not being careful or because I was not strong enough to carry our child,"

Ami shook her head and put her hands on each side of her face, "Usa-chan... what happened wasn't your fault. It wasn't because you were not strong enough to carry your baby, it wasn't because you didn't take proper care of it. I am telling you this as a doctor and as your friend, and I know Mamoru would have told you the same thing. He would never have thought you were weak, he loves you without measure, he would never have gotten mad at you. The only thing I do think would have upset him is to know that you went through this alone... that you didn't talk to him or anybody else about this. Usa-chan, this isn't something you can go through on your own, it's devastating."

Serenity dried her tears with her sleeve, "I spoke to Motoki-oniisan the day Endymion went to sign the papers for his medical leave and I told him what happened. He took several tests and even called for an ob-gyn specialist to evaluate my case and treat me. I meant going to the hospital to see him the day after... I don't know why... but I needed to hear it again, from somebody else. After visiting my parent's and on my way back, I kept thinking on how I could tell Endymion all this when Asteria appeared." Her hands started to shake as she let her emotions take over again, "Mercury... what if this baby was _her?_ What if this is a punishment from the gods for faltering their laws? What if they did to me what they tried to do to Queen Gaia when she was expecting Endymion?"

"No, Princess." Ami shook her head, despite the valid reasons Serenity had to think as the cause for her miscarriage. To her, none of them were accurate or possible; "No... no. There are many reasons for a miscarriage that go beyond our control... I will not credit the gods for this because they do not deserve our attention. I will not grant them either my fury or ask for their mercy. I rather take care of this matter and support you as a human being, as your friend _and_ your doctor than a woman with divinity—they won't have my tears and I won't let them have yours either or your pain for that matter. Share it with me, you are not alone."

Serenity widened her eyes and exhaled deeply, "Ami..."

"Princess," Ami shook her head, "I will not share a word of this to anyone—not until you decide to speak about it _and_ if you feel like doing it. This will stay with me forever but you don't have to go through this alone. Please don't go through this alone."

Serenity sniffed and gave Ami a sad smile, "Thank you, Ami-chan... thank you from the bottom of my heart." She looked down at the duvet still suffering the strain of her fingers curled on it tightly. "That is not what breaks my heart the most..." she looked up to meet Ami's eyes with deep sadness, "He knew... all this time..." Ami widened her eyes to the news, "W-What?"

"Endymion knew I was pregnant and he knew I had a miscarriage—what I tried to keep a secret, he found out about it anyway; I suppose the minute he woke up from his coma he sensed something was wrong with me but he didn't say anything because he was waiting for me to be ready to talk about it. We were both dealing with the loss in silence." Serenity sniffed softly, "He told me... right before..." she frowned and took a couple of hasty breaths, giving Ami the cue to stop her and pull her into her arms again, "It's okay... you don't have to talk about it," she closed her eyes, "The only thing I will ask of you, Princess, is to let me take care of your health… please let me be there for you."

Ami felt Serenity nodding in silence and closed her eyes while thinking Kunzite's words from the night before. The woman in her arms was a true example of bravery, strength, and courage; her physical strength yes, it could not be put to compete with the princes' or Asteria's but the courage inside her was amazing; the passion in her heart was admirable and unbreakable no matter the situation. She was a true warrior.

This is what the general meant when he said that she was not the same woman from two thousand years ago. Clearly, she wasn't; this princess put her own pain aside and survived hell while leaving her beloved husband behind and still armed herself with courage to return to the home they shared together very much aware of the many memories waiting to cling to her spirit and still, stand on her feet hoping to find resolution to this swarm of madness around her.

O—o—O

Ami walked out of the bedroom after she stayed with Serenity until she finished her tea and examined her quickly with the promise of returning each day to check on her. She walked to the living room to get her purse and saw Kunzite was there with Minako and gave them a nod. After what happened the night before, Ami let Minako know what she had to do to help their friend and princess and was glad to see her there to show her support.

"Ami-chan..." Minako looked at her with worry, "How is she doing? Is she okay?"

Ami nodded with a much more relaxed smile, "Yes, she is still under some effects of the sedative I gave her last night but you know me, I wanted to check on her and make sure she's alright." She turned to Megumi and thanked her for allowing her to stay and for all her help and turned back at her friends, "I have to go to make a quick stop at my place to take a shower and then at the hospital for a few hours but please call me if anything happens."

"Yes, of course," Minako nodded and looked around, "Zoisite didn't come with you?"

"He is going to meet with us later," Kunzite said softly and turned to Minako, "You want to go see her?" He turned to Megumi, almost as he was asking for her authorization; Megumi nodded, "It is alright, she knew you were going to come,"

"She doesn't seem to know she had been mostly absent for the last four days since her return, in her mind, she just got here yesterday—so please, be careful with that." Ami patted Minako's arm, "I will see you later in the afternoon..." Ami leaned closer to give her blonde friend a supporting hug and walked out the door. Minako bit her lower lip nervously and turned to Kunzite who just answered with a nod as he quickly understood the blonde's hesitation and walked toward the bedroom. Minako turned and followed Ami out of the apartment until she caught up on her, waiting for the elevator "Ami-chan,"

The bluenette turned to look at her friend over her shoulder and blinked, "Minako-chan... I thought you were going to see her,"

Minako nodded and took a deep breath, "Yes, but... I-I..." she shook her head and closed her eyes, "How is she? _Really_..."

"Weak, but with proper care and plenty of rest she will be alright," Ami's soft voice was not enough to lift the heavy truth behind those words, also, she knew Minako wanted to know more than a medical opinion on her condition, "She's heartbroken," the young doctor finally said it, "She's desolated." Ami sighed softly, "Minako, the woman inside that bedroom is not good old bubbly Usagi but Serenity—a woman who has endured many trials and challenges. A woman who has experienced pain and has witnessed what true evil is like and that it's beyond our comprehension, but she is also a woman incredibly strong. She doesn't refer to Mamoru with his nickname which makes me think that she doesn't call herself Usagi, it seems that to her it doesn't feel natural, at least for this time being. They have surpassed all laws of nature and those of the gods to be considered regular civilians, but, she is still our dear friend and right now, she needs us despite trying to show us the opposite. She won't tell us that because she is trying her best to follow Endymion's tactics and keep her emotions at bay but she is clearly suffering." Ami cupped Minako's cheek softly and smiled, "She didn't leave because she didn't want to be with us, she's not mad at us and she is not trying to push us away... she just needed time. She's very scared and before you ask, no, just because she now calls herself Serenity, it's nothing like two thousand years ago. She's still the sweet friend we know and love, but... stronger, much stronger."

Minako sighed softly, "I know she's not plain old Usagi anymore—she's never been, ever since she knew her past and the battle with Galaxia, she took everything with seriousness. After this, is only natural for her to be in a different stage in her life. I understand she has embraced her nature and true self and I'm glad, I think we all should follow their steps because we are not simple people and we need to make peace with it the same way they did. What truly worries me is what comes next... what will happen to her now. We don't know anything about Endymion and I don't want to ask her anything she doesn't want to tell us yet but I also need to know what happened to see what can we do to help her."

"I understand, I am in the same page as you are... the ideal would be to bring Endymion back but you and I know it's not as easy as it sounds." Ami nodded and tilted her head to the side, "But we can't rush her... what Kunzite said is right, she just went through something very traumatic and we can't ask more of what she is willing to give us; I think this cannot be even compared to the battle with Galaxia, this is darker, much more challenging and complicated. We need to give her time; maybe she feels more open to talking to Kunzite since he is Endymion's close friend... if there is somebody who knows the prince as close as Serenity does, is him."

Minako nodded and gave her friend a sad smile as she looked down, "I don't know why I am so scared Ami... for the first time in my life, I don't know what words to say to make her feel better... this is something we never imagined it could ever happen."

"Hug her," Ami said softly, "Just wrap your arms around her and pull her into a sisterly embrace, she needs that. She wants that. She doesn't need words... she needs support and understanding." the bluenette pulled back and patted her friend's arm with a gentle touch, "That tragic princess that had to sit back and wish for peace no longer exists... she's a soldier determined to fight and stay strong so she can find a way to see her husband again and build a new world where there is no place for divine judgment or injustice. That Venus, is the foundation of the new Silver Millennium and Crystal Tokyo—that is what I believe and you should believe it too."

Minako looked at her friend with renewed faith and strength, she was right, she was afraid but mostly because since it all started, Usagi has been on a roller coaster of emotions and challenges one stronger and more difficult than the last that she didn't know how long it took for her spirit to completely break. She didn't know if it was destiny, fate, or just an undying revenge from the gods above, but she was being put to the test with whom she loved the most. It wasn't new that Sailor Moon had to endure many trials in the past, it wasn't new for her to be strong for the both of them but this time, things were different, both were strong, both were determinant, both were their own kind of warrior. Nobody was being brainwashed, nobody wanted the world just to gain power, this time, they were being treated like criminals—all of them, but especially the prince and princess for living a forbidden love and going against the laws of the gods for thousands of years. Ami was right, they all had to step out of the shadows and embrace the warriors living inside them; this was a time to fight, to make a difference and to create a world where they all could live together and in peace.

All of them.

"Please keep me informed... at this point, we are not sure if she will have another episode, but we need to be prepared in case she does. I will come back as soon as possible."

"Are you going to tell Motoki about this?"

Ami sighed softly, "I don't know. How can I tell him that his best friend is in hell—literally." She shook her head, "He knows our lives and stories but he has a lot on his plate too with Reika's anxiety. I would feel so guilty to be the responsible for worrying him even more," she rubbed temples and took a deep breath when she heard the soft bell of the elevator, "But I think it would be best to keep him on the loop..."

"Yeah," Minako nodded, "Alright, let me know,"

"Sure," Ami pinched Minako's nose in a sisterly manner and turned to walk inside the elevator and watched her friend in silence as the doors closed between them.

O—o—O

Kunzite stood outside the bedroom door for a minute thinking how it has come again for him to be there for similar reasons, equally serious and equally inevitable. He turned the knob to open the door and peeked inside the calm and silent bedroom. He turned to his right and saw the curtain on the large window dancing with the morning breeze allowing the warm rays coming from the sun filter softly and print soft patterns over the fluffy duvet covering the princess who was curled on the bed right where he remembered the prince was sleeping when he was unconscious, taking it that she was on his side on the bed. The shitennou looked at her in silence for a minute before turning on his heel to let her sleep.

"I didn't know you were here..."

Kunzite widened his eyes when he heard her soft voice and turned to look at her still curled up on the bed, "Princess..." he cleared his throat, "I—please forgive my intrusion while you were sleeping, I shouldn't have come here this way."

"I wasn't..." Serenity opened her eyes slowly, "I can't... it's not the same... without him, nothing is the same. It doesn't matter how many sheets and comforters I ask Megumi to help me add on this bed... it's still very cold, it's stiff and uncomfortable." She slowly pushed herself up and turned to look at him, "Please, come in."

"I do not intend to take much of your time, Princess, I just wanted to come and see you… make sure you were alright," Kunzite closed the door and walked to the chair Ami left beside the bed but didn't sit. "Princess... I know it is needless to say, but... I am here—"

"I know, Kunzite." Serenity nodded and looked down, "Although, I don't think I deserve such considerations, especially from you..." she closed her eyes. Kunzite frowned confused, "Princess?"

"I don't have the courage to look you in the eye,"

"Why?"

"Because..." Serenity shook her head and tightened her grip on the fluffy duvet, "Endymion is like a brother to you... and..." she wiped her falling tears brusquely, with anger, "I couldn't bring him back with me... no matter how much I tried. I feel like I failed you— _all of you_ , and I can't deal with it... I feel terrible..."

Kunzite felt his chest constricting just by seeing the princess struggle so much with her emotions, she was afraid of looking at him, she was really ashamed. "Princess..." he pulled the chair back and took a seat, "Please do not feel responsible for what happened. You did not fail me or any of the other shitennou. Endymion knew what he was doing."

Serenity sighed heavily, trying her best not to cry again; Kunzite shook his head and gave the princess a sad smile, "Princess... when it comes to you, he moves whatever needs to be moved and fights whoever stands in his way. This has been a reality for him for more than two thousand years and he doesn't care because it is you who he is fighting for,"

"Kunzite..." Serenity finally looked at him with tears in her eyes, "He is there because I was careless, because I thought I could take care of this on my own."

"Endymion predicted all this. Not exactly like things ended up happening, of course, but he knew Asteria was going to create an opportunity to get to him—she was taunting him and measuring his level of patience to achieve something we still do not know much of." Kunzite took a deep breath, "Princess, I will not sugar coat things for you because you perfectly understand the situation and because you, just like him, are a warrior who knows there is a consequence with every action and decision you make in battle. Yes, your actions were careless and you should have told him of your plans of going out that day—their target was him, and to get to him, they had to get to you first because they know how much he cares for you."

Serenity nodded as she swallowed the blunt words from the general with acceptance while wondering if the prince ever felt this miserable every time Kunzite gave him a reality check. This was probably the main reason why he had a closer relationship with the prince; the man was brutal and Endymion was the kind of man that liked to be told things as they came without any preamble as he did. Kunzite wasn't lying when he said he did not sugar-coated things making it a different approach from the girl's tactics but and as strange as it was, it was something she needed. Again, it was the nature she admired of the terran people, their passion and perspective in life.

Kunzite exhaled softly, "Yes, letting him know would have been a much better choice, but I understand it is not in your nature to wait for others do things you know and feel you can handle on your own. You act the same way Endymion acts with us; you two are a guardian's worst nightmare—unpredictable and stubborn."

Serenity frowned, "We're... sorry?"

"That is not the point, Princess..." Kunzite crossed his arms, "You are very courageous and that is one of the many of reasons why you are a sailor senshi worth of having as an ally and also, why you have Endymion's heart in your hands," he shook his head, "It is why he asked me to look after you if any of this happened."

The princess looked up with tears in her eyes, "W-What?"

"You underestimated him," Kunzite narrowed his eyes, "With us, it happened the other way around, when we first learned he was just an aid to you instead of the warrior we knew he truly was..."

Serenity felt completely taken by surprise with his comment; Kunzite nodded, "Yes, as horrible and brutal as that sounds, it is the truth—Endymion was just an aid, a distraction." He sighed softly, "You knew of what he, as Prince of Earth, was capable of doing because he probably mentioned it at some point in your relationship but you probably did not want to believe it entirely because you had never seen him covered with someone else's blood. You never really saw him go berserk and calculating, but this time you did... you saw it—that murderous glare in his eyes that freezes you to the bone, am I right?"

Serenity felt a cold rush running through her entire body the minute she remembered that look Kunzite was talking about. She wanted to say something but she couldn't give a straight answer because not even she could really explain what happened to the terran prince. Kunzite nodded and leaned back in his seat with a knowing look in his face, "That is the famous monster you heard it existed on Earth, Princess."

Serenity widened her eyes with shock, Kunzite sighed softly, "Endymion is not a merciful warrior. Yes, as a person, he is kindhearted, high-minded, fair, educated... charming as only he can be and he can even be funny at times... but when he is fighting, he does not seek kindness in his opponents and he certainly does not wait for them to show any type of benignity. Endymion was trained to become desensitized and kill from a very young age and you just witnessed it for the first time. It is normal for you being this scared and terrified... yes, it is not an easy thing to witness, there is nothing good about it, but as harsh as this may sound, that is who he is."

Serenity felt a strong tug in her chest and lowered her gaze; she thought of how Kunzite's words made perfect sense to what she saw when he was fighting Asteria, and it was true, she had seen him swing his sword before but it was nothing compared to what she witnessed back there. The cold and stoic behavior, the brashness of his words, the deadly glare in his darkened eyes. She heard Kunzite taking a deep breath and looked at him with an apologetic glare for exposing her husband in the rawest way possible.

"To us..." The general continued with a soft cautious tone in his deep voice, "That is the man that guided us in the battlefield, the one we followed with pride; that is the man we know and not the one in a black suit and a mask. Our Prince never looked down or stepped back, he never hesitated or covered his face to hide from an enemy—that man you saw back there is the man that lead an entire army and won countless of victories earning him all those medals and badges you probably remember he had." Kunzite crossed his arms and curved the corners of his lips in the faintest of smiles, but the pride was more than evident. "That man broke the royal mold when he became the first crowned prince to work as the king's strategist and political advisor and took the role of Commander of the Royal Army of Elysion. He earned all those things on his own, as a powerless mortal being and without knowing nothing about his divine nature. That is how strong and determined Endymion really is, Princess, he is a master of discipline." The general's smile turned sad, "When you met him, you got to see just a tiny fraction of all the things he represented and you got to know a side of him he never showed to anyone, not even us—his brothers. When we returned to Elysion after the war and once our training was over, the prince grew tired of the routine of being a royal soon after; he did not enjoy being at the palace because he hated being treated like an amusement for the court—he really despised being on social events."

The comment cracked a sad chuckle out of Serenity, Kunzite smiled, "Your smile only confirms that he still does..."

"Oh yes, he does," Serenity nodded, "Without measure… he hates being in crowded places."

"Endymion was slowly being asphyxiated by the banality of his royal heritage and title and if it has not been for you, Princess, he would have been consumed by the weight of the crown put upon his head. A crown, he never liked wearing in the first place." Kunzite noticed the shock in Serenity's eyes and sighed softly, "I know it is not a pretty sight, I know it is intimidating and frightening to see him change so drastically when all you know of him is charming and beautiful. The prince has a dark side too and when options run thin, drastic measures must be taken whether we like it or not; he knows this well, we all do—you included. As soldiers, we are trained that way and we, as Shitennou and his guardians, understand it. Endymion is not the typical prince coming straight out of a fairy tale. He damn looks like one, sure, but, that has never been his intention. He was a boy that wanted to prove himself he could be someone reliable, a guardian worthy of his kingdom. He studied and trained very hard to become his own kind of warrior surpassing all expectations from his family and the gods."

"Yes, I know..." Serenity nodded, "And even so... I asked him to reconsider. I asked him to choose another path but..." she dried the tears rolling down her cheeks, "I can't ask him to be someone he's not—I can't ask him to fight the same way I do because we are not the same, despite fighting for the same cause."

"So, you have realized it," Kunzite nodded, "I am glad, because it is very important to understand that this is not about who has more power or who can do things better. You two had different backgrounds, different training and different reasons to become who you are today. Endymion was a confused boy who wanted to be taken seriously—he wanted a place in the world but not as a royal. His family while very kind and noble, was very strict and demanding with his education and regime, obliging him to live up to meet their high standards and honor his dynasty with pride—a dynasty he did not know in its entirety but still kept intact."

Serenity sniffled softly and nodded, closing her eyes. "But let me tell you this," she opened her eyes when she heard Kunzite's voice again and looked up at him with expectant eyes. Kunzite shook his head with a warm smile, one very different from the others, one that showed surprise and awe, "In all my years of knowing and serving him, I have never seen that man as happy as when he is with you. You bring sense to his complicated life and you bring him peace; he does not smile with anyone the same way he does with you, you are, without a doubt his perfect match."

"Kunzite..." Serenity's eyes started to cloud with a new batch of fresh tears, feeling moved by his words. Kunzite nodded, "That is how it has to be in battle too—you two have to complement each other and that is where you failed, Princess, because you cannot do everything on your own... not anymore. You made a vow as husband and wife and you have to rely on him as much as he has to rely on you. In a way, he had done it all those years he was deprived of the truth and his skills." He leaned forward and tapped her forehead softly with his finger bringing Serenity a nostalgic feeling in her heart because it was something Endymion always did when he tried to lighten the tension while in the middle of an argument or a serious conversation.

Serenity tightened her lips and closed her eyes, letting her tears roll down her cheeks, "I'm at loss Kunzite... I don't know what to do..." she started sobbing, "Yes! Yes, I've realized all this... but I did it too late, I accept my mistakes, I know I failed, but look at what cost! He's not here and I don't know what to do! You say I bring sense to his life but he brings sense to mine... I can't... I can't do this without him! I need to see him! I want him here with me!" Her eyes widened when she felt Kunzite pull her close in a brotherly embrace, "K-Kunzite..."

"You are very strong, Princess, but you do not have to go through this alone, please, do not give yourself to grief—rely on Venus and the girls, rely on Megumi, rely on the Shitennou and rely on me."

Serenity widened her eyes when she remembered those were the same words the terran queen had given her before they parted ways. It was so vivid, the warmth in her hold, that protectiveness only mothers could give their children when hurting and it moved her to the core because she also wished she could see her again.

"I just don't understand it Kunzite... why did he say he had to stay in that horrible place?" Serenity's sobs were muffled in the general's chest, "I don't understand why he couldn't come back with me... Asteria was defeated! He killed her and Athamas too!"

Kunzite closed his eyes and took a deep breath; he wanted to tell her what the prince did to free her from that place. For what he heard so far, he figured it was something she still ignored but he didn't know if it was alright to say it at this point because he still didn't know what happened with exactitude. He noticed Serenity was starting to shiver and growing anxious, giving him the cue to end the conversation, "Princess, you need to take care of yourself—I feel like I have said this too many times, but it is the truth. That is the first course of action to solve this mad riddle—your health. You cannot do anything in this state. You are limited and—"

"I understand,"

"Do you, really?"

"Yes," Serenity took a deep breath, "You are awfully strict Kunzite... are you always like this with him?"

"Worse, much worse." Kunzite arched his brow "That man needs a much more brutal approach to make him understand but, to be fair, he is the same with me. He is not all peaches and cream with everyone, just so you know." He pulled back and looked into her eyes, "Remember what I said, you two had two different reasons to become who you are today—one of his reasons was his family, and right now, he is trying to save what it is left of it in any way he can," he wiped the princess' tears and tilted his head, "And you need to help him by doing the same, you need to be strong and take care of yourself because you are his family—the minute you became his wife, you became a part of an incredible dynasty, one the gods fear and admire at the same time, a family of grand warriors... so, you need to step up and fight, Princess. You need to pay homage to it."

Serenity looked into his intense gaze and frowned slightly, remembering Asteria's words when she tried to prove a point and taunted the prince to kill her in front of her, "How much do you know, Kunzite?"

Kunzite caught up right away with what she was asking and gave her a small smile charged with pride and confidence, "Enough to believe this is not over."

Serenity widened her crystal blue eyes; and then, it came to her, that word: catharsis. It echoed in her mind; catharsis is needed to evolve. Evolve, evolution—growth. And then, it ringed with realization, what Gaia had said:

" _I realized it was impossible to pull him away from his fate because it is the same as mine. He is here to protect Earth and help it evolve."_

Serenity put the pieces together and started to remember the moment Endymion woke up from his coma and later explained to her how he had gone through a catharsis in order to make peace with who he is—he evolved. He has been in constant evolution. Every challenge he has had in his life has shaped him into who he is now, someone always stronger, wiser, and more prudent. A better version of himself. From his difficult childhood to this very moment in his adulthood, he has always evolved. They had reached a point where there weren't alter egos or identities to take when times required it, that was no more. Mamoru and Endymion were one in the same and he had evolved into a better version of himself and now, she had to do the same, but damn it, how painful and distressing this all was. The man was a force of nature, one that always encouraged her to strive for more—to grow, to explore, to learn and earn experience. He was a hard teacher, she always complained about it and sometimes resented it. His practicality and brutal honesty often hurt her overly emotional spirit, but it now made sense why. His own experiences and life choices had helped her shape her own, she learned from his failures and bad decisions and when he didn't give her the words she wanted to hear it later made her realize he had done it so she could make her own mistakes and learn from them; she had fallen, she had failed too, but she learned how to break bad habits and make a way in life. No matter how difficult or bitter the experience, no matter how hard or awful, he was always there; sometimes in silence, others with encouraging words, but he was was always there to help her grow and now, he was doing it again. Endymion was teaching her how to believe and rely on her strength and good will, he was teaching her how to stand on her own and think with a cold head by putting Earth's fate in her hands. As painful and hard as it was, he was helping her evolve.

Serenity blinked when she felt Kunzite pinching her nose lightly and saw him stand up, "We will give you the space you ask but please let us know if there is anything you need. Please try to have some rest, Princess. You need to regain your strength, now, is there anything I can get you before I leave?"

"No, thank you, Kunzite..." Serenity shook her head slowly, "Thank you for not leaving our side."

Kunzite shook his head, "I would never do such a thing, I care too much for you two. If Endymion is not around, you as his wife take his place, so, that makes me your right hand and your brother too."

Serenity's eyes gleamed with unshed tears, "Kunzite..."

"Try to have some sleep, Princess. I will close by if you need anything." Kunzite smiled softly before turning on his heel and walked out of the bedroom. Minako was waiting for him in the living room and turned to look at the general when he walked back, "H-How is she?"

"Exhausted—those panic attacks are taking a toll on her," Kunzite said softly as he took a seat next to her on the sofa and took a hold of her hand, "She is confused—she is not aware of what Endymion did to release her from that place and she is not aware of those episodes she's been having nor how much time she's been in such state." He sighed softly, "I do not blame him for not telling her, it would have been much more difficult for her to deal with all this," he sighed and tightened his grip on Minako's hand, "She needs her friend but she also needs plenty of rest, I would recommend we should let her sleep for a while,"

Minako nodded "I understand..." she turned to Megumi, who was standing behind the long island bar that divided the kitchen from the living room, "I wish to stay until she wakes up again—make her eat something, I promised Ami-chan I would make her eat," Megumi smiled softly and nodded, "Of course, Lady Venus,"

The blonde slouched back on the sofa and hugged her knees with a mortified look on her face, "I wish I knew what to do... I am at loss, I too want to know why did he stay... what was going through his mind when he did that..."

Kunzite looked at her and sat next to her on the sofa, his hand reached to grace her cheek for a minute before pulling her into a loving embrace and closed his eyes and remembered the conversation he had with the prince before all of this happened. "There are reasons that go beyond our understanding, Venus, but that does not mean everything is lost." Minako pulled back and looked into his gray eyes with deep curiosity, "You know more..."

"I know what Endymion is capable of doing and that is enough for me to believe in my words." Kunzite turned to Megumi behind the bar, "And I know you too because you have witnessed it first-hand." He sighed, "Right now, Princess Serenity must be our top priority—her safety and her health... this planet is pulsing because she is linked to Endymion,"

"But now that we know Asteria is dead..." Minako frowned, still very confused "What should we expect?"

Kunzite pursed his lips and shook his head, "I do not know Venus..." she turned to look at her, "All I know is that we must keep Princess Serenity safe until we figure out a way to bring Endymion back. Maybe she is the key but we will not know until she is fully recovered. We still do not know what happened there... she is still not ready to talk. Saturn gave us valuable information but that moment between them before they parted ways is crucial… we do not know what happened in between."

O—o—O

Inside the bedroom, Serenity had gotten up to go to the bathroom after Kunzite had left and on her return, she heard Venus' soft voice as she stood by the door and listened to the conversation between her and the general. She noticed the worried tone in her friend's voice and couldn't help to feel bad for being the cause of it; she wanted to call her, she wanted to open the door and walk over to her, give her a hug, and tell her that she was going to try her best to be alright but right now, just the fact of staying awake was a matter of life or death for her.

Serenity slowly walked back and careful enough of not making any noise that would get their attention and rush back to check on her. Lost in her own thoughts, the princess stepped into the walk-in closet she shared with her husband and in an almost automatic fashion, she started to rummage through his neatly organized clothes. She took a deep breath and inhaled all the notes of his cologne settled in every nook of his drawers and hanged clothes, sending shivers down her spine and playing cruel tricks with her mind by making her feel like if he was standing right there. Her hands began to shake nervously as she dug deeper through his belongings and let a wave of desperation curl up in the pit of her stomach with every drawer she pulled open and searched carefully through his folded t-shirts, underwear, sleepwear and sweatshirts. After a few more minutes of intense search, her crystal blue eyes gleamed with tears as if she had found the most sacred treasure, more than the one that currently hung from her neck. With so much care and longing, Serenity pulled Endymion's gray hoodie from the very bottom of the last drawer she opened; she quickly hugged it with all her might and sniffed the settled aroma of his scent mixed with the faint fresh notes of his aftershave.

Tears started to roll down her cheeks as she softly snuggled her face against the soft fabric of his favorite hoodie—one of the few only things he has ever refused to throw away despite being a little stained by the many times she secretly used it to lounge around the apartment when he was not there. Hanging on to the tradition, she put it on and pulled the hoodie all the way up to cover her tear stained face and sat down on the shaggy carpet; it didn't take long for the princess to start feeling vulnerable again and broke in soft sobs as she tucked the hems of the sleeves of the over-sized sweatshirt with force. Serenity was perfectly aware of what she promised Ami and Megumi, and now that she had spoken to Kunzite she could not stop thinking about the things he said. She knew what she had to do, she had to look out for herself and take her time to regain her strength but she couldn't ignore the empty feeling inside her; she knew she had her friends' support and the shitennou's as well but it was not the same—it was never going to be the same because nobody understood her the way her husband did.

The princess leaned her back on the open drawer from where she pulled out the sacred piece of clothing and closed her eyes, "I'm wearing your hoodie, Mamo-chan..." Serenity felt his name roll from her tongue with sentiment and sniffled with melancholy at the lingering scents trapped in the fibers of the fabric, silently wishing they didn't wear off with use, "Are you thinking of me as much as I am thinking about you right now?" She started to sob and curled her fingers tight around the pendant, "I can't do this alone Endymion... why are you being so hard on me? This is pure torture... I am not like you... you're so weird..." her sobs intensified and so did the pain in her chest as she remembered all the things they have done together; the many times they've spent their afternoons cuddled in bed or on the couch watching bad t.v., kissing, joking around, or eating take out. Serenity started to feel like if her life was slowly draining from her body no matter how much she tried to keep composed and strong and slowly felt the heaviness take over her fragile body and slowly gave in to sleep.

O—o—o—o—O

Ares entered his brother's throne room that was also known as the ante-room of the Underworld. He was wearing his ochre-gold armor and the clear signs of worry and distress written all over his face. "I came here as soon as I got your sign,"

Hades arched his brow and gave a studious look at his brother, "I heard you started calling for the Celestial Army of Polemarchos... with our brother's consent."

"This shall not come as news to you, Hades, you were there when Zeus agreed to the plan," Ares frowned, "You knew this was going to happen eventually—after many warnings on my end."

"Have you succeeded, Ares?" Hades frowned, "Have you gathered the entire army already?" He noticed the tension in his brother's face and body. Ares narrowed his gray eyes, "You called for my presence just to ask me something you already knew was going to happen?"

Hades sighed, "I called for you because war is your jurisdiction and protecting Olympus your duty. Which is why I feel obliged to give you an important piece of information."

"What is that?"

"I know of your little escapades to Earth," Hades arched his brow "And I also know the hybrid's awakening has to do with you—you have broken two taboos and I am concerned with what you are about to do next. You have been making reckless decisions lately, little brother, and I want to know where we stand..."

"I do not understand what you are trying to do," Ares frowned, "Provoking me is getting old, Hades, you have to come up with something better since I no longer care for your foolish taunting,"

Hades pursed his lips, "It is... it is getting old," he arched his brow, "But the reason I called for you is to inform you that the problem has been taken care of,"

"What do you mean?" Ares narrowed his eyes. Hades crossed his arms, "Asteria—she was the root of the problem. She was opening several portals connecting this realm to the mortal one—the disruptions we felt were because she was continuing the labor of the rebels,"

"I still do not understand what do you mean,"

"Asteria has been killed—her soul is now under my full domain,"

Ares widened his eyes with surprise, "Killed? You killed her?"

"Of course not," Hades scoffed and waved his hand dismissively, "I hate the smell of blood—or the feeling of it for that matter."

"I do not have time for this Hades," Ares sighed, "It is true, she may have been involved, but the Andromedian has been manipulating an army of sha—"

Hades narrowed his eyes, "I knew she was going to betray me sooner or later, no matter how much or how well she managed to disguise it, she held too many grudges against our kind and she worked for her own benefit," he interrupted his brother's rant, "By granting her liberty, it was only a matter of time for her to try to gain some confidence to work on something on her own; the Andromedian is part of that little work of hers. She was orchestrating his every move—she gave the orders and I caught her red handed. Also, your... wife, or... whatever she is at this moment… she aided her too."

Ares widened his gray eyes with horror, "Eris?"

"Yes, Eris. But I will address that issue at a later time, she represents no threat," Hades looked at his brother, "It is only a matter of time until the Andromedian falls to its demise too."

"What makes you so sure?" Ares frowned, "Hades, what are you still not telling me?"

Hades arched his brow, "In her quest of gaining the power to cause a rebellion, Asteria was manipulating the fates of those condemned to the rivers to follow her and started gathering enough souls to turn them into shadows to be at her service and soon merged them with the actual army of shadows from the Underworld. But to make it stronger, she needed more, and she knew that if she took more souls from my realm I would notice her plan so the next best move was—"

"Stealing the souls and energy of those alive..." Ares muttered with surprise, "She opened a portal to Earth," Hades nodded, "Exactly—around the time you went on your little adventure to awaken the hybrid."

Things fell into place, as Ares listened to his brother put the pieces of the puzzle together and who was behind the waves of malice that had been threatening for centuries. All this time, he thought Athamas was the author of it but now that Hades mentioned Asteria, it made perfect sense as to why Athamas quickly joined the cause; he was a lost soul and Asteria recruited him on his very last breath granting him power from the Underworld to go in and out as he pleased without being unnoticed or harmed with Eris' help. The man that entered that day at the main chamber in the Olympian palace was Athamas corrupted by Asteria's dark power and his intentions were to continue the war of the rebels, those that claimed to be the true titans in the universe. She wanted to gain power and she tried to take it from the place gods would never have suspected, but she was not expecting to see that planet had strong guardians and a polemarchos protecting it.

"The hybrid's awakening gave Asteria enough exposure for me to fix my attention on her." Hades said from his intimidating throne and narrowed his eyes, "But what completely ruined her plan was not me finding out... but, another much interesting fact." Ares turned to Hades with a disconcerted look, "What do you mean?"

"Without her knowing... she was offering me the deal of a lifetime," Hades quirked his brow proudly, "And as a god who likes to make a good deal, I could not ignore her plan."

"Hades..." Ares felt a cold rush running down his spine as he looked at the accomplished look in his brother's eyes. Hades leaned back and crossed his arms, "Asteria committed one precious and perfect little mistake—she kidnapped Serenity's daughter and dragged her to Thanatos with her."

Ares' face turned pale and widened his eyes in horror; Hades continued without giving his brother a chance to speak, "This, of course, ignited the hybrid's rage and went after her—breaking the taboo of traveling to the fourth dimension and crossing realms,"

"Hades,"

"The hybrid managed to enter this realm and I finally got to see what it looks like. Those piercing eyes are unmistakable."

"Hades..." Ares shook his head still with an expression of horror on his face, "What did you do?"

"I must say, I was truly impressed. He inherited the magnetic beauty of his titan dynasty—nothing I imagined him to look like, to be honest with you. I was expecting something more common, you know, due to his mortal side..."

"Hades!?" Ares dig his claymore sword on the ground, "What did you do!?"

Hades looked at his brother and brought his hands together, "The hybrid fought the sins at the Gates of the Underworld—Grief, Anxiety, Disease, Agony, Fear, and Lust. He slashed and beheaded hundreds of my demon harpies along many shadows from the five rivers, he severed all three of Cerberus's heads and even made deals with Charon. But even so, he was not going to get any further ahead on his own, he needed my permission to walk through the fields of the Underworld if he wanted to get to Thanatos. Asteria was becoming a nuisance to me, so, I offered him a deal, one he could not ignore," his gray eyes darkened, "Serenity's freedom in exchange for his soul,"

Ares' widened his eyes in horror, Hades smirked, "But of course, I had to take care of Asteria first so... in order to free Serenity's daughter—"

"He had to do the job first... he killed Asteria…"

Hades leaned back in his throne chair with the most satisfied look in his face, "Right. So, the rebel is no more, the Andromedian too, and the soul of the hybrid is _finally_ secured in hell and under _my_ control. I tackled three big issues with one majestic stone and solved the problem you were not able to solve for thousands of years—you are welcome."

"Where is Serenity?"

"Saturn took her with her back to Earth, I suppose. I did not pay much attention as to what was going to happen to her after the hybrid found her," Hades sighed with deception, "It is impressive how that many senshi have gathered to show their support and loyalty to that monster—my child included. She came to warn me about Asteria but everything Saturn said was something I already knew. She tried to persuade me to free the hybrid but of course, that is certainly not going to happen." The lord of death crossed his arms, "You tend to underestimate my power but I remind you, Ares, there is a reason why I am the God of the Underworld, the Lord of Silence and Death. I do not have an interest in play foolish games. My power does not rely on barbaric displays of gore."

Ares stood in front of his brother with rage marking his eyes, "You have no idea of what you have done Hades!"

"I did what needed to be done!" Hades raised his voice to match his brother's thundering tone, "Do you really expect me to free him too?! After everything that creature represents?! After everything he has done!?"

"What happened with Asteria was your mistake, Hades! You allowed this madness to go this far!"

"The hybrid is part of a curse that has followed us for thousands of years!" Hades stood from his throne and pointed an accusing finger at his brother, "And you are not far behind me, Ares, you are as treacherous as I am because you too wanted that creature on your side for your own selfish motives."

"That is a lie!"

"Why did you awaken him, Ares!? Why going to the mortal realm behind our back?!" Hades walked down the stairs of his throne, "I will tell you why... because this threat was heading to become a war, one you would not be able to control if you did not gather the Celestial Army—but that army would not have been complete if you did not have Helios' power under your control. In the end, that is all that matters in this realm and we all want it—power."

"Take me to where he is..." Ares narrowed his eyes, "I want to speak to him! I need to see him!"

"Please, do not be sentimental, it does not suit you. You do not need such a thing and there is nothing for you to know, Ares. The hybrid is in Inferno as we speak and he will soon be taken to where he truly belongs. You cannot go any further without my permission and I will not grant it to you. That place is malice itself, which only confirms, even more, the poisonous nature of that monster." Hades frowned, "Do not be so upset because I got to win, little brother, if it makes you feel better—I may consider giving him a position to put such extraordinaire power to use, maybe with the judges of the Underworld, Rhadamanthus might need a collector... or maybe I will offer him Asteria's position and make him guard the Gates of Tartarus... who knows..."

"You devil!" Ares roared with anger and grabbed Hades by his high collar, "What is wrong with you!?"

"No, no—what is wrong with _you_?" Hades quirked his brow and slapped his brother's hand away, "I brought order back into this Alliance! Unlike you, I do not need to use brute force like you tend to do to accomplish a task—I do not like to impregnate myself with the disgusting stench of blood. That is for trained beasts like you or Gaia's hybrid spawn. Why else would I command it to kill Asteria if it was not for that? I know what he is and the power it holds. The crime this demon committed is enough to condemn its soul and lock it in place—it murdered more than one _'divine'_ being."

"He will not stay there—if he managed to cross to this realm, he can get out the same way. Do not underestimate Helios' blood, and do not underestimate that young man's anger either. You have done enough to his family to make him hold an eternal grudge." Ares frowned with deception, in return, Hades sighed with annoyance and grabbed the parchment that appeared out of dark flames sparking from his right hand and showed it to his younger brother with enough confidence to cast a proud smirk, "The hybrid willingly signed its own sentence and condemned its soul to this realm, Ares," he quirked a brow and disintegrated the parchment the same way it appeared, "His body is bound to stay here, no matter how much he tries, Endymion De Terra belongs to the Underworld like it should have been since the very day he was born... at last... his soul and fate are under _my_ control."

"No," Ares shook his head, "I cannot accept it, I will not accept it. His soul is not yours to have Hades and he will not stay long in that rotten realm of yours—mark my words. Fear the consequences of your actions."

"You can try and convince yourself with whatever you want, Ares," Hades sighed and turned to walk to his throne again, "Now that you have been informed you can stop playing hero with your little army of polemarchos and go back to your usual, annoying self," he sat in his obsidian chair, "Do not bother informing Zeus, I will do it, in proper time."

"You just made a terrible mistake Hades," Ares narrowed his eyes, "You may believe you have solved the problem but it goes much deeper and it is much darker than you can imagine. This realm is being corrupted and it is still under threat—this does not stop with Asteria being dead and I will continue to fight until it is really over. I will find the true responsible but in the meantime... for your sake, and for all of ours... I really hope this does not get out of your damn control because I will not come to your aid."

Hades narrowed his eyes, "What are you trying to say?"

"You know perfectly well what I am saying,"

"Are you threatening me?"

"Take my words as you wish," Ares narrowed his eyes and shook his head with disappointment as he turned to walk away. He felt he had failed to accomplish his mission of saving Helios' dynasty and stopped once he was far enough to take a moment to process what just happened and kneeled behind a pillar feeling crushed and defeated and closed his eyes; all those years he lived for the promise he made to himself and to Gaia was tainted, his spirit was broken, "This cannot be it..." he muttered, feeling a terrible pain in his chest, "This cannot be how things end..." he took a deep breath, "This cannot be over... Hades cannot win..." Ares opened his eyes when the image of the terran queen came to his mind when they met and sighed, "Gaia... please lend me your strength... for the first time in my life... I need guidance... I am at a complete loss..."

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is rated M. Violence, cursing, and intimacy may occur._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _A/N: You can find the reference to the mug in "The secret in the details," and a reference to the gray hoodie in "A tissue to the rescue" in Divinity: A day in the life._


	65. Chapter 65

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Sixty-Five

* * *

"Anything yet?"

Megumi turned from her seat on the sofa to a worried-looking Minako walking through the door and taking off her shoes before stepping into the living room. She had to run some errands and do some patrolling around the city with Kunzite and had known Rei and Makoto were heading to the apartment to check on their friend. "No,"

"She hasn't eaten anything?"

"We've tried..." Rei said softly and shook her head, "But she does not want to even open her eyes, all she wants to do is sleep,"

"We won't hear the end of it if Ami-chan comes back and she hasn't had a single bite of food." Makoto sighed and leaned her head back. "She has not had another panic attack, so that's something..."

"She needs to eat," Rei turned to Makoto, "No," the Amazon shook her head, "She needs her husband,"

Minako turned to Megumi and walked into the kitchen with resolution, the most she has had in the past several days, and thought about Kunzite's words:

 _"There are reasons that go beyond our understanding, Venus, but that does not mean everything is lost. Princess Serenity must be our top priority—her safety and her health... this planet is pulsing because she is linked to Endymion,"_

"Megumi, help me set up a tray with food, please,"

"Y-Yes, Lady Venus," Megumi didn't have to be asked twice before she jolted from her seat and went quickly to follow Venus' request.

O—o—O

Serenity opened her eyes and felt the cool breeze of the afternoon filtering through the thin curtains as she slowly sat on the bed and looked at the sun hanging low in the sky like a crimson ornament and exhaled softly, still feeling groggy and confused. "It was a dream after all..." she muttered softly to the nothingness surrounding her, convincing herself that her dream with the queen had been just that, a bittersweet dream. Her attention soon shifted from her thoughts to the soft knock on the door and turned to see a curious Minako standing on the other side.

"Ve—" Serenity blinked surprised and rubbed her sleepy and swollen eyes, "Minako-chan... come in,"

Minako pushed the door wide enough to walk into the bedroom with the wooden tray in her hands and walked straight to put it on the small round table next to the window and went to turn the lamp on the opposite side the princess was currently claiming as hers to avoid hurting her tired eyes, "Hi..." the blonde gave her a kind and very faint smile, one Serenity reciprocated almost immediately, "Hi..."

Ami's words immediately made perfect sense as they echoed in Minako's mind the minute she saw the princess sitting on the bed. She did look different and not just because her hair was slightly longer and had a beautiful pearlescent sheen to it, in fact, physically that would be the only thing that changed in her because she had already matured and become an elegant and gorgeous lady by her own merits. Her eyes did look clearer and much more expressive; making it easy for Minako to read and understand her friend's emotions without really having to be told. "I'm not here to ask you any questions... I just..." she bit her lower lip softly and let out a shaky exhale, "I just wanted to see you," she went back to the small table where she left the tray and cleared her throat, "I brought you dinner,"

Serenity watched her blonde friend moving across the room nervously after going back from close the door, trying her best to sound calm and cool as she looked down at the covered plates with a smile, "Megumi made it, she said it is—"

"Minako,"

The sweet but serious tone in Serenity's voice froze Minako for a minute before turning to look at her. Serenity diverted her gaze for a fraction of a second to the tray and then back at her friend and frowned, "Are you afraid of me or something?"

"No,"

"Minako?"

"No," Minako sighed "I-I... I just, I don't want to be imprudent. I don't want to say anything that I am not supposed to say or do something I should not do. I don't want to hurt your feelings. I am your friend and I am here with the sole purpose of supporting you in any way that I can."

Serenity leaned her back on the headboard and took a deep breath, "I didn't leave the shrine because I wanted to be away from you, Minako-chan,"

"I know," Minako nodded her head in understanding, feeling helpless against the situation and sat on the chair next to the bed. "I know... and that is not why I am here."

"I made you worry,"

"I always worry about you." Minako tilted her head to the side, "You're my best friend. I know things have changed... I know our lives won't be the same after all that has happened but I will always be going to worry about you because that is what friends do—we worry about each other."

Serenity felt a tug in her chest as she looked into her friend's eyes and reached out to pull her into a loving embrace, taking the blonde by complete surprise, "You are more than just a friend to me... you are my sister. No matter what, you will always be my soul sister." She closed her eyes and remembered the conversation she had with Ami, Kunzite, and then with the queen in her dream and took a deep breath, "I needed to feel like I belonged somewhere... if that makes any sense..."

Minako noticed the sorrow tone in her friend's voice but also a hint of anxiety, like if she wanted to say more than she couldn't dare to say if she looked at her in the eye. Serenity tightened her hold on her friend, "I was aware of what I was doing when I came here. I knew the moment I stepped foot into the apartment and look at his belongings my mind would start playing these cruel jokes on me by making me believe that he was around somewhere—that I was going to see him, I still do. I just can't accept it, Minako... I can't accept this twisted fate." Serenity sniffed softly and pulled back, "I pinch myself constantly trying to wake myself up... but I can't... no matter how hard I do it... I can't wake up from this nightmare."

Minako tightened her grip on her friend's hands and shook her head, "This isn't over..."

"But there are other things that are..." Serenity looked down at their hands and let out a sad sigh, worrying the blonde. Minako frowned, "What do you mean?"

Serenity finally dared to make eye contact with Minako and let her see the tears gleaming in her crystal blue eyes. Minako agreed with Ami when she said that their friend had embraced her goddess nature and she was completely okay with it, but it was the quivering in her voice and the fright and pain clouding her beautiful eyes what made her forget about any royal protocol and talk to her like the sister she was to her, "Serenity?"

Serenity wasn't bothered by the blunt way Minako was talking to her, she didn't even feel strange to listen to her calling her by her real name, it was more about what lay behind that terrified look in her eyes. Minako gave her friend a much more mortified look, "You are scaring me, Serenity..."

Serenity hesitated for a minute before taking a deep breath, "Minako..." she raised her face with a deadpanned expression, "I need to tell you something..."

"Yes?" Minako nodded, Serenity exhaled deeply and pulled back a little, "When Endymion was unconscious... do you remember how you told me that I looked very pale, many times?"

"Yes," Minako frowned, "But it was obvious because you were worried sick for your husband, you weren't eating or having proper rest, you spent your days crying or dozing off,"

"Yes, yes... I was worried sick..." Serenity paused for a minute and took another deep breath, "But also... it was because not too long before that happened, I had found out that I was pregnant..." her crystal blue eyes finally settled in Minako's' bluer ones. This would be the first time she would say the words out loud, that she would actually speak clearly about what happened to her. Minako blinked, completely startled, "Oh my—"

"But, not too long after I did..." Serenity sighed and closed her eyes, "...I had a miscarriage."

Minako's froze in her seat and widened her eyes twice in size "Oh my god..." she covered her mouth with one shaky hand and tried to hold her tears, "Oh my god... oh my god..."

"I didn't say anything... because..." Serenity shook her head, "It happened so suddenly, so quickly... I couldn't process it myself... I still can't. I couldn't understand what was going on until I realized what it was and then... until Motoki-oniisan confirmed it. I was going to meet with him that day... so he could explain it to me, so I could hear it again before going home... but then, Asteria captured me..."

"Serenity..." Minako shook her head, finally allowing her emotions take over her. She leaned closer and took her hand, "Usagi... why didn't you say anything?! You didn't have to tell _me_ but you could have told Ami-chan, she's a doctor! Your husband's a doctor! Are you telling me Mamoru didn't know anything about this?!"

"He knew..." Serenity looked down with shame and pain, "Without me having to give him the news, he knew..."

Minako rubbed her face and let out a heavy puff of air, "Oh god..."

Serenity nodded, "I never really thought he could notice it because, by the time he woke up from that coma, it had already happened, but again... I underestimated his power—I seem to do that a lot. He probably knew way before I did... I don't know..." she shook her head and dried her tears with the back of her hand, "When he found me, he told me he knew but he didn't say anything because he was waiting for me to be ready to talk about it..." A heavy sob escaped her lungs and covered her face with her shaky hands, "I lost our baby Minako-chan..."

Minako leaned closer when she heard the princess started to cry and pulled her into her arms thinking how things were far more complicated and darker than she ever imagined; thinking that just being in the underworld was the tip of the iceberg. Despite having being saved and how she managed to leave such horrible and evil place she was still trapped in her own hell, the one where her husband was gone and so was the speck of new life growing inside of her. It was crazy that not long ago they were exchanging vows and looking beyond happy and excited about their future together, and now, here she was alone and broken inside.

Minako held her friend and began rocking her back and forth and let her cry in her shoulder, "Don't say it like you're the one to blame for what happened—it wasn't your fault."

"Then why did it happen?! Why did it happen to us?!"

Minako closed her eyes and shook her head, "I don't know why—" her eyes started to burn with tears, "But I am more than certain that it wasn't because you were careless."

"I'm scared, Venus..." Serenity tightened her arms around her friend, "I'm terrified. I don't think this is how things were supposed to happen. I don't think this is what Pluto envisioned when Crystal Tokyo happened... this isn't it—this can't be it. It has to be something else. I knew the time to take our stand as royals would come eventually and deep down, despite living in some sort of denial on my part, I was prepared for it but this... it has been one atrocious thing after another and it is getting out of our control..."

Minako frowned and snuggled her head close to her friend's, "We won't let that happen—we won't let them win. Whoever is causing all this, we can fight it. You are not alone on this—" Serenity opened her eyes and blinked the tears trapped between her full and dark eyelashes as she continued listening to her friend, "Neither you or Endymion are alone in this—we are a family and family sticks together through good and bad times." Minako nodded with determination, "I swear it, as the senshi of the planet of love and beauty—we will not let things end like this, Princess." She pulled back to look at her friend, "I know he is fighting to get out of that horrible place, but he just needed to send you here first."

Serenity's eyes widened and took a sharp breath, "How can you say that? How do you know?!"

"Because you are his wife." Minako narrowed her eyes with confidence, "Serenity—Usagi; Princess or not, to him, you are the same woman he's madly in love with, you are his priority—you're his wife. When you were taken by Asteria and Athamas, he went berserk and on an unstoppable mission to bring you back. He opened portals like it was nothing and crossed realms without asking for anyone's permission or waited for any of us to go with him. This was something he had to do on his own and I bet he kicked some serious ass down there because. _He_. _Was._ _Pissed._ "

Serenity couldn't hold her chuckles at Venus' choice of words; she knew what she was doing and she appreciated it deeply. She could see her friend beyond worried for her but she was using all her charms to distract her from her dark thoughts, "Thank you," Minako dried her friend's tears gently with a soft tissue and tilted her head, "For what?"

"For making me smile—I know I am not the jolliest person to be around right now,"

"Are you kidding me?" Minako arched her brow, "No matter what, you are the best person to be around with," Serenity sighed softly, "Liar,"

"It's the truth," Minako cupped her face in her hands, "You've been a ray of light in my darkest days... let me be at least one speck of light in yours,"

Serenity leaned her head on her friend's shoulder again and took a deep breath, "I love you, Ven—" she cleared her throat to correct herself, "Minako-chan,"

Minako noticed the little struggle the princess was having to keep both identities separately and smiled softly, "I see you have embraced your real identity and so has Endymion," Serenity gave a nod and sighed, "I don't know when, why, or how... one day it happened so naturally and I haven't gone back ever since... I don't feel like Usagi fits me like a whole anymore... not now, at least. It doesn't bother me, I know who I am, it just..."

"...It came naturally,"

"Yeah..."

"I am truly not surprised. You guys have so many things going on to be just a random, ordinary couple—you always had. It was only a matter of time," Minako watched her friend sit back on the bed; Serenity blinked slightly confused, "And you are not bothered by it?"

"Not at all," Minako smiled and pulled the chair closer to the bed, "Why would I? This isn't about you deciding one day to just casually change your names and adopt a new personality, it's something that runs deeper, it's about who you really are. Why do you have to be one or another when you can be a whole? You have become your own kind and to be honest with you, I think we should all follow in your footsteps." She leaned back in her chair and propped her legs up, feeling a little more relaxed, more like herself, "Back then, we were happy; we had an _awesome_ life—if we scratch Athamas out of that life, of course. We lived in peace, but we still had our limitations... especially you, as the royal heir of the moon kingdom. You had obligations and you had to deliver and live up to fulfill them. Yes, we lived a tragedy but we were also granted an opportunity to live again without any of those chains from the past... if it wasn't because of our duty as sailor senshi, we wouldn't have found each other and things wouldn't have been the same."

Serenity felt her eyes burn with tears, "Minako-chan..."

"In my case, I forgot about this somewhere along the way. I was focusing so much on being normal and having this perfectly normal life, but in all honesty, it's because I am Venus, that I have had all these amazing experiences by your side and when I was mad because I was different than everybody else, now I am deeply grateful because I realize I have the power to do things that really make a difference and help change this world for the better. I have the power to do that and I am not alone, I have this wonderful family who shares the same experiences and power and I wouldn't change it for anything. It took me eight years to understand this, but, I finally did... just like you." Minako smiled softly, "You are my Princess, yes—that is _never_ going to change. Since you awoke, it never has, and someday, you will be my Queen, but you are also my fellow senshi and while I am your guardian, why do we have to pin our true selves to those stupid rules from the past? We can change things this time... we don't have to go that same path again—you are my friend— _my sister_ —and that's how it's going to be for as long as I live." She raised two fingers, mimicking a V and flashed the princess a toothy grin, "So if that's how you feel, you can most certainly call me Venus, plus, it has a much classier tone, don't you think?"

"V-chan," Serenity smiled at her new nickname making Venus chuckle, "Ah, there you go..." her smile slowly faded, "Princess..." she leaned closer and held Serenity's hand, "About what you told me... I promise it won't leave these walls, don't worry about it."

"Thank you, V," Serenity felt a small tug in her chest and sighed softly as she slowly savored the new nickname for her friend, feeling more at ease, more like herself. It had been a trouble of hers this new life; of all the girls, Minako was the one who had a harder time embracing her warrior and divine side and she couldn't help but think Kunzite might have a lot to do with that change in perspective—being the blunt man he is, he probably gave his beloved one of his now famous and brutal reality checks, just like he did with her. She understood that it has been a much smoother transition with the others, but Venus has always been a rebel girl at heart making Serenity think that might have been the reason why she was chosen to be the leader of the inner senshi in the first place, so she could learn and understand how to follow the rules.

"I thought about telling the girls but to be honest, I don't think I have enough strength to do it again... at least not for a while." She looked at the blonde sitting buddha style on the white cushion chair and gave her a weak, nervous smile "You, Motoki, and Mercury are the only ones that know... and Endymion."

"I'm glad you told Mercury,"

"I kind of had to—it's practically impossible to keep a secret from her," Serenity sighed, "She suspected it from the very beginning..."

Venus pursed her lips, "I see, but, it's good she knows. That way she can look out for you as a doctor," she frowned softly, "And Megumi? Does she know?" Serenity shook her head, "No... and I would not like for her to find out about it, at least not now. She already feels bad for allowing me to leave that day without telling Endymion, I can't do that to her, I can't break her spirit this way."

"Serenity..." Venus gave the princess a worried look, "May I ask, how far long was it—your pregnancy?"

Serenity sighed softly, "I was ending my sixth week. According to my calculations, and later from the test results Motoki-oniisan gathered from the ob-gyn."

Venus' eyes widened with realization and surprise and pointed a finger at her friend, "Wait..."

"Yes..." Serenity leaned her head back on the headboard and nodded, " _Yes_. I don't know how _that_ happened..." she saw the mischievous look on her friend's face and blushed crimson red, "I mean, I _do_ —but... you know..." she rubbed the back of her neck and exhaled with embarrassment and turned her head to look away, "What I meant was..." her blush intensified, causing Venus to crack a soft chuckle, "It's okay, Sere-chan, I understand what you mean—let's just say you were taking precautions."

Serenity nodded and blushed as she looked at the ceiling, her hand absently slid down to rest on her stomach and took a deep breath, "When I found out... I couldn't believe it... how... why. I had all these intense emotions flowing inside me: happiness, excitement, nervousness, chills—the good kind. I couldn't believe it was happening this soon _..._ I felt it, how my body was reacting to it, how it was getting ready to cuddle our baby and keep it safe and warm..." She closed her eyes, "But now... I can't stop thinking about it... I can't stop feeling guilty... I can't stop being afraid." She started to feel an uncontrollable wave of anxiety and desperation overtaking her again, "What if it was _her_ the one I lost?"

Venus felt like if she had been stabbed in the heart; she didn't think of that. She didn't even think of it as a possibility. It couldn't be—to never get to meet that sweet little girl that charmed everyone with that innocent smile and sparky, not to mention sharp personality. "No,"

"What if—"

"No,"

"Are the gods so angry at us for defying their laws?" Serenity opened her eyes and let her tears roll down her cheeks slowly. Venus went to sit next to her friend and held her hand tight, "I honestly don't know if we should blame the gods for this... some things just happen because that's how life works. In some cases, fate is stronger than divinity and not even gods can escape it." The blonde sighed with sadness, "I know I am not the person you want to give you the comfort you need... but... you are not alone... I am here, everyone is—Endymion too, he is linked to you through that stone. I know he is..." she intertwined her fingers with Serenity's and took a deep breath, "All I ask of you is to stop torturing yourself with these painful thoughts, please. I know for sure that's not something Endymion would like to hear from you."

The princess turned to Venus with the saddest look on her face and looked down at the sleeves of Endymion's gray hoodie she was wearing, "I don't know what to do..." she felt Minako moving away and then returning with the tray she had in her hands when she first walked in and put it on the bed, right in front of her "Well, for starters... you need to eat," Venus put the tray on the bed and stared back at her friend, "You can't fight if you are not strong and you can't get strong if you don't eat."

"I'm not hungry..."

"Just a little—I promise I won't bother you for the rest of the day if you do," Venus tilted Serenity's chin up, "Please?"

Serenity nodded slowly and watched Venus take the lid off a small ceramic bowl, the scented steam slowly caught her senses and made her stomach growl, making Venus crack a chuckle "Ah... see? You're hungry."

Serenity closed her eyes and took a deep breath giving Venus the cue to understand what was happening behind her hunger strike as she stirred the spoon inside the creamy potato and watercress soup, "He sent you here so you could live," Venus turned to her friend who was looking at her wide-eyed, "If you hurt yourself is like you are cursing the effort he made to send you back home. If you smile, if you eat a good meal, if you have good rest—you are not betraying him or ignoring his situation, but the contrary, that is something he wants you to do, he wants you to heal, to get better—that is why you are here."

"B-But—"

"I know, he's not here physically, but he is right— _here._ " Venus tapped her chest with her finger right where her heart was beating strong, "And here," her finger later pointed the stone on her necklace. "Your husband did something you would have done if you were in his position, Sere-chan. Just think about it... this has happened before and what did you do? You came back, why? Because he's your life. Only that this time, the tables are turned and he's the one who made a decision and took matters into his own hands." Venus directed the spoon loaded with soup and fed her friend, "You are his life and you need to be alive for him to live, as simple as that."

"I never went to hell," Serenity gave her friend a hurt look; Venus tilted her head "But you fought someone who was possessed by Chaos—isn't that hellish enough?"

Serenity sighed before taking another spoonful of soup and slowly savored the creamy texture and well-seasoned yet delicate flavor and frowned while waiting for her friend to give her the next spoonful, "You spend too much time with Kunzite... you are starting to sound too much like him..."

Venus flashed her friend a toothy grin, "Maybe, but I do want to believe I have a much kinder approach to people than he does—the man is brutal with words; he sure knows how to throw some heavy truth bombs and shake your ground," Serenity licked the corner of her mouth and sighed softly, Venus smiled "Good?"

"Yes," Serenity nodded, "Very much,"

"More?"

Serenity nodded like a sheepish girl, making Venus smile, "That's my girl," she continued feeding her friend in silence until the bowl was finally empty and handed her a cup with freshly squeezed orange juice but despite the funny face the princess just made, Venus shrugged one shoulder "Our doctor friend recommended it—she knows best when it comes to these things..."

Serenity nodded and took a couple of sips of the juice and put the glass aside, "Thank you, V-chan..."

Venus smiled and put the tray aside to cup her friend's cheek, "There's nothing to thank me for, I'm here for you." She turned to grabbed the tray and walked towards the door, "I am going to let you rest, okay?" She turned to look at her friend over her shoulder, "Oh, before I go... I have news for you..."

"What is it?"

"Guess who decided to give someone a chance?"

"Wait..." Serenity's eyes widened two times their size, "Really?"

"Yes," Venus nodded, "Mars and the Jadeite—they're an item now. This family just keeps getting bigger and bigger," she smiled, "And it will soon be complete once your darling prince comes back to your loving arms,"

"Thank you, V."

Venus smiled, "Rest," with that final word, Venus closed the door behind her and leaned for a minute to process the news the princess had given her before walking back to the living room. The girls immediately noticed her presence and waited for her to say something with expectant eyes, "She ate the soup,"

Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Megumi all sighed with relief as Venus walked towards the kitchen to put the tray back in its place. "Did she like it?" The blonde guardian heard Jupiter asking in Megumi's favor, "Yes, very much." She answered softly as she put the bowl on the sink and turned the water faucet to begin washing the dishes but her mind was still repeating the princess' confession like an echo and could not help to break into silent tears.

"Minako-chan?" Makoto asked with a worried tone, "You okay?"

"Yeah,"

"What are you doing?"

"Uh—just..." Venus cleared her throat, "I'm going to clear the kitchen a little bit... there are so many pots and pans all over the place, Mamoru would be freaking out if he was here,"

Mercury noticed the sudden strain in the blonde's voice and turned to the girls, "I'll go give her a hand," as politely as she was always, she gave her friends a soft smile and went to the kitchen where Venus was muffling her sobs with her hand and immediately knew what was going on. "You know..."

Venus opened her eyes wide and turned to Mercury, who was now standing next to her and started helping her dry the pots and dishes dripping the excess water in the sink, "She told you... what happened..."

"Yes..." Venus said as soft as inaudible for the rest of the girls as possible and wiped her tears with her sleeve, good thing it was black—she thought for a second, otherwise, the mascara would have been the end of the pricey angora sweater she was wearing. "I-I can't believe it..."

"I know," Mercury continued washing the dishes "I can't either,"

"It's so sad... so cruel..."

"Yes..."

"This shouldn't be happening..."

"No,"

"Why didn't she say something..."

"She was scared, she still is,"

Venus frowned, "And he knew..."

"He knew..."

"When Uranus fought him... this was probably going through his mind..."

"Yes, most likely,"

"They were both dealing with it in silence,"

"Yes... and for all I know, that's how they parted ways, making all this much more painful for them,"

"Oh god..." Venus sniffed softly and used her sleeve again to dry her falling tears, "This is too much—I don't even know where to start digging to find a beacon of light in this dark tunnel we're into. I hate feeling like I am lying to her..."

"Anything from Kunzite?" Mercury turned to look at her with worry, "No," Venus sniffed her tears back, "There is no disruption—the area very much remains the same and the barrier is reinforced every day but there is no sign of him or anything else that could give us a lead of what is going to happen," she sighed and closed her eyes, "She doesn't want to—you know,"

"Yes, I know," Mercury nodded and closed the faucet once the dishes were washed, "All I care about right now is for her to regain her strength, once she does we can talk to her and continue the plan," she turned and gave her friend a small smile, "Thank you, Mina-chan,"

Venus smiled, "It's V-chan, now." The comment startled Mercury "You too?"

"Yep—it's natural for her and it's a clean slate for me... it's actually adorable, I like it."

"I know what you mean—both Mars and Jupiter also embraced it with endearment,"

"So that makes it official," Venus smiled, "It's fine. We're in a different place now and what we need to do now is to keep moving forward and find a solution to this mess..."

"Where is Kunzite? With the other Shitennou?"

"Yes. Nephrite—he's reading the stars,"

Mercury nodded in understanding, "Pluto nor Neptune have found anything either, Saturn is still a little shook about the whole situation; I suppose she was not expecting her father to betray her like that."

"It's Hades... what good can that god have in him?" Venus muttered angrily, "It's him the one we have to go after, but the question remains—how?" Her wet hands dripped the cold water on the edge of the stainless-steel sink, "How?"

"I don't know, but in the meantime..." Mercury lowered her gaze to fight the tears pooling in her blue eyes, "I really hope Endymion is alright..." Venus turned and held her friend's hand, "Me too Mercury, me too."

O—o—o—o—O

"Anything?"

Nephrite frowned and looked at Kunzite who was sitting next to him on the porch of the shrine, "No... not yet... his star is very faint, barely visible."

As they waited for the northern general to link his energy to one of the stars, the rest of the shitennou sat behind him; they thought it would be best to return to the shrine while the girls were checking on the princess. "The air feels colder..." Zoisite narrowed his eyes as he wrapped his thick blue scarf another time and crossed his arms, "The news have been warning us about the temperatures dropping considerably..."

"Any new information as to how Princess Serenity is doing?" Jadeite rubbed his hands together and blew some body heat to try to warm them up a little; Kunzite sighed "I have not spoken to Venus, but, she was going to stay there until she made sure she ate something,"

"You spoke to her, right?" Jadeite asked with caution; Kunzite nodded, "Yes, she feels guilty for what happened to Endymion," he sighed softly, "She believes we are mad at her because she could not do something to convince him to come back,"

"Convince him—how can anyone in their sane mind is convinced to stay in a place like that?" Jadeite said with annoyance. Zoisite turned to his brother, "He did not have much choice, Jadeite," he arched his brow, "Would you have not done the same if Mars was in her place? Would you have not gone to the depths of hell to bring her back?"

"Yes, absolutely! But I would have done everything in my power to come back _with_ her. I would not willingly have chosen to stay there—he is supposed to become king, what the hell can he rule from there?!" Jadeite blurted out his words with unfiltered anger, making Kunzite obliged to break his silence, "A prince cannot ascend the throne until the current king passes the crown to the one next in line,"

"What?"

"A prince cannot as—"

"I know what that means, it is common knowledge. What I am asking is what do you mean with that answer?" Jadeite frowned, "What are you implying?"

"I am not implying anything, Jadeite,"

"Then what does that mean?"

"It means what it is," Kunzite closed his eyes for a minute; Jadeite's face turned pale, "Wait... are you saying it means..."

"It means that the King is still alive,"

"What?!" All eyes widened were on Kunzite who was still with his eyes closed; Jadeite's first response was to scoff at his leader's comment, "You are joking, right? This is one of those jokes of yours that we do not get to understand— _ever._ " Kunzite opened his eyes and turned to his blonde little brother, "Does it look like I am joking?"

"Well, I do not know, you are always this way. I do not know when you are joking and when you are being sar—" Zoisite raised his hand to pause Jadeite's rant and shook his head, "I am trying to understand... Kunzite... what do you mean by saying that the King is alive?"

"As I said, it means what it is, Zoisite. It means His Majesty; the High King of Earth and head of Elysion is still alive."

"We are talking about King Eros here..." Nephrite frowned and narrowed his eyes still hesitant to believe his older brother's words, Kunzite nodded "Yes, of course,"

"King Eros died more than two thousand years ago, just like Queen Gaia did. They died the night Elysion met its demise," Nephrite stared with concern "And how do you know this in the first place? Where did you get this piece of information?"

"Endymion," Kunzite sighed and closed his eyes, "He informed me about this,"

"Wait, wait—no, no, no, no, wait... _wait!_ " Jadeite frowned, "Endymion knows about this?!"

Kunzite opened his eyes and looked at his brothers, "During the time we thought he was unconscious—he was actually trapped in Purgatorio where he learned this valuable piece of information from God Ares himself, before his return."

"Purgatorio?" Nephrite shook his head, "Wait, how?"

"The crystal..." Zoisite analyzed the situation and turned to a nodding Kunzite who continued, "When he was fighting with Asteria, the crystal reacted and put his body in hibernation while his spirit was sent to Purgatorio. From there, he had to go through a catharsis and learn how to master the crystal's power to find his way back to this realm,"

"The question remains in the air, how is the King alive?" Jadeite shook his head, "And, where is—oooh,"

"It means..." Zoisite widened his green eyes, "King Eros is..."

"The reasons as to why or how come he ended there is still a mystery, but, the reason why Endymion stayed in Inferno goes beyond a simple deal he made with Hades, that I am sure." Kunzite crossed his arms, "If we analyze the situation with a cold head, we can clearly notice that all this was a strategy he made in advance. When he informed me about this, he was not being clear because he did not know how to get there, he just asked me to look after Princess Serenity in his absence,"

"Are you openly saying Endymion was waiting for the princess to be kidnapped and taken there?" Nephrite narrowed his eyes, Kunzite shook his head, "No, of course not. I am saying that either way, he was going there to look for his father. That is why he stayed, to me, there is no other possible explanation. He did not stay for Hades—he is using his pact as a decoy, the more I think about this, the more it makes sense."

"Endymion, you sneaky bastard..." Jadeite clapped his hands with excitement; his boyish features were brightened with joy, "He's mocking the Lord of the Underworld! I knew it! I knew it!"

"In a way, yes, he is." Kunzite nodded, "But he has to be careful, which makes me believe his silent farewell was all part of his plan."

Nephrite turned to Kunzite, "Does Princess Serenity know any of this?"

"No,"

"Why?"

"Because we must handle this with extreme care, this is something not even the girls know," Kunzite rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly, "This is a hypothesis. We do not know for certain what else he did or to what extent the situation unraveled. Saturn mentioned some marks in his wrists that apparently are a sign that he indeed made a pact with Hades but if I tell Princess Serenity any of this it will only worry her more and right now, she is exhausted, both physically and mentally. She will learn about this, but now it is not the time."

"So... what now?" Jadeite leaned forward, Kunzite shook his head, "We have to keep trying to locate him and find a way to bring him back—this is where we all must stay united for the sake of this planet and the princess."

Jadeite crossed his arms, "Damn it, Endymion—you better have your plan all figured out..." he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "Please, be safe my brother—wherever you are right now, please... be safe..."

O—o—o—o—O

"Location,"

"Thanatos,"

Hades narrowed his eyes at the servant kneeling in front of him. The soldier wearing a dark and heavy armor looked at the lord of the underworld with hesitation, "He is quickly making his way to the abyss Milord, if we do not stop him he will disrupt—"

"Close the gates," Hades quickly stood from his throne and walked over to the soldier with a look of disgust, "And it is not a _he,_ we are talking about a creature—a hybrid monster." His gray eyes darkened, "I do not believe it can break the entrance. Its lungs will fill with poison before it can actually do something. Restrain the hybrid before it reaches the gates of Tartarus, there are still things I need to settle with that monster before its final sentence."

"Milord?"

"Do as I say!" Hades slammed his scythe on the dark mirror-like floor as he walked past the kneeling soldier, losing his usual composure, "I have to go to Olympus. With Cerberus and that damn rebel gone, I am entrusting this task to you, Agamemnon. Close all portals, I do not want it to go any further until I say otherwise. No one enters and no one gets out,"

The soldier bowed his head at Hades with deep respect, "Yes, Milord—as you command."

Hades growled with annoyance as he walked out of his throne room and waved his hand to summon a connection to Olympus and in a matter of seconds he was gone. Agamemnon, a soldier with long ashy hair and a long scar across his face frowned as he sensed the shadows lurking behind him and turned to give the order, "You heard the Master, stall the hybrid at the gates until I get there— _now!_ "

The shadows immediately vanished; the soldier in scaled armor turned and walked out of the throne room and sent the order to every entity guardian each gate to close them tight, ending all contact between all realms with the underworld and went straight to the very edge of their realm, Thanatos.

O—o—O

The sound of gravel crashing under footsteps was the only thing that accompanied his solitude as he cut through another demonic creature aiming for his livid soul. Endymion stared at the creature's elongated limbs, still moving on their own on the bloodied ground and kicked them out of his way as he continued walking all the way to the edge of Thanatos, deep into the void ahead.

The prince felt like he had walked through endless valleys of shallow bones, coal, and magma-like rivers he knew by the smell it was heated gore mixed with sulfur. A dark dense energy started flowing around like a thick veil of malice as he walked down a long and unsteady bridge made of bone that led to a large wall made of stone and stared with disgust at the hundreds if not thousands of bodies coiled and trapped into it, all rotting and squirming alive, guarding two imponent stone doors of breathtaking magnitude. From there, even when they were shut close, he could sense the most hostile and thick energy that kept both realms separated like water and the thickest of oils.

Endymion did not need an introduction—he knew he was there, the rim of Tartarus, and those were its famous cursed gates.

He found it very strange that there was nobody else guarding its entrance; to be where he was, he expected something grand—a challenge bigger than Cerberus, bigger than Asteria but given that the dark titan served as a filter to prevent anyone to go further into Thanatos, it was expected Tartarus was always left alone. The evil presence of its gates was sufficient to keep anyone away; also, it was clear he was in a different level, a completely different reality and that those gates had a different way to be opened. Unlike the other gates he had crossed inside the underworld, he was indeed as far from Hades' realm, proving Charon's haunting words. At this point, the terran prince was as far beneath the death realm as far Earth was to the heavens.

A loud echo caught Endymion's attention and turned to look over his shoulder at a new hoard of shadow demons crawling after him. He narrowed his dark blue eyes and kicked them out of his way; he wanted—he needed to figure out a fast way to crack those gates open before he ran out of time but the number of ghouls outnumbered him, making it harder to evade and break free this time. With a bitter and very cynical growl, Endymion thought that let himself be devoured by demons at this point of his journey would be a lame joke and a blow to his ego; being defeated was not an option, not when he already got rid of Asteria, not when he was still set on a mission, not when he wanted to survive this nightmare more than ever.

By the number of creatures gathered, he figured it was because someone gave an order to stall him, and by someone, his mind went immediately to think of Hades; true, there was no real settlement to their agreement. By now, he was supposed to be back to meet with him after Asteria was deprived of her life and a chance of reincarnation but he had more important business to address and he was not going to step back, not even if all hell fell on him, not even if Hades went berserk because he had faulted his laws once again. If he was already considered a monster, at least he had to act like one to survive since he wasn't even asking for absolution. He was perfectly aware of what he had done, the consequences of his actions—the fault in his hasty decisions and the aftermath of his separation from his beloved wife that was eating him alive.

Endymion felt the demons' long arms and tails coiling around him tight enough to make it difficult for him to move and reach for his weapon, tightly secured in its gold and onyx scabbard. With armed strength and valor, he carried the herd of demons with him and ran toward the gates with all the force he could muster and crashed against the stone wall; one time, he crashed. He took a deep breath and growled with anger as he ran again and crashed against the stone a second time and continued repeating the same process to get rid of them. In between grotesque splashes of gore, Endymion repeated the same brutal technique for the fifth time and caught the sound of bones cracking and so the painful growls coming from the closed gates giving him a clue on what to do next.

"This is as far as you will go, you damn hybrid!"

Endymion stopped and clenched his jaw with annoyance; he jerked his head to the side to shake a demon's hand creeping on his face and spotted an armored man coming close.

"That's it!"

"Get it back!"

"Restrain that monster!" The soldier pointed his sharp spear at a new herd of shadow demons rising behind him from the ground, "Drag the hybrid back! I want it's head, _now!_ "

Almost freed but still fighting to regain full movement, Endymion turned on his axis and kicked a few demons and spotted the man in scaled armor coming closer to him and narrowed his eyes, "Oh no, you won't," he turned to smash the last demons pinned on his back and turned with his palm extended at the gates, _"Conjuro te sacro igne egredientur!"_ A golden spark started to concentrate into a ball of fire in his hand; the dark soldier widened his eyes with horror and ran toward the terran prince, "You demon! Seize that creature!"

 _"Et devoret omnem viam vestram misericordiam!_ " The energy started to blaze angrily in Endymion's hand and flowed in rivers of fire around him burning the demons one by one and raised a wall of fire to block Agamemnon's path, "No..." He muttered with panic when he saw the gates started to creak and react to the energy coming from the prince. He quickly turned to another herd of demons and ran toward the fire, "STOP THAT MONSTER! STOP IT! STOP IT! THE GATES! DO NOT LET IT OPEN THE GATES!"

Endymion reached for the hilt of his sword and ran toward the gates charging his golden blade at the obsidian seal and dig it deep, filling each crack with the golden light bursting from it. A loud, inhuman growl roared as the gates started to open creating a vacuum of evil energy sucking everything in its path. The stench and the malice were so strong it disintegrated those spirits that lurking around trying to cross over. Endymion turned and saw the corpse-like creatures that managed to cross the wall of fire disintegrate the minute they were exposed to the poisonous atmosphere; their flesh would start to flake and bubble with unsightly blisters that soon exploded in the most grotesque of ways, leaving them charred to feed the soul of the land of dementia.

"NO!" Agamemnon watched with horror as the gates reacted to the prince's energy, finally understanding why Hades referred to him as a monster. In all his eternal life living in the depths of the underworld serving the lord of the death, he had never seen such power and such ability, he never knew the gates of Tartarus could be manipulated, to him that realm itself was a myth, not a reality. It was in fact, the first time he had stepped foot in such demonic grounds and the first time he ever heard of those gates being opened. The dark soldier started feeling the strain of such force and turned wide-eyed at the demons being devoured and burned to a crisp by both, the energy flowing from the prince and the dense venom from the realm ahead of them. He tried desperate attempts to go after Endymion but the prince was already crossing the void giving the soldier any chances to go after him, it was either catch him or die in the process, "NOO!" Agamemnon yelped with horror when the gates closed back with one loud and haunting thud, sucking the life out of the ground close by and leaving him completely alone and unarmed. With glossy eyes full of fright and panic, the soldier fell to his knees and shook his head, "N-No..."

O—o—O

At the other side, Endymion felt the change of density in the air and watched wide-eyed at the bits and pieces of flesh and bone scattered around him and covered his mouth to fight the stench and revolting nausea bubbling in the pit of his stomach. In all his years of training, Endymion earned the skill to tolerate gore and violence and he had learned to overcome the revulsion it caused to see body fluids and vivid flesh from a carcass but this was a whole other level of torture; this was inhuman, this was demonic.

Everything happened so quickly it was unsure to tell when he managed to cross. It was clear that he was in another dimension that was deeper than hell itself. He was suctioned into a void, standing in a floating ground with nothing but blood red skies above him and a bottomless pit below. Endymion stepped away from the melting corpses that clung to him when he stepped through the gates and continued his way toward the edge and dared to look down, feeling an instant pull inside his stomach. The second he crossed over, he felt it—the raw dementia and disease lurking in every creak and hole of this new dimension and the carvings on his wrists marking the deal he made with the lord of the underworld started to burn like if someone had thrown acid on his skin. It was done, his fate was sealed. He had condemned himself to madness.

For a minute he felt desolated—confused. He didn't know where to go, where to even start looking. He roamed in the mist of darkness and widened his prismatic blue eyes when he saw a long and unsteady bridge appear ahead of him, it was palpable—death. Endymion looked up and saw that while there was space above and below him there was no way to walk out of it—he was trapped, in the deepest part of somewhere, anywhere in the universe.

The terran prince stood at the start of the long bridge made with scattered bodies holding onto each other, some rotting, some still alive and screaming at the top of their lungs, dealing with their own dementia and suffering, making him believe that this was the real Purgatorio. For the first time since he got to the underworld, Endymion felt the sharp needle of fear pricking his chest, and for a minute, his body did not respond to his command; he was frozen watching at the innumerable count of bodies writhing ahead of him like a net of flesh and bone, "*Caelum mihi..."

He had to see it with his own eyes to actually believe the lengths the gods had gone to punish his family the way they have. He remembered the many lections he had about mythology and divine history as a child and the way Tartarus was depicted in every book he read, it was always described as the deep abyss of torment and suffering, the land of the wicked, the corrupted, the vile and most hostile spirits and also, the prison for those of titan blood. He has heard about this place so many times but even with all the descriptions written in countless books, nothing came close to what he was witnessing in person. There were no words to describe this place, they couldn't do any justice, they didn't exist.

It pained him and at the same time, it disgusted him to learn this was the place the gods decided to throw their souls just to appease their insecurities and feed their authority. Endymion looked at the long way ahead of him with regained determination and strode ahead to the bridge; his hand was about to find support onto the rail but watched with genuine horror when he noticed that what he thought was stone was bone and what he thought was rope, was flesh and quickly jerked his hand away, relying only on his body weight to maintain his balance. The smell of rot was so unbearable he had to pull his cape to cover his nose and mouth as he ventured further on the pendulous bridge without paying mind to the cries and screams of those he was stepping on.

No matter how many lives he had taken in the past or how much he trained and prepared himself for this, Endymion felt a rush of cold chills running all over his body with every step he took over the many heads and faces of those fused to create the unsteady path. It creaked like if was made of old, hollow wood and while he wanted to believe it was that, deep down he knew what he was crushing, in reality, were skulls.

 _"Another one..."_

Endymion heard a hoarse whimper and tried to keep his balance at the unsteady bridge, without much wanting it he caught a glimpse of the void below and felt his blood run cold in his veins,

 _"Another one has come..."_

The strain in the words of whoever was talking urged Endymion to peer down and see with closer detail to the ground he was stepping on and was surprised to see men, women, and what he could identify as corrupted cherubs tangled in one gigantic net. It was horrifying. It was a living nightmare.

 _"You are not coming back... you are never coming back..."_

 _"There is no return from here..."_

 _"Another soul has fallen to feed the beast..."_

 _"A cursed one..."_

" _...A savage..."_

" _An ancient—I smell ancient blood."_

Endymion pressed the dark and thick cloth of his cape over his nose and took another set of steps, trying his best not to look at the quivering eyes of those looking at him with desire and disturbing allure. As he slowly continued his way to the end, his eyes widened when he felt a hand wrapping tight around his ankle to anchor him in place and looked down at a creature with long limbs and the most distraught expression on its face crawling toward him, "Help me!" It screeched with pain, "Help me!"

Endymion turned to free himself from its grasp but both movement and screeching howls from the living corpse rattled the rest like a nest of snakes awakening to hunt their unfortunate prey, "I do not want to be here!" Another corpse clung to Endymion's leg pulling him down with desperation, making him stumble and fall face to face with what looked to be a woman in a rotten state, "I do not want to be devoured again! Get me out of here! Get me out!"

Endymion's eyes turned wide with panic, then came unbearable nausea. The stench, the blisters and vivid flesh pulsing in her face, it was too much—even for him who had seen grotesque. In a defensive impulse, he pushed himself back up but the grip on his legs was too strong for him to move further. "Get off me!" He grunted as he desperately tried to get free from the corpses grasp and kicked the rotten bodies out of his way but as much as he wanted to run, he had to take his time because if he fell into the abyss below him who knows what would become of him. He felt the woman's long limbs wrapping around him, possessing him, startling the prince, "I said—get off me!" He lifted his leg higher and kicked the body off the bridge sending it to the deep abyss below while screaming with frantic horror and desperation.

As if the movement sparked the hostile nature of the other corpses laying on top of the ones tangled between bones, more started to crawl as far to the middle of the damned bridge where Endymion was fighting for his life and sanity, "Its flesh is mine!" One the of the corpses yelled in a high pitch tone as it unnaturally moved in Endymion's direction. The prince had to think clearer—faster, he had just awoken a heard of demons they were more than ready to devour him and tie him to this ungodly net of rotten flesh.

"Mine! _Mine!_ Its flesh... it is mine—I shall live through this body!" Said another entity crawling closer; Endymion turned and had no other option but to run as fast as he could to the other end, he had to make it, no matter what. There were too many desperate souls, too much poison in the air to make him move faster, it was almost as he was losing a battle before it even started—pitiful, he thought with anger. He thought about taking his sword and slashing them with one clean swing but that would cause a commotion and he was still on a mission—he had to think straight and with a cool head and then, in between the many screams, howls, and cries those words were said again, giving clarity to what he should do next,

 _"I do not want to be devoured again!"_

"Again..." Endymion muttered to himself as a small flash of his childhood came to mind. Those quiet and tranquil mornings when the high priest would tell him many stories about divine creatures, the ones he read often in the books but were never matched by the way the man in a tunic would describe it, it was like he knew them as he had spoken to them. Now, he knows he actually did—that old man.

-O-

 _"Salve, iuvenum Princeps,"_

 _(Good morning, young Prince,)_

 _"Good morning,"_

 _Obelix watched 9-year-old prince Endymion walk into the temple ready for his daily studies wearing his navy tunic and pants with dark boots that reached right above his still chubby ankles. The priest could not deny the joy of imparting wisdom to the young prince, but sometimes, he felt like his lessons not always reached their purpose. "Latine, obsecro..." (Latin, please...) he sighed with slight tiredness._

 _Endymion blew his long fringe away from his face with exasperation as he sat by the circle of sacred light where he lit the candles and did his daily prayers and offering to the gods, "Today as well?"_

 _"Quotidie et hodie, Tua Sublimitas," (Today and every day, Your Highness.)_

 _"Hmm..." Endymion pursed his lips and sat on the marble floor, startling the man, "Endymion, est aliquid ex materia?" (Endymion, is something the matter?)_

 _"Mater est non sentiens bene iterum." (Mother is not feeling well again.)_

 _Obelix felt a tug in his chest, true, he had known the queen has had a rough night and he also knew how much it afflicted the young prince to hear about his mother's weak health. It was both surprising and heartbreaking that at his short age, the young prince already understood the meaning of life and death. It broke his heart to see him this depressed because he wanted to do more than just pray—he wanted to protect her, he wanted to save her and he was frustrated because he did not know how. He felt completely useless. With a long sigh, the young prince crossed his legs buddha style and waited for his mentor to start with his daily lessons, "Quid nobis omnibus accensis lucernis quotidie?" (Why do we have to light all these candles daily?)_

 _"Et cum deum bonitatem possit inhabitare facit unius moris," (So the gods can bless us with goodness,)_

 _"Bonitatem..." (Goodness...) Endymion muttered like if the word itself was hard to believe, "Omnes deos misereri, Obelix?" (Are all gods merciful, Obelix?)_

 _The question startled the priest because there was much more behind those words. Sometimes it really amazed him, the young boy's sharpness and level of maturity. He would often ask questions or say things only those with experience would say, and it completely took everyone by surprise. He would start a deep conversation and question methods of politics, philosophy, mythology, and history that constantly made him forget that he was just in fact, just a nine-year-old boy._

 _"Numinis ambiguos habentibus sanguinem est misericordia," (Mercy is too ambiguous for those with divinity in their blood,)_

 _"Et quid precor?" (Then why do I pray?)_

 _"Ita possunt audire," (So they can listen,)_

 _"Audi quid?" (Listen to what?)_

 _"Vos," (You,)_

 _Endymion widened his blue eyes and looked up at his mentor, "Mihi?"_

 _"Ita vero, te," (Yes, you,) Obelix sighed softly and bent his knees to meet the young monarch's face to face, "Sic enim possunt videre genus suum, sic possunt videre quam audire," (So they can see you are kind, so they can see that you listen,)_

 _"Alioquin non esset terminus Tartaro..." (Otherwise I would end in Tartarus...)_

 _Obelix's face turned pale at the mention of such place, "Tartaro, quid dicunt?" (Tartarus, why do you say that?)_

 _"Quod si non audierit eos, missuros ad inferos. Non est quod ubi malum animarum ibimus?" (If I do not show them that I listen, they would send to me to Tartarus. Is not that the place where bad souls go?) Endymion sighed softly, "Ex ea die lego librum alterum..." (I read it from a book the other day...)_

 _"Non ut pedem eo in loco, semper. Et non esse convenire." (You are not to set foot in that place, ever. You do not belong there.) Obelix put his hands over young Endymion's shoulders, "Cum aegre ferre te obtenebrati sunt latentia vitia, sed fere ne quidem potest ut det vobis introitus in tali locus." (When you are worried you become dark, almost morbid, but not even that can grant you an entrance to such place.)_

 _"Quare?" (Why?)_

 _"Quia Tartaro non est Limbo, Endymion." Obelix narrowed his caramel eyes, "Tartaro non est Purgatorio, Tartaro non est Inferno..."_

 _(Because Tartarus is not Limbo, Endymion. Tartarus is not Purgatorio, Tartarus is not hell...)_

 _Endymion felt a cold chill running down his spine, "Quid ergo est?" (What is it then?)_

 _"Ut abysso tenebrosa nimis in se tenebrae," (An abyss darker than darkness itself,) Obelix sat in front of the young prince, "Abyssus hunc tormentorum..." (An abyss of torment...) "In locum hunc tormentorum ad animam abyssus ut nunquam incidat finem, semel in animo est iudicium in abyssum, ut non moriatur et sit vivifica ut non morerentur ulterius. Tartarum sit occidendum, est locus pro cruciatu, de saeva impius."**_

 _"Quare nec talis locus est?" Endymion asked with a tremble in his young voice, "Quid enim potest esse totus in Inferno?"(Why does such place exist? Why it cannot be hell as a whole?)_

 _"Ne quidem quod locus inferni non est horrendum quia essentie tales speties quedam ut vincula," (Because not even a place as horrible as hell can keep such beings imprisoned,)_

 _Endymion tried to dismiss the heavy vibe wrapping around him as he tried his best to rub the goosebumps running all over his body, "Et cognovi quod non possit integrum quasi locus est molestum duxi," (You make it sound as if you knew that place,)_

 _"Ego sum Divina Sacerdos, Endymion, non est cur ego scio quia omnia regna amen dico vobis: non est convenire." (I am a Divine Priest, Endymion, I know all realms... that is why I tell you: you do not belong there.) He pinched the young prince's nose to lighten the mood, "Modo cogitatione possumus hanc corruptionem tur relicta est?" (Now, can we leave these morbid thoughts and topic behind and proceed?)_

 _Endymion sighed, "Licuit, licet..." (Alright, alright...) he closed his eyes and brought his hands together, "Ita, qui primus nos orare?" (So, who do we pray first?)_

 _Obelix smiled as he looked at the young boy "Helios, scilicet." (Helios, of course.)_

-O-

 _**"In a place like the abyss of torment, a soul never meets its end, once it has been sentenced to fall into the abyss, it dies only to be respawned so it can die again. Tartarus is murder, is torture—a cruel place for the wicked."_

"It never meets its end..." Endymion whispered as his hand quickly pulled his sword out of its elegant scabbard and turned to the bodies moving toward him, "See, Obelix? I did pay attention..." he turned to kick another corpse clinging on to him and ran with his sword close to his waist and cut all the strings of flesh holding the bridge as he ran to the other side, sending it to the abyss below in a domino effect. With a hard swing, he shook the dirty blood from his blade and slid it back inside its scabbard as he looked down at the void, "You said I did not belong here—" he turned to look over his shoulder at the dark shadows floating around the realm of dementia and frowned, "But neither does my father, and yet... here he is."

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is rated M. Violence, cursing, and intimacy may occur._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _AN: *Caelum mihi: Heavens help me._


	66. Chapter 66

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Sixty-Six

* * *

 _"Please trust me—"_

 _"No! No! What about the promise we made to each other?!_ _ _These__ _rings mean something! It's_ _ _our__ _promise!"_

 _Endymion shut his eyes tight, clearly showing the effects of heartache. Just like her, he looked like if his heart was being crushed inside his chest. After taking another deep breath, he looked at her with glossy eyes, those beautiful ocean blue eyes that made her drown in its magnetic beauty._

" _Serenity... heavens know how much I love you... heavens know how I devote my life to you, but I can't go with you... not this time..." he leaned down to rest his forehead on hers, "Moon Princess, since the very first moment I saw you, you had my fate and soul in your hands…_ _ _please__ _, don't ever forget it,"_

 _"Please don't do this! Don't leave me! We can do this together!" Serenity pulled him closer between sobs, "Please,_ _ _please__ _don't leave me alone! I can't go on without you... I can't... End—" Her eyes widened when she felt Endymion gently drying her tears with his thumbs and took a deep breath, "Please keep the pendant close to your heart, don't let go of it... hold on to it," why wasn't he listening? She thought angrily as she leaned closer, she had to make him understand, she needed to make him understand. The ground beneath them felt like cracking, her whole world felt like cracking. She didn't know what to do; Sailor Moon had learned to plan her battles and attack, she prepared herself for any outcome_ _—anything, except being away from her life partner._

 _"Endymion! Nooo! Don't do this! Don't leave me alone!" Serenity felt like if her heart was being ripped out of her chest. Never in her life felt more desperate. She took a deep breath to remain steady but her body was deceiving her, she was crashing, she was close to having a nervous breakdown. The desperation only peaked when she felt her husband's lips kissing hers with deep emotion and the next thing she felt was his warm breath in her ear that ended up condemning her spirit._

" _Luna Reginae, cum subito primum vidi, tu animam tuam... meminerint fatum et tenere quicquid iuramentum. Placere parce mihi, sed suus habebat, aliquid quod fieri et non solum non facere. Te amo pulchra Serenitati, usque ad consummationem temporis."_

 _Serenity let out a harsh and hasty breath and looked at him with panic. Her hands still clawed to his thick black military jacket, so tight, her knuckles felt numb. So tight, she felt like she could vanish if she let go. Her mind was screaming at her and at him for what was he trying to do; when she looked down at the key in his hand and his lips mouthing the words she couldn't understand but was sure it was something that was going to pull them apart she felt it—her soul tearing out of her. Her lips mouthed silent pleads, no matter how much she tried, he couldn't hear her—damn it, why he couldn't hear her?_

 _Endymion looked into her eyes with tears falling from his and in one slow motion, he brought her hand to his lips before he turned over his shoulder to look at Saturn and nodded to let her know it was time to part ways. Serenity widened her eyes with horror when she felt being pulled away, she tried her best to hold on but an inexplicable force was stronger than any attempts she tried to stay with him._

 _"No!_

 _"No!"_

 _"No!"_

 _"Endymion! Nooooo!"_

 _And just like that, in a matter of seconds, her husband was gone._

" _Endymion, m_ _y love... what have you done?"_

* * *

Serenity opened her eyes and let out a heavy breath. There it was again, that cryptic moment playing in her mind like a curse. She had woken up the next morning feeling less lightheaded and a little more in control of both her body and emotions but still, that memory haunted her like a ghost. After thinking about the issue at hand, she had to listen to Kunzite, Venus, the queen from her dream, and even the same ferryman from the underworld who asked her to value the prince's decision to send her back home. He had his reasons, but that didn't mean she couldn't stop feeling mortified for him. She missed him horribly and she still felt like if her chest had been torn apart. It hurt, it throbbed, but she had to follow the princes' request, arm herself with courage, and be as strong as she could, for the sake of both.

As soon as the sun filtered its rays through the half-closed curtains, the princess pulled the covers back and got out of bed. It had been the first time since she got back that she had the will to stand up from the bed on her own and feel like she wasn't leaving her husband behind. Serenity stood by the window looking outside at the still dun color of the sky and the city slowly being painted by the warmth of the morning sun. She sighed, still feeling out of place; like she wasn't entirely home, like she didn't belong. Her slender fingers curled on the thick material of the black-out curtains and pushed them to the side completely to let the day welcome her and remind her that she was there for a reason and that she was alive. After another minute that felt like an eternity, Serenity turned on her heel and went straight to the bathroom to take a shower. Without really paying attention to anything that happened outside the bathroom door, she stood still under the hot stream of water thinking about her husband's words before parting ways. She couldn't stop thinking about it, she couldn't stop listening to his low voice whispering the words in her ear with so much sentiment, no, she couldn't get over it, and she couldn't push it aside either.

 _"Luna Reginae, cum subito primum vidi, tu animam tuam... meminerint fatum et tenere quicquid iuramentum. Placere parce mihi, sed suus habebat aliquid, quod fieri et non solum non facere. Te amo pulchra Serenitati, usque ad consummationem temporis,"_

Serenity opened her eyes slowly, "Pulchra..." she mumbled with a soft, almost inaudible sob and let the ribbons of water mix with her tears as she repeated the word like a mantra a couple of times more and took a deep breath as she leaned her head on the wall. "Why did you have to say it in Latin, Endymion... you know I can't und—" she blinked her blue eyes with realization, "—erstand..."

O—o—O

After a while, the princess finally walked back to the bedroom wearing her blush pink fluffy bathrobe with a classic soft makeup done on her face and her hair done in her long-time famous style. Almost unwillingly, she stood by the nightstand looking down at Endymion's cellphone for a minute and decided it was probably time to slowly make her way back into the world. After losing hers in the battle with Asteria and Athamas, she thought she could use his in case she needed to call her parents, the girls, or the shitennou in the case of an emergency. She plugged it in the charger and turned it on before walking to the closet to pick an outfit to wear. She didn't know what the day would bring her, she didn't have anything planned or a slight clue on what to do but she had to make the extra effort to push herself from the bed that had been her safe prison for the last five days.

She had to try, she had to do it, for her.

It wasn't long before the sleek phone would start ringing several times catching the princess' attention. She walked back to the room fully dressed now and looked at the lock screen to check the list of notifications. After typing the code to unlock the screen—3003—their birthdays; her eyes felt the burn of tears when she saw he had changed his picture screen to a picture she took of them together; a random selfie she remembered taking on a dinner date at their now favorite ramen house. She remembered that day—it had been a bad one for both of them. He has had one of the worst days at the hospital since he started working there and she would have had one of Maya's famous tantrums and had stayed until late at the office fixing the designs she had made for that month's issue of the magazine. It was a Friday—that she remembered clearly, and it was late—very late. He had gone to pick her up at work and on their way back to Usagi's house, both realized they haven't eaten a single thing since their lunch break that usually happened to be around the same time so they could have a sliver chance to call and listen to their voices. That day, they didn't have that chance which had made everything worse.

After looking for a place to eat, one that wasn't too crowded or loud, they found a little ramen house in an alley close to a shopping area in Roppongi. Surprisingly, it was hidden enough to keep the party youngsters away, making it the perfect place for them to have dinner in peace. Not that they were exactly looking for a place with a romantic setting, they were far from feeling romantic, but the dim lighting inside sure made it a very intimate moment.

Her lips curved into a sad smile, giving the picture more value when she remembered that what had been the crappiest day ever soon after ended up being one of the best date nights. How she missed it, those simple moments—she thought. Usagi didn't mind being who she was, a soldier, a princess—whatever, she could be whatever, but as long as she was with him. Mamoru was her anchor, always has been. He kept her with her feet on the ground, like the earth prince he is. She could always have these simple moments and she would never change them for anything. It was the silliest of pictures, the exhaustion was clearly shown in both of their faces. Usagi's makeup wasn't even that sharp anymore; her mascara was slightly smudged on the outer corner of her eyes and she wasn't even wearing lip-balm to give some sort of glint to her lips. Next to her, Mamoru showed clear signs of fatigue; his always well-styled hair was disheveled from running his hand through it so much during the day, his eyes were puffy and almost droopy but both had a smile that showed how much they had missed each other day and that finally, the torture was over.

As Usagi stared at the picture she thought of how Mamoru taught her how to enjoy the little things in everything—he was, after all, a master of details. From a walk in the park to enjoy the simplest soba noodle soup, it was always a remarkable experience and that picture in his phone was the perfect example of it.

With a soft sigh, Serenity lightly tapped on the alerts on his screen and saw that many of the notifications were from the private chat he had with some staff members of the hospital, others were from other people she immediately recognized as doctors who were looking for a second opinion on some medical cases; there were some from Motoki asking where he was and if they were okay, some from a private group with old classmates from Med-School he was part of; some were from a man called S. Ikio and a few others were from none other but from Shimuta Chieko. Serenity hesitated a minute before tapping that specific window to read the list of unread messages despite knowing there was nothing going on between Endymion and her, but just knowing she is his ex-girlfriend and that she shares a past with him made her feel like she was talking to Beryl, somehow.

 _"Mamoru, sweetheart, please call me when you read this... I need to talk to you,"_

"Sweetheart?" Serenity narrowed her eyes with discomfort and then saw she had sent a couple of pictures from different places around Tokyo with captions like, ' _Remember this place?'_ or, _'Memories'_ or even a brazen _'This place reminds me so much of you.'_

She wasn't happy, for sure, to see a woman that apparently had left their lives for good had been trying to stay in touch with her husband. Serenity was no stranger to these types of tactics, she was a woman, and she has had too many conversations with her friends to know this wasn't casual chatting. The woman in Endymion's phone was trying her best to make a comeback. Normally, she would dismiss Chieko's poor attempts, after the fight they had, Serenity no longer dared to doubt her husband had stepped way too far away from her and that his loyalty and devotion to their relationship was higher than any standard in his life, but it was the way she wrote, the words she used, and the following message what sent chills down her spine as she read the words:

" _Mamoru, honey, where the hell are you?! I need to talk to you—it's important."_

Serenity took a deep breath and exhaled with annoyance, "In hell... _that's_ where he is, Chieko."

Minutes after, another message came in:

 _"I know you say you're happily married and all, but call me when you see this, I need to see you."_

Serenity thought about texting the woman back but decided it was better if not; this wasn't her battle. Chieko wasn't her past. Putting the phone down, she went back to the bathroom to put another bobby pin on one of her messy buns that were coming lose when the phone started ringing. With a stricken face, Serenity peered from the bathroom and walked over to see who the caller was and froze when she saw Chieko's name on the screen. One. Two. Three times it rang but the princess decided to leave the call unanswered, staying loyal to her word. It's not her past. It's not her past. It's not her past.

Then another alert came, with a new message:

 _"Mamoru, what is going on? You do know I can see you're reading my messages, right? You know better than this. Where are you? We have been trying to reach you with no luck, I'll be meeting a client soon and will have lunch with daddy afterward, but, can we meet? It has to do with a conversation from some time ago,"_

It's not her past. It's not her past. It's not her past—Serenity repeated in her mind but something inside her sparked, something important, something she heard Endymion say to her countless times:

" _You are my present, and the only one I want to share my future with. You are my future, Usa."_

"Future..." Serenity mumbled. To this, she felt a hot rush running through her veins and also, the need to text back. She grabbed the phone and quickly answered a simple: "Where?"

An answer didn't take long to chime in, _"Kozue, at the_ _Shinjuku Park Tower_ _, of course,"_

 _"Alright,"_

 _"Can you be there around noon?"_

 _"Yes,"_

 _"Perfect, I will see you soon, then,"_

Serenity put the phone down and sat on the bed, feeling a little battled and confused. She didn't know why she had answered back to Chieko like if she was Mamoru, she didn't know what she was doing but now, she had a strange fancy date with her husband's ex.

O—o—O

Megumi was drinking a cup of tea in the living room when she heard movement inside the bedroom and turned to see Serenity walking fully dressed and ready to go out; the soft, the elegant trail of flowery perfume confirmed it. "P-Princess!"

Serenity stood behind the sofa wearing a plaid soft pink and grey long coat over a soft gray knit sweater and skinny white pants, nude pointed-toe high stilettos in hand. She looked at Megumi with an unreadable expression in her face, "Good morning, Megumi."

Megumi blinked with surprise and put her steaming cup on the coffee table, "G-Good morning!" she looked at her with bewilderment. She didn't know why but she was hesitant to ask, she didn't know what to say but she did notice the princess shaky hands, "Tea," She thought it was best to offer than to ask.

Serenity blinked and without thinking it twice, she nodded, "Tea..."

Megumi didn't have to be said twice when she was already serving hot water on a clean cup and placed an organza bag with one of Jupiter's special blends of rose petals and chamomile and handed the cup to Serenity, who was now sitting on the sofa, next to her. "Where is everybody?" She asked before taking a small elegant sip. Megumi turned to grab her cup and followed the princess' moves, "They went to take care of some errands... but also, Lord Kunzite insisted that you should be given your space..."

Serenity felt a warm tug in her chest, this only proved how much he meant what he said and how he was trusting her. "It is good to see you up, Princess..." she heard Megumi say softly and nodded as she looked down at her pale pink tea, "You're probably wondering... what am I doing... where am I going," she shook her head, "But to tell you the truth, I don't even know it myself—" she looked up at Megumi and shook her head, "But I won't be able to figure it out if I stay in bed. No matter how much I want to, I can't do it. I need..." She sighed, "I need to remind myself what this is all for,"

Megumi was taken by surprise by this sudden change and rush of life in the princess spirit, it was like she has had an epiphany, something that urged her to get out of bed and step away of that morbid shadow that has followed her since her return.

"There is no minute I don't think about Endymion, there is no second that goes by without my mind showing me his face, of listening to his low voice every time I open or close my eyes. I am mortified, I am desperate... I can't function without him. It hurts to even breathe, but I need to stay awake so I can think of a way to bring him back and to do that... I first need to deal with other chapters from our lives, so we can carry on. "

"Princess?"

Serenity put her empty cup on the coffee table and slowly grabbed Megumi's hand, "Would you come with me?" Megumi tightened her grip on the princess' hand and nodded, "Of course. Wherever you need to go, Princess."

Serenity leaned her head on Megumi's shoulder and took a deep breath, "Thank you, Megumi, for everything." Megumi smiled and pulled the princess closer to her in a loving embrace, "Anytime—anything,"

Serenity blinked, "Anything?"

"Yes,"

"You are fluent with Latin, right Megumi?"

"You could say that, Princess."

Serenity snuggled in the maiden's arms and exhaled softly, "He said something... before we parted ways—it echoes in my mind... and while I do understand a tiny part of it, I can't figure out the rest... because well, I suck at Latin."

The comment made Megumi crack a light chuckle, "Well, it is a complicated tongue,"

"Incredibly complicated..." Serenity nodded, "But also... incredibly beautiful..." she pressed her lips for a moment, "Please forgive me because I am about to butcher it with my poor attempts to pronounce it, okay?"

"Yes, Princess," Megumi chuckled again, "I won't pay mind,"

"Luna Reginae,"

"Moon Princess,"

"Cum subito primum vidi,"

"Since the very first moment I saw you,"

"Tu animam tuam... mem-" Serenity squinted her eyes, knowing her attempts were poor, so poor, "Meminerint fatum, et tenere quicquid iuramentum. Pla-" she sighed, truly embarrassed, "Placere parce mihi, sed suus..." her brows knitted, "Suus habebat aliquid quod fieri et non solum non facere."

Megumi smiled at the sound of her broken pronunciation; it was adorable to see her try but also, it was impressive she could actually remember the words. She didn't move her arms away from the princess, "You had my fate and soul in your hands... pray for it, remember that, and hold on to that oath no matter what. Please forgive me, but it's something that has to be done and I have to do it alone."

"Te amo, pulchra Serenitati, usque ad consummationem temporis."

"I love you, beautiful Serenity, until the end of time."

Serenity felt her eyes burn with tears and tightened her arms around Megumi and stayed in silence while taking the meaning behind his words. Words she didn't allow herself to figure out until now but that now had left her thinking what was that he needed to do alone. After a couple of minutes, she pulled herself back and looked at Megumi with loving eyes and then at the clock behind ticking behind her, finally knowing where to go first, "There is something I want to show you..." she smiled softly and fluffed Megumi's turquoise infinite scarf around her neck while thinking how cute she looked in her little navy-blue dress with black tights and black booties. If she didn't know she was a woman with an ancient soul, she would think of her as a little sister, "Ready to go?"

Megumi nodded and followed the princess toward the foyer to get her purse, slip on her shoes and look for the keys. Once out of the apartment, Serenity felt like if the air in the hallway was thicker, colder, and frowned as they walked toward the elevator and pressed the button that would take them to the parking garage; Megumi widened her eyes when the princess walked over to Endymion's black car and pressed the alarm button to unlock the doors, "P-Princess?"

Serenity opened her door and turned to Megumi, "I am not going to put your life at risk, I promise. Our destination is a little far—it would take us forever to get there if we use public transportation and we are kind on a schedule..."

Megumi blinked, "Oh,"

Both women stepped into the car and put their seat belts on. Serenity started the engine and adjusted her seat and mirrors before driving out of the building's garage and into the busy city streets of Azabu-Juban. Much to Megumi's surprise, the princess handled the vehicle with as much ease the prince did. As they quietly reached for a red light, Serenity leaned her head back on her seat and exhaled softly when she stared at the empty paper cup she remembered Endymion had bought in a near by cafe because he needed his coffee fix while doing some errands the last time they were out. Heck, even the car smelled like him—this was pure torture.

"How long... was I away?"

Megumi diverted her view from the window to the princess behind the steering wheel, "Two weeks, Princess..."

"And... then?"

"Four days,"

"Two weeks and four days..." Serenity saw the light turn green and made a slow turn to her left and into a busier avenue and then after some good thirty more minutes later she drove into a much more tranquil neighborhood; Megumi noticed there were only a few houses around but the ones that were had impressive big lawns and lush gardens. It was a very private area—almost hidden away from the noise and the bustle from the city's crowded streets. With another smooth turn to the left, Serenity drove until they entered a much more secluded road that led to a house at the very end of the street and finally parked outside a house with a beautiful front lawn full of greenery and turned the engine off. Megumi leaned closer to look at the neatly cut grass and frowned slightly confused, "Princess?"

"Come," Serenity pushed back her all-time favorite black cat-eye shades, and grabbed the empty cup from the cup holder before she stepped out of the car while waiting for Megumi to join her at the elegant front door before locking the vehicle. "Where are we?" The maiden looked around rather disoriented.

Serenity turned to Megumi and used the keys in her hand to turn the locks and pushed the heavy dark wooden door open and stepped aside to let the young maiden go in first. Megumi's first reaction was to gasp in amazement as she looked around the spacious home. There were windows all over the house inviting the sun to warm every corner with its golden light. She walked past the spacious foyer and stood in front of three large sliding glass doors that went from floor to ceiling giving a full view of the big garden outside, "Princess... w-what is this place?"

Serenity put the cup over the kitchen counter when she heard Megumi asking and took a deep breath; the sound of her nude high heels tapping the wooden floors startled the maiden as she joined her side and slid open one of the windows to let the cool breeze from the garden flow into the house, "Our future,"

Megumi turned to look at the princess and frowned, "I-I don't understand..."

Serenity leaned her head on the frame and looked outside, "I fell in love with this house a few months after we made our engagement official—shortly after we finally set a date to marry. I loved it—everything from this house. It's not a palace... it's not even close to a mansion, but it's the perfect place for us to live. It has so much freedom, so much space, and light. I could see myself living here with Endymion, I could see us waking up on a Saturday morning and drink coffee on this deck while he read one of his books and I read one of my art and design magazines. I could see us having a family here, I could see us playing in this beautiful garden with our baby..." the princess smiled sadly, "After we returned from our honeymoon... we had this horrible fight because I had seen some things that made me believe he was seeing someone else behind my back but when he brought me here I found out he was just trying to surprise me... the person he was secretly talking to turned out to be an old friend of his helping him get this house. He was buying it for me. For us—our future..."

Megumi felt her eyes burn with tears as she listened to the princess' emotional words, "Princess..."

Serenity finally turned to look at Megumi with tears in her eyes but the sad smile in her face didn't fade "I asked you if you were fluent in Latin because I want to learn... I _need_ to learn. I've been playing in my mind every single word he said to me over and over and over again and I have this strong feeling that he was trying to tell me something else between the lines... _'Remember I am yours, I am yours—please...'_ he repeated those words so much that has made me believe that he wasn't saying goodbye but I am still trying to put the pieces together," she turned to look outside while sniffling softly, "I am aware that I could lose this house... and it could be a possibility that we might never get to live here, it's fine. If it was other time, other reason, other circumstance... I would have gotten upset, but right now, all I want—all I care about is to find a way to fight for him, I need to find him and open a path so he can come back."

Megumi turned to look inside the spacious living room and the skylight in the ceiling that beamed the place with the most soothing light and agreed with the princess. It was not a palace nor a mansion like Serenity previously stated but it sure was breathtakingly beautiful; she had to admit that it was impressive the prince could afford a place like this. Wherever she turned to look, there was undeniable luxury and also a tranquil ambiance, something they always kept as a top priority—tranquility. It was a one-story house but with plenty of space and freedom to live comfortably. She could see why they both had liked it since they were both extremely special when it came to their privacy because as royals, they didn't get to enjoy such privilege so they valued it like the most sacred of treasures. Megumi's eyes widened when she felt the princess' warm hand taking hers lightly and motioned to follow her so she could show her the rest of the house. They walked down the long hallway with large windows that led to the master bedroom and showed her the amazing closet and private deck. Then she took her to see the other spaces as she told her about their plans for them, what would eventually become a study for her, an open space that could perfectly work as a library and an office for him, and another room they thought was best to keep as a future nursery. They walked out to the garden all the way back to a little cottage and got inside; Serenity went to open the windows to let the breeze get rid of the smell of solitude, "Come in," she said softly at Megumi who was looking around the spacious room full of light; it was not close to the size of the master bedroom but it was very decent in size and even had it's private bathroom and a little cute kitchenette, "I told Endymion that you could use this space as a rest area, we could put a comfy little couch here..." Megumi widened her eyes and turned to Serenity who was standing on one side of the room and extended her arms to measure the size of the furniture "And a cute round coffee table here so you can read comfortably while drinking your—"

"—Princess?"

Serenity turned to Megumi, "Yes?"

"This place..."

Serenity smiled, "You really weren't expecting us to leave you behind, now, did you?"

"What?" Megumi widened her eyes twice in size, Serenity walked over to her and linked her arm with hers, "The minute you came into our lives—you became part of this family. It's a small guest house, yes, but it has its privacy and it's also independent of the rest of the house, so, we thought it was perfect for you to have your own space without having to live alone—it's perfect for you, of course, if you want to."

Megumi felt her eyes burning with tears, she was completely moved. It truly moved her to know they considered her as a member of their family and that they included her in those plans, in those dreams that took so much time for them to build and shape into a reality.

"I want to fight for this..." she heard the princess say softly, "I'm angry Megumi... I'm tired of them doing whatever they please with us... they think they have succeeded and I can't take it as such. I won't accept it," her crystal blue eyes narrowed, "Queen Gaia once did it—she fought for the future she wanted to live, she fought for her husband, her people, her family—her son. She fought against them and she won," she turned to the maid with a determinant glare, "I will do it too—I will fight for my husband, my people, my family and I will win. That is what made me get out of bed... this house—what it represents. The dream this house holds inside." Her eyes widened when she saw Megumi wrapping her arms tightly around her and broke into sobs. "M-Megumi..."

Megumi felt the princess' pain but even feeling as broken as she was, she had harbored a strong, determinant energy that was urging her to move forward. She never doubted why the terran prince was so in love with her; she was undeniably beautiful, elegant, and kindhearted, but she was also fearless and strong. In every battle they have encountered since she appeared, Megumi she has never seen the princess quit or hesitate despite how terrified she might have been. She has faced every enemy like a true soldier and she had survived hell itself. Princess Serenity was far from being a classic fairy tale princess, she was a sailor senshi and she was married to none other than a polemarchos and it showed.

Serenity held onto Megumi for a while longer and then pulled back and dried her tears gently, "Thank you, Princess, for showing me this place... for making me a part of this dream. Please be sure that whatever battle we must face, I will not leave your side and whatever the outcome is... with us... it has to be for the best."

"I know, and I thank you for everything you have done for me and for Endymion," Serenity smiled softly and looked down at her wristwatch and sighed softly, "I have to be somewhere else in thirty minutes... so we will have to leave soon," she smiled softly and held Megumi's hand as they walked out of the room, "But first, let me show you the kitchen."

O—o—O

"What is this place, Princess?" Megumi looked up at the high tower with awe and turned to Serenity who was giving her keys to the valet. The princess pursed her matte mauve painted lips as she gracefully walked toward the entrance, "Remember those chapters I was telling you about?"

"Yes,"

"Well, this is one of them..."

They entered the modern and elegant lobby of marble and gold and walked straight to the elevator; Serenity pressed the button marked with a golden star and stayed silent until the doors opened for them right at the lobby of one of the fanciest restaurants in Tokyo: The Kozue.

Megumi was welcomed with a fancy smell of coffee and leather and the soft jazz music playing in the background. She looked around and saw the waiters and waitresses walking from one side to the other wearing an elegant black uniform, giving its place it's elite flair. As they walked to the hostess waiting for them, the beautiful woman turned to them with a polite smile, "Welcome to The Kozue. Do you have a reservation?"

"No, not exactly. I am meeting with someone. I have an appointment,"

"Of course, under what name?"

"Chiba Mamoru,"

The young hostess widened her eyes and blinked, Serenity noticed it was almost as if she recognized the name but for now she pushed it aside, Mamoru wasn't the only one sharing that family name, "Oh, right, yes, Shimuta-san is expecting to see you—right this way, Chiba-san,"

Serenity and Megumi walked behind the girl in silence; Megumi immediately understood that she had to go back to address the princess as Usagi and without any royal honorifics. As they moved closer to the table, Serenity spotted the always fashionable Chieko in an elegant emerald green dress coat with a silk floral scarf around her neck drinking chilled white wine while talking to a man older than her by several years and turned to look at her with genuine surprise. They had chosen to sit by a tall window to enjoy the amazing Tokyo view from the high tower in a more private area in the restaurant.

"Shimuta-san, your appointment has arrived," The hostess addressed Chieko and her companion. Chieko blinked with surprise, "U-Usagi-san..."

"Would you like me to bring the wine list for a tasting, Shimuta-san?"

The man next to her stood up as soon as he saw Usagi stand by the table and looked at her with a polite yet familiar smile and turned to the hostess, "No, that would be all." He nodded, "Please give Uda-san my thanks for the table."

"Certainly, Shimuta-san," The young hostess bowed her head; Serenity turned to the hostess to thank her and waited for her to leave. She turned to the elegant woman in green, "Good afternoon, Chieko-san,"

Chieko blinked the surprise from her eyes, "Good afternoon..." her eyes quickly spotted Megumi standing by her side but no Mamoru, "Well, this is a surprise..." she turned to the man standing next to her still very much startled, "Daddy, this is Tsu—I'm sorry, _Chiba_ Usagi, Mamoru's wife."

"Of course," The impeccable looking man in a navy suit and black tie bowed his head and shook Serenity's hand with much politeness, the faint wrinkles around his eyes showed he was probably in his fifties, but there was no doubt the man was fit and had a keen sense of fashion. He looked like he took good care of himself, "I heard much about you, Usagi-san, it is very nice to finally meet you face to face. I am Shimuta Ikio—Chieko's father and an old friend of Mamoru's."

"Nice to meet you, Shimuta-san," Serenity shook the man's hand and immediately recalled the name she had seen on Endymion's cellphone and connected the dots and she also remembered seeing him at the wedding ceremony. She blinked out of her train of thought and turned to introduce Megumi, "This is my cousin, Megumi, I hope it's not a problem—"

"—Not at all, nice to meet you Megumi-san," Ikio invited them to join them at the table, "Please,"

Chieko arched her brow while staring at Usagi a with evident annoyance and confusion, giving Usagi notice that she wasn't entirely glad to see her instead of Mamoru. Usagi turned to place her purse on the polished wooden hanger at their side of the table and turned to Chieko again with regal confidence, "You are probably wondering why I am here instead of Mamoru. The one answering your message earlier wasn't him but me, Chieko-san."

Chieko turned pale and blinked with surprise, "What?"

"Mamoru is away—for work." Usagi crossed her hands over her lap to disguise their shakiness, "I lost my phone by accident a few days back so he lent me his until his return,"

Megumi had to admit that the princess had some edge when she wanted to be blunt and direct, this was a side she had not seen from her since she was used to seeing her being always so sweet, playful, and even a little clumsy. The woman sitting next to her was determinant, regal, defiant, and almost cutting—fearless. Chieko on the other side, was not much pleased for meeting with her ex's wife but there was nothing she could do at this point but to go along with the situation.

"Mamoru is always going an extra mile in everything, isn't he?" Ikio said between a light and elegant chuckle and took a sip of his coffee and smiled warmly, "He has been like that since he was a little boy." Usagi nodded and responded the man with the same gesture. Chieko sighed softly and put her glass of wine aside "He has always been a very hermetic person—he is impossible to read,"

Before Usagi could answer to her comment, Ikio took the lead of the conversation and excused his daughter's brash behavior with a soft sigh, "I am Mamoru's legal and financial advisor—I was close friends with his late parents and I also worked as their advisor until their passing." He watched the princess politely accepting the cup of green tea that was served in a fancy porcelain cup with a golden rim and continued, "When he had the age to be seen as a legal adult, Mamoru hired my services and became an important client on my firm. Over the years, I have been advising and taking care of every detail concerning his assets—you probably know this by now, he meets with me a few times a month to discuss these matters,"

"Yes," Usagi nodded and put her cup down with much elegance, remembering every time Mamoru told her he was going to be late because he had to meet with his lawyer. She never really understood why he had to do it so religiously every single month, or, why he had a lawyer for that matter, but he never failed and she never asked. She never felt it was a secret, the truth was there for her to grab but she always felt it was something too private and too delicate to just randomly ask Mamoru. He never avoided her questions whenever they were but she didn't really feel comfortable going that deep into his life—the life before her, and if not asked, he never really cared to talk about.

"Well, it has been more than a month since I last spoke to him, which is why I got concerned. He has never missed an appointment with me, he has never missed a call or hasn't left a message unanswered. I knew he had been in touch with Chieko because of the house he recently negotiated, so, I took the liberty to ask my daughter to contact him for me while I was away for business these couple of days—I am sorry if this has caused a problem," he peered at Chieko then at Usagi and gave her an apologetic look, "I would have liked for us to meet at my office, but, I just landed and Chieko already had the appointment scheduled with him, I am terribly sorry for the inconvenience, Usagi-san,"

"No, not at all, Ikio-san, and please, call me Usagi," Serenity shook her head politely. Ikio smiled and turned to open his elegant briefcase and took a portfolio with a golden rim before putting his wire-rimmed reading glasses on; he turned his attention to the waiter who was approaching them at the table and raised his hand to stop any interruptions and continued, "Last time we met, Mamoru talked to me about some changes he wanted to make to his legal paperwork and as my client, I followed his instructions." He handed Usagi the fancy leather portfolio and asked her to check its contents carefully; Usagi pushed her cup aside and began reading the documents in silence; it didn't take her long to catch on and froze in her seat when she realized what she had in her hands.

Ikio pushed his glasses back and took a deep breath truly wishing his daughter was not there to listen what he was about to say because he knew what it could cause, also, because it was a serious matter. He always said it was Chieko's unapologetic character what brought ruin to the relationship she and Mamoru once had and it never landed on good grounds since she never really like to admit her flaws. It was because of her ambitious and spoilt behavior what pushed Mamoru to make a decision and walk away from their relationship. Deep down, Ikio accepted it was something that was not destined to happen, they were too different to function as a couple, their views on life were completely opposite so were their dreams for the future and while he had high hopes, in the beginning, it didn't come as a surprise when Mamoru decided to put an end and move on with his life without touching his heart to ever look back.

"Months before your wedding, Mamoru asked me to make considerable changes to his will—as his wife, you have the right to know and also, something he wanted you to be aware of. On our last meeting, he made a great emphasis on how he wanted to leave everything in strict order because as he said, and I quote: _'It is not just about me anymore.'_ " Ikio leaned forward and underlined a few sentences with his closed pen for Usagi to put close attention to, "With the purchase of the house, his assets and value, of course, have increased due to the property's location. I was informed by Chieko and later by Mamoru himself, that the property was going to be under your name so we worked on the house scriptures and had them validated by a notary to have everything in order as soon as possible. It took us some time, but now I would only need your signature to make this legal and official. I've been wanting to meet with him to discuss some pending things concerning the other matter as these are not the final documents—it is a long process and much to cover, as you can read there."

Usagi continued reading the papers in her hands and felt like her heart was racing a hundred miles per second in her chest. She knew Mamoru had a place among the elite and wealthy people and that he knew several influential names—Reika's family, for example. She also knew he had an economic stability that could easily give him a more than comfortable life without the need to work the countless hours he did at the hospital but what she was reading was beyond she ever imagined he actually had—what she never dared to ask. Chiba Mamoru had a serious wealth, more than she could even fathom; more than just a comfortable heritance. For what she was reading in those pages, he had stocks and important shares in many high-profile financial companies he still kept working and reinvesting up to this day in his late father's place with the help and advice from none other than the man sitting across from her and now, he was trusting and sharing all this to her as well.

 _"Everything you see here... and even the things you can't see, but you know I have, are yours."_

Endymion's words echoed in Serenity's mind as she watched Ikio handing her his fancy Mont Blanc pen and pointed out the spaces where she needed to sign, right next Mamoru's strong and elegant signature. This was an impressive level of authority—not to mention responsibility. How could he be so damn sharp and take care of serious things like these with so much control and without losing his mind from a very young age? Considering the many things he took care of on a daily basis and how he even made time to be a masked hero, how he could do this too? She thought in complete shock. It was so much to process in just one take, sure, he had done it for years but the immense responsibility he had over his shoulders and with so much at stake was overwhelming. One error or wrong decision on his end could cause serious problems not just for him, but for hundreds of people that invested in these businesses and worked for the solid company his family built from the ground. A solid company she knew about from countless articles she read or worked on when working at the magazine and that up until now learned it turned out to be related to her husband—her Mamo-chan, the simplest, most humble man she has ever known, humbler than Motoki and that was saying a lot.

Much of it was there, written in bold numbers and fancy names and words—his past. For years she didn't pay mind but it had finally hit her, it finally made sense. Mamoru was reborn into this world with the life of a modern royal. He was given a place in a very wealthy and influential family and lived in a modern version of a palace and as expected for every 'royal', there were too many demands he had to live up to accomplish and honor his family name and legacy.

The only difference between his previous life as a crowned prince and this one as a prince with no crown was that he had lost his family sooner than it happened before. He knew what hunger was like, he knew solitude and abandon, he knew what it was like to be in pain, he knew what it was like to be cold and to be misunderstood. He had to learn to stand up for himself and make his way back into this world without a family, without a home to go back to. He lost his identity, his memories—at the young age of six, Mamoru lived trapped in the irony of having everything and nothing at the same time. To the eyes of all these people sitting in their luxurious chairs and drinking wine from engraved crystal glasses, the woman sitting across from her included, the young modern prince had fallen from grace and had become a pauper—a commoner, and much to their surprise, that is how he decided to continue living even after he was granted permission to cross the golden bridge of wealth when he became of age. He liked anonymity because he was free from judgment, free from absurd expectations and lifestyles—because he could be himself. The prince never lost faith despite the challenges thrown in his way and he eventually found her, the girl with the hair of moonbeam—her, Tsukino Usagi. His Serenitati.

The trials and obstacles life put in his way, he overcame them with success and without knowing anything about his divine origins. That is when Kunzite's words finally hit home and made her understand: Mamoru was strong and he had an impressive drive to be better. He was strong by his own merits and as a simple human being and it made her think with wonder just how strong he could get if he used his divine power.

Usagi finished signing the papers and handed back Ikio's pen and the sleek leather portfolio, "Alright," the man said as he double checked the documents and smiled, "All in order with the property, just like he wanted."

"The deed is also attached to those documents, now is officially yours." Chieko said as she handed her father a slimmer version of the portfolio Serenity just handed to Ikio and looked at her with an envious glare and forced smirk, "Congratulations,"

"He's a good man—Mamoru." Ikio said with melancholy as he closed his leather suitcase, "I am sure Natsuo and Harumi would be proud to see the kind of man he has become on his own merits. The success he has with his career as a doctor has nothing to do with any of this... he did that all by himself and never lost focus on what mattered. I am a witness of it." He smiled softly, "I wish I—" his eyes widened when he felt his phone ringing inside his jacket and took a quick glance at the caller and stood up, "Please excuse me a minute, I need to take this call... I won't take long,"

"Yes, of course," Usagi smiled politely. Ikio stood from his seat and walked away to answer his call. Megumi finished her tea and looked at Chieko surfing through her phone and then turned to Serenity, "Usagi..." she still found it too strange to call her that, but she had to play the part, and after all, it wasn't so bad—she was beginning to like it—her bunny name. "I will go take a small tour around the gardens if that is alright with you,"

Usagi smiled, silently thanking Megumi for the gesture and nodded, "Sure, I'll look for you when it's time to head back home," she watched at the brunette grab her small purse and nod her head in respect at Chieko and turned to Usagi, her green eyes were fixed with Usagi's clear blue ones and arched her brow. Both women were finally given their moment to look at themselves without distractions; Chieko paid more attention to Usagi's looks and immediately understood why Mamoru would fall so deeply for her. The woman had a breathtaking beauty; her long shiny hair with different hues of silver fell graciously down her back from the elegantly wrapped buns on her head. It looked like if they were rays of moonlight; the way her long fringe fell over one side of her eyes, framing her oval shaped face. Her makeup was classic and simple with perfectly painted lips in a velvety mauve color and her clear blue eyes framed by long dark lashes and thin dark liner. She could see that just like her she had a sense for fashion and while she didn't flash all the high-end brands like she did, Chieko could tell she knew how to style and look effortlessly chic.

Much to Chieko's misfortune, Mamoru's wife was gorgeous and prepared, she could see the elegant quality in every move she made and it was bothering her more than she knew it should, taking notice that there was more to her than what she got to see when she first met her. Chieko was every man's desirable woman, and in her bratty mind, she always believed Mamoru was hers and that he was going to come back to her, one way or another. After he disappeared from her life, she went on to have the lifestyle she wanted and not too long after, she married. At twenty, she was living with a man almost ten years her senior just to increase her status in society and the value on her wallet. She had it all, the beauty, the body, the wealth, and the luxurious lifestyle she always said she deserved. She led a hectic, very busy life where there was always a social event, was a gala, a charity dinner, an elite party that required her presence, but when the lights went off and the glamour stopped, she always felt a bitter knot in the back of her throat whenever her thoughts wandered about Mamoru, the one that got away.

The moment they met and started talking again, it stirred something in Chieko's mind and heart but it was not until the negotiations for the house ended and parted ways when she started feeling the aftermath of what happened in the past with them and how her decisions have affected her life. Everything suddenly came back to her, the anger, the need, the longing, and it all manifested in gusts of angst that pushed her to the very limits as to try to contact him again for the stupidest of reasons just so she could feel close to him again and find a way to rekindle that old flame that once sparked between them.

She found it an irony that both sides of the spectrum of Mamoru's life were now meeting face to face. Both feeling defensive and overprotective over the same person. Chieko took a sip of her wine and put the glass down with elegance, "It's good to see you are doing well, Usagi-san, but I really must ask... why are you here? Why did you pretend to be Mamoru over the phone and came to meet with me? You could have said he was out of town and this could have been scheduled for some other day."

Usagi did the same, as she slowly put her cup of tea down and gave the woman a quizzical glance, "You said it was urgent, no?"

Chieko blinked, completely startled by Usagi's blunt answer. The silver-haired leaned back in her chair and looked at the fashionable woman with curious eyes and crossed her arms, "Is Mamoru important to you, Chieko-san?"

Chieko arched her brow, "What?"

Usagi tilted her head to the side with wonder when she started to notice Chieko's sudden change in her body language; she would sit straighter and would nervously avert her gaze from hers from time to time to try to dissimulate the discomfort of having to answer that particular question. The woman had a pride and she had to keep it intact, as always.

Usagi thought about telling her to stop calling her husband, she envisioned a whole conversation where she would extensively explain how she didn't want her near him and act like a jealous wife but none of it came the minute she saw her again and she understood she no longer felt intimidated by Chieko. She was over it, but the more she saw her fidgeting in her seat, the more she came to the conclusion that unlike Mamoru, Chieko hadn't let things go—she was still tied to him somehow. With a soft sigh, Usagi leaned forward and pressed her lips together in a tight line for a second, "You know, Chieko-san, Mamoru barely ever mentioned anything from that relationship,"

"I am not surprised,"

"Really?"

"I thought I made myself clear that day when we met."

"You did,"

"Then I don't see why you are asking me such thing," Chieko's voice took a bitter turn as she leaned back in her seat, "I remember saying how things didn't work out for us in the end,"

"And yet, here you are," Usagi made a good homage to her name by keeping her voice calm and serene but her gaze was piercing and almost intimidating. There was not a single trace of innocence in her crystal blue eyes; Usagi knew exactly what she was doing and while she promised to leave this matter behind them, it was clear that Chieko still had unfinished business and wanted to do what she always did when something caught her attention; invade and conquer without minding about the consequences, without caring about the people that might get hurt in the process.

"I came with my father to have lunch... what does that have to do with your question?" Chieko frowned, taking a more defensive posture.

"You told me you were meeting a client—it's alright, Chieko-san," Usagi took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, "I see you used your father's concern as an excuse to contact Mamoru because you know you wouldn't be able to see him under other circumstances. The paperwork and negotiations with the house were over, there was nothing else that would make you be in the same room together. Not alone, at least."

Chieko crossed her arms defensively, "I don't see where are you going with this, Usagi-san,"

"Situations like these made me understand and accept that somehow, you are a part of his life. Since Mamoru is your father's client and friend, you will always know things about him as much as he'll know things from you. You will run into each other at the same places or events and you'll cross words. I know, it's inevitable because of his position in society, and I understand, really, I do. It doesn't bother me because I trust him," Usagi looked into Chieko's eyes with fearlessness, "But I don't trust you."

"Oh?" Chieko cracked a light chuckle, "You don't?"

"No," Usagi shook her head, "I just don't know how far you would be willing to go just to get whatever is that you want."

Chieko felt like the woman across from her on the table was stripping her security with one look; her natural instinct was to try and counteract Usagi's icy glare with cynicism, like she always did as a mechanism of defense, "If you trust me or not, that is really not my problem, Usagi-san. It's really not my fault if you feel threatened by—"

"Threatened?" Usagi arched a brow in a very Mamoru-like manner and let out a gentle scoff, interrupting the woman, "No, no—don't mistake manners with insecurity, Chieko-san," she shook her head, "This isn't about you being intimidating or in this case... _threatening."_ She shook her head gently, _"_ No, this is about you being aware that the man you have been trying to charm is married, and that I, as his wife, demand you—his ex-girlfriend—to give me the respect I deserve,"

Chieko froze in her seat and blinked dumbfounded at Usagi, who still had that same serene posture. The woman let out a weak chuckle and shrugged her shoulder, "I don't know what you're talking about—the man I have been trying to charm? What is that supposed to mean?"

Usagi sighed, "Look, Chieko-san... just because I haven't said much about it doesn't mean I don't know what's going on. It's practically impossible to ignore the list of messages you have sent Mamoru ever since he started the bidding for the house. You have called him after hours to 'talk', you are insistent and careless. You call him your sweetheart—but I must remind you, he's not your sweetheart, he's not your honey, your darling, and he's definitely _not_ your hunk. Yes, you hold a piece of his past, you are a part of it—as I said, it's inevitable, but I am his wife, and we have a future to focus on; to put it simply, I don't find it appropriate,"

"I am a friend calling another friend—I don't see the harm in that. If a friend has a problem, they call friends for advice. Mamoru and I go way back, and we share a lot of things in common as old friends."

"That is the thing, Chieko-san, I don't think you are friends. Old or new, friends don't need an excuse to meet."

Chieko leaned back in her chair completely knocked down by Usagi's statement. Usagi narrowed her blue eyes, "You haven't been around enough to be considered one, not a close one, at the least. Yes, I know you two have known each other for years and maybe you shared something important in the past, things probably I am not even aware of but this isn't the past anymore. I wouldn't mind if you were a friend but that is not what you are really after, so, to answer your question, Chieko-san, I am here to mark a line and ask you to respect our marriage."

Chieko didn't have a chance to respond to Usagi's demanding words because of Ikio's sudden return but things were more than clear between the two of them and there was nothing much left to be said. The look in Usagi's crystal blue eyes was enough to make her understand she was more than just a beautiful woman; Chiba Usagi had an elegance and a poise that not even her, who had all the luxury at her disposal could match, but the most striking fact about her was how despite her sweet voice and gentle manners she knew how to make herself respected and that is when it made sense why Mamoru was so devoted to her.

Ikio claimed his seat again as he adjusted his tie and gave the silver-haired a soft smile, "I am sorry, I needed to take that call—it was quite urgent,"

"I understand, Ikio-san," Usagi smiled, "You are quite dependable so I am truly not surprised,"

Ikio chuckled and turned to his uncharacteristically silent daughter with a frown, "Chieko, are you alright?"

"Yes, yes I _am_ alright," Chieko looked down at her glass of white wine and took the last sip and looked down at her watch, "In fact, I have to meet with a client, so, this would be it for me," she turned to grab her nude colored Birkin bag and turned to her father, "We will have to postpone our lunch for another day, daddy." She pushed her chair back to stand up and turned to Usagi with a stern look, "It was nice seeing you, Usagi-san. This would be it on my end of the deal. The property is officially yours," she arched her brow and smirked with cynical galore, "Please give Mamoru my regards. Tell him _not_ to be a stranger."

Usagi smiled with the same defiant attitude, "Thank you, Chieko-san, sure, I will, but you know, he is always so busy,"

With nothing left to say, Chieko turned on her heel and walked away, waving her hand to some familiar faces that were having lunch at the restaurant as she made her way toward the lobby and into the fancy elevator. Ikio looked a little startled and ashamed as he turned his attention to Usagi, "Ah..." he sighed, "I have the feeling that I need to excuse my daughter's behavior, once again,"

"What do you mean, Ikio-san?" Usagi tilted her head a little confused; Ikio shook his head, "I don't know how much Mamoru has been willing to share, but, I suppose you are aware that—"

"—They had a relationship some time ago, yes, I know." Serenity nodded and took another sip of her tea. Ikio nodded, "A complicated one, I must add. Mamoru has had a challenging upbringing... I am sure you know this but, well, that chapter of their lives was never fully concluded on my daughter's end."

"Ikio-san?"

"Chieko is a complicated woman, Usagi, that is all I can say without sounding like a careless man." The apologetic look in Ikio's face soon softened, revealing a much-caring smile, "You two make a beautiful couple. I can tell Mamoru is beyond happy and very much in love by the way he always speaks of you, he admires you very much."

"Really?" Usagi felt her cheeks blushing, "H-He does?"

Ikio nodded, "Oh yes, definitely." He took a sip of his coffee, "In his words, you take his breath away every single day,"

"He takes mine," Usagi said with a hint of melancholia; Ikio reached out to pat her hand gently, "Your wedding was beautiful, I was very moved with your vows," Usagi widened her eyes with realization, "You were at the wedding,"

"Yes," Ikio pulled back slowly, "I was there for the ceremony, but sadly, I had to take a flight that same night for to attend a business that didn't allow me to stay for the reception."

"I remember seeing you talking to him briefly after the photo session..." Usagi blushed, "I am so sorry I couldn't be there to greet you, I was very much all over the place." The sweet comment pulled a chuckle out of Ikio, "Don't worry, I understand. That happens with every bride on their wedding," his brown eyes looked at her with admiration, "You brought light into that young man's life, Usagi... I would dare to say you are a miracle to him. I don't have the words that would express my gratitude for all you have done for him."

Usagi smiled with teary eyes, "He brought light to mine, Ikio-san. He's my life."

"It shows... the love between you, it's something truly beautiful to see." Ikio smiled softly, "That young man is very hard to decipher. He has an unbreakable spirit—it is very rare to see him smile,"

"Yes," Usagi chuckled, "He is one of a kind."

"That he is, Usagi," Ikio nodded and turned to close his briefcase, "Well, I believe it is time for me to let you continue with your day—I feel like I have stalled you for too long,"

"No, not at all, Ikio-san,"

Ikio smiled, "There will be more documents for you to sign and more things to discuss and cover, but it will be better if we address all of it with him present, of course."

Usagi felt like if a splinter had settled in her heart and nodded slowly, "Of course, I understand."

Ikio pushed back his chair to stand up and went quickly to help Usagi stand from her chair like a true gentleman, "So, when is Mamoru coming back?" Usagi felt like if her blood had frozen in her veins for a minute with Ikio's question, "Uh," she turned to the older man and gave him a soft smile, "Soon—I am hopeful it will be any day now,"

Ikio grabbed his briefcase and extended his arm to invite Usagi to walk first, "After you," he walked behind the silver-haired woman and after a few handshakes and waves from acquaintances and friends he met at the restaurant, he finally caught up with Usagi at the elevator and pressed the lobby button. As they both waited for it to take them down, he smiled softly and leaned his head back, "Usagi, whatever my daughter said or did... please, don't pay mind. I know I should not do it, but I apologize for her behavior."

Usagi stared at her blurry reflection on the stainless-steel doors in front of her and smiled softly, "It's alright, Ikio-san, don't worry. She is not a bad person... she is just... lonely."

Ikio sighed sadly, "My daughter is the kind of person that never takes a no for an answer—her lifestyle is the result of a whim, and well, unlike Mamoru, she has started to know what living in regret is like. As her father, it costs me much to look the other side, but I know there is not much I can do." He looked at the blinking numbers and turned to Usagi, again, with that same apologetic smile on his handsome face, "Please give Mamoru my regards, tell him not to be a stranger. I know he is very independent and has a very tight schedule, but I can't help feeling concerned whenever I don't get a word from him."

"Of course," Usagi smiled in reassurance and nodded before walking out of the elevator, "Thank you for everything, Ikio-san,"

"Have a good day, Usagi-san. It was very lovely to meet you. Please feel free to reach out for me if there is anything you need while Mamoru is away."

"Likewise, and thank you again, Ikio-san,"

Ikio bowed his head in respect and turned to walk away leaving Usagi behind as he quickly took another incoming call on his way out of the fancy hotel lobby. The princess turned and found Megumi sitting in one of the lounge sofas, waiting for her. She immediately stood up and went over to her with worry, "Everything alright, Princess?"

Serenity nodded and tucked a strand of chocolate hair behind Megumi's ear, "Yes,"

Megumi walked along with the princess to the valet parking and went to take her seat behind the wheel as soon as they brought the car back. She arranged the rear-view mirror to her height again and slowly joined the busy streets of Shinjuku, the special ward in downtown Tokyo. Her control on the wheel and attention on the road were impeccable, but her mind was still fixed on what just happened with Ikio and then with Chieko.

"I saw that lady—she had a stricken look in her face as she walked out of the elevator," Megumi kept her gaze at the people crossing the streets and the busy businesses, "May I ask, Princess, who is she?"

Serenity took a moment to answer the maiden's question and took a deep breath, "Beryl..." she turned to a very shocked Megumi when they stopped at a red light, her crystal blue eyes completely covered by her cat-eye shaped frames but the intensity of her glance was there, "I think of her the same way I think of Beryl... a woman that let her own ambition take over her—her name is Shimuta Chieko." The princess turned her attention on the road ahead of her and continued driving, "She is the person that helped Endymion with the paperwork for the house but also... she is..." she pursed her lips, "An old friend of his... from this time."

"A past lover...?" Megumi blinked a little dumbfounded by the revelation; Serenity sighed softly as she made a right turn to enter Minato-ku and frowned, "I don't doubt she still has feelings for him and that is really not my problem, but the sad thing about love is that it can easily be mistaken with caprice and that is what makes it dangerous because the same thing happened with Beryl."

During her time in solitude, Megumi always questioned the red-head's motives to commit the horrible crimes that lead to the deaths of so many people, the terran monarchy and the prince and princess included. She found it hard to understand why a person would sacrifice her sanity for a cause that would only bring horror and pain to innocent lives and how she could feel satisfaction upon seeing everything crumbling down beneath her feet. She remembered Beryl before she became a mistress of evil, a queen to a kingdom of darkness and the host of a very malicious creature. Beryl was a beautiful woman with an unknown background, but somehow, she climbed her way up to meet the royal family and even stay at the palace with a solid guaranty to marry the terran prince.

Megumi could see what the princess was trying to say and she was finally getting closure on the matter. Beryl was a woman who could have had a different life, a much more honest one if it wasn't for ambition; she got too obsessed with everything the prince represented and she, just like many girls around the golden kingdom, saw him as a valuable prize to be won. In this time, Chieko was like Beryl, she lived to fulfill her ambitions not minding their cost or consequences, not minding of whoever that stood in her way. With Beryl's caprice came the fall of an entire kingdom and the imminent death of the prince she so much wanted for herself, but in Chieko's case, she was miserable, she knew she had it all and still lived an unhappy life and as a result, she ended up doing desperate attempts to get the prince's attention and have him for herself. This time there was no evil being possessing anybody, but the mind of a capricious person was dangerous enough to cause great havoc and that is why Serenity went to that meeting, to prevent it.

The rest of their ride back home was quiet, the princess would sigh from time to time alerting Megumi there was something else the princess wasn't willing yet to share. She peered at her without Serenity noticing from time to time to check on her and widened her eyes when she saw a slow tear trailing down her cheek that broke the maiden's heart into tiny pieces. She was not sure why, but she felt there was something else behind her decision to step out of the apartment and as she would say, start dealing with other chapters of their lives. There was a melancholic aura around Serenity and the nostalgia in her voice was starting to hint Megumi she was silently bidding goodbye to everything she represented by being just Usagi and it worried her because she knew well how far she was willing to go for those she loves.

O—o—o—o—O

'It's getting colder outside; the weather is being unforgiving..." Michiru said softly as she looked out the window. Her face had a somber, depressed look as she turned to look at Haruka sitting on the sofa with a lost stare. Setsuna had her long key-rod in her hand and monitored the status of the gates as she looked at her garnet talisman, "The currents in time are stable, the door has not been forced to be opened," she took a deep breath and sat across the sky senshi with the same somber look in her face. "It is so tranquil it unsettles me—there is no gap we could use to cross,"

"But you have the power to open the gates," Haruka frowned, "Why not try again?"

Setsuna shook her head, "It is harder than it sounds. It would be very dangerous to open the gates again, this isn't about breaking a divine law anymore, every time a gate is opened, the space continuum becomes vulnerable and it can cause serious consequences, there is a reason why it's considered a taboo." Her garnet eyes darkened, "The amount of beings and spirits traveling through it is considerable—it would be like welcoming them into this astral plane."

"He had everything planned..."

All eyes landed on Hotaru who was sitting cross-legged on the shaggy dark blue carpet with her head hung low. Since their return from the Underworld, Hotaru had been awfully reserved and silent but despite her always calm demeanor it was more than clear to the other girls that she was gravely affected by being the only witness of the heartbreaking moment when the prince and princess parted ways. The young senshi of silence shook her head with deception but still kept her gaze down, "It would not matter if we crossed the Gates of Time, Hades has ways to change the course of his realm—the Underworld is a maze of dead valleys. It is not as easy to go there as one would think, I myself, cannot establish a connection either meaning that by now Father has given the order change the seal on all gates."

"Because he already has what he wanted," Michiru muttered and looked down at her golden mirror. Haruka leaned her head in her hands and took a deep hasty breath, "For the first time, I don't know what to do—I am at a complete loss..." she shook her head and looked up with clear worry in her eyes, "I don't know what to do..." Michiru sat next to her beloved and put her hand on Haruka's shoulder, "I talked to Minako today... she is doing better,"

Haruka turned to look at her and narrowed her deep blue eyes, "Is she, really?" Michiru sighed softly as she put her cup of tea on the table, knowing exactly what her lover meant, "We have to go see her,"

"I can't look at her in the eyes and pretend nothing happened, not after the things I have done..." Haruka shook her head, "Not after betraying her the way I did..."

"Haruka,"

"The girls are upset, not to mention the Shitennou, I went against their Prince,"

"That is behind us, Jupiter is right, Uranus, now it's not the time to be divided,"

"Divided..." The sandy blonde stood up with a frustrated sigh and started pacing around the room, "I have lived like an honorary senshi—unlike them, I never felt different, I never cursed my nature. I did everything as instructed when the fall on the Moon happened, I had to unlock the power of the talisman to join the others and call for Saturn. I have obeyed every order the gods have given me and yet, I do not feel this is how things are supposed to go, this isn't right," she shook her head, "They have won but it doesn't feel right. I remember the Andromedian soldier asking what side we were going to take after the Prince's awakening—either the one from the gods or the one from hell and right now, hell feels like a safer option than heaven because at least we know demons aren't playing any games."

Hotaru finally looked up at the blonde senshi and narrowed her deep violet eyes, "Hades is not done, that I am sure. To him, I am a tool of destruction and it will not be long until he summons me to swing down my glaive again, but until then... all contact between us has been silenced. I can't reach him."

"Saturn, did the Prince tell you anything else?" Michiru asked with hopes of finding a new lead, something they might have missed between the lines of the events, "Anything that could give us a hint?"

Hotaru shook her head, "No, I didn't get much time to speak to him... but the more I think about it... the more I believe he didn't fight Father on purpose,"

"What do you mean?"

"Hades is a god who knows how to negotiate to get what he wants, but for what I witnessed, Prince Endymion does too. Father would never grant a favor, much less to him, of all people," Hotaru lowered her gaze, "I didn't get to see him after the Princess was saved. We very much said everything we could have said and declared our stance after we knew of Princess Serenity's location."

Michiru looked down at her golden mirror, "Our priority is to keep the Princess safe because no matter how days have been, there is an eerie energy in the air..."

Setsuna turned to look out the window and saw some frost accumulated in the rim of the large window and let out a soft sigh, "The much we can do right now is to prevent any possible threat that might come from Hades' realm,"

"It's not just Hades..." Hotaru pushed herself off the floor and looked out the window, also noticing the frost forming outside, "It is every single being that has ever wanted the energy that lies deep inside this planet—there is a reason why Earth has always been targeted and without its guardian, anything can happen at this point," she closed her violet colored eyes with worry, "Anything."

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is rated M. Violence, cursing, and intimacy may occur._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _A/N: In case you haven't but would like to know more about Ikio and Chieko and other references mentioned in this chapter, you can find them in "Divinity: A day in the life, Shades of Blue: Midnight, Indigo and Royal"._


	67. Chapter 67

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Sixty-Seven

 _A/N: The Divinity Series is rated M. This chapter contains violence, gore, and cursing. Discretion is adviced._

* * *

A soft knock on the door took Megumi by surprise; since it was night time—around nine in the evening. She went to open the door and saw Kunzite standing at the other side with a serious look on his face, "Megumi,"

"L-Lord Kunzite," Megumi blinked a little startled, the white-haired general gave the young maiden a polite nod, "Have I come in a bad time?"

"No, not at all, please—" she stepped aside and allowed the general come in; Kunzite closed the door behind him and noticed the apartment was dimmed lighted and quiet—very quiet.

"I did not want to press the doorbell, I know it is a little late,"

"Oh, it's alright," Megumi waved her hand and turned to look at him with a soft smile, "Please do not mind,"

Kunzite walked inside looking around and turned his head at the closed door at the end of the corridor and turned his head back to Megumi, "Is Princess Serenity...?"

"Yes, in her room," Megumi nodded and went to sit on the sofa, "She had supper and right after went to sleep." Kunzite sighed softly with relief, "She is finally eating, I am glad,"

"I still need to beg her to eat," Megumi had a sad tone in her voice, "She still has her moments... she could be calm one minute and the next she would break into tears..."

"I do not blame her, it is understandable. No matter how much we ask her to be strong, none of this is something she should be going through." Kunzite walked into the living room, sat next to Megumi on the sofa and let out a soft sigh, "I came by this afternoon but nobody was home, everything alright?"

"Yes," Megumi nodded softly, "Her Highness had to do run some errands but she did not want to go by herself, she asked if I could go with her." She looked up at the general and realized this was the first time in all her time knowing the man that she had the opportunity to spend time alone with him. She remembered when she first started working at the terran palace and saw him walking down with Endymion; it was almost as if it had happened yesterday, they were intensely discussing politics and other agreements the king had made that day. She remembered it clearly because it was the very first time she had seen the prince in person after hearing many stories going around in the kitchen about the beauty surrounding the royal family but also, how random it was to actually see the prince roaming around the other wings of the palace during the day because he was always in meetings and audiences with the king and whenever he had free time, nobody really knew where he went.

It didn't take her long to know the white-haired man was a strict man. Rumors among the help around the palace spread quickly and while no one really had anything negative to say about the royal family or the royal court, there was still gossip echoing in every corner of the palace and Megumi heard most of it on a daily basis. Different to what was known to be a tradition with monarchy, Aurea, the queen's personal maid and Endymion's godmother, chose her to take the role of * _maior domūs_ for the terran prince because she was the only one that met the prince's demanding standards on how to leave things when organizing his personal things in both his study and bedchambers, and also, because she knew how to handle his strict rules of privacy with complete hermeticism.

Aurea noticed Megumi had a quality difficult to find in people—loyalty. Without much preamble and after coming to a common agreement with Queen Gaia, Aurea took her under her mantle and started preparing her for her new role as the prince's assistant. She taught her everything that was needed to be learned, including all that she needed to know about the four celestial generals, the shintennou, and explained their importance in the prince's life and how Kunzite took the role of first in command and the prince's confident and right hand. If there was something Megumi had clear from day one was that if Endymion wasn't available or nowhere to be found, Kunzite always had to be the second person look after. With time, Megumi learned Kunzite was a disciplinary man with a complex character and sense of humor. His personality was usually misunderstood among his peers and the royal household to a point they felt intimidated and even afraid to talk to him but the more she saw him interact with prince the more she realized he was more like a big brother—overprotective and with a bad selection of jokes.

Megumi barely ever crossed words with the man, but now that she got to spend more time with him and without having the prince around to act as an intermediary, she came to notice Kunzite had similarities with Endymion's personality. They had a similar way of thinking and seeing things, both had a similar approach to tackling problems, both were strong-willed and stubborn, maybe the prince a little more than the general but the two were reserved and they always watched over the others in silence and this was a perfect example to prove her thoughts.

Megumi admired the man, she really admired all of the four shitennou because it was until now that she really got to see why the queen had chosen them to be the prince's guardians, but Kunzite had a quality that made him stand out from the rest and his level of loyalty made her feel a greater respect for him. Also, he had an exotic beauty that made it impossible to ignore—lucky Venus. Megumi blinked, realizing she had gone too deep with her thoughts and turned to look at him, "Lady Venus? Is she alright?"

"Yes, she's fine." Kunzite nodded, "She is having a meeting with the girls and the other Shitennou as we speak. I took the liberty to come and check on the Princess, they can handle things without me without any problem." A sad smile graced his handsome face, "I promised the Prince to look after his wife and I intend to keep it," he turned and saw the royal couple's wedding album open and let out a soft sigh when he saw the picture of the prince lifting the princess in his arms with a beaming smile on their faces, "So much has happened in so little time... I cannot believe they were celebrating their wedding just a couple of months ago,"

Megumi looked down at the album and nodded, "Lord Kun—"

"—Just call me Kunzite, Megumi," Kunzite shook his head, "There is no need to keep any formalities between us,"

"O-Oh, no, no, no... I would not allow myself to address you with such informality. I know my place and that you are my superior so I—"

"Your place and mine are not any different, Megumi. You are equally important than any of us. If it was not for you, Princess Serenity would be ill—she is heartbroken, yes, but she is being strong because you are by her side and because you have given her a special support. The girls and Shitennou have paid notice of how fond she has become of you and we could not be more grateful for all of your help." Kunzite gave the young maid a soft smile, "I also know how important you are to Endymion, he cares for you very much."

Megumi blushed, "I am humbled by your words..."

"It is the truth, nothing more." Kunzite nodded, "We are part of Endymion's family, Megumi. We are all that is left of that Elysion we remember so dearly, and we must honor it. We have known each other long enough to put such formalities aside,"

"B-But... you still call him Master—my Prince," Megumi blinked a little startled, Kunzite chuckled and nodded "Well, yes, because he _is_ my Master. I serve him as one of the Shitennou and I must pay my respects—it is an oath I made to Her Majesty and to him, back in the army. But he is also my brother and again, we have known each other for too long to keep formalities at all times, plus, he doesn't like it that much."

Megumi looked down still a little shy about calling the general by his name and turned the page of the album and sighed softly, "Are there any news about him... Kunzite? Have you found anything that could give us a lead as to where he is?"

Kunzite looked at the picture, this time of all of them together smiling at the camera and shook his head slowly, "No..." Megumi nodded and closed her eyes, trying to fight the tears in her eyes. The general sighed softly and patted the maiden's shoulder in a brotherly gesture, "We will, soon enough. This is not over, Megumi... mark my words,"

"I still cannot believe this is happening..." Megumi shook her head, "I want to understand, I want to understand him—my Prince, but, I just cannot seem to grasp the idea of him abandoning Princess Serenity."

"He has not abandoned her, Megumi," Kunzite turned to Megumi when she turned her head to look at him with surprise, "You have been a witness of the devotion they have for each other, you have seen how he dedicates his life for her well-being with your very own eyes. Endymion has not abandoned her, that I am sure—he loves her too much to do such a thing."

"Her Highness is trying to learn our native tongue, she asked me to teach her but, of course, I fail at some things and tend to forget others... not even I, who knows how to speak in Latin, can master it the way Prince Endymion does," Megumi looked at Kunzite and gave him a sad smile, "But it is endearing to see her trying practicing her pronunciation and to try to understand some of the words..."

Kunzite frowned, puzzled, "Latin? How come?" Megumi nodded, "She is convinced my Prince is trying to tell her something through some words he said to her before they parted ways,"

Kunzite arched his brow lightly, "I see," he exhaled, "Well, Latin is complex and baroque, as the Prince would often say. Endymion is seamlessly fluent because all of his lessons and training were in Latin, it was an obligation for him to learn it as heir of the crown of Earth. It is a root of our culture and while we all know it, even I fail at times." He turned to look over his shoulder at the closed door at the end of the corridor, "But, if Her Highness wants to learn and it is keeping her motivated, I will help with her lessons in any way that I can,"

Megumi smiled, "Thank you—Kunzite,"

Kunzite nodded and narrowed his gray eyes with curiosity, "May I ask, Megumi... what were those words? Did she tell you?"

"Mostly loving words, that he loves her and that she has his fate in her hands," Megumi leaned back on the sofa, "But also... he said something that this was something that had to be done and that he had to do it alone," she shook her head confused, "I cannot think of anything that could explain that last quote," she turned to Kunzite and frowned, "But your silence is telling me there is something else to this... you know Her Highness is not that far away from the truth."

Kunzite shook his head and let out a soft sigh, "No Megumi, she is not. But it is important that Princess Serenity is safe and emotionally stable because right now, this planet is depending on her so it won't fully freeze and fall into a deep slumber; we must not let the events during that ancient time to repeat."

"That is what happened then when we went to the Moon that night," Megumi said with wonder as she remembered when the prince used his power to put Earth to sleep. Kunzite nodded, "Yes, he did not obliviate it—he put Earth to sleep so it could heal and start all over again. He reversed Earth's history and Elysion became a land of dreams at the very core of this planet, and him one linked directly to the crystal, it is his energy what keeps this planet pulsing with life. Right now, Princess Serenity is linked to that power—through the golden pendant hanging from her neck,"

"What?" Megumi's eyes widened, Kunzite nodded, "The Golden Crystal is directly linked to the powers of the Sun and we believe Endymion linked some of that power with Princess Serenity. She is the conduit for this planet to keep pulsing with life." The general sighed with worry, "This is giving us some time to monitor this planet but we do not know with certainty for how long the connection will remain—this is what is keeping us hopeful because it means Endymion is alive,"

Megumi felt a lump in her throat, "I am scared, Kunzite," she shook her head and closed her eyes, "Today I saw a different gleam in Princess Serenity's eyes and it scares me just to think the meaning behind it—when it's about my Prince, she does not think things twice..."

"Did she say anything?" Kunzite asked with alarm in his voice, Megumi nodded and looked at him, "She said that in order to move on—she needs to deal with other chapters of their lives. Lord Kunzite, she is slowly taking matters into her own hands and it frightens me not because I do not trust her, but because I do not know the consequences of her actions, because I cannot tell how far will she go with whatever is crossing her mind as of now."

Kunzite's jaw clenched, completely understanding Megumi's fear and let out a heavy sigh, "Do not leave her side Megumi under any circumstance—stay with her, and please, keep me updated," Megumi nodded and watched him pushed himself off the sofa and pace around the living room before stopping by the window and looked up at the moonless night sky, "Please give us a sign brother... please be alright and hurry back."

"Kunzite,"

The white haired-eyes widened when he heard the always silken and delicate voice of the moon princes call him with a more demanding tone, one that could clearly state she was aware of the situation. Megumi turned and felt her blood run cold in her veins when she saw the princess standing in the middle of the hallway with her crystal blue gaze looking at the general so intensely, "Princess, I thought—"

Serenity didn't take her eyes off Kunzite, completely putting all distractions aside and that included Megumi's weak attempt to keep her calm. The general on the other side could see through her sharp determination, it was so clear it was like looking into the prince's eyes and he knew the time to keep his silence was about to be faltered by her enormous desire to have her husband back into her arms.

O—o—o—o—O

Surrounded by endless strings of dark smoke and rivers of fire, suspended in the infinity of darkness Tartarus stood in all its glory right before Endymion's eyes; a place of gore, livid torment, suffering, and torture just beneath his feet. He could hear the hoarse cries of the corrupted and wherever he turned, there was a punished soul, hundreds of wicked souls living in a state of dementia.

After he crossed the bridge, Endymion knew his quest was far from being over and he was aware of the horrible scenarios he was about to witness once he stepped on the actual cursed land, but it was still too horrible to believe it was true. Where he could start, he asked himself more than once as he walked through the stone ruins that led to many open valleys. It was dark, the energy was too dense and heavy and the stench was unbearable; Endymion looked up and saw the dark sky was marked with red tints from time to time, thinking it was because of the effect the heat caused to the pools of blood streaming from the ground. It was the most strange effect, how the energy of those wicked souls could spark energy this way causing it to create massive explosions or thunder in between dense clouds of ash and sulfur.

The long and heavy laments sent shivers all over his body as he walked past a pit with inhuman entities forced to stay trapped in a sort of poisonous slime on one side and another with sinners being whipped by long-limbed demons rejoicing in their haunting cries. Endymion had never seen so much vile torture in his life; he couldn't compare to anything the sense of loss and madness this place encased and the fetid odors only made things worse. There was no clear ground beneath his feet, everything was covered with dismembered bodies, dry bones, and rotten flesh; there were pools everywhere all filled with fluids of he had an idea of what it was but tried to ignore where the sinners were thrown by demons over and over again.

It didn't take long for the poison in the atmosphere to take effect on the prince; it had started to work in stages, and now, he was starting to feel agitated and light headed. He was tired—exhausted. He stopped to gasp for air and looked up at the dark lemures crawling toward him giving him not margin to rest, "Damn it," he muttered and tried to find a quick escape without having to use his strength more than necessary. Ever since he got to the underworld, he has been fighting nonstop and using more energy than usual to be able to survive but he was there on a mission and he had to start thinking how to get to his target without compromising much of the energy he knew he was going to need to head back. Endymion flinched in pain and silently cursed the sharp sting in his chest. He pressed his hand on the side of his heart as he tried to evade the crawling creatures and keep a steady balance and a clear mind.

The demons in Tartarus were clearly affected by the vile energy in the air; their bodies were almost dismembered, their faces were long and burnt—they had no eyes and if they did, they were pitch black. Their limbs were long, like spider legs full of blisters and they crackled whenever they moved. Their skin was charred and blistered and they all were hungry—very hungry. Unlike the underworld, these were not shadows nor hybrid herds of demons harvested by Hades, no, the shape of their bodies indicated they were once both mortals and divine souls but it was because of their sins were so horrible for redemption, they were condemned to a life of endless torture that their bodies had morphed to a point of no recognition.

Some looked like they were ripped apart and sewn back together, others looked like they were skinned alive because their bodies still looked moist, others looked like they were burned with acid, others charred with blisters all over, and others had grown their heads twisted backward. Even if he wanted to, the prince could not make use of his powers in this place because no matter how much he tried, all these traumatized and deformed creatures were going to re-spawn in a matter of seconds. He couldn't burn anything to the ground because the ground itself was heated coal, he couldn't destroy what was already destroyed. He couldn't kill the already dead. He couldn't stop the madness when he was inside madness itself. This was a nightmare he could not wake up from.

This is Tartarus.

Endymion felt his throat dry and itchy like if he was swallowing thorns every time he passed saliva. His lips had turned unusually dry and chapped, they hurt and so did the exposed skin of his face and hands. His vision was starting to get compromised as well, at times it would get blurry and no matter how much he rubbed his face to keep himself leveled he would lose focus right away. The prince knew that coming to Tartarus was not going to be easy, he knew the challenges he would have to face and find a way to overcome this; he knew the sacrifices he would have to make in order to set things back into fair order but he wouldn't be here if he didn't think he could endure it.

When Ares informed him of his father being captured in Tartarus, his mind immediately put the pieces of the puzzle together and it finally made sense—the visions, the pleads, and the incredible urge for him to wake up from his deep slumber. The story of his life has been evolving into something completely different than he thought it was, the more he digs, the more hidden truths he would find, it was a maze and somehow, he was at the very core of that maze. As to why his father, a mortal man, would be sent to this place, he still couldn't understand and if he had survived, that was something he still needed to find out but at least, he needed to give his soul some closure and send it to where it belongs. The prince remembered the king as a noble gentleman, he had a tough character and skill, but he was not a man who chose war over peace just to appease his ego; he was not an egotistical man.

It was clear that Tartarus had become a torture pit for both, mortals and divine souls. Ironic enough, this place didn't discriminate anyone's' nature because it would eventually turn them all into one same kind and they would pay for their sins for the rest of eternity. Endymion was honestly shocked to see how much malice existed in the universe and it was worrying to see it was just as much as goodness. He could understand why the gods have created this place but he remembered clearly in his lessons that it was a place that held titans imprisoned and not this diabolical pit deep below hell itself. Endymion could understand and even accept that those that commit a crime should pay for their sins but he finds it hard to understand why his father, of all people, was punished and imprisoned in such horrible place. If Hades so much has insisted on his desire to have control over their souls why would he send a mortal man with no divine power to a realm that was beyond his control. Tartarus was not the Underworld—not even close, it made sense now why Charon couldn't even attempt to sail the deep waters of Phlegethon further into this realm, it was no longer part of his route. While Tartarus was part of a domain, whatever happened at the other side of its gates was beyond any god's control. This place was their trash bin, a place where souls would be thrown to waste without a care to feed the beasts that lived underground.

Loud growling sounds made Endymion turn his head over his shoulder and widened his eyes with horror when he saw a dark slimy creature of gigantic proportions crawling on the ground. The demon had no eyes, only a large mouth with sharp teeth and two holes as a nose, potent enough to notice and track the prince's scent. It turned to his direction and screeched loudly calling the attention of similar creatures roaming the area. Endymion clenched his jaw and turned quickly to kick one of the demons pulling on his cape and unsheathed his onyx and gold dagger from his leather belt and stabbed the creature halfway and sliced it all the way up to its face and turned to repeat the same with the other two that were launching themselves toward him, hungry for his flesh. Endymion threw a high kick to get another one creeping up on him and created a window for him to escape; his speed while impressively fast it was no competition to the four-legged creatures that followed behind the first demons. Another stinging pain pierced through Endymion's chest and the same wave of unsettling nausea and discomfort started to take over making him lose his balance and blade as he tripped with a carcass and fall flat on the slimy and ashy ground very sure that it was far from being a gracious move from the man that had perfect balance and leaping skills. If Serenity had been there—under other circumstances—she would be laughing with joyful content to see her influence had caught up on him and it pained him they couldn't be laughing about it.

Endymion groaned and tried to look up but he was having a hard time trying to focus his sight on the shadows coming closer to him; he extended his arm and patted the moist ground around him trying his best not to vomit at the disgusting smell from underneath. This was one of those moments when he had to rely on another one of his senses and listened to the congested noises the demons made as they moved closer to sniff his scent trail and made a quick calculation as to how much time and opportunity he had to escape. He lifted his head slightly over his shoulder and spotted the blade he had lost control a few feet from him and dragged himself over without making much noise so the creatures would not notice him moving until he could get a hold of the weapon's onyx hilt. He turned and wiped some of the ash burning his eyes to get a clearer look of the ground ahead of him. Not too far from where he was, he saw a clearing that looked a desert valley with dry branches and scattered bones and thought it was best if he moved toward that direction, not that he had many options, either way. Everything was heavily contaminated, but if he had to choose between falling into a swamp or make his way through a dry patch of land, he had to go with the second option for movement purposes.

Being in this place was sucking more energy from him than he imagined, doing simple tasks were starting to become a real challenge. From blinking to breathing, it required a lot of effort from him not to mention to stand on his feet and keep his balance. Endymion took a moment to compose himself and take a couple of breaths before pushing himself off the ground like a child learning how to walk. Not gracious at all. Again, under other circumstances, this would have given his wife enough material to joke and laugh for weeks. A couple of breaths later, Endymion felt like he could continue his journey but much to his back luck so did more demons. "Ah, goddammit," he turned and punched a demon straight in what would be its face and kicked another one out of his way, "Get off..." he frowned when he felt his cape being pulled and turned to stab it in the head and kicked him away but noticed this time more monsters were alerted of his presence leaving him with not many options to counterattack. Another demon jumped on him while another one pulled his cape making him lose his balance and fall once again. Endymion closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "I said... get—" he frowned and tightened his grip on his dagger, "—Off..." Like if he was being charged, sparks started to ignite in his hand and opened his dark-blue colored eyes, "— _Me!_ " He rolled on his back and kicked the demons off him with both feet and jumped back with a new rush of energy and ran toward the clearing with an impressive herd of demons following behind. The terran prince turned to look over his shoulder and stretched his arm out to them and narrowed his eyes as he summoned for the power burning in his hands, _"Smoking Bomber!"_ A vacuum of energy formed in his palm and released a wide piercing light burning the entire herd of demons in an instant. Endymion looked the piles of ash and felt another strong sting in his chest and bent down to catch his breath for a minute, he widened his eyes when he saw the ground had started to crack due to the strong force emitted from him and quickly tried to get back when the ground suddenly collapsed into a massive sinkhole giving him no chance to escape from an imminent fall into its depths.

O—o—o—o—O

"General"

"General Agamemnon,"

"General,"

Agamemnon opened his eyes and looked up at the closed gates of Tartarus and felt a strong chill running all over his body; "Damn it," he turned to the other soldiers he had sent from the army of shadows and saw they were gravely affected by the poisonous energy that poured out when the gates were forced open. Soon after, more soldiers gathered to the general's aid, "General Agamemnon!" One of the shadow soldiers came forward but the dark general stopped him mid-track, "Inspect the perimeter!"

"But—the hybrid..."

"It managed to cross—I will treat this matter with Lord Hades," he turned with a determinant frown, "Stay at the rim until further notice, no one is to come close to this territory."

"B-But this is—"

"Asteria is no longer in charge of keeping these gates closed, it is our duty to act and prevent more leaks until God Hades orders us otherwise," he turned to another group of soldiers "You stay at Thanatos—prevent any remains of Tartarus to filter to the Underworld."

"Yes, General," the soldier bowed his head and turned to guide his troop to another section. Agamemnon turned to one of the soldiers that were still petrified with what happened, "General... how did it manage to enter?" The soldier looked at the stone and bone gates with wonder and fright; Agamemnon narrowed his dark eyes, "We got here too late... let us hope there are no consequences. Tartarus is a deceiving pit of madness. No one that ever enters has found a way out, but... I have a bad feeling about this... this is not right," he turned to face the soldier, "Secure the rim of the Underworld and when done eliminating the trails, retreat to our grounds. The poison that poured from the pit will consume everything that is not from here if it is not controlled."

"What will happen now?" The soldier asked with a worried tone, Agamemnon let out a nervous sigh and shook his head, "God Hades is in Olympus as we speak—I need to inform him what just happened. As to what will happen to us, well, that... I do not know."

O—o—o—o—O

Two loud knocks sounded to calm the loud talking and the stress going on inside the Olympian chamber where the high gods gathered regularly to have their private audiences. Zeus had sent a memo citing them with an urgent marking on their respective notice. Sitting at the right side of a majestic marble table sat Apollo, Poseidon, Hermes, and Athena while on the left side, Hades, Hera, Ares, and Zeus sat with pride and authority like the royal family they were among gods.

Athena, the Goddess of Reason and Wisdom turned to look at the Lord of the gods and shook her head, "It is quite a surprise that you have gathered us here to this impromptu meeting," her deep and warm voice echoed in the room, making her presence known. Next to Hera, the Goddess of Marriage, Royalty, and Empires, Athena earned her rightful place among the High Gods due to her valuable skills and intellect. To many, it came as no surprise when she stepped in to take Chronos' place as an advisor and High Goddess after his disappearance. She had been close to the titan of time for as long as anyone could remember so it came naturally for her to follow his principles as one of his valuable pupils. Athena was the first to defend his stance and the only one to fully understand why he chose to disappear in a loop of time; she was also known to advocate for those titans that didn't follow the lives of those sent to Tartarus, giving her a respected and special place among Olympus.

Zeus crossed his hands over the pristine white marble table, "This is not impromptu, Athena, it is an important matter, it is different,"

"Why is it different this time?" Athena raised a quizzical brow, "Nothing much has changed since Ares gave us a full report of the situation,"

"Something else has happened," Apollo asked crossed armed from his seat, his green colored eyes looked at Zeus with concern, "Fear is rising among divines and rumors have started to spread in our realm; the time for us to give the answers they are expecting to hear is coming close, answers we yet do not have."

"Asteria,"

All eyes rested on Ares, who had his arms crossed across his chest. Athena frowned with disbelief, "The Titan of Nocturnal Oracles and Fallen Stars?" Ares looked at the Goddess of Wisdom, "Asteria was responsible for the disturbances,"

"But she agreed to live under our law," Apollo asked and shook his head, "She was given a task,"

Hera blinked with shock, "Asteria..." she turned to Hades who had been uncharacteristically silent since the meeting started, but instead of him giving the answers, his younger brother continued "She was abusing her position in the Underworld and was taking it as an advantage to go fully unnoticed," he let out a deep breath, "She invaded the mortal realm and the ripples we felt in space was caused by that,"

Poseidon roared with rage and pounded the table with his fist, "I knew she was going to cause problems—what do we do with her?"

Ares turned to Hades who had his eyes closed, "That matter has been taken care of," Hades opened his dark gray eyes and looked at the other gods at the table, "The rebel is no longer something we need to worry about, anymore."

"What do you mean?" Hera asked with a tone of concern in her warm voice and diverted her gaze from Ares to the god of the underworld. Hades looked at her, "It means she has been summited and punished—her soul belongs to me now, it is bounded to Lethe's river." He snapped his fingers to summon a parchment and put in the long table for the other gods to see, "She was forced to abdicate her position by someone more capable, the rebel is not a problem anymore."

Athena leaned closer to grab the contract and gave it a quick read, her deep green colored eyes widened, "Is this who I think it is?"

"Enough with the mystery," Poseidon frowned, "What does it say?"

"It is a contract that binds a soul to the Underworld," Athena frowned, "But not just any soul..." she turned to the lord of the underworld, "You made a deal with Gaia's son,"

All eyes widened with shock and turned to Hades who had a proud smirk in his face. Hera quickly turned to Ares, who just confirmed the news with a silent nod, "It can't be..." The goddess of marriage muttered with disbelief. Hades snapped his fingers again to retrieve the contract from Athena's hands and vanished it into thin air, "The hybrid's soul is under my control now."

"You knew about this?" Hera turned to her husband, Zeus "You knew your brother did this?"

Zeus looked at his wife, then at the other gods sitting across the long table, "Hades informed me of the treaty he made with the hybrid first, yes, I knew about this but I did not think it was appropriate to confirm the news to you until we made sure things were under control,"

"The hybrid is responsible for Asteria's fall," Hades said with pride, "I gave it the task to retrieve her soul and end her contract in exchange for other favors,"

"I knew Titans were going to be an everlasting problem—we should have exterminated them all when we had the opportunity," Poseidon muttered with anger, "This is what happens when you grant freedom to savages!"

"And what is going to happen now?" Apollo turned to Zeus, "The hybrid's soul is under Hades' command, but what guarantee do we have that it will remain that way? What can guarantee us that it will not follow Asteria's footsteps?" He turned to Ares with a frown, "Are you certain it won't escape?"

"The hybrid has not yet been given a position in the Underworld but its soul is bound to my realm," Hades' eyes darkened, "Asteria could move between realms because of her jurisdiction,"

"What are you going to do with it?" Poseidon frowned, Zeus, stood up from his gilded chair "Helios' descendant will remain in the Underworld under Hades' observation—if it is signed a contract by him, there is not much to be done."

"Not much to be done?" Hera frowned with disbelief, "You are sentencing an innocent soul to Inferno, one that has yet not succumbed to its death! One that has not done anything wrong! Is that not a crime?! Why are you doing this, Zeus? How can you allow this!?"

"The hybrid is far from being an innocent soul," Zeus turned to his wife, "Or have you forgotten the crimes its family has committed?!"

"It is unfair to judge one soul for others' crimes," Athena stood from her seat and looked at the king of gods with defiance, "And the one you wish to punish is already imprisoned, what is the point of this? Hera is right, Gaia's offspring has not done anything wrong."

"He slashed and killed herds of my harpies,"

"Those are demons, Hades."

"He murdered Cerberus,"

"A beastly canine that can be respawned by your command."

"Still, a divine creature,"

Athena sighed, "Where are you getting at, Hades?" Hades frowned, "Helios' dynasty is cursed, Athena,"

No," Athena shook her head, "You are just mad because Gaia faulted your laws by disappearing from right under your nose. She was a superb senshi—she tainted her hands with blood in your name—in defense of Olympus. She put her ancient pride of Titan aside and fought for your benefit until she was no longer of use to you. Not even I could achieve her position as polemarchos... it sickens me to learn how poorly and unfairly this situation has been handled. It goes below any honor or matter of safety."

"Enough! What are you trying to insinuate, Athena?!" Zeus glared at the goddess with threat; Athena narrowed her eyes and shook her head, "You know exactly what I am insinuating, Zeus. If you think I am intimidated by your mighty presence, well, think again. As my King and leader, I have respected you, yes, but that does not mean I am afraid of you and that I will hold back my words. I have done it for thousands of years—millions even, but no more. Just like you, I know how to fight—I earned my rightful place on this table and the throne next to yours proves my skill and value to this realm. Justice is my jurisdiction and this faults it. It is an abomination—an abuse of divine power and I will not stand for it."

"That hybrid has been the cause of many disturbances—"

"I am not addressing myself to you, Hades," Athena gave the lord of death a side glance and arched her brow, "Know when to keep your words to yourself."

Hades growled with arrogance and joined his older brother's rage, giving the goddess of wisdom an angry glare, "I knew your friendship and alliance with Gaia would bring trouble—you are not thinking straight."

"This has nothing to do with friendship, brother," Hera turned to Hades with disbelief, "Have you gone mad... how can you allow this?"

"I support Hades' decision," Poseidon looked at Athena and Hera, "If that is what will solve our problem, I agree to leave the hybrid's soul locked in the Underworld."

"It is a true shame to see this is how Helios' dynasty comes to an end but I also support the motion," Apollo said with a more calming tone in his voice. Athena frowned with disgust, "This cannot be!" She turned to Ares, hoping he would intervene like he always did to oppose his brothers' radical approach to justice "Ares!? You have nothing to say about this?! This is Helios they are talking about. Your Master's dynasty! Are you going to step on his memory this way!?" She turned to Zeus and Hades, then back at Ares, "How can you turn your back on him this way, especially when he was one of the few Titans that fought for on our side?!"

"Enough!" Zeus deep voice echoed loud in the room, quickly silencing everyone in the room, "It is done, this is not something that happened unplanned. The hybrid's soul was to be retrieved either way... its existence represents a threat to us all and the best way to minimize the damage and danger is by locking it in hell. This meeting was to inform you all, not to negotiate his fate," he slammed his lighting hammer on the table, "End of discussion."

Athena shook her head in disapproval, "Well, if this is the end of our discussion then I have no desire to keep wasting my time surrounded by closeminded gods." She turned on her heel and stormed out of the chamber without showing any signs of respect for the other gods; Ares turned to his brothers and shook his head, "I said it once, but I will say it again for the rest to hear—this is far from being over. What you have done, is a terrible mistake."

"Stick to your jurisdiction, Ares," Hades gave his younger brother a cold glare, "You have played the hero long enough. Neither Gaia or Serenity are here to applaud your meaningless efforts... you may have been Helios' disciple but that will not give you any special considerations. It is time to put that army of yours to some valuable use and stop meddling in other's business. Do what you were trained to do and stop meddling into other's affairs."

"You still do not seem to understand the seriousness of the matter, Hades," Ares stood from his seat, "You are right on something, I need to prepare the Celestial Army and stick to my jurisdiction," his eyes darkened, "But if my mission cross paths with yours in the future I will completely ignore the fact that you are my brother and do whatever it needs to be done in order to settle this war," he turned to Zeus with the same demanding glare, "All these disturbances are caused by the gods' endless thirst for power. Since the fall of the Silver Alliance, things have not been the same and all I can say right now is that if we continue this path, we will all meet our doom." With that said, Ares turned on his heel and followed Athena by storming out of the chambers with one loud slam on the heavy doors.

"Ares,"

Ares turned to find Athena waiting for him right outside the main court of the Olympian palace. Her beautiful face was clouded with worry and deception, "I need an explanation to all of this, no, I do not need—I _demand_ an explanation."

"Athena,"

"No, Ares." Athena shook her head, "This is not a game—this is a conscious crime and I cannot accept it."

"My opinion on this matter is the same as yours. I do not agree with the ways of both, Zeus and Hades and I do not support their decision." Ares shook his head, "But as long as Hades has that binding contract over Gaia's son, there is nothing I can do and that infuriates me, because he planned all this behind our backs,"

"How did he manage to get hold of his soul in the first place?" Athena frowned with worry, Ares let out a heavy sigh, "Asteria lured him by kidnapping Serenity's daughter and dragged her to hell,"

"What?!" Athena widened her green eyes, "She did what!?"

Ares nodded, "He was cleverer than all of us, Athena. Asteria had her own agenda but Hades knew how to manipulate the situation to his own convenience and in the end, for Princess Serenity to be freed from Inferno, the Terran Prince had to trade his soul for hers,"

"That is pure corruption..." The goddess of wisdom muttered with rage, "I cannot believe him, I cannot believe any of them!"

"It is no secret that Hades has wanted his soul for thousands of years..." Ares narrowed his eyes, "But this is far from being a solution, Athena,"

"Where is Serenity now?" Athena asked with worry; Ares crossed his arms "She is on Earth, safe and sound. Mars, Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter are looking after her—I have been keeping watch over them and have a connection to Mars that allows me to be aware of the situation."

"Ares..." Athena tilted her head low with remorse, "Is there really nothing we can do?"

Ares shook his head, "I am against the idea that this is how things should end," his eyes darkened, "As gods, we may not be able to do something... but there are those with other powers and jurisdictions who can and that is where my hope lies..."

"What do you mean?" Athena frowned; Ares turned to give her a fearless look, one full of determination "Athena, I need your help."

Athena widened her eyes when Ares took her arm as they walked to a private office in the palace. He shut the door and turned to Athena with an anxious glare, "I need to keep this a secret between us, the high gods cannot learn about any of this, especially my brothers,"

"Well," Athena arched her brow as a long string of dark violet hair fell over her right eye, "I believe I left my opinions quite clear back there. I do not stand by their beliefs and for a moment I thought you were taking their side,"

"No," Ares frowned, "I am far from being on their side, but it was best for me to keep a low profile during the meeting if I want to succeed with this plan,"

"You knew about this before any of us, am I correct?"

"Yes, Hades gave me the news before he came to Olympus to inform Zeus,"

Athena sighed and wrapped his fingers on the long silver chain wrapped around her waist, over her black organza gown with silver shimmer, "I found it hard to believe that you, of all gods, stayed silent on this matter."

"Up to some point, I did."

"Up to some point? What is that supposed to mean?"

Ares frowned "What he said is only half of the story and keeping the Terran Prince imprisoned is hardly a solution. At this point, I do not know if Hades is behind all of the disturbances. He says Asteria worked on her own but it has been long since I trusted my brother. I cannot fight this war alone, and I am not talking about the enemy—I am talking about them, the High Gods, which is why I am asking for your help,"

Athena took a deep breath and nodded, "We have been friends long enough for you to know I will always take your side, Ares."

"And the sentiment is reciprocal," Ares bowed his head in respect, "I know how close you were with Chronos, and something tells me there is more to his disappearance than what we all know,"

Athena widened her eyes, "W-What—"

"Athena..." Ares took the goddess' hands into his and brought them closer in a plea for mercy, "I need you to help me locate Gaia."

O—o—o—o—O

With a heavy grunt, Endymion woke from his momentary coma and opened his eyes slowly. He groaned with pain as he tried to push himself off the stone ground with much more effort than before. He felt heavy, as if a magnetic force was trying to keep him pinned down and every muscle in his body felt like it was being ripped apart. He grunted again and flinched when his hand reached his temple as he felt the side effect of having a concussion and reached out his arm to grab his dagger. The prince soon remembered what happened before everything became a total blackout and quickly tilted his head to look up with wonder, greatly surprised to see there was no end to the pitch darkness above, not a single trace of light that could tell me how far he was from the surface, but either way, what surprised him the most was how he was able to survive such deep fall.

With a tumbling step, he tried to keep his balance while trying to stand up. He used his sleeve to wipe some of dirt and moist from his face and looked at the endless darkened road of stone and bone ahead of him. Different from the land above, this cave-like pit was much quieter and had a much denser energy; much more menacing. It felt like a core to something evil, something no even him could avoid feeling less intimidated and afraid.

Endymion took a couple of minutes to try and gather as much strength to continue on his quest and leaned on the stone wall to take a deep breath and frowned when he felt a strong pinch in his chest, very different from the others; this felt more like if his soul was being pulled inside out, like if there was an invisible force trying to guide him somewhere.

 _"Sol advenit..."_

Endymion frowned and turned to look around when he heard a deep cold echo, he felt a cold chill running down his spine, an uneasiness he couldn't get rid of or ignore.

 _"In suo lucet calidum et radii..."_

His deep blue eyes narrowed but his sight was starting to get blurry again making it hard for him to focus on whoever was there mocking his presence. He was sure he heard a voice but at this point, it could be just his mind falling under Tartarus' spell.

The same strong pull called for him again, this time with a much more precise sense of location; Endymion took another deep breath and pushed himself from the wall and started walking ahead with an unsteady pace. A new wave of nausea and uncertainty flooded over him as he continued his way; with each and every step, the pull in his chest felt stronger, making him believe that he was getting close to something. As he went deeper into the dark passage, he started hearing indistinct whispering rustling the heavy silence and how they would become more hostile as he kept going further. His blue eyes widened in horror when he felt something holding onto his leg making him lose his balance and fall to the ground, it was then when he realized he wasn't alone, that this was not an abandoned place but something more macabre.

Endymion tried to stand up but another hand was holding his other leg while another pulling on his cape. He widened his eyes when his vision slowly started to focus again and was able to see beyond the blurry and very weak gleam coming from the torches nailed on the walls and tried to pull back with surprise and horror when he saw a corpse-like person looking at him with murderous eyes just inches away from his face. The prince closed his eyes and tilted his head low to break the visual contact with the demon and he felt it, the piercing force coming from it trying to take ownership of his sanity and feed on his soul. He felt the creature holding onto his shoulders as if it was ready to eat him alive but the prince threw a punch at it and quickly broke free from the strong grasp from the other creatures with the help of his dagger.

The rage and insanity clouding the creature's mind ignited the others that were left to rot alone in that place. Different from the other stages in Tartarus he had seen, and even the ones from Inferno and the Underworld, it was still difficult to believe how deep and how powerful was the power of evil and how many souls it could corrupt. It was easier to be evil than good, pain and fear was easy to manipulate, hatred was easier to harbor and plow. He had seen valleys and clearings full of souls being tortured and punished for their sins in unspeakable ways but this place was more like a death row—a place for those condemned to be devoured by their own torments. Whatever was locked in this place was being fed by the corrupted and askew minds of the bodies scattered here. It was harrowing to see them scream and cry with fear, some of them slammed their head against the walls, others pulled what was left of their hair or flesh, none of them actually conscious of their actions, they all did it on a survival instinct and pure madness.

Endymion felt he had walked miles worth years of his life, he knew him being there was consuming his energy and thereof his life. After all, he was still a mortal man and he was trapped in a realm that fed itself from mortality, no matter what type of heritage he had, he was in a void where time was hardly even relative and so was reality. He was breaking taboos, yes, but he was also condemning himself just by breathing. The air was heavily contaminated, he felt it, his lungs felt congested—worse than when Nehelenia appeared and covered Earth with dark webs. His skin burned like if he had thrown acid on himself, it itched, it flaked and it hurt. His lips were chapped and dry and each time he runs his tongue he could taste the trails of his own blood. His body was giving in, he was slowly being consumed but his pride and determination was too strong to yield, and couldn't allow himself to stop until he rectified the god's injustice acts on them. Their fault was too big to keep ignoring it anymore. He had to set things in the right direction for the sake of Earth and his beautiful, loving wife.

His heart wrenched in pain when he thought of Serenity. With every step he took the farther away he felt from her; that was his torture, one that could easily match the ones the judges of the underworld or any demon in Tartarus could put on a sinner. Being forced to say goodbye to her was the hardest thing he has ever had to do in his life. Endymion could not forget that sad gleam in her crystal blue eyes and the way she pleaded him to go with her. He couldn't stop thinking about the truth left unsaid between them; the fear and guilt in her eyes. The pain in her voice and her broken spirit. He started feeling overcome by grief and covered his face with one hand to give himself a private moment to feel the pain of that silent truth. The second Serenity was taken away he knew things were not going to be easy and what was going to be necessary for her to be brought back to safety and he was prepared for it. He was prepared to kill and eliminate whoever stood in his way to get to her but he was not prepared to deal with all of this in the midst of her wife having an emotional breakdown. Standing in this place ignited him with more resolve and determination to make his way back one way or another. He had to go back.

His tear-glossed eyes widened when he entered what it looked like a dark chamber surrounded by stone walls carved with many symbols and scriptures in "Latin..." he mumbled as he looked around with awe. Inside, the harrowing image was no different than the rest of the long passageway, while not many in quantity, there were still several bodies scattered around and some have even started to decompose and show their bones while still crying for mercy; but that was not what made his blood run cold in his veins, it was who was paying for sins he didn't even commit.

Far in the back, a man with a royal uniform sat with his head leaned back on the wall supporting his fragile body. In a state of complete dementia and senility, surprisingly, the once great king of Earth now living the last strand of his life like the worst of criminals, just like Ares had warned him.

The prince ran toward the king paying no mind of the bodies he kicked or stepped on in his way; his eyes fixed on the man and could not help the mixed feeling of relief and desolation for having found him, still breathing. Endymion didn't pay mind to the tears streaming down his cheeks at the sight of his father being in such harrowing state. Despite ragged and torn, his clothing was unmistakable, his medals were still pinned on the left side of his royal jacket and the one that marked his rank hanged weakly from a royal blue sash with the symbol of his planet—similar to the one he gave Charon as payment. Endymion slowly fell on his knees before the man; it broke his heart to see there was little to almost nothing of the great man he remembered, the man that had taught him everything he was and everything he wanted to be when he grew up. His once broad and strong body was now reduced to skin and bones showing the heavy strain of having lived in this place for more lifetimes he could count. His hair was long and tangled, his face stained with blood and his once playful and sincere blue eyes looked milky and marked with so much fear and pain.

"Father..."

The king had his head tilted back with his eyes looking up. They were disturbingly dilated and out of focus, the man was clearly dealing with his own mind trap, just like any other soul in this place. "Father... can you hear me?" Endymion leaned closer, "It's me... it's your son, Endymion." He frowned when he put his hand on his face and felt the king's skin was cold and stiff as if he was dead, and also, like a cold flash, he felt the torment happening inside of him, "Please answer me! Father!" He shook him slightly but got no response from the older man. With one shaky hand, Endymion combed his father's long ash-brown hair away from his face to look into his eyes and shook his head with remorse, "What have they done to you?! Why did they do this to you!?" He said with a quiver in his voice and turned angrily at a corpse crawling toward them and punched it away; he turned to the king and leaned his head on the man's shoulder and broke into sobs, "It took me so long... forgive me, Father, for taking this long... I got here too late... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

"S—on..."

Endymion turned to look at him with wide eyes, "Father..."

"My... s-s-son..."

"You can hear me..." Endymion held Eros' head, "You can hear me..." his hand lightly patted Eros' cheek, "Father! Father!"

"Why...?" The question barely left Eros's lips, "Why... did... you do it? W-Why...?"

"W-What?" The prince shook his head and looked down, it was then when he noticed the deep cuts on the king's hands and wrists and frowned with anger, "Who did this to you?!" He grabbed his hand and shook his head with rage "Who did—" his blue eyes widened when a sudden flashback played in his mind showing him the images of the exact moment Eros was fighting the army possessed by Beryl in Elysion while he was trying to make his way back to the palace to help Gaia when a soldier in silver armor caught up to him and chocked him until he fell unconscious. It was like Eros's last memories were reacting to Endymion's psychometry allowing him to access into his mind and finally see what happened after they parted ways that night. Endymion shook his head, "No..." he looked up at the stone wall behind him and widened his royal-blue eyes in realization and turned to his father. "I have to take you out of here,"

The king's breathing was slow and forced; Endymion didn't need any confirmation to know the amount of effort it took for his father to keep breathing. How he managed to preserve his mortality in a place like this was still beyond his comprehension but time was running out—it was now or never, for both of them.

"Father..." Endymion shook the man's shoulders, trying to bring some sense to the king's mind, "I am going to take you out of here... I need you to keep breathing... please, don't give up... don't give up." He wrapped his arms around his shoulders to pull him closer. He closed his eyes and whispered in his ear, "She is waiting for you." Endymion slowly stood back on his feet and carefully carried Eros weak body over his shoulder; much to his surprise, the king was heavy despite being so thin and undernourished. He slowly turned to walk out when he saw the corpses had started to react like angry snakes to the uncommon movement as if they were linked to the king's body. But it wasn't the bodies crawling over him what startled the prince the most, it was in fact, who was commanding them to react this way.

"You managed to come this far—although, I am not surprised. This is where you belong, after all."

Endymion's eyes turned darker when he recognized that familiar thickly voice and turned to look over his shoulder at Athamas walking down the passage, moving the corpses out of his way with an invisible force as he walked into the dark chambers. The prince let out a low growl of pure anger, "How many times do I have to pound on you and break your neck to actually kill you, Andromedian?" Endymion narrowed his eyes, 'You're worse than a fucking cockroach,"

"Your manners leave so much to be desired, Prince of Earth. Is this how you conquered Serenity's heart?" Athamas' lips curved in an unnatural smirk as he walked closer to both men and arched his brow, "I am stronger than any of these demons—stronger than you,"

"I thought you had reached your lowest point when you joined forces with Asteria, clearly, you can go further down—you have no dignity... how disgusting," Endymion muttered dryly, "All for a power you don't even have,"

"Try me," Athamas gave the terran prince a mocking glare, "And see for yo—"

"You are a waste of my time. A fucking waste of space," Endymion tilted his head low as he glared at the andromedian soldier with threat, "Asteria is not here to protect you,"

"Who said I was expecting that creature to protect me? She did me a favor, really. She was meant to die anyway, whether by your hand or someone else's."

"Get out of my way," Endymion's warning tone rose, spiking Athamas' enthusiasm even more, "Ouuh! The monster can be threatening when it wants to be—how saucy." He smirked sardonically, "I see you found the Terran King." Athamas shook his head, "You must be wondering how he ended in this place... yes, it was me. While you were desperately trying to save your traitor mother from the claws of your witch lover, I confronted the man and later threw his body into this pit for my own personal purposes. Although, he is completely useless but again, what can you really expect from mortal beings?" Athamas was enjoying the moment. He knew he was giving Endymion enough pressure to stir and play with his rage; rage he needed to accomplish his mission and finally put his revenge into motion.

Endymion clenched his jaw, trying his best to keep his emotions and enormous desire to crack his neck again. If he wanted to take his father back to safety, he had to swallow it all, even Athamas' snickers he hated without measure, even if his mere presence felt like drinking scorching acid. "You damn piece of shit,"

Athamas frowned "I am surprised he has managed to hang from his string of life in a place like this, while you lived in total bliss in another time completely unaware of the tragedy you put upon your own family—" he pointed the king with an accusing finger, "That man is condemned to this place—no matter how much you try to play the hero in this story, you will not be able to redeem his soul. You are as condemned as he is; you seem to forget the oath you make when you take a title as Polemarchos—the minute you die, your soul belongs to this realm."

"What did you do, Andromedian?" Endymion narrowed his sapphire eyes and shook his head, "Who are you?"

"What I should have done, two thousand years ago," Athamas arched his brow, "I am..." he frowned, startled, like if he had a moment of lucidity, "I am..."

Endymion felt an eerie energy coming from the man in silver armor, in his rage and desperation to see his wife pinned against a dirty wall and under the andromedian's control, he didn't restrain himself despite knowing it could only motivate and feed his killing nature and cracked his neck brutally—again. He was sure he had killed him back then, he felt it, every bone in his neck cracking, but somehow, he had returned _._ Somehow, he did not die—strangely, Athamas could not die.

Ever since he reappeared, there was something strange about the man. It was clear he had gone through his own catharsis but unlike Endymion, Athamas was not aided by spirits with good intentions; the andromedian soldier had gone the opposite way and made a deal with the devil and not just any devil, but the one he knows is trapped inside this realm "It's eating you alive..."

"No..." Athamas shook his head effusively and grinned, regaining his initial stance, "It is revitalizing me. I finally am, who I was meant to be, and _they_ will know, once I have you dead," he moved his finger from the terran king to the prince "Because you... _you_ are my trophy,"

Endymion peered quickly at his surroundings and dashed with his father out of the dark chamber but Athamas snapped his fingers, immediately taking control of the bodies' will and went after the prince who quickly took his stance and kicked them out of his way but he knew his limitations. He knew that he couldn't get too far under these conditions. Between the heavy weight of his father's body over his shoulder and the venomous atmosphere he was breathing in since he got into Tartarus, he had come down to a point he started losing his coordination and focus. He was using more energy than he should and he knew he could not entirely access the powers of the golden crystal in its entirety because he was aware of its consequences. Endymion couldn't reach for his sword's hilt either because his father's legs were blocking his belt and it would be difficult for him to perform his well-known light-speed unsheathing attack leaving him with no other option but to put him down and take care of the andromedian first and then come up with another plan to get out.

"Please... just give me time..." The prince muttered in his father's ear as he leaned him back against a wall and turned with a murderous glare at Athamas who was walking toward him with his weapon in hand. He turned quickly to block the blonde's strike with his sword; Endymion noticed there was a different kind of strength coming from Athamas as he tried to keep the sharp blade away from his face and quickly kicked his wrist to win some space to glide away from the andromedian and keep his father out of their range of battle. He looked at the blonde soldier from the weak flickering light of the torches and dodged just in time before Athamas glided his blade and cut through him. With a loud exasperated growl, the andromedian dashed again, this time with a less calculating technique and clashed his weapon against Endymion's with force, "I wonder what Serenity will say when she learns her darling prince is rotting in Tartarus—when she knows all of her efforts for staying away from me were in vain." Athamas gritted his teeth as he leaned his weight on the sharp sword pressed against Endymion's golden blade. Both men entangled in a brute force battle to keep both blades steady and away from their faces. The loud thundering sound of metal against metal echoed in the stone walls making the corpses scattered on the floors howl in pain and anger, all reacting to the energy bouncing aggressively between both men.

Much to Athamas' surprise, the terran prince was enduring the trial better than he expected but he was starting to show the signs of someone under the effects of going through some serious mental breakdown; his body was also starting to show signs of extreme fatigue and as much as he kicked and punched many corpses out of his way, it was now only a matter of time before the dense energy from this dungeon take full control of his mind and body. He needed to break him, and he knew exactly how to do it.

"She is still as I remembered her—even better," Athamas growled with pleasure, "Her milky skin, her sweet delicate scent... that naïve look in her blue eyes that urges you to take her right there and then." He narrowed his green eyes with poisonous envy, "The moment I licked the delicate skin of her neck to taste her and felt her body shivering under my touch—she is so addictive," he grinned, "Oh and her breathing... those light pants and moans she makes... it just spurges your deepest desires, isn't it? The minute my hand reached for her naked thigh under all those layers of silk while she was desperately fighting for her life, she is like the sweetest of—"

Endymion felt his blood boil in his veins and pushed Athamas' blade with his with force and used that opening to hit his jaw with his fist, then thrust his knee in his stomach and used the hilt of his sword to knock him on the back of his neck sending him straight down to the ground, "You fucking son of a bitch!" he threw himself at Athamas and punched him like a rabid beast on his jaw several times until his blood started to splash his handsome face. His eyes darkened with each punch, letting his rage take over him at the thought of him trying to rape the moon princess—his most beloved blessing, his Usako. The prince had Athamas restrained on the ground with his knee on his throat and his weight impeding him to move; he didn't take pauses between punches, with one fist taking each turn to go directly at his face until he felt his nose cracking each time he landed a new blow. His jaw was swelling up and so were his high cheeks and chin; with a loud choleric growl, Endymion tried to cut the air flow and keep him in place while he continued beating his face with mad anger. The thought of his wife struggling to get free from his filthy grasp, after all, she had gone through was enough to break him and bringing him to a state of raw thirst for murder.

Athamas coughed and spat his blood between forced pants, his face at this point was almost unrecognizable; Endymion yelled with the same rage punched him right between his eyes, "This is for touching Serenity—" he roared hoarsely and stomped his foot on his groin several times until he heard Athamas scream in pain. He lifted him off the ground, threw him against the stone wall and stabbed him with his own sword to pin him in place. Flowing streams of blood pooling from Athamas' face and body were enough to give Endymion the cue that if he wasn't dead, at least he was in enough pain and that it was going to be unable to move for a while and have time to think of a way to get out of that damn place.

The prince's heavy and hoarse breathing slowly brought him back to reality. He turned to go for his father and widened his eyes when he saw a crowd of bodies was piling up on top of him, almost as if he had remains of energy to feed their rotten souls. With impressive speed and coordination, he started pulling them away from the king without paying attention to the grotesque look of their vivid flesh tearing off their bones or the body fluids dripping from his hands. He grabbed them by the head and threw them with force against the stone walls, cracking their bodies into pieces. Endymion's desperation to free his father was getting bigger with every rotten corpse he peeled away from the tangled mass keeping him trapped; the image of his one strong and fearless father reduced to this state where he could not even stand on his own. He finally reached for the last body clinging to his father and pulled him away with force and put his hands on each side of his face to look into Eros' clouded eyes, "I am taking you out of here, one way or another—I am taking you out," he pulled his father into his arms and lifted him up to repeat the process and carry him over his shoulder. Endymion secured his arm around his father's legs and pulled himself up when a strong wave of nausea overcame him, forcing him to take a moment to recover "Damn it," he grunted angrily, "Not now... not now..."

It didn't last long for the shadows to reach him again; Endymion turned to look down at a corpse grabbing onto his leg and started to pull him down with force, he was feeling weak for the amount of energy he put in beating Athamas who was still brutally pinned on the wall with his sword all covered in his own blood and with a very swollen face. Endymion widened his eyes when he felt his knees started to surrender to his body weight and growled to fight the feeling of being pulled down.

Just like it happened with his father, the bodies started to pile up on him and this time his body was needing more than just time to recover. Like hungry hyenas they started crowding him all desperate to suck the life out of him; Endymion tried to fight back but just when he was getting up again, he felt a strong blow on the back of his neck that made him lose the last of his balance and focus. The terran prince hadn't lost consciousness entirely and seconds after being hit he felt being dragged down the passage all the way back into the dark chamber. He slowly opened his eyes and found himself surrounded by more rotten bodies than before. His first instinct was to turn his head and look for his father, who he had spotted lying on the floor almost lifeless a few feet away from him and pushed himself up with the last string of force he had left in him and went over to the king, but right before he could reach for him, he felt a strong force pulling him back again and widened his eyes in horror when he saw he was being restrained and dragged back by another herd of demons.

"You and I are not the same, mortal, I already told you I am stronger than any of you." A bloodied and awfully beaten Athamas walked closer to him and let out a derisive chuckle, "It does not matter how many times you try... I will not die, I am beyond death itself."

"It won't last forever, whatever he gave you, he is going to take it back," Endymion muttered between growls from trying to free himself from the tight restraint of the demon-like corpses. Athamas shook his head, "I will not be taken anything, and you know why?" He smirked, "Because I already am offering the best deal there is," he leaned closer and pulled the dagger from Endymion's belt and narrowed his eyes as he returned the punch right in Endymion's jaw and kicked him on the ribs, making him fall to the ground; he stood next to him and looked down at him with triumph, his grip on the sharp blade tightened with excitement.

"The seal can be broken by one of royal blood touched by the light of the Sun."

* * *

 _I do not own Sailor Moon just this plot and some of the characters._

 _A/N: I cannot thank you enough for your support. You know who you are thank you so much. It is because of your reviews that a weekly chapter is possible. The more I get, the better the inspiration and the faster the chapters come. Thank you so much._

* _Maior domūs:_ _Latin word for house principal or majordome._


	68. Chapter 68

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Sixty-Eight

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Kunzite looked at Serenity standing in the middle of the hallway with her sleek platinum hair down; it had been hours since she had gone to take her makeup off and changed her clothes back into Endymion's gray hoodie and her flower pants; Megumi even confirmed she was already asleep when she went to check on her but it was as if the general's presence had brought her back from her slumber and was now there, looking at him with an unfaltering stare that could paralyze anyone with her determination.

Since they returned from her meeting with Chieko, Serenity remained mostly quiet for the rest of the afternoon. Megumi would keep her company and even sat on the table and had dinner with her; she even tried to lighten the mood by teaching the princess some basic concepts and pronunciation rules when speaking Latin, a lesson she immediately felt engrossed into it but even from time to time, she would fall silent and distant—frustrated even, because as she said, she wasn't too good at it. Just as Megumi thought, and just as she said to the general, there was more to the princess' quiet and straight-forward behavior; it had come the time for her to finally speak about what happened but she also needed answers, answers only Kunzite could give her.

"Princess, I thought—"

"That I was asleep, I know... I heard," Serenity walked to the living room and stood behind the sofa's backrest, "But it should come as no surprise to know that I can't sleep without Endymion."

Kunzite nodded, "I understand,"

"I can't keep pretending I don't know what you are talking about and I can't stay silent, anymore." Serenity frowned, "Kunzite, I need to know the truth. I need to know what's going on. I need to know why Endymion stayed in Inferno and I won't take any deviations on the matter." She shook her head, "The more I think about it, the more I hear his voice in my head asking me to understand that I have his soul in my hands... pleading me to never forget it..." The princess felt a lump in the back of her throat and took a minute to continue but her tears were starting to betray her, once again. She hated to be so emotional—if only she could be more like her husband and not break into tears for almost everything—she thought with bitterness. She took a deep breath and exhaled, "I know he was trying to tell me something... I know there is more to his stay but whatever that is, I want to do whatever it takes to bring him back."

Megumi and Kunzite watched the princess keeping her stance with bravery; a new leaf the first in command of the shitennou could no longer ignore. As the prince's right hand, he knew more to him than the rest, as his advisor, he didn't falter in telling him the truth as of what was the best course of action would be when creating political or battle strategies, as his friend, he swore he would keep his beloved wife safe but also, he swore his loyalty to her. He came to accept he no longer served the prince alone, he served her too and he no longer confided in the prince alone, but he confided in the princess too. Endymion was not his sole leader anymore, Serenity was too.

Kunzite bowed his head and closed his eyes, completely aware of what he was going to do, "The reason why Endymion was silent about this is because there are many factors that if not handled with discretion, it would put your life and this planet at risk. He did not keep this from you because he did not trust you, but on the contrary—it is because he trusts you more than anyone, because only you have the power and the strength to take his place and fight in his name, Sailor Moon." He looked up at the princess and saw her glossy eyes but stayed in his place by the window, "You are right, Princess, Endymion confided me with information I am obliged to keep to myself due to my position as his right hand, but things have occurred somewhat different than we all expected, and that is what it is forcing me to break my vow of silence and loyalty to him and come forward with you with the truth,"

"What do you mean with truth, Kunzite? Serenity frowned, "Are you saying Endymion had this planned from the very beginning?"

Megumi's eyes widened and turned to the general with the same confused look as Serenity. Kunzite took a deep breath and exhaled, "This is more difficult than I thought it would be—I have never broken my solemn vow of privacy..."

"Kunzite..." Serenity walked over to him and cupped his cheek to make him look at her, "We will keep this conversation between us—neither Megumi or myself will break this vow, but I need to know... as his wife... as sailor senshi... I need to know so I can fight. I don't want to feel like I can't do anything. I don't want to feel like I can't help him... you said so yourself, I need to be his equal in battle and that's what I am trying to do, help me, _please,_ Kunzite; help me understand."

Kunzite motioned the princess to take a seat on the sofa and took another deep breath, "When Endymion fought Asteria and fell into an unconscious state, it was because he summoned the power of the Golden Crystal. Since he was yet not prepared neither mentally or physically to make full use of it, as a result, his soul was pulled from his body and was locked in a suspended place known as Purgatorio—a realm between the dead and the living. During that time, he went through a cathartic journey to learn and reconnect with his roots and recognize his nature and later, prepared him to learn and take full control of the crystal and continue with his family's legacy. As to how he did it or how he learned, I do not know, but, he did and it was proved the moment he opened his eyes; he returned with a sharp intuition and a different, much clearer aura—as you probably noticed when you held his hand."

Serenity felt a knot in the pit of her stomach when she realized this was probably the exact moment he learned what happened to her and what happened to the spark of life growing in her womb. She did feel a different energy flowing around him she couldn't put words to describe it, but it was there, clear, protective, and strong. The way he looked at her right into her soul, the way he spoke and explained things to her with so much certainty in his words while still being his usual reserved self only proved he had resolved his grudge and that he had finally let go—that he was finally free from the guilt and remorse that was pinning him down for being who he was. Serenity sighed to release some of the guilt she had been carrying around, mentally kicking herself because she often forgot the psychometry that allowed him to see things and feel someone's emotions through his touch and how it went beyond just having simple premonitions. A small nudge of panic creeped in her chest as she wondered if the general knew of her miscarriage but the general dismissed her suspicions right after he clarified the prince wasn't vocal on what went through his mind the moment he opened his eyes.

"He was far away in an astral level, Princess, that is why he couldn't react to your presence and that is why he couldn't manifest or connect with you in your dreams. But during that time, he discovered the truth of his dynasty and what he is fighting against. You see, Princess, the reason why his nature is so dreaded among divine gods is because he comes from an ancient bloodline. Helios is of titan nature and so, all of his descendance. You probably know the story of the Titanomachy, the war—"

"Between Olympians and Titans, yes, I am familiar with it." Serenity sighed softly and looked down, "A tragic story of power and cruelty that sparked from the madness of the Giants." She turned to Megumi who was staring at Kunzite with wonder, "Titans... the Prince... he is a titan?" Serenity nodded and put her hand over Megumi's, "Yes, Megumi. Endymion is in reality, a titan deity... well... sort of." She sighed lightly, "It's a little complicated to try and put him under a specific category."

Kunzite looked at the princess with genuine surprise, "Y-You know about this?" Serenity answered him with a single nod and turned to Megumi who was still trying to process this new piece of information about the terran prince. "B-But... how..." Megumi shook her head with wonder, "In all my years wandering the universe I heard so many stories, so many things... titans are a myth... how can this be true? How can my Prince be one of those myths if he is from Earth?"

Kunzite cleared his throat, "There are titans still living among gods in the divine realm, Megumi, but in order to coexist all together, their nature was completely ignored and their titles were changed to that of a god. That is why Queen Gaia was known as the Goddess of Earth. The chain of descendance, however, takes an interesting turn when Queen Gaia resigns to her divinity and marries King Eros, and later gives birth to Prince Endymion; making him the first of his kind. It is a known fact that demigods exist but it had never existed a child born from a titan and a mortal. Titans are from an ancient lineage and so, their powers differ from those of the gods. Endymion became a threat to Olympus by creating a bond between two realms because while demigods can easily be ignored and most have been murdered right before they could cross realms; Titans, however, are different because they have a different jurisdiction—they are a different race." Kunzite looked at Serenity, "Your relationship with Endymion had more reasons to be banned and loathed because not only you disobeyed their rules by having contact with those from Earth, but you also got yourself involved in a romantic relationship with who they consider heresy."

"I cannot believe this..." Megumi covered her mouth with shock "My Prince... I knew there was something special about him... that night... when he put this planet to sleep." Kunzite sighed softly, "The truth behind his many names has been changing over time but it all boils down to who Endymion really is."

Serenity remembered the conversation she had with the terran queen that reassured her that in fact, it wasn't a dream after all. It happened. She had seen her mother in law and she now held a valuable piece of truth in her hands. Serenity nodded and wiped her tears with the back of her hand, "Asteria exposed Endymion's titan nature when they were fighting—" she looked up to look at the general with fresh tears glossing her beautiful icy-blue eyes, "When I saw that glare that freezes you to the bone... I saw it... it came clear to me..."

Kunzite nodded, understanding what she meant and leaned close to dry her tears, "Princess... Endy—"

"That doesn't make me love him any less. They all keep calling him names and exposing his nature like it would make me change my mind... like if they all have been trying to convert me, to convince me he's evil when in reality, it only makes me love him more because it has only exposed the wrongdoings of many gods in Olympus. Their divine laws contradict their actions—after having so much power flowing through him, Endymion is not after control or possession, he fights for the good in this world. Yes, he is a warrior, and yes, he wields a sword and has killed, but he does not fall in the same vile category Asteria, Chaos, or even Hades does. He's different, you said so yourself... he is his own kind." Serenity shook her head, "I understand all of this and I embrace it, but that doesn't answer my questions, Kunzite. Why did he stay? Why is he there? Why did he tell me it was something he had to do alone?"

"Because he is trying to save the little that is left of his family, Princess."

"All of you keep telling me this and I don't understand!" Serenity rubbed her hands over her face in frustration, "I don't understand!"

"While Endymion was in Purgatorio, he learned Kind Eros was imprisoned in Tartarus."

"W-What?" Serenity's eyes widened twice in size and looked up at the general, "King... Eros...?"

"Sanctus caelum..." _(Blessed heavens...)_ Megumi looked at Kunzite with great disbelief "Are you saying... H-His Majesty King Eros is alive?!"

"I do not know how, why, or if he is still alive..." Kunzite shook his head, "The reasons are no longer important... but it is a fact, and the prince was looking for an opportunity to go and bring his father back." He looked at Serenity, "Endymion wanted to take care of you until you were strong enough to stand on your own and talk to you about all this. Your health was affected by the previous events and in such weak state, there was not much you could have done since you need enough energy to use the crystal properly. He also needed to heal; he didn't want to use his energy entirely because he was trying to have some alone time with you. He also mentioned there was something of high priority he wanted to take care of, but that was a matter he only wanted to talk to you about."

Serenity closed her eyes and hung her head low, feeling completely dismantled, "That's why he didn't want me to leave his side..."

"As to why he didn't say anything when he sent you back... we don't know for sure. The Shitennou and I have a theory as to what must have happened. He entered in a rage trance when you were taken hostage; none of us had ever seen him like that before, not even in his worst days during a war. He fought us, opened portals, crossed dimensions, battled countless of enemies, and made the necessary arrangements to get to you faster and we will not know exactly what else he did until we see him again but he had already made the decision to look for his father and bring him back as well. I suspect and I am more than certain he was not clear to you about it is because he knew Hades was listening—he did not want to risk your safety as you made your way back to Earth, you are his top priority, Princess Serenity. He did whatever needed to be done to secure your return without any complications."

"Remember I am yours..." Serenity mumbled and looked up at Kunzite with wide eyes, realizing he must have made some sort of deal with Hades to go all the way to find her and send her back, "That is why he said it was something he had to do on his own..."

Megumi turned to the princess and put a hand on top of hers, "That is probably why he said it Latin... because he knew you were not going to let it go and eventually you would have asked us to translate his words for you, once you were on safe grounds. It was a puzzle... a hidden clue,"

"That makes much sense, Megumi," Kunzite nodded with a small smile and turned to Serenity, "Princess... this planet is linked to Endymion. As the guardian of the Golden Crystal, he not only monitors its status but he also pulses life into it because of his connections with the Sun, and as expected, his absence to another dimension would have affected Earth's safety and lifeforce. You being here is what is preventing everything from collapsing. As of now, you are connected to him through that stone and you are channeling part of his power into this planet—that is why you could not stay there with him, aside from the fact that it must be a horrible place. Endymion trusts you to step in and take his place—none of us is better suited to take over such an impressive task and level of responsibility."

Serenity felt her eyes burning with tears and looked down at the rings glistening on her finger and came to her own conclusion. Just like Endymion did, this was her own catharsis to understand that she was given a new opportunity to set the record straight and do things right. She was chosen as senshi to fight for good, for justice, and for love; this is the path she chose thousands of years ago, this is the life she wanted, one where she could help people and one that led her to her warrior prince and now that she was in that point in her life where she had accomplished it, she was not going to back down. She wasn't normal, she was Sailor Moon—she was the heir of the throne of the moon kingdom, a goddess from Olympus, she had a voice and this time, she was going to make herself heard.

"Titan, monster, curse, hybrid, or mortal—I love him. I love him madly. Endymion is my husband and I promised him I could take any punches as long as I did this with him." Her voice while quivering it was strong and charged with determination, "I am crying because I miss him horribly. I am worried about him, but I won't stop until I help him find his way back home. He's not theirs to have and mistreat—his soul is bound to mine, he said so himself—we are one, we love each other and that is not going to change no matter how many obstacles they try to throw at us. We will fight whoever tries to stand in our way! We have taken too much hatred from the gods to accept these are the laws of nature—fuck their stupid laws of nature! I don't believe in them! I believe in my marriage. I believe in love and on this planet. I promised Endymion I would stand by his side and fight for peace for this planet because this is where we belong... to the Moon and back... _this_ is where we belong!"

"I see, this is how you captured his heart."

Serenity blinked a little startled, "W-What?"

"You are an inspiration for him, the fire that lits up his spirit. He admires you without measure... and this is why. You are a fortress." Kunzite looked at her with pride, "Serenity is stronger than everybody thinks she is—stronger than she actually believes she is." He smiled, "Those were his exact words..."

Serenity looked at him with a blush on her cheeks, "H-He said that?"

"He also told me how you asked him to teach you combat skills and self-defense techniques. I am very impressed, Princess." Kunzite crossed his arms, "You could not have asked for a better teacher, he can turn any object into a deadly weapon. Although, I know he does not want you to take a life."

"No, and he made me promise him that," Serenity frowned, "But I am willing to break that promise if that is what it takes to help him return. I am not afraid."

Kunzite let out a heavy sigh and shook his head, "I will not allow it, Princess Serenity. As Endymion's Shitennou we all made a vow to protect you, but I take his request much more personal because like I said to both of you before, just as he is a brother to me, you are my sister. He warned me that a time where he had to be away would eventually come and I swore to him I would step in to support you in battle. But I wish to make you understand there are reasons that go beyond why Endymion is strict about that particular matter. He does not want you to stain your hands with blood just to prove a point, that is not what warriors do. You may have eliminated many treats in the past but you have not ever taken a weapon and handled death with your own hands. Endymion does not want you to follow his footsteps and I support his stance. Killing will not make you stronger, Princess, and it will not make any difference if your mind is clouded with a fixation for something—even justice can be tainted if you are obsessed with unhealthy sentiments. In consequence, it will only tie your soul to the same torment that took Endymion two thousand years to purge from his soul. You have battled and destroyed enemies, yes, if peace is compromised but blood is not an equivalent of victory. Endymion is not stopping you from holding a weapon, that you have—many to count; he is stopping you from feeding unnecessary insecurities that can spark controversy in your life and later affect your peace of mind." He leaned closer to dry the tears streaming down her cheeks, "You are his light of hope, Princess. More than this planet itself... his reason to live is you. His reason to fight is you."

"He is _my_ reason to live, to fight... to breath, to laugh..." Serenity sniffed and rubbed her swollen eyes, "I just don't know what to do, Kunzite... I feel so impotent... so lost... I don't know which direction I should go... where to start looking..."

"I know, Your Highness," Megumi leaned closer to Serenity and wrapped her arms around her, "But just like Lord Kunzite has said... his reason to fight is you, that is why you need to take good care of yourself."

"That is why we are here, Princess." Kunzite nodded, "The Shitennou and Sailor Senshi have your back."

Serenity smiled and felt thankful for their words and let herself be snuggled by the young maiden, "The weather is changing..." she looked at Kunzite, "It's worrying me,"

"Nephrite warned us about this—but you are the link to keep this planet pulsing with life, Princess." Kunzite said and turned to look out the large window behind him, "We are working on a strategy; Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus. We are hoping Sailor Pluto, Sailor Neptune, Sailor Saturn, and Sailor Uranus can join us in this plan as well,"

"Why wouldn't they?" Serenity frowned, "Saturn helped me come back... she was with Endymion when he found me and sent me back..." she gave the man a solidary nod, "I see... you say it because Uranus has been a little defensive toward Endymion. Regardless of what she thinks, I know deep down she knows the truth,"

"That is the problem, Princess, I do not know just how much of that truth they know and I do not know how much aid they are willing to give us."

"That is something I still need to talk to them," Serenity sighed softly, "I don't need much explanation to understand things between you have been a little difficult and I feel responsible for not addressing it properly, but I will take care of this matter. We are a team, we are all fighting for the safety of this planet and we must stay united."

"Princess Sere—"

"—About this conversation Kunzite, don't worry, it will not leave this room. I understand and respect your loyalty to Endymion and while you didn't say anything compromising, I know you do not want him to distrust you because of the moral code you have with your soul brother." Serenity gave Kunzite a sad smile, "Endymion has a strong sense of responsibility and he is very loyal but also very hermetic. I know how upset he gets whenever his privacy is lightly tainted with intrusion."

"That is true,"

"All I ask in return, Kunzite, is not to be pushed away. Please keep me informed. If you find _anything_ that could give us a clue to know where he is, report it to me immediately. I am worried sick for him... but as his wife, I deserve to know everything—good or bad."

Kunzite felt the authority in her voice despite being respectful and sweet; there was so much she has learned from all these events in this past couple of months her growth had become more evident—not that she wasn't mature enough or weak but now, she was taking the reins of the situation just like Endymion had hoped and said she would. He felt immediately mesmerized by her regal posture and went on one knee and bowed his head with deep respect, "You have my word, Your Highness. I, Kunzite, Knight of Purity and Affection, First in Command of the Shitennou, solemnly vow to you my loyalty and servitude—as my leader in battle, and also, as my future Queen."

 _"My time has passed—so has my reign and everything in it. I did what I had to do in my time to live the life I wanted, I fought in any ways that I could... as a goddess and as a mortal, but now, the time to pass the crown to its rightful successor has come."_

Serenity's eyes widened and blinked when she felt the weight of Gaia's words pounding her reason like a drum, "Kunzite..."

O—o—o—o—O

The elegant sheen of the golden dagger in Athamas' hand had him mesmerized in his own triumph as he looked at his reflection and cracked a thick chuckle, "The seal can be broken by one of royal blood touched by the light of the Sun..." he looked down at Endymion, his dark green eyes gleamed with realization, "It was you... all this time... it has been _you_..." he pointed the dagger at the prince and licked his bloody lip slowly, "Your blood is the key, _not_ the sword..."

Endymion pushed himself back up and used his sleeve to wipe the blood from his broken lip. He turned to face Athamas with a murderous glare. Athamas shook his head with amazed recognition, "For thousands of years, I went on a hunt for that girl believing the sword was the key to break the seal, the one that voice echoing in my mind has been asking me to find. The reason to get to that girl was not because of the sword, but because it would eventually lead me to _you_... the key that would give me infinite power and respect among the gods of Olympus." His eyes narrowed, "Since the day I joined the Army in Andromeda I heard it—that voice calling out to me. _Me,_ it chose _me_." He looked down at the dagger in his hand, "I have heard stories about that hybrid creature—the monster—living in that forbidden planet so primitive yet, desired by so many, and it became clear: I had to kill that famous monster to have the respect I deserved." Athamas frowned as he looked at his reflection on the sleek golden blade, "The title and position I deserved, the power I deserved. I was going to become King! I was on my way to becoming invincible until _you_ meddled in!" He turned to Endymion and punched him in the jaw with his closed fist again, "You—" he grabbed a handful of black hair to pull the prince's head back and punched him again on the other side "—Stole—" he repeated and punched him again on his right side "— _Her_ —" and repeated on the left side and kicked him back to the floor, "From _me!_ "

Endymion tried to sit back up and brusquely wiped the trickle of blood off his face with his sleeve, "How desperate for attention do you really must be—" he turned to spit some blood pooling in his mouth and turned to Athamas with an angry glare "—To sell your soul this way."

"I did not sell my soul. I was doing more than well until _you_ appeared and ruined every single one of my plans."

"I have nothing to do with your failures."

"Serenity was mine and you stole—"

"You lost Serenity long before we even met." Endymion wiped the blood still pooling from his lip and glared at Athamas, "What burns you inside with rage is that you realized it too late and like a spoiled child, you wanted to take her back by any means." He frowned, "You think this is all there is? That once you get whatever is that you want everyone will bow to you with deep respect? Please... that's not how it works. This is nothing but a stupid tantrum of yours where you are not even aware of the consequences from your stupid mindless actions."

"Tantrum? A spoiled child you say?" Athamas' maniac laugh soon changed to unsettling growls of rage, "You have no idea of all the things I have been put through—of what my life was back in Andromeda!" He bent his knees to be face to face with the terran prince and grabbed a handful of his hair to pull Endymion closer to him, never losing visual contact, "You do not know what it is like to starve—to feel cold, to be alone. You were born in a golden crib surrounded by the luxury and comfort only a royal can enjoy—what do you know of what real life is about!? What do you know about suffering?! About pain!?"

"Ugh..." Endymion rolled his eyes with a heavy snarl. In a quick reflex, he raised his hand to stop Athamas' fist right before it hit his face and narrowed his eyes, "This isn't about you. It never has. Long gone is the time when you had a chance to speak and be heard, Andromedian. I am not here to have a motivational pep-talk with you, of all people; all that has happened to you is your problem. You can truly go fuck yourself for all I care. I don't give a damn about your shitty life back in Andromeda or whatever happened to you after you were disposed and later rescued by Asteria. Do you want to make me understand your struggle? Do you want me to feel sorry for you? I don't get it..." Endymion's sapphire eyes turned indigo, "Life is hard and it doesn't always go the way you want to, so stop bitching about it— _there_ —comforted enough?"

"You may not care about me, but you care about Serenity," Athamas grinned maniacally, "And you will not be there to prevent me from making her mine, not this time." He looked at the blade in his hand and noticed the sword's hilt in the prince's belt and leaned closer to pull it out of its protective onyx scabbard when Endymion knocked him to the side with his head to prevent him from getting a hold of it, "You dare touch her again and I swear I will make sure to burn you to the ground as many times I need to until your body can no longer respawn from its ashes." He muttered between clenched teeth.

"That is where you do not seem to understand the situation," Athamas stepped back and looked at Endymion with triumph, then snapped his fingers at the corpses to give them a silent command to restrain the prince. Endymion grunted as he tried to free from the thick matter suffocating him and frowned when he saw Athamas taking a reverse grip on his golden dagger as he moved toward him, "You see hybrid, this is as far as you will go—you came here to die." With his free hand, he grabbed Endymion's collar and pulled him close enough to speak in his ear, "Do not worry, Prince of Earth; I will make sure to give Serenity my condolences in the best way possible."

Athamas stabbed Endymion's dagger on his side and leaned closer to make a deeper cut through his armor and flesh. Endymion gasped for air when he felt the hot blade twisting inside of him and tried to push the andromedian away but both arms and legs were now completely restrained by the corpses under his command.

The andromedian saw Endymion's blood started to pool from his deep wound and grinned like if he had found the answer to all his prayers and pulled the blade back. Cupping his hands to let them soak in the prince's warm blood and let it drip on the ground before he turned to smear it on the carved scriptures as he continued repeating the words like a mantra, "The seal can be broken by one of royal blood touched by the light of the Sun..."

"The seal can be broken by one of royal blood touched by the light of the Sun!"

"The seal can be broken by one of royal blood touched by the light of the Sun!"

"The seal can be broken by one of royal blood touched by the light of the Sun!"

"No... no..." Endymion looked down at his soaked black uniform and armor and took hoarse breaths to keep himself from fainting, with horror mirrored in his handsome face, he shook his head, "What have you done... you damn bastard..."

Athamas grinned with satisfaction as he placed both hands on each side of the blade in his hand, "The cursed blood of the monster... forgive me mortal for taking advantage of your mysterious privileges," he chuckled and turned to look over his shoulder at the dying prince and narrowed his eyes, "Enjoy your slow death."

The ground began to shake and rumble with increasing force that shook the demon corpses off Endymion's body releasing him from his restrain and making him fall to the ground. The terran prince turned to look up to and tried to stand up but his strength and energy were quickly draining from his body with every drop of blood. "No..." He groaned weakly as he watched the stone wall violently cracking all the way down to the metal circle and a cross emblem on the floor from where many dark vines with needle-like thorns started to pour out, lifting the ground in flakes of ash.

A deafening symphony of screams and laments broke loose as the evil trapped inside started to pour without control feeding itself from the corpses' pain and dementia while crawling out of the pit impaling them all and trapping them in between the heavy and sharp coils of vicious vines. Endymion jerked his head to look for his father and took a sharp breath to stay focused. With the remains of his strength, he dragged himself toward the king and laid on top to protect him from the vines viciously coiling around them and taking over the entire dark chamber. He secured his arms around the man and held him tight, feeling the thorns piercing through his clothes and armor but remained in position trying his best to use his body as a shield for his father.

Athamas watched the brutal massacre unfolding without control and his victorious grin soon started to fade when he saw the thorns were not exempting anyone in the room and that he too was another target to feed on. What started as a victory it was now a fight for his life; he tried to escape but the ground was now too unstable to keep his balance and brutally was thrown on his knees; his eyes widened when he saw the remains of the gold medallion on the ground cracked into pieces.

At the opposite side of the crumbling chamber, Endymion turned his head but he had started to lose vision and consciousness due to the blood he had lost from his wound. He could see blurry movement ahead and he could hear the mind-wrenching screams of pain of the entities scattered all around but his body was slowly started to fail him. He narrowed his deep blue eyes when he saw something else or better said, someone walking out to the surface and clenched his jaw, trying to fight the strong wave of malice taking over and felt smothered by the drastic shift and density in the air and held on to dear life to his father's body and used the remains of his energy to repel the shadows from them.

Athamas felt a strong force revolving inside his chest like if he was being stripped of a sharp splinter in his heart and gasped with pain as he leaned his back against the wall and began suffering the ravages of the entity that was now standing in the middle of the chamber claiming its power full force and manipulating the dark veins pouring out like barb wire flowing around him in a hypnotic rhythm. The mystic presence was too strong it was making it impossible to look at it, it was like if it was playing with his mind, making him have vicious and wicked hallucinations. He felt a rush of chills running all over him and brought his hands to cover his face when he sensed the presence had started to move. The tall figure turned and saw in the direction the golden dagger with blood was stuck on the stone wall and extended his arm to call for it and looked at his reflection for a minute as he looked at his face and felt his body being revitalized by the energy around him. He turned to Athamas who was still trying to free himself from the vines wrapping around his body and walked over to him and put him out of consciousness with a snap of his fingers. He used his body to feed on his energy and move with more ease throughout Tartarus' pit and dragged the andromedian along with him like a useful latch.

With every step he took, the ashes floating around his body adhered to him and started shaping his dark cloak and clothes. With a flick of a wrist, the stone blocking the pit from the surface started to morph into a long stone staircase that led him to the valleys of Tartarus and out of his imposed imprisonment for more lifetimes he could count. In a chain reaction, the ground started to respond to the strong magnetism of his presence as well making every tortured soul and punisher become more hostile against each other. The rivers of gore and fire started to overflow with force and went overboard from their course swallowing everything in their path all the way to its very edge. He crossed the bridge of laments with a steady and secure stride and stood before in front of the gates that knew connected this realm with the Underworld and narrowed his intense eyes.

O—o—O

At the other side of the gates, a long line of soldiers ordered to stay by Agamemnon to guard the rim that divided the Underworld from the Abyss of Tartarus heard a loud cracking sound paired with heavy growls and unsettling screams. With worry and horror in their faces, they watched the barrier and stone walls had started to crumble and raised their weapons to fight the force that was trying to cross. They would think they were prepared to fight and that fear was not something they got to experience in a realm like this, as soldiers from the army of shadows, they have seen and encountered every unsettling creature, demon, and entity—they were there for a reason, but they never imagined they would get to see those heavy gates of murder and coal shaking to a point of demolition.

"We need to send the alert to Agamemnon!" one of the soldiers exclaimed as he held his long sword up and frowned "We will not be able to contain this strange force for much longer!"

"Raise your guard!" The leader pointed his chain weapon at the gates, "We must not let it pass—" he turned to another soldier, "We must send an emergency signal and call for reinfor—" his dark eyes widened when he saw another large piece of stone crumbled in front of them and took a deep breath when he felt an incontrollable shaking possessing his body. The soldiers standing behind looked at their leader and tried to come closer but the energy pouring out from the cracks was too strong for them to contain, it was out of their control.

One last piece of stone keeping the gates in one piece finally cracked and crumbled in flakes of ashes and smoke. The gates no one ever believed could be faulted opened in all their splendor revealing the horrors it silently kept inside. The squad leader felt he was running out of air; in an attempt to leave, he turned to look up and watched a dark entity standing with authority at the other side, letting all kinds of demons in Tartarus flow freely from their prison, "W-What..." The soldier shook his head and weakly turned to the others, "Charge at it! Do not let them pass!"

The long line of soldiers dashed to attack but they were quickly devoured by the demons crossing over, turning them into what they initially were—shadows. The leader widened his eyes when he saw the dark man finally crossing over and sent an aggressive wave of energy with just the flick of his wrist putting everyone in a catatonic state of dementia.

The soldier felt his body itching and tried to look up but the second the man in black came close, his vision turned blurry, corrupted; like he wasn't allowed to look at whoever was crossing the gates. He felt his body move against his will and later started to convulse, almost as he was being forced to look away, "W-Who are—"

The dark silhouette flicked his hand ever so gently and cracked the soldier's neck and killed him in an instant and narrowed its eyes. He turned to look at the rivers of the Underworld fiercely reacting to the demonic force from Tartarus.

"Et sigillum contritum fuerit, consecutiones quod attinet ad faciem existimavit ponens in carcerem, deos."*

O—o—o—o—O

"Ares..."

"I spoke to her, Athena, I saw Gaia."

"Y-You did what?! Athena went pale and widened her eyes with shock, "She lives?! Gaia lives!?"

Ares shook his head and sighed softly, "It is a very long story, one, I cannot tell you here. Her soul was protected by Chronos, which proves we cannot bend divine laws the way Titans can. I need to help Gaia cross to this realm... but to do that, I need to find the pocket in time where she is being sheltered."

"Why not asking Pluto for help? She is his daughter..."

"Their attention is on all of them due to the closeness they have with the Moon Princess and the Terran Prince. I need to do this behind their back... so _they_ won't notice."

"What you are doing is considered treason to your brothers—to your own kind," Athena shook her head, "Are you aware of the seriousness of this?"

"Yes Athena, I am, but I do not care. Mars will carry my legacy if I fall and I want her to do it with those worthy of her trust and loyalty."

"I still think it is very dangerous for you to follow that plan, Ares," Athena frowned "I know you are trying to do things right but there are other ways to do so, this could cause your existence and your future to—"

"This is not about me, Athena, and it goes far beyond of just doing the right thing. This is about bringing some order to the universe, and yes, I am protecting my daughter but I also believe Helios' legacy is worth preserving." Ares' determination made Athena smile with complicity, "My, my, what a loyal disciple..."

Ares crossed his arms, "The more I think about it, the more I believe our laws are falling behind the waves of time. We are not evolving, and this constant fight for power is what will bring our demise. This is what Serenity tried to warn us two thousand years ago, and while I came to understand her vision quite late, it cannot be unseen, it is crystal clear." He shook his head, "This is not just a whim of mine, Athena, we are all divided and we must remember that we are not the only ones in the universe."

"You are starting to sound like Helios himself, Ares." Athena arched her brow with pride and gave the god of war a smirk of satisfaction, "You should leave that to his descendants, the ones that truly carry his blood in their veins."

"There is only one left," Ares cracked a dry chuckle, "And believe me, that is exactly what I am trying to do,"

"Two,"

"What?"

"There are only two left," Athena arched her brow, "Let us not forget... one resides in Tartarus' pit."

"True, but you and I know only one must prevail and it must not be him."

"I must say, it is endearing to see you this determinant—it has been long since I have seen that gleam in your always tormented eyes, thank heavens."

Ares sighed softly, "I really believe _they_ have what it takes to change things. They have proven us wrong for thousands of years."

Athena nodded "Well then, I—" her eyes widened and turned to look at a group of soldiers walking with urgency to the conclave where the high gods were having their meeting but were soon stalled by the divine guards at the doors "No entrance is allowed—the High Gods are in session."

"Let me pass!"

Athena frowned, "Ares..."

The god of war nodded when he recognized the man in dark armor arguing with the olympian guards and felt a heavy weight in his chest, already fearing the worst. He turned to Athena and pulled her closer, "Now is the time Athena, we need to move fast." Athena nodded "I will do my best." With that, the beautiful goddess of wisdom summoned for her power and disappeared in flashes of rose gold sparks right before Ares' eyes, letting the lord of war know she has left the olympian realm.

Ares turned quickly and went after the arguing guards outside the private study and stomped the scabbard of his long claymore sword on the marble ground to quiet both parties, "Your presence here confirms what I was fearing," Ares' gray eyes narrowed as he locked his intense gaze with Agamemnon's for a minute and raised his hand, "Release the seal of the conclave,"

The olympian guards widened their eyes, "B-But God Ares... the High Gods are—"

"I am a High God as well," Ares frowned and turned to the guards with a menacing look in his eyes, "And I am giving the order to interrupt the conclave. Let them pass, _now!_ " The guards bowed their head in respect and turned to open the large golden doors to allow the shadow soldiers walk in, interrupting the meeting. Hades arched his brow with clear surprise to see his soldier there "Agamemnon,"

Poseidon frowned and turned to the dark soldiers, "What is this!? How dare you to interrupt this audience! It is a priva—" his eyes widened when he saw Ares walking back inside the large room like a beast out of its cage. Hades frowned and turned to Agamemnon, already expecting bad news, "You are here."

"Milord," Agamemnon bowed his head in respect and went on one knee to acknowledge the other god's presence, "I know this is not my place, but I felt obliged to bring you the report myself since it was my responsibility."

"Was?" Hermes narrowed his blue eyes, "What do you mean, soldier?"

Agamemnon swallowed, "There has been an incident at the rim between the Underworld and Tartarus and it has caused severe ripples of energy that are creating unstable grounds—it is breaking, our realm is in danger."

Hades' eyes darkened and arched his brow, "It crossed." Agamemnon slowly nodded and looked up at Hades with fear, "It is in Tartarus."

"What!?" Zeus widened his eyes and turned to Hades, "You said you had this under control!" He turned to the dark soldier with anger, "What is the meaning of this?!"

"It means that our brother's plan has not entirely succeeded, Zeus." Ares narrowed his eyes and turned to Hades, "It means that your own ambitions are now playing a bitter joke on you,"

"I do not have time for this—close the gates. Hydra will take Cerberus' place, for the time being, he cannot respawn as of now." The lord of the dead clenched his jaw with anger and clear frustration and turned to the soldier, "How did it cross?"

"The gates reacted to the hybrid's presence, Milord," Agamemnon looked up again with fear in his eyes, "He was sucked in but the energy flowing is strong,"

"What is the status as of now?"

"Unknown."

"And now what?" Poseidon turned frustrated at Agamemnon, "Are we supposed to take this as a valid answer?! Why are you here!? Your duties are to create a barrier—you are a soldier of the Underworld!" He turned angrily at Hades who had his hand up to stop the lord of the ocean's rant, "There is not much the hybrid can do in Tartarus—its soul will be devoured by the demonic ambiance of such destructive realm."

"How can you be so tranquil about this?" Apollo frowned, "What if it falters?!"

Ares turned to Zeus, Poseidon, Hermes, and Apollo, "This might not be the most appropriate time to start bonding with your daughters, but, given the circumstances... you will have to break the mold and step out of your comfort zone. It will not take long until the Sailor Senshi notice these disruptions as well and we must act before something else happens—something much more macabre This is the first warning..."

"The barrier created will give enough reinforcement but guarding those gates is not the shadows' jurisdiction."

"Well they better make it part of their jurisdiction," Poseidon looked at Hades with rage; "Who knows what can happen if those gates break. You better have things under control, Hades."

"God Zeus! God Zeus!" Zeus raised his hand to interrupt the lord of the oceans and turned to the guards that were rushing into the chambers with urgency, "Now what!? What is it?"

"There is a strong tidal of dark energy heading toward us!"

"Location?" Ares narrowed his eyes, the soldier shook his head "It is still unknown Lord Ares, it is difficult to track their origin,"

"Close all gates to Olympus—no one comes in and no one comes out." Ares turned to another guard, "Contain the damage done and report its status immediately. Concentrate the number of soldiers at every gate." Ares turned on his heel and walked over Hera and pulled her close enough to whisper in her ear, "Get shelter, now." Hera widened her eyes and stiffened under his protective touch, "Ares?"

"You have been silent, but I know you believe me and you know this is not something you can fight. You may be a High Goddess, Hera, but you are also my sister and I cannot let anything happen to you." Hera turned slightly to give his brother in law a side glance, "Ares, what are you going to do?"

"Whatever needs to be done, Hera," Ares frowned, "Whatever is necessary to protect us from evil."

O—o—o—o—O

Another large of soldiers gathered to create a second energy fort at the rim of the underworld to prevent the leak from the gates of Tartarus merged with the current of the Underworlds' rivers and consequently take over the entire realm but to their shock and surprise, none of their efforts could match the wrecking force coming against them from the hole in the gate, or, better said, from the creature walking out of it.

To some, it was a shadow, to others a demon-like creature with long limbs and no head; a monster blasting dark energy at them or a cluster of dark matter filtering through the cracked gates. To Athamas, it was something else. He felt it, a burning force pulling his soul inside out and feeding on him like a leech, feasting with every ounce of his strained life. He could hear noises, the screams of horror and pain and the loud thundering sound he imagined were the result of swords clashing against each other but he couldn't open his eyes, he couldn't be in control—he wasn't in control. He couldn't command his own body to follow his will—his body was no longer his. He frowned, trying to use the remains of his energy to free from the invisible force that was keeping tied to something else, he felt dragged, used and stirred to someone else's convenience, but he couldn't do anything about it. He wanted to see what was happening, he wanted to witness with his very own eyes the embodiment of his insanity and the gods' deepest secret and deepest regret.

He wanted to see, but no matter how much he tried, all he could do was to hear the painful and screeching sound of coils of barb wire that had come out from the very same pit they came out of. He felt them moving around him and piercing whoever was there fighting against them and suddenly, all noise, the grunts, the screaming, the cries for help and the characteristic sounds of cracking bones and slashing blood fell dead, leaving only one low echo murmuring in his head. The same one that had nested in him for thousands of years.

"Esse autem Andromedan infirmi, vos have vestri propositi atque servivit."**

Like a granted wish, but not entirely, Athamas was finally able to open his eyes and look at the scene before him. His body froze when he realized he was the only one left alive in the middle of a quiet valley of dismembered bodies trapped between the coils of rusty wire and poisoned thorns. For the first time in his life, Athamas felt a cold chill running down his spine proving that the embodiment of fear, dementia, and void truly existed beyond the myth and that it had a name.

Chaos.

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is rated M. Violence, swearing, cursing, and intimacy may occur._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _A/N: Your response to Fates and the Afterlife has been formidable. It makes my heart flip with content. Thank you so much._

 _Latin Glossary:_

 _(The seal has been broken, face the consequences for putting me in restraint, gods.)_

 _((To be a weak Andromedian, you have served your purpose well.))_


	69. Chapter 69

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Sixty-Nine

* * *

 _"Today, June 20_ _th_ _, the weather forecast for Tokyo remains in unstable numbers. The government has declared a state of alarm as temperatures remain below seasonal normal with increasing winds coming throughout the west bringing heavy clouds. Unlikely changes are expected to happen in the next few hours with thunderstorms and heavy rain in the areas of—"_

 _"It is a windy, rather strange day out today in Tokyo with temperatures dropping five more digits in the scale of—"_

 _"In other related news, the strange climatic phenomena have been increasing in force and manifesting in a series of strong earthquakes and floods in Europe and America including strong hurricanes and wildlife fires in other places around the world. The Department of Meteorology along with the UN has released a statement alerting the citizens to take the necessary measures for safety and in some cases, total evacuation of their homes."_

 _"Below temperatures are expected to happen in the next few days so please—"_

 _"Take your precautions—"_

 _"—Take your precautions—"_

 _"—Take your precautions—"_

 _"Take extreme precaution."_

Megumi sighed heavily as she continued to change the channels on the television in the living room but quickly grew tired and also mortified to see all the news talked about was about the crazy change of weather or the strange events that probably involved the now well-known and much talked about topic of the actual evidence that proved cosmic monarchy existed with further evidence Casanova Akira has continued showing to the media in attempts to reach more people to understand the situation happening around the globe. It had started, people were beginning to notice there was something strange—something beyond common belief. The young maiden let out a frustrated grunt as she pressed the button on the remote to turn the television off and walked to the window to look outside. True, the weather was strange, despite she hadn't been enough in this time to tell, she knew this wasn't what a normal standard for temperatures should be in a city like Tokyo, it was more than logic to her that being at 40 F was not normal for a warm and cozy month like June.

The young maiden had tried to keep her calm about the whole situation but after the conversation with Kunzite the night before, she couldn't stop thinking about the prince's magnificent story and how he, a man of science, was also so linked to the fantasy of a divine heritage. Since the very first moment she met him more than two thousand years ago, she always felt he was different from the rest, that he was not a normal prince in a way that he always put his duty as soldier first then his royal title and crown but there was also something else, something that bloomed from within. Beyond the obvious magic in his eyes and his imposing presence, there was something else that always made her look at him differently; maybe the way he spoke or how his points of view always challenged the archaic thinking and ideals from the court. Prince Endymion always had a different perspective, he always saw far beyond and excelled in everything he set his mind into because of it. It was like he could read everyone's soul, like if he could hear their prayers—hers included; despite being authoritative he was compassionate and despite being hermetic and stoic, he was unselfish and kind.

Megumi turned to look over her shoulder at the bedroom door closed at the end of the hallway and exhaled with worry for the lunar princess. After Kunzite left, she went back to bed with a very well-practiced smile and a promise that she was alright; Megumi knew well she wasn't and no matter how much she tried to convince her friends, she could feel the sorrow in her heart and the rage for having being ripped from the arms of her beloved. She heard her muffled and desperate sobs questioning their fate, and the gods' undying wish to crush their dreams in the middle of the night; she heard her calling her husband's name over and over again with hopes of creating some sort of connection with him. Megumi knew there was something else crushing Serenity's spirit that no matter how much she tried to stand strong, it was there, like a splinter deep in her heart torturing her and making her ache, a splinter only the prince would know how to remove.

Minutes later she watched her walking out of the bedroom wearing a long royal blue maxi dress with thin straps and a v neckline, barefoot, makeup-free and with her long and sleek platinum hair down as she was opting to wear it lately—if only her husband could see her, she thought. Megumi looked at her in awe realizing it was very rare to see the sweet princess wearing a bold color like that that only enhanced her pale, porcelain skin and her moonbeam hair; Megumi noticed Serenity was wearing the terran queen's golden pendant and felt a nostalgic flair in the way she looked, it was almost as she was paying homage to the royals of Earth. The princess joined her at the living room and sighed softly when she looked out at the window and the cloudy sky and sighed softly, "It misses him,"

The maiden blinked and turned her head to look at the regal princess. Serenity placed her warm hand on the cool window and watched how it a small foggy cloud form around it, "Earth is missing its guardian... I miss my guardian... my scrappy lion," she closed her eyes, "She does too..." her brows furrowed in frustration, "She feels it too... this pain, this pungent, heartbreaking pain, since they took him away from her too..."

"Princess?" Megumi asked confused, Serenity leaned her arm on the cold window and opened her icy blue eyes, "I saw her... Queen Gaia. I saw her in a dream, days after my return from Inferno and she told me... she told me... that they had taken her beloved King."

"Queen Gaia..." Megumi's eyes widened with surprise, "Y-You spoke to her, Your Highness?"

Serenity nodded and looked up at the sky, "She and Endymion... they're so much alike. There is a quality in their personality that makes them stand out I am very sure from everyone in the galaxy, if not the universe. They are both strong, beautiful and so regal... and also, so awfully stubborn." She frowned and shook her head showing her slight annoyance and quickly let it go with a soft sigh, "They were forced to live up the expectations of their dynasty but unlike Endymion, the Queen didn't want to fight, not the way she was expected to do it. She didn't want to keep fighting for others but herself. With Endymion, all he wanted was to become strong to fight for those that couldn't, so they could live in peace without really caring for his own well-being." She frowned, "I now know how he must have felt all these years every time I risked my life as Sailor Moon to protect and save others and he couldn't do much about it, how he couldn't stop me from doing it—stop me from going away from him. This hole in the pit of your stomach... this impotence, this..." she shook her head and took a deep breath, "When I threw myself into Pharaoh 90 and he watched me fall without an opportunity to do something to prevent it, this is what he must have felt... when he didn't see me come back." The princess let out a choked sigh, "Queen Gaia suffers for her beloved too... she's in pain and what's worse, she can't fight anymore." She turned to look at Megumi with tears in her eyes, "I _can_ fight... but this is the first time in all my time being a sailor senshi, that I don't know how... I don't know what to do..." her voice started to quiver, "Hell is so deep Megumi... it's so dense..." her eyes narrowed, not minding her tears anymore, "You lose yourself in its ambiance... you wish to die over and over again so you don't have to feel any pain. I'm in hell Megumi..." she looked down at the golden pendant hanging from her neck and held it tight, "But my desire to be with him is far much greater than my wish to die."

Megumi took a step closer and cupped the princess' face in her hands and leaned closer to kiss her tears, taking Serenity completely by surprise by her motherly and protective gesture. The maiden drew back but her hands remained in place, "You have a deep wound in your heart, a wound only my Prince can heal," she looked into the princess' icy blue eyes with determination, "But it is like you said, your desire to be with him is far stronger and I am more than certain that he thinks the same, he will not give up, he will return to you because you two belong to one another..." she gave her a warm smile, "I promise you, Princess, that once my Prince returns, you will have him all to yourself."

The more time she spent with Megumi the more she loved her, the more she admired her. Unlike them, Megumi had no cosmic or divine blessing, but she was without a doubt one of the strongest women she has ever had the pleasure and honor to meet because she has faced true horror and she was still standing with a brave heart and an unfaltering loyalty to them despite her own limitations. While neither the shitennou or senshi had left her side during these difficult times, it was Megumi who courageously had taken Endymion's place and became the anchor that kept her with her feet on the ground. Serenity sniffled and caressed the maiden's cheek and cracked a sad chuckle, "That would be terribly selfish of me..."

"No, it would be a wife spending quality time with her husband." Megumi frowned, "Princess, you need to stop feeling guilty for wanting him to be with you. Even him, with all that unbreakable sense of responsibility and duty you have mentioned he has, he values his time with you more than anything—every minute with you is sacred to him, untouchable—un-negotiable. And I know for certain that it is something he secretly likes—for you to want him only for you, to be this protective of him. I am sure he will make up for it once he returns." She pulled her sleeve to dry the princess' tears with it and shook her head, "I remember the many times I had to come up with lies and alibis to justify His Highness' absence at dinner time because you had come to visit him. He could spend more than a day without seeing Her Majesty but he could not stay one second without seeing you." The comment made Serenity blinked with surprise and tainted her cheeks with a sweet rosy blush, "Really?"

"Oh, if you only knew, Your Highness..." Megumi sighed softly; Serenity cupped the maiden's cheek lovingly, "You are doing it again, pulling me back from the ground and shake the gloominess off my spirit."

"As many times necessary, Princess." Megumi smiled, "For as long as you allow me,"

Serenity pinched her nose, the same way Endymion would pinch hers after having a comforting conversation and tilted her head with a hint of curiosity in her crystal blue eyes, "Is there any tea?"

"Of course," the question lightened the mood between them and made Megumi smile. She walked to the kitchen to take the mugs she was sure the princess wanted her to use and put boiling water "A special blend, in particular, Your Highness?"

"No... I'll leave it to you," Serenity said as she let out a long exhale and walked to the living room to claim her usual seat on the sofa with her legs propped up to her chest and leaned closer to grab the black mug Megumi was offering her, the same one she had been using ever since she returned home—his, "Thank you,"

Megumi put the white cup on the table to let the tea simmer a little longer and turned to the princess with a soft, nostalgic smile, "Lady Jupiter left some special blends the other day, I thought, since you are looking like a true terran royal, rose tea was the most appropriate, after all, it was Her Majesty's favorite. I think it is a lovely way to honor her memory."

Serenity blinked, "Terran royal?"

Megumi nodded, "The deep blue gown... the pendant... you remind me so much of Queen Gaia." She smiled and leaned her back in the sofa's armrest "She always wore these astonishing gowns in very rich colors—blue was her favorite—and she wore it very often... from velour to silk, to gauze, to chiffon... so elegant and poised."

"Queen Gaia..." Serenity leaned to put her mug on the side table and tilted her head, "I imagine you got to assist her?" Megumi quickly shook her head, "Oh no, no, no. Lady Aurea did. She was her personal maid and closest friend—her confidant. She was the only one, besides the royal family, who called Her Majesty by her name. We all thought it was a very bold approach because well, one must _never_ address royalty without acknowledging their title... but she did, and she did the same with His Highness." She chuckled, "It was actually the other way around, whenever Lady Aurea called the Prince by his title it was because she was mad about something and she was ready to give him some serious scolding."

"Aurea..." Serenity widened her eyes and tilted her head with curiosity, "Was she strict?"

"Very," Megumi nodded and leaned to take a sip of her tea, "But..." she put her mug down again and turned to the princess with a soft smile gracing her thin lips, "It was expected her to be. She was, after all, the one that took care of everything around the palace. Lady Aurea supervised everything with close detail. She had to make sure everything went smoothly, but deep down, she was very kind-hearted and she cared for the royal family very much. Her character was rough, sharp—a little too blunt at times, but she always treated everyone with respect."

"I think I remember her..." Serenity leaned her chin on her bent knees, "The day Endymion took me to meet the Queen, she was there... she was introduced as his godmother,"

"Yes," Megumi nodded, "She and Lord Leonidas were Prince Endymion's godparents." She smiled, "Lady Aurea started as a maid at the palace. I am not sure if she started in the kitchen as I did, but, after so many years, she married the King's right hand and advisor—General Leonidas. Then, she gained her noble title as Lady, but she never resigned her position to assist Queen Gaia, nor Her Majesty wanted her to leave her side."

Serenity looked at the maiden with undying curiosity, "What was it like, Megumi, to live in Elysion? What was it like to live in the terran palace?"

Megumi blinked a little startled by the princess' question but then let herself be taken down memory lane, "A dream. Elysion was a beautiful land full of greenery, lakes, and rivulets. The palace..." she let out a dreamy sigh, "It was a beautiful place, so full of greenery. There were roses everywhere, all colors... pink, red, yellow, white... it was magical. Life at the palace was calm with the exception of the west wing, which is where King Eros and Prince Endymion spent most of their time meeting people from all over the world. Her Majesty, Queen Narella—our Mother Queen, well, she was something else." She chuckled lightly, "She loved social gatherings and she was always planning the next luncheon, tea party, or ball. It was a little harder to please her, but she never looked at anyone like she was anyone's superior. I can speak for everyone that worked there that no one felt mistreated by the royal family; they were very inclusive and respectful but, I can say I was very fortunate to be trusted enough to serve Prince Endymion on a daily basis."

"Was he strict?"

"Very,"

"Really?"

Megumi chuckled, "Is he not already?"

Serenity blinked, "Well... he is... but..." she blushed, "He is married to me and I am _a lot_ to handle. He has learned to loosen up a little bit... I think?"

Megumi smiled, "Prince Endymion was very specific with how he wanted things done, that is where his strict behavior rooted. Privacy and organization had to be handled with impeccable hermeticism. Before I was assigned to be his personal maid, he had another person assisting him—as protocol required, it was a maior domus, but, for what I learned from Lady Aurea, he did not feel comfortable mostly because he was used to doing things by himself. He did not like being assisted on things like getting dressed or polishing his boots while he is there getting ready for a meeting, also, because I believe he caught him reading his paperwork once."

"Oh..."

"Yes," Megumi nodded with a chuckle bubbling out, "Oh, indeed."

"Was this person fired?"

"Replaced with immediate action and was put under serious supervision by the Shitennou for some reasonable time—I remember clearly, Lord Zoisite was in charge of this matter. Then I came along."

"Wow," Serenity blinked "And the King and Queen?" She hugged her legs with genuine interest and wonder, "Were they good to you too?"

"The best," Megumi answered simply with a warm smile on her face, "One could truly see the love flowing between Their Majesties. I may not be the best to speak about the King and Queen because I did not get to have much contact with them, but they were very much loved and respected by everyone. They never treated us like servitude, they always asked everything with politeness and respect... it was truly an honor to work for the royal family."

"And the people?"

"People from all around the world traveled to meet with them," Megumi smiled, "The royal family had a tradition to have public audiences as a way to fortify their unity as a nation. They listened to their troubles concerning different matters—health care, economy, employment, security... they listened to it all and they also received countless gifts."

This piece of information caught Serenity's attention; she remembered faintly listening to the prince talking about this once but she didn't really understand how it actually worked. In her world, they didn't do anything remotely close to this, all arrangements and negotiations were made directly with other gods, not with the people. She knew there were inhabitants on the Moon and while it wasn't a big nation, like Earth or any other planet, for that matter, she knew the Moon Kingdom had valuable riches and power. But this, knowing that the royals on Earth actually took time to listen to their people really woke something in her and she wanted to know more—she wanted to learn such valuable principles of humbleness.

"How often did they do this?"

"Once or twice a month. I believe it was a rule King Eros proposed to His Majesty, King Odell, when he was still a Prince. Lady Aurea explained this to me before I started working at the palace since I was going to be needed whenever Prince Endymion had to be present, in case he needed something."

"And were they constant?"

"Oh yes. It was of great importance to them—they took these audiences very seriously. For what I learned, it was a proposal from Queen Gaia herself, before she even married the King and it worked—and later on, when they took the throne as King and Queen, they continued the tradition with Prince Endymion following their legacy. With time and as Her Majesty's health weakened, she stepped aside and let the King and Prince, along with the Shitennou continue with the public audiences."

"They were truly honorary leaders and protectors of the world." Serenity said with admiration, "How marvelous."

"They were royals and they had riches and luxuries no one else had, true, but they listened to their people's needs." Megumi sighed with sadness, "That is why it was so strange when war sprouted with such madness and anger." She closed her eyes, trying to fight her tears, "That night... I did not get to see them before Lady Beryl attacked... it all happened so quickly..."

"War really wasn't a common problem,"

Megumi shook her head and sighed again, "I knew there were disagreements and cults of rebellion against the Monarchy, but... what happened and how it happened... no... it was not normal and it was not fair." Then, the princess' previous words resonated in her mind; she looked up at her with amazement in her chocolate brown eyes and blinked, "Did you really see her, Her Majesty?"

Serenity simply nodded, Megumi frowned, clearly trying to understand this new piece of information "H-How...? When?"

"In a dream... a very lucid dream, a couple of days ago." Serenity leaned back, "She mentioned the King had been taken from her but I didn't understand what she meant..." she turned to look away, "It didn't make sense to me until I heard Kunzite's confession."

"Does it mean she is alive as well?" Megumi leaned closer to the princess with a mix of hope and shock in her chocolate eyes, Serenity shook her head "I don't believe she is Megumi, I think... she was an illusion—stardust, the most beautiful kind." She looked down at the golden stone of her pendant "Similar to that time I went to the Moon and spoke to my mother, the Queen. It's like the stone had some of her power left and it reacted to me somehow."

Megumi was completely engaged in the princess' story when they suddenly heard a soft knock on the door; both women turned, Serenity frowned "Who could that be?"

"Maybe Lady Venus, or Lord Kunzite..."

"If it was any of them, they would have just walked in... they know that by now,"

"You know they are very respectful of your space," Megumi smiled softly, "I will go, Princess,"

Megumi stood up and quickly went to open the door, the second her gaze locked with one of the visitors made her blood run cold in her veins. She stayed quiet for a minute, still processing and thinking the right words to say; inside the apartment, Serenity was taking a longer sip of her rose tea and turned to the door but since her place on the sofa was a blind spot she could not really see what was going on, "Megumi, everything alright?"

"Y-Yes, Princess..." Megumi said softly with her glare still fixed on Haruka, who was standing next to Michiru. As much as she wanted to scream angry words at the tall blonde, Megumi knew it would do little to nothing to improve the situation, after all, she bitterly though, she was also a guardian and one that clearly loved the princess deeply. She was angry and deeply disappointed for her previous behavior but then remembered Serenity didn't know any of this so for now, she had to swallow that frustration and allow her to come in. She turned to Pluto, Saturn, and Neptune and nodded before stepping aside to let them pass and closed the door right after Uranus walked in.

Serenity widened her eyes when she saw the outer senshi walking toward her and tried to stand up, Michiru was the first to break the silence and raised her hand ever so sweetly and went to sit on the sofa next to her, "It's alright, Princess... don't get up," the siren woman gave the princess a gentle smile and combed a piece of silver hair to the side, "I know you are probably asking why we haven't come... but we knew you needed time to assimilate everything that has happened..."

Serenity sighed softly and turn on the sofa to face Neptune, "I will never assimilate what happened and I am not going to question your reasons for being absent these few days, I understand." She looked up at Pluto and then at Uranus, "I was worried about you, I just wished you had called to let me know you were safe." She turned to Saturn and extended her hand to grab hers, "I am so glad to see you are alright,"

Saturn took the princess' hand and sat next to her on the sofa but didn't dare to say a word, instead, she let Serenity break the barrier of silence between them, "It's so good to see you," she cupped the girl's cheek lovingly and could not contain her tears, "I've been wanting to thank you in person for all that you did for me," she smiled sadly and turned to Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus, "All of you."

Megumi felt the words like thorns in her heart given the things she witnessed right after the princess was taken by Athamas and Asteria. The way the prince was close to losing his mind and the way he took the matter into his own hands, not to mention the wind senshi's rage against him and the fight between them. She noticed it, the mortification in Uranus' face, her always confident character being fogged by insecurity and how her always defiant glare was diverted most of the time from the princess.

"We were worried when the girls told us you had run away from the temple, the night of your return."

"I know it is insensitive of me to ask you this, Princess, but... how are you doing?" Pluto sat next to Saturn and looked at Serenity with worry; Serenity shook her head, "It has been difficult... to coexist with this reality." She looked down at her fisted hand, "I can't accept things the way they are and I can forgive either." She frowned and looked up at the guardian of time, "But I have this strong feeling in my gut that you hold another piece to this mad puzzle,"

Pluto took a deep breath and closed her eyes, remembering the conversation she had with Endymion right before she opened the gates for him to cross to Hades' realm. Ever since the princess returned with Saturn from the underworld and she didn't see the prince coming along with them a terrible guilt has been devouring her inside, like a poisonous snake eating her heart. She felt responsible and there was no other way she could see things resolving, she was as guilty as Asteria; she had allowed him to cross through the fourth dimension and what was worse, her spirit had been pinned against a wall because if she hadn't done it, the princess would not have returned. Either way, she would have had to deal with some sort of blame.

"I couldn't stop him, Princess..." Pluto finally addressed the situation in the best way she could, "There was no point of negotiation; he was determined to go."

"Did he mention anything else as to why he was going or what he was planning on doing?" Serenity leaned closer and held Pluto's hand with hope but the guardian of time only shook her head, "His only mission was to bring you back, no matter the consequences."

"Prince Endymion made a deal with my Father,"

Serenity's eyes widened and turned to Saturn, who was looking at her with her intense violet eyes "In order for him to roam freely through the Underworld, he made an agreement with Hades. Your freedom in exchange for Asteria's soul-binding contract." Serenity slowly let go of Pluto's hand and took a deep breath, "What?"

"He knew Asteria was a problem and he knew Prince Endymion was on a mission—Hades saw the opportunity and took it. I tried to persuade him—my father—but, all the Prince asked me to do was to look after you and take you back to safety, just like Pluto said, with no opportunity for further negotiation. I didn't get to speak much with him... all he wanted, all he cared about, was to get to you, Princess." Saturn looked at Serenity with sad eyes, "We failed you, we should have tried harder."

"Saturn..." Neptune turned to the young girl wearing all black with wide eyes, Saturn leaned to hold Serenity's hand again, "Our jurisdiction has always caused you pain, it has always been a bitter scene. We mean no harm and yet, we break your heart. That is why we were not allowed to be close to you in the era of the Silver Millennium." She sighed sadly "Pluto feels guilty for having allowed Prince Endymion to cross those gates, Uranus because she could not protect you, Neptune because she couldn't see this coming and prevent it, and me... I couldn't make Hades reconsider... please, forgive us, Princess."

Serenity sighed softly and lowered her gaze, "I don't want that. I don't want you to feel guilty... this isn't about guilt and this isn't your fault." She pressed her lips, "You could have not prevented it, Endymion is a force to be reckoned with and he was on a mission—he is a polemarchos, Saturn." She looked at the girl in black, then at the other three senshi, "We all seem to forget that he is a warrior too... and just like you, he has his own way of fighting. Whether we like it or not, well, that should not be our problem, he has another jurisdiction and we must respect it the same way he respects ours."

The words fell like a ton of bricks over Haruka's shoulders, the serene but authoritative tone of the princess' voice was a reality check of what she had done when she was taken away. Endymion's sentence echoed in her head and for some reason, even when he was not there, she felt a strong chill that bristled her skin, making her realize the level of authority he had and the importance in Serenity's life. All senshi agreed to remain silent to what happened between her and the prince for the sake of the princess, because the situation was too complicated to mortify her even more by telling her that one of them was against him, the rightful guardian of this planet and heir to their monarchy, the one who would become king.

Megumi widened her eyes with genuine surprise to hear Serenity talk of her husband the way she was with so much resolution and calmness when just minutes ago she almost broke down into tears and understood that she was a soldier, above her life as a married woman and even above her title of princess, Serenity could be shattered inside but deep down she knew her husband was still fighting, he was still in a mission and probably what made her feel so helpless at times was that she was not there fighting with him.

Haruka felt her heart racing in her chest, her throat become dry and her always determinant and fierce glare was fighting the tears that burned down at the very edge of her lids. She couldn't keep it, for some reason, she couldn't stay silent. She felt like she was betraying her and staying silent would be a much greater sin than coming clean and deal with her rage and disappointment. Taking one step closer to her, Haruka looked into Serenity's icy blue eyes and exhaled, "There is something I believe you should know." Michiru widened her eyes and turned to her lover, "Haruka... don—"

"It's something I did, and something I take full responsibility for," Haruka interrupted Michiru, "Because I finally admit, that I was one of those gods."

"Haruka?" Serenity frowned, "What do you mean?"

"The moment the Prince awoke, I had my doubts. I had my fears. I thought you were going to be put through great danger. I knew you were going to suffer." Haruka closed her eyes, "I stood by the god's belief that he was going to bring disgrace to your life—I was following their rules, despite living here. I wasn't entirely happy that you, after knowing where he comes from and knowing he was a monster, still wanted to marry him. To me, it was reckless, and while I tried to accept it and stayed silent... it still echoed in the back of my mind, and it bothered me. I hated he was always a reason to make you cry, that he always put you through the worst of times. I hated he was becoming stronger—that he knew how to fight. I felt replaceable. I came to the conclusion that I would only serve and protect you, not him." She slowly opened her eyes but didn't dare to make eye contact with Serenity, "The day you were taken... I made my thoughts clear. I blamed him for what happened. I insulted him, mocked him, and even raised in arms against him—I fought him. I was mad he was the one going after you when to me, he had done enough. It angered me he wasn't even paying mind to what I was saying, that he didn't even want to fight."

"Haruka, please... not now. We had an agreement, please... stop..." Pluto tried to bring sense and prevent to make things worse than they all felt they were. Serenity shook her head and raised her hand, silently letting Pluto know it was alright to let her talk and turned to Haruka again and let her continue.

"He could have killed me, he was beyond mad and still, after my faults and insults, he walked past me and said he didn't care for anything that I did or said." Haruka took a deep breath and exhaled, "I understood, like you said, that he had a mission... a mission that came clear the moment you returned from the Underworld, safe and sound." She shook her head and from that moment on, the words she would never think she would say blurted out, "I failed you, Princess, I betrayed you."

Serenity stood up and went to stand face to face with the wind senshi with an unfaltering and regal poise, "Look at me, Uranus,"

Haruka shook her head, "I can't..."

"Why?"

"I betrayed your trust. I don't have the courage to look you in the eye and say I'm am deeply sorry."

"Are you?"

"Yes,"

"It's easy to fall into misconceptions, Haruka," Serenity sighed softly and tilted her chin up to meet her eyes, "Endymion has moved on from feeling tied down to guilt for having taken down lives, wielding a sword and take over the responsibility and high demands of what being a titan truly is. That doesn't make him a monster—that doesn't make him a sin, nor his origins or the blood that runs through his veins a curse. Yes, he's different... but to be fair, the gods condemn everything that doesn't follow their laws and see it as a crime—like our union. Love isn't a curse or a sin and yet, we aren't blessed, we've gone against the current ever since we met, more than two thousand years ago. We have everything against us but we fight back. That monster as everyone calls him, has inspired me to go further and break the barriers of fear tying me down. That monster taught me to defend myself and not be afraid to speak up. He listened when no one else did, he supported me when everyone thought it wasn't my place to make myself known and give my opinion. He gave me courage when everybody dismissed my wishes to become stronger, to become a fighter for justice—like all of you. When Athamas, the divine soldier, hurt me, Endymion, the monster, always comforted me and healed my wounds. He has always been there to give me the strength I need, and even in his weakest state, he had my back and gave me all he had. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have found the silver crystal, summoned the moon chalice, or even regain my strength and confidence as Sailor Moon. One way or another, he has always been there." Serenity looked at Haruka with the most intense glare the sandy blonde has ever seen, one that made her feel weak in the knees, one that made her see the petite woman in front of her as a true royal and not just her sweet odango-chan, "I know that man better than anyone and I love him more than _anything_ in this universe. If you can't accept it, Uranus, that is not my cross to bear. The one married to him is me, not you. I chose this path, it was my decision... I don't need to be saved."

Haruka tried to look down but Serenity's hand on her chin prevented her from diverting her attention from her, "You have not betrayed me—you're here, accepting a fault, meaning you want to make things right. I know you're not a bad person but it is not me who you need to give this apology."

"Princess..." Haruka widened her eyes, "B-But I—"

"You didn't offend _me_ , you didn't call _me_ a monster or use your powers against _me._ You didn't try to kill _me_." Serenity moved her hand to cup Haruka's cheek, "I love you Uranus... I love you deeply, more than you can imagine. Thank you for coming forward and tell me all this but I cannot accept your apology because it doesn't belong to me." She moved back and turned to Pluto, Neptune, and Saturn with the same determinant look in her eyes, "I too made the mistake to forget that we are different, that our strengths and abilities are different—that he kills. Yes, he's killed before and that he will probably keep doing it to preserve a balance, but he has me to bring redemption—I am his rock, his support. I am his balance. It is not about who can do what, or who can do it better, it's about doing it together." Serenity took a deep breath, "We share a dream and we both have the same wish and one way or another, I know we will make it true, no matter how much I cry, no matter how long it takes... we will find a way to make it true and I wish for you to stand with us."

Michiru, Setsuna, and Hotaru stood next to Haruka and gave the princess an assuring look. Serenity smiled softly and felt a strong tug in her chest that made her jolt and turn her head to the window, startling everyone in the room, Megumi included. "Princess?" she asked. Serenity frowned and hurried to the window in to look outside and held the golden pendant with force as she looked up at the afternoon sky and took a hasty breath.

O—o—o—o—O

Trapped between coils of veins with thorns, dismembered bodies and haunting spirits, the rustling sound of movement and hasty breaths slowly brought him back from his penumbra. His eyes slowly opened, showing a crisp blue color and slowly widened in awareness. His body felt heavy, and it ached—it ached so much; every muscle, every inch of it. Like if he had been dragged and buried under a pile of rocks, crushing every nerve of his body. It was confusing, how is that he ended under such conditions but as strange as it was, what surprised him the most was that he was still there, alive.

He tried to move but his body was still trying to connect to his brain, or maybe it was because he felt like he was being pushed hard against the ground. He tried to think of recent events, anything that could tell him what has happened and how is that he ended there; a faint voice echoed in the back of his mind, that he remembered, a calling, a plead.

 _"I am taking you out of here,"_

 _"I am here to take you out of here... I need you to keep breathing... please, don't give up..."_

" _Don't give up..._ "

 _"It took me so long... forgive me, Father, for taking this long..."_

 _"She is waiting for you."_

Eros felt his heart started beating fast in his chest like if new blood was pumping in and out, revitalizing each part of his body and slowly turned his head, his blue eyes widened when he saw he was not under a pile of rocks as he initially thought but someone was shielding him from the debris and thorns around him, someone he knew perfectly well for he had once held him in his arms when he was born. For more than two thousand years, his eyes were strong to see with clarity and his heart reacted to his brain and remembered the night he last saw that face—his son's face.

Endymion lay on top of the terran king's body using his as a protective shield from the dark spirits and entities lurking around them. Eros couldn't believe he was seeing the prince there and initially wondered if it was all another illusion, another cruel dream. His limbs finally regained strength and mobility, he no longer felt cold and disconnected to his surroundings; the more he looked at the prince, the more he came to analyze the situation and the more he came to grasp reality.

"E-Endymion..." his chapped lips finally mouthed his son's name with recognition. "Endymion,"

The prince let out a weak cough and slowly moved his face to meet his hazy gaze with his father's livelier eyes and gave him the faintest of smiles, "Rise... and shine... Your Majesty..."

Behind that sarcastic joke, there was an evident surprise and emotion in Endymion's frail voice, something that made the king's heart cringe with melancholy. Eros felt something was not right in the way the prince was talking and his tired gaze. Without paying attention or even caring about what was happening around them, the king finally gathered the strength he needed to break through the stiffness of his body and slowly pushed the prince's body to rest aside. Endymion tried to push himself up but his body was no longer responding, it was giving in, he had reached his limit and with one tumbling move, his arms did no longer resist his weight and fell back on the ground. Eros followed and slowly rolled to the side and kneeled next to the prince and slowly remembered the events that brought him to where he is now; the battle in Elysion, the explosion that confirmed Gaia's death, the crumbling pieces of the palace, Leonidas' death, and the last time he saw his son. The minute he touched Endymion, all the tortuous images of his life in hell played in his mind, the endless times he tried to escape and how his life slowly slipped away, pulling him to a catatonic state. He froze for a minute with disbelief as he watched his son struggled to stay awake and then he felt it, he looked down at his ragged clothes and saw they were soaked wet and widened his eyes when he saw the red stain in his hand and noticed the lining of his son's armor and uniform were also stained, realizing it was his blood what had brought him back from his haze, almost as if it reacted to his and pulsing life back into his body, "No..." Eros shook his head and leaned closer, "No, my son, what have you done?! What happened!?" He looked down at his son's deep wound, "You are wounded... you're bleeding!"

"The Andromedian..." Endymion coughed and made a frown, trying his best to fight the blood in the back of his throat, "The seal... has been broken..." he took a deep breath, "The soldier that took your life... he did this... and broke the seal... he's out... your... brother in law..."

"For heaven's sake, Endymion," Eros muttered angrily, "Even in moments like these you still manage to be as sarcastic as your mother,"

"What did you expect?" Endymion let out a weak, hoarse chuckle, "I'm your son... you made me... this... way..."

"That is not a good excuse,"

"That is... the best excuse, King of Earth,"

"Endymion," Eros shook his head, "H-How...?"

"I know... the truth... about my mother... about you... breaching the laws of nature for love," Endymion blinked slowly as he tried to grasp some air to fill his lungs, "Of what I am... of who I am... it's alright... it's a long story..." he took another deep breath and moved his arm to take the extra key Pluto handed him before he crossed the gates and gave it to the king "Here..."

"What is this?" Eros looked at the intricate design of the key and looked at his son with puzzlement, "What are you giving me a key for?"

"Use it... to get out..." Endymion took a deep breath and coughed softly, "It's a special key—a magical key, if you may," he turned to look at his father, "I snatched it from the Guardian of Time and Space herself, so... don't lose it..." he coughed, "I won't hear the end of it... if you do... alright?"

"Why are you being so careless?! This is so unlike you!"

"Unlikely... would be... leaving you... behind..."

"Stop it! I will not hear any more of this!" Eros said on the verge of tears, "I have to take you out of here!" He tried to carry his son but Endymion slapped his hand away to stop him with a much more serious look on his face, "There is nowhere else to go from here, Father. This is where we part ways,"

"What are you even saying?! Don't be absurd!" Eros shook his head, "No, no... you need to come with me!" Endymion looked at his father, or at least where he thought his father was and shook his head slowly, "I can't go..." he mumbled weakly, "I knew the... risks... of this... I'm sorry..."

"Do not ask for forgiveness!" Eros shook his head, "We need to get out of here, this is an order from your King!"

"I can't..." Endymion shook his head, "My body is failing me, King. I can't move anymore... I used all that was left of energy within me... I have nothing left..." he took a deep breath and exhaled, "I'm tired... so tired... so tired..."

"No!" Eros leaned closer with panic when he saw his son's deep blue eyes started to lose their mysticism and clarity, "Endymion, do not dare to give in!" He put his hands on his shoulders, "Do not dare to close your eyes! Do you hear me!? Do not close your eyes!"

"Usako..." Endymion sighed weakly, "She would be calling me lazy right now... she's probably mad at me... saying I am the worst husband ever..."

"What?" Eros blinked startled; Endymion took a deep breath and smiled sadly, "She would be saying something like... _'Come on, Mamo-chan, wake up... don't be lazy... that's my thing'_ or _'I'm hungry... can you make pancakes for breakfast again?'_ " He could not help feeling caught up in the emotion of his own words, realizing what was happening to him and felt a knot in the back of his throat, making him choke with emotion, _"I made a fresh batch of that bitter, awful coffee you like... seriously Mamo-chan... how can you drink that thing every single day? You are so weird."_ A warm smile crossed his handsome face, "Being married... is the best sense of belonging... of complicity... finding _her_... the best thing... that ever happened to me..."

"Endymion... why are you speaking like that? Stop it. You are frightening me," Eros frowned; Endymion turned to his father with that same weak smile and took another deep breath, "She would let me play with her hair... her beautiful hair of moonbeam..."

"Stop it..."

"She would sing me a song... to cheer me up..."

"Please, stop this..."

"Or run her delicate fingers... through my hair to put me... to sleep..."

"Stop this!"

"She's so beautiful... so beautiful... I've been so damn lucky... so damn blessed... I love her so much... I love her so much..."

"Endymion..."

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry Usako..." Endymion let the tears in his eyes roll down slowly down his cheeks, "I'm so sorry..."

"Endymion!"

"I am glad I could see you again... Your Majesty... even if it was only for a little while..." Endymion smiled, "Farewell, Father." Endymion put his hand on top of Eros' and took a deep breath, *" _Tempus Custos... esta innocentes vindictam suam vitam ab ista maledictio, quaeso, meas audite preces..."_

"No..." Eros looked wide-eyed at the shiny key in his hand glowing a soft garnet color in response to the prince's prayer and looked at his son with panic. Endymion felt limp and heavy, as if the last string of his life slowly unraveled from him and slowly closed his eyes "—I will always be there for you. I will always be with you, even when you can't see me... I'm here..."

Eros frowned and leaned closer when he heard his son mumbling words, almost as if he was having some sort of conversation, "Endymion... what are you talking about?!"

"Pray... just pray... my soul is yours..." Endymion faintly whispered in the air, sounding like if he was not entirely there, almost as if he was talking to someone else there with him. The terran king felt like if his heart had stopped beating, like if he had taken the strongest of blows and his lungs were stripped of all traces of air; his cerulean eyes started to burn with tears and leaned to hold his son in his arms and broke into sobs, "My son, Endymion, what have you done?! What have you done!?" A soft glow and a warmth pulled him away from the prince and disappeared in a flash of light.

O—o—O

As soon as the intense light that engulfed him just seconds ago dimmed, Eros looked up to see the entire chamber, including the prince in his arms, were nowhere to be found. It was like he was suspended in a different time, in a different stage, probably the afterlife. Between heaven and hell, between an illusion and reality. Everything was light, clear, and serene. There was no sound, there was no beginning and no end, but somehow, he still felt guided and a with a sense of warm comfort—after thousands of years of torment and remorse, the king of earth finally felt at peace.

It didn't take long to catch something at the corner of his eye and turned; his blue eyes went wide when he realized he wasn't alone in that vast space and took a deep breath that would feed life into his lungs once again, "Ab omnibus coeli... dea mea..."

O—o—o—o—O

 _"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry Usako..."_

Serenity widened her eyes when she felt an excruciating pain in her chest, making her take a hoarse gasp. Megumi was the first to notice something was wrong and went quickly to her aid, "Princess!?"

Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Saturn jumped also to her rescue when Serenity gave in and collapsed to the floor and started screaming with harrowing pain taking everyone by surprise, compared to how quiet and composed she was just minutes ago. The sandy blonde kneeled next to her and wrapped her arms around her protectively, "Princess?!" Serenity started to shiver and clung to Haruka to dear life and cried louder, "What's happening?! Princess, what's wrong?!"

Pluto widened her eyes when she felt it too, a strong pull alerting her that someone had used a key of time and space and summoned her garnet talisman. Saturn narrowed her eyes and turned to look out the window, "You feel it too?" Pluto turned from her talisman to the young senshi with worry; Saturn nodded, "The disruption in the fourth dimension..."

"Disruption?" Neptune turned to both and frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Something happened..." Saturn mumbled and turned to Neptune, "The mirror—does it say anything?"

Neptune went to look for it and called for its power to reveal something but all she could see was pitch darkness, "No... it doesn't want to react—unbelievable."

Uranus pulled Serenity closer into her arms and clenched her jaw, fearing the worst; listening to the princess' desperate cries made her thing only one thing and turned to Megumi, "Call the girls—call the generals too, they need to come as soon as possible!" Megumi looked at Uranus with hesitance, a thing the blonde clearly accepted and nodded, "I know you don't trust me right now... but she comes first and this is an emergency, they need to be here, please... _please_... call them... I can deal with anything as long as she's okay."

Megumi looked at Serenity going through another panic attack, very similar to the one she got to witness when Mercury had to give her a tranquilizer to calm her nerves and quickly went to the phone to call her first. Thankful for the quick response, Megumi blurted out with hurry what was going on and it didn't take long for Mercury to get there to check on the princess. By the time she arrived, Haruka had Serenity restrained in her arms and keeping her from getting hurt or hurt others out of consciousness. This was new to the outer senshi, they had never seen the princess lose herself this way and it was heartbreaking. A while later, as Uranus was expecting, the rest of the girls and shitennou got there in a hurry and with a worried look in their faces and took care of the situation by Kunzite taking the princess from Uranus' arms and taking her to the bedroom with the help of Venus, Mars, and Jadeite.

Nephrite and Jupiter stayed in the living room with the girls with Zoisite by Megumi's side to give her emotional support. This was as hard for her as it was for everyone and even more, since she had been creating a special and unique bond with the princess. "It all happened so quickly..." Megumi sniffled softly and dried her tears with her sweater sleeve, "She was doing fine and then she suddenly plummeted into this frenzied panic state,"

"Did she say anything?" Zoisite asked softly to the maiden, to what in response she only shook her head, "No... no, she just started crying and screaming at the top of her lungs..."

The blonde turned to the outer senshi and locked his jade-colored gaze with Uranus', "Or did someone tell her something that made her upset?" Haruka sighed, just like she told Megumi, as expected all eyes were going to be on her, "I did. I take responsibility for what happened."

The blonde man sighed and looked at the outer senshi with concern, "We had an agreement, Sailor Uranus. Princess Serenity was not supposed to know what happened between you and Prince Endymion."

"That was not what upset her, Zoisite," Nephrite joined, Jupiter turned to look at her beloved with curiosity "What do you mean?" The brown-haired general clenched his jaw and exhaled, "Princess Serenity's will is starting to wear out. This has been too much pressure on her and it is beyond us at this point. If Endymion does not return soon, her spirit will be completely broken and she will get lost in deep sorrow."

Minutes later, Mercury walked out of the bedroom with a serious face, "She's alright," she sighed softly, "She's finally asleep. I had to give her another sedative, but her body is starting to get affected by the high amounts of stress she goes through every time she enters in this panic and almost catatonic state. Her health is very delicate and she has not fully recovered from her return from the Underworld—aside from other health conditions she had been dealing with before she was taken away."

Venus felt Mercury tense up, knowing exactly what health conditions she meant and looked at the girls and shitennou in the living room and intervened before they could try and go deep further in the matter, "She's still dealing with severe anemia... she hasn't been eating well, that is why her health right now is fragile." She turned to Uranus, "Before we start throwing balls of blame at Uranus, I want to leave clear that Mamoru was aware of this. He was taking care of her and treating her condition before she was captured by Asteria. That situation has been talked about and cleared by Serenity herself so there is no point on going there once again."

"What happened?" Uranus frowned with mortification, "Why is this happening to her?"

"She's been going through an emotional imbalance, meaning, everything around her affects her on a triple scale. In her case, her response to this is by having severe panic attacks and separation anxiety." Venus turned to the girls and shitennou, "You may remember when the prince was unconscious and she wouldn't leave his side at all times, or how she is not able to sleep if he's not there well this is in a much greater scale."

"Has she always been like this?" Uranus frowned with concern, "I have never seen her being clingy to him or anything,"

"Let's not forget what has been happening over the last few months are not easy to swallow. Jadeite was right when he reminded us she just got married and that this should be her honeymoon phase. Both should be having time on their own and adjust to their new life instead of dealing with this nightmare." Mercury sighed and walked to the sofa to take a seat, "We understand we have different lives, our normal is a different kind, but still, we must not forget she is a woman in love..." The bluenette turned to Uranus and frowned, "I couldn't help overhearing when you said you talked to her,"

Uranus sighed and sat on the sofa, next to Mercury "I did." She looked at Mars, Venus, and Jupiter and raised her hand silently asking them to let her continue, "I know what I did. I know it was wrong—I asked her to forgive me. I know we said it was something that we were not going to talk about with her but I felt like I was betraying her. No matter how much I wanted to come and see her, I couldn't, I didn't have the courage to look her in the eye and act as nothing happened."

"And what happened?" Mars frowned, "Is this why she got so upset?"

"The princess took it with much maturity and grace." Neptune stepped in the conversation to clear things out in behalf of her lover, "She was fine... but, then, something else happened."

"What do you mean?" Jupiter gave the siren a confused glare. Pluto looked at heart-shaped talisman, "My Garnet Talisman reacted," she frowned "I felt a strong energy in the fourth dimension. Saturn felt it too, a disturbance."

"From the Underworld?" Venus turned to Saturn, "What could this mean?"

"It is difficult to know," Saturn looked at the senshi of love and shook her head, "I can't tell for certain what caused such disturbance or what could be related to it, even if I wanted to go and see for myself, Hades has closed all gates that would lead to the realm of the dead."

Jadeite crossed his arms and took a deep breath, "Could it be Endymion?"

"I gave Prince Endymion two space-time keys." Pluto frowned as she looked into her garnet talisman, "I know I was pushing my jurisdiction to the very limit by giving him an extra key but deep down I knew whatever happened in the Underworld, even if he didn't return with the princess, he was going to find his way back." She let out a shaky breath, "That key was used... I sensed the calling and it has returned to me, but there is no trace of his aura."

"We could try going back to the Space-Time corridor and se—" Uranus turned to Pluto with wide-eyes when the guardian of time raised her hand to interrupt her, "Pluto?"

"It's not as easy as it sounds, Uranus. Crossing planes and dimensions so often is a risky move and it could affect our situation even more—if there are disruptions our presence could complicate things and put everyone lives in grave danger. The Space-Time Continuum is a sacred realm—violating the laws of divinity come with a high cost, Prince Endymion knows this and it might be one of the reasons why he hasn't come back."

Neptune looked down at her mirror and took a deep breath, "My talisman isn't foreshadowing anything—all I see is a dark reflection, like I was looking through an onyx mirror."

"Sailor Pluto," Kunzite frowned, "Can you tell who is the person that used that key?"

Pluto tightened her lips with wonder and looked up at the first in command of the shitennou, "I do not know how to describe it... it's strange." Venus leaned closer to Kunzite and turned to Pluto "What do you mean?"

Pluto looked at her garnet talisman and frowned, "It is almost as if... there is another force moving all these pieces. Normally, I am supposed to know—it is my jurisdiction but this... this is strange, I cannot read or detect anything... who this is. It is almost as if a greater power concealed the identity of this individual."

"What if it really was Endymion?" Jadeite asked hopeful, "What if he is finally coming back from Inferno?"

Pluto took a moment to analyze the question and sadly, she shook her head, "The prince's energy is different—it is peculiar. This is not it." She looked at the blonde general, then at the other three shitennou who had the same hopeful look in their faces, "It is not the Prince..."

Saturn sighed softly and walked to the window in silence; her deep violet eyes had so much wisdom and knowledge of the line between life and death. As she looked outside at the cloudy skies the more she felt disconnected from the laws that defined her life so many years ago. She has died and reincarnated so many times to finally understand that sadly, to her father, she was nothing else but a tool—a beautiful tool. One that would solemnly take charge of matters and stain her hands with the blood of both innocent and guilty by laying down her majestic glaive. She has done it before, the definitive fall of the silver millennium and the souls that were there were under her sleeve. She was created to be senseless and trained to never feel empathy for anything, cold, distant and obscure. A morbid image, that she was sure.

Her fate changed and so her beliefs the moment she witnessed the power behind the moon princess. The sweetness in her voice and her way to find beauty in everything, even in someone so somber like her. The moment she was awakened those years back when she slept inside Mistress 9, despite knowing her nature and her duty, she was never judged. Instead, she was seen like one of them, a girl who had a right to feel, to dream and to live in a world away from the shadows of her past. In them she found friendship and a family, she found herself comforted by their care and protection even when she was the messiah of destruction, they welcomed her and nurtured her with nothing but love. She knew what it was like to have someone walking by her side, and someone looking after her; that is the dream she believed in and she wanted to make it a permanent reality. "This planet has started to fall asleep—it won't be long until it completely stops." She narrowed her violet eyes, "The time to be united is now. Princess Serenity is our priority, as sailor senshi and as her friends—in the prince's absence, we must step in and protect her until his return." She turned to look over her shoulder and locked her intense gaze at Uranus, "I stand by his side—I saw his struggle and the anger in his eyes and the desperation to get to Princess Serenity in the abyss of the Underworld. I am witness of their departure and I can say he did it without thinking about his own fate. He made a deal with the devil, exchanged his life for our Princess'—this is not the time to be doubtful because we believe the laws of nature are to cause division among us. Let us not forget where we stand, fellow Sailor Senshi. This is the planet we once believed it was cursed—the one sent to exile and banned from a divine alliance of peace. This is a planet we believed gave life to a monster that lurked in the shadows with the only purpose to take souls—our souls. This is the planet we believed primitive and obsolete, but in reality, all we have done is to try to imitate the ways of it. We wanted its water and we wanted its cool breeze, we wanted its liveliness—open your eyes and see its beauty and how it has embraced us as a part of it. This planet and its guardian welcomed us and allowed us to reincarnate and be reborn here. I stand by the Prince's side because he has protected our Princess to the very end. I do not believe the laws of nature are to harbor evil and hatred, I do not believe in the laws of gods. I, the emissary of the abyss of the Underworld, the Soldier of Death and Silence, I will fight by their side to bring justice once and for all even if it costs me my own life. I, Sailor Saturn, believe in my Princess and I believe in my Prince as well."

O—o—O

 _"Usako..."_

"Mamo-chan..." Serenity whispered and slowly opened her eyes; she looked at the afternoon sun setting in the distance from the large window in the bedroom and let out a long and heavy sigh, "How long will I be able to withstand this nightmare? It's torture... not being with you. I can't sleep if you are not here... it's hard for me to even breathe..."

"Hmm... that's interesting. It doesn't feel like it with all the twirling and kicking you had going on,"

Serenity's eyes widened twice in size and looked down at the arm she knew so well resting over her waist so casually and slowly turned over to finally meet him face to face. There he was, snuggled between the feather duvet she so much wanted him to buy when they went out to do their wedding registry and the pillows he made so much fun of because he said they were like giant marshmallows but eventually ended up loving. Looking like a dream with his dark hair ruffled and messy covering almost half of his face while the other half was still comfortably sunken in the thick and fluffy pillow; there lay the prince of earth. She could see a slight blush in his cheeks, an irrefutable sign that he had been sleeping soundlessly for a very long time—at least for his normal standards. It was unmistakable, the settled scent of his cologne in his skin, musky and fresh, that unique and alluring way it smelled when he had been wearing it for hours.

"W-What...?"

The prince slowly opened his prism eyes and frowned, trying to adjust them to the intense orange and pink rays of the setting sun in the distance, a good homage of the meaning behind his royal name, "What time is it?"

"I-I don't... w-what...?" Serenity shook her head, still feeling completely dumbfounded, "W-When...?"

"Love, are you okay?" Endymion's frown deepened and moved his hand to touch her cheek and smiled softly, "You don't seem to be sick," At his touch, so warm and so gentle—so familiar, Serenity could no longer keep her tears at bay and let them flow along with a symphony of heavy sobs, taking the prince completely off guard, "Buns?"

"When did you get back!?" Serenity took hasty breaths, Endymion blew his long fringe away from his face and looked at her rather confused, "What?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were back!? Why didn't you wake me up to tell me you were home!?" Serenity started crying and kicked him to express her frustration, "Just who the hell do you think you are?! I've been worried sick not knowing anything from you in weeks!"

"Bunny I—"

"Don't _Bunny_ me!" Serenity kicked his shin again, this time hurting and scaring the prince by her erratic behavior. Endymion jumped from his comfortable place on the bed and pulled her into his arms; he held her tight until she started to calm down, "Baby, what are you talking about? I've been here the whole time..." Serenity widened her eyes, "W-What?"

Endymion sighed, "I've been here the whole time," he leaned down and rested his chin on her head, "We came back from having lunch and we were so full we came straight back to take a nap, remember?"

"No... no... nuh-uh, that's not true... no..."

"Love, it's okay. You had a nightmare,"

"No,"

"You were talking in your sleep again,"

"No!"

"No?" Endymion pulled back and looked at her with a quirked brow "Then why are you so anxious?"

"Because—"

"Mm?"

"You... you weren't here! You sent me back..." Serenity shook her head and turned to look around the room and to her surprise, things were not organized the way she remembered. For starters, the clothes resting over the armchair were not the same ones she had used the day before, including the grey hoodie she liked to wear every night to sleep. The vase with flowers Megumi brought in every morning to lighten her mood wasn't there either, instead, there was a thick book next to his reading glasses, one she knew for certainty Endymion had stopped reading because he had rambled on about how boring it was and how every time he tried to give one another chance it put him to sleep. Serenity clearly remembered this because it was rare to hear him complain about something—much less a book of all things because he loved to read.

She turned to check her nightstand and noticed her cotton scented candle and the small golden tray where she put her rings before going to bed were not there either. It was then, when she noticed something was off, it wasn't right no matter how much it appeared to be. She looked down and widened her eyes in panic when she saw she didn't have neither her engagement or wedding band on her finger and turned frantically to look for them, trying to break free from the prince's protective embrace, "My rings..." she said with an anxious tone, "Where are they?!"

"What?"

"My rings... my engagement ring... my wedding ring... I had them on, where are they?!"

"It's okay,"

"No, it's not okay! Where are they!? I want my rings! They mean too much for me! I can't—"

"Buns,"

"I can't lose them! I can't!"

"Love," Endymion frowned and pointed his finger at the wall, "They're on the ceramic tray over the shelf by the t.v., you took them off before coming to bed—you said you felt like a stuffed donut—whatever that means."

Serenity widened her eyes, knowing that was something only she would say whenever she felt too full and shook her head, "You sent me back..."

"What?"

"You sent me back..."

"From where?"

"The Underworld."

"Ah..." Endymion smiled and let out a soft breath, "Baby, it's okay..."

"No... no, it's not okay! This isn't okay!" Serenity shook her head, "I know what I saw, I know it happened! I'm not crazy!"

"Hey..." Endymion cupped her cheek, " I never said you were, my darling, but I am here with you right now, aren't I?"

Endymion was Serenity's biggest weakness and strength. With one look, she would feel completely dismantled, like the only girl in the world. She couldn't resist his voice, that irresistible warm and low baritone voice, sensual and sweet at the same time, so velvety and elegant, like red wine. Her eyes started to burn with tears just by looking at him sitting in front of her on the same bed they shared as a married couple; the same one that has been witness and accomplice of their many snuggles, playful wrestling, pillow fights, and demonstrations of love. With as much desire she had in her heart to believe this was indeed true, Serenity knew her subconscious had created this dream and that the minute she opens her eyes she would have to face her tragic reality all over again, one, when the gorgeous man in front of her wasn't by her side touching her and giving her that beautiful smile she loved and missed so much to see.

Her icy blue eyes widened when Endymion put his hands on each side of her face and looked at her in all seriousness, "I was told once... that the strongest woman I would ever meet was the one that would get to capture my soul, the one that would love me for who I am and not for what I owned... rich or poor... she would love me and me alone," he smiled with melancholy, "And it's true. As always, she was right."

"Who did?"

"A very courageous woman,"

Serenity widened her eyes, "Was it the Queen?"

Endymion tilted his head, his thumbs were gently caressing the soft skin of her lips while his deep blue eyes were locked with her crystal blue ones, "You are the strongest woman I know—to keep up with me and still care for me after all that has happened... after all that I am. You are the bravest woman in this universe and I love you, I love you madly. You are my soulmate."

With those simple words, Serenity couldn't take it anymore and let her tears flow freely, "I hate you."

"What?" Endymion widened his eyes and looked at his wife looking back at him with tear-glossed eyes, "Why are you like this?" Serenity frowned, "Even in a dream, you're too good to be true..." she took a deep breath and broke into sobs, "Why can't you come back to me?!"

"I'm here..."

"No, you're a dream, a beautiful dream... one where you are here next to me and looking into my soul with those beautiful deep blue eyes of yours..."

"Usako," Endymion leaned closer and wiped her tears with his thumbs, "I will always be there for you. I will always be with you, even when you can't see me... I'm here." He smiled softly and tapped her chest with his finger and pressed the pendant against her skin, "You have my fate in your hands... I am yours."

Serenity took a hasty breath, "Why do you keep saying that?! I don't understand! Why do you keep saying that when it's obvious it's not true! You are not here! I want you here with me and yet you are still away... so far away..."

Endymion closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh, "I'm sorry... I shouldn't make you cry... you shouldn't be suffering because of me..."

"Just come home baby, that's all I want... come home..." Serenity closed her eyes and leaned her forehead on his, "Just come home... come back to me... I can't accept a world where I can't be with you. This isn't the deal we made when we got engaged... this isn't what we promised ourselves when we got married... help me, Endymion, _please_... I will fight, I will do whatever it's needed to be done. I really don't know what to do... please, Mamo-chan, please tell me what to do! Help me! I need your help!" She pulled his black t-shirt and grabbed onto him with all her strength and started crying desperately again, "Tell me what I need to do to bring you back!"

"I love you, Usa," Endymion whispered in Serenity's ear, "I love you, back to the world we belong. I will always love you, Moon Princess... more than you can imagine... more than you will ever know..."

"No... don't do this! You always do this!" Serenity shook her head and pulled her husband closer, "Goddammit, Chiba Mamoru! Don't change the subject! I'm not a therapist! I'm not your crazy ex-girlfriend! I'm your wife! I'm your Usako—I am yours and I need you!" Serenity wrapped her arms around Endymion's neck and sobbed heavily, feeling like he could disappear any second if she let go of him, "I need you!"

"Serenity,"

"Don't leave me Endymion! Please don't leave me again... please... stay with me a little while longer... stay with me... you swore you'll come back... you swore..."

"Pray... just pray... my soul is yours..." Endymion faintly whispered as he pulled her into his arms and slowly laid down with her on the bed Serenity now felt it was different. Everything around them was different despite being the same. It didn't look like it was the same room making her come to terms that she was trapped inside a memory or a place only she could create just for themselves with all the bits and pieces of her life with him. "Don't leave me..."

"I would never..." The prince whispered in her ear as he held her tight. He hushed softly to lull her like he always did whenever she was nervous or mad about something. Serenity slowly succumbed to her husband's tactics and started feeling heavy and hazy again. She was tired, emotionally exhausted. Her heart could no longer deal with so much pain, this was the closest to home, the closest to him and the closest to sanity and she couldn't fight it despite not being real she didn't want to fight it. This felt too real. She felt being lulled by his warm energy, covering her like a soothing and protective mantel and kept repeating the words like a mantra as she let herself be wrapped in her husband's strong arms and slowly drifted into to a heavier sleep.

"Don't leave me..."

"Don't leave... me..."

"Don't... leave... me..."

"Don't..."

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is rated M. Violence, gore, cursing, and intimacy may occur._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _A/N: Your support is my fuel. Your reviews my inspiration and motivation to keep posting. I am moved to tears, thank you so much._

 _Latin glossary:_

 _*Vindicate this innocent life from its curse, please, listen to my humble prayer, Time Guardian._


	70. Chapter 70

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Seventy

* * *

"I warned you—I warned all of you," Ares closed his eyes, "This is something that has been toying with us for far longer than we imagine."

"We accomplished your command, God of War—no one comes in, no one comes out."

Ares turned to face the lieutenant of the Olympian army in charge of keeping control in the realm of Olympus and its hermetic gates "What about the other Kingdoms and realms?"

"Secured as well, Polemarchos,"

"Gather the army, I want them around Olympus at once."

"Yes, God of War."

"General Agamemnon should be at the rim or Tartarus. If the gates were compromised, I would have given notice by now." Zeus frowned, "Hades went back to the Underworld. The army of shadows have been summoned by now and has granted permission to make use of them as you see more appropriate."

Zeus clenched his jaw and took a deep breath; after the meeting and its abrupt interruption with the arrival of the shadow commander, he has been restless and pensive. He ordered the other high gods to return to their posts and sent the alert to the other Olympians to protect their realms and asked Hephaestus, another High God and royal blacksmith, to start preparing his weapons for battle. He also took matters to protect his family by sending Hera to a different realm to protect her from the sudden threat. It was down to just the three brothers and two of Zeus advisors, Hermes and Janus to handle this situation from the conclave inside the palace.

-O-

 _"Can we count on the demonic nature of your servants?" Zeus muttered slightly hesitant. The man was one of few words but this time it was clear he had more on his mind that kept his always explosive character at bay. Being closer to Ares' personality and aggressive nature it was rare to see him this introvert and silent, giving Ares the clue to know that just like him, the lord of thunder was starting to fear for the worst._

 _"Cerberus will respawn soon enough—after what the hybrid did to it, it will take more to come back from its putrid state. Thanatos is still in flames, I cannot extinguish them," Hades gave an angry glare at Ares and then turned to Zeus "Hydra has been awakened to take the front while Erebus, Nyx, Hemera, and Thalasa will take charge and fortify the gates from the outside—Eris has been commanded to serve me as well as much as she does not like to do anything, but well, you should know that, she is your wife, after all."_

 _Ares turned to Hades with the coldest of glares, "Do you really think it is that easy? What you should have done from the very beginning was to put a sentence on Asteria. This is the aftermath of her actions and her—"_

 _"Do not try to turn this on me," Hades frowned, "The aftermath of her actions? Have you forgotten what you have done? It was you who violated our laws and went to Earth to awaken the hybrid. This is a high betrayal to your own kind," His eyes narrowed, "You thought I was not going to notice what you did... preventing that creature from dying and then lying about its nature. It was all carefully planned, every single one of your actions was planned. You are no different than Zeus, no different than me, Ares. You too wanted him to take advantage and make use of that power but I came victorious and took possession of his soul first."_

 _"How many forces do we have at our disposal?" Zeus interrupted, clearly addressing Ares and ignoring the rant between his two younger siblings. Ares pursed his lips, "Rough numbers—" he sighed as he leaned his arms on the large table of marble and opal, "We need to measure the level of damage."_

 _"I cannot sense any threat coming from Saturn..." Hades arched his brow, "The Underworld is closed,"_

 _"Tartarus is my main concern now that Thanatos is not strong enough to keep it at bay." Zeus turned with an angry glare, "If Gaia's offspring could cross so easily, what else could happen after it?" He narrowed his deep gray eyes, "Hades, if that seal breaks you better than anyone knows what can happen."_

" _Zeus," Hades frowned, "Even if it crossed, the hybrid made a deal with me—it cannot leave the Underworld."_

 _"Why did he cross, is what I want to know. This is clear proof of his alliance with that demon," Zeus frowned and turned to Ares with anger, "Your plans on recruiting him backfired, now, he is there plotting against us." His gray eyes darkened, "You better have a plan to fix this mess and finally realize the bitter truth of what happens when you put your trust in Titans. A child raised in benevolence? Helios successor? There is no such thing. Stop wishing for it to happen. Stop dreaming, Ares, you are the God of War so act as such!"_

-O-

Ares came to understand what was happening. Zeus' confusion was enough confirmation to know what was really going on. It was clear to him now, Zeus knew nothing and Hades never really bothered to tell him there were enough valid reasons to lure the prince to have him under his control. While the princess' capture may have been Asteria's plan, the interest to make a deal with Endymion was something Hades came up on his own to appease his ambition and fortify his status as a high god. Hades was clever, the devil indeed, but even he could make mistakes and taunting the prince with cheap and low tricks was one of them.

The god of war tilted his head low and analyzed the situation in silence as he continued to look at the several reports he had given Zeus over the past few days to try and find a pattern he could use to counterattack the enemy when he felt a strong presence manifest somewhere close. His gray eyes widened and looked up at Zeus who had the same deadpanned expression in his face. In a matter of seconds, both rushed out of the chamber and raised the alert to the guards and gatekeepers to secure the entire olympian palace and its surroundings.

Trapped in a mix of panic and denial, the second both gods got to the main court they saw clear evidence of intrusion. The guards that were sent to keep an eye and secure the entrance gates weren't there; Ares turned and it's when he noticed the trail of blood and tar that led to the east hall of the Olympian palace, knowing exactly where to go from there. Without a single soul awake or conscious, Zeus and Ares walked the long hallway to the majestic throne room and widened their eyes when they finally came close enough to meet their new visitor.

Athamas stood at the foot of the long golden staircase with an unreadable expression in his face, almost like if he was completely lost in a trance. His once tanned skin was now pale and dry as old parchment, his long blonde hair was dirty and lose and his antimony-colored armor showed clear signs of battle with splatters of blood and smudges of tar and coal. His green eyes despite being focused on them didn't show any life, they looked dry and slightly clouded.

"No..." Ares frowned, "It cannot be... it is not possible..."

"Who is this man?" Zeus narrowed his gray eyes with confusion, Ares gritted his teeth "This is not possible... it was you!?"

"Salve, Caeles de Olympus,"

 _(Greetings, Gods of Olympus,)_

Both Ares and Zeus felt their blood run cold at the salute and slowly raised their heads to meet the real owner of that voice. At the very top of the gilded staircase and under a pile of lifeless bodies sat a man in a black cloak with his arm casually resting over the hilt of his unsheathed long sword with his head low. A man that despite being covered in ash, blood, and tar had the distinctive and enigmatic beauty of his dynasty that proved the blood that runs through his veins.

A beautiful irony of the universe indeed. How somebody so alluring could harbor so much conflict inside? Looking at him was like staring into a nebula; mystical and hypnotic, always more than meets the eye. His body still showed some of the effects of having spent more than one lifetime locked in a dark pit and it was clear that all the lifeless bodies scattered around the throne hall and even the andromedian soldier served the purpose to feed him with their energy so he could regain his previous shape and strength to be where he was now. There was no question about it, his presence and poise were unmistakable. There was no doubt that the man sitting on Zeus' throne as he owned it, was in fact, Helios' grandson, first born to Geb, titan god of the land, and Nut, the titan goddess of the sky, older brother to Gaia, the titan of Earth.

The titan of void and dementia—Chaos.

As he slowly tilted his head up, his face finally came to view from under the pitch-dark curtain of hair that reached below his waist. The resemblance just as any other of Helios's descendants was there; a chiseled jawline, a straight nose and a widow's peak in the middle part of his hairline, thick dark brows and dark thick lashes framing such beautiful eyes that proved his lineage; intense and hypnotic were Chaos' prismatic eyes of amber that slowly changed from pale yellow to a deep golden shade. Chaos had the voice of a poet; low, deep, and seductive. He barely ever raised his tone, not even when he was upset a trait fairly used and paired with his unbreakable poker face that was always impossible to read.

Ares took a step closer and was immediately blocked by Athamas who quickly unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Zeus and Ares.

"Summittes Andromedian, hoc non est proper ut salutaret convivae sunt, non ita dictum est mihi," _(Lower your weapon Andromedian, this is not the proper way to greet guests, or so I was told,)_ Chaos looked at the two gods below, "Omnipotentis Olympi in Dis Excelsis,"

 _(The almighty High Gods of Olympus,)_

Ares frowned with threat, "Chaos..."

"Eam iam diu tandem occurrit ex nobis," Chaos tilted his head nonchalantly, "Magister Ares,"

 _(It has been a long time since we last met, Master Ares.)_

"This cannot be... no..." Zeus muttered still in shock, "This cannot be!"

Chaos arched his brow, "Quid est enim quod non potest non esse, Domine Tonantem? De hoc quod ego sum Tartaro et quod sedens super solio?" He scoffed and turned to look away, "Non te mutavit. Semper aliquid ad insaniam fere semper rugiens circuit ad insaniam convertunt sicut sus, et praedictio est."

 _(What is it that it cannot be, Lord of Thunder? The fact that I am out of Tartarus or the fact that I am sitting on your throne? You have not changed._ _Always mad about something, always roaring like a mad boar, so predictable._ _)_

"You broke it—the seal." Ares looked at Athamas with wide eyes, "Then... it means..."

"Et de semine regio et tetigit sigillum potest altero omittente rumpatur testamentum est sol in lucem," Chaos slid his hand to grab the onyx hilt of his sword and pulled it up from the floor, making a loud echo as it cut through the air, "Et oblinito, non qui verbis meis parum soror ad me in profundis cantata regni tui?"

 _(Were not those the words my little sister chanted to seal me in the depths of your realm?)_

Chaos looked at his reflection on his shiny onyx long blade and narrowed his amber eyes, "Asteriae erat nimium stultus, et in erat nimium stultus, et infirma. Animam pauperis, et crediderunt vere et vere stetit in huiusmodi casu nostros. Mediocre premens Titana Id fecit quidem quid rectum et excrucior inventa est in me anima mea, fit ad fingunt ad, tamen necessitates." Chaos looked at Athamas and pursed his lips, "Andromedan fuisset umquam primus arbitrium, non omnia, tam leuia sint, sed quod unum fuit securus usurum. Qui etiam curo ut possessio lunae exercitus et abiit et Asteriae superesset."

 _(Asteria was incredibly stupid and weak. Poor soul, she truly believed she actually stood a chance against our kind. Mediocre Titan, at least she did something right and found this tortured soul for me to possess and mold to fit my needs. An Andromedian would have never been my first choice, they are all so fickle and unreliable but this one has been easy to manipulate. He even managed to take possession of the Moon Army and he even survived past Asteria.)_

"You low less creature... you disgusting demon!" Zeus roared and raised his hand to call for his blade of thunder "Return to your hole!"

Chaos pursed his lips with disinterest and kicked the lifeless body he had secured under his boot and thrusted his sword to the ground causing a thunderous sound that shattered the floor to ceiling windows and crystal chandeliers handing from the tall ceilings, "Ad foraminis, me tu dicis? " He slowly pushed himself from the gilded throne and looked at Zeus with an intense glare, "Nemo, ne frustra sis. Dum solio tuo aureum magnum tam angustus est, ut ego qui sum reddere homagium ad. Vos autem tulit virtutem a nobis, in virtute autem sumpsit a me, et non repetere error ipsum. Quia facta fuit amplius milibus annorum Gaia stultus misit me fuerint vos fascinavit me facere videritis hoc imbecillis timens. Genua ante me Olympiorum, sicut ceteri officiales vestri, et faciem tuam his quae consequuntur actus primi. Et vere credo me sub potestate, tamen non esset erro, me habere plus quam unam via est pugna, et maneat apud inferos esse partem illius de belli successu temporis, hic ne me. Ut non sit satis firmas Tartara Olympum transire conati estis qui aliter intercluderent iter. Faciem dii estis et termini ad subsidia ne perdideris nesciunt. Conculcaverunt me exspectat donec vestro mendacio ut crederent verissima. Non permittens vestri maximus error est mihi vivere vestri maximus esset error in me experior, ut fit in una figura ad me ad tui generis formas tuum commodum. Nat quod sicut fecit, facite ei etiam intelligitur non habere? Nonne credis quod revera post omnia quae feci in nomine tuo pugna eram iens dare vobis plus auctoritatis? Tu vere puto eram iens uti meum bonum virtutis tuae? Et ego non sum ego Gaia et ego non Helios. Suspicere non debes nec quicquam vos estis mihi ego aspicio meum rapuissent quod longius et diutius Titan."

 _(Return to my hole, you say? No, do not be mistaken. While your golden throne is as big as your ego, it is too small to pay homage to who I am. You took the power from us, you took the power from me, and that mistake will not repeat itself. It has been eons since you made Gaia cast a stupid spell on me to keep me away because you were too afraid and weak to do it yourselves so now face the consequences of your primitive actions, Olympians. You truly believe you had me under control, but do not be mistaken, I have more than just one way to fight and my stay in Tartarus was part of a strategy that would eventually lead me here. The Underworld itself is not strong enough to keep me from crossing to Olympus and you are no different than those that tried to block my way. Face it, Gods, you have reached your limit and you have wasted your resources without even realizing it. I was waiting for you to swallow your own lies until you believed them as an absolute truth. Your biggest mistake was not allowing m_ _e to live, your biggest mistake was to try to fit me in one of your generic molds so you could shape me to your convenience_ _ **.**_ _Just because Helios did it, it meant I had to do it too? Did you really believe that after all you have done, I was going to fight in your name to give you more authority? Do you really think I was going to use my power for your benefit? I am not Gaia and I am not Helios. I do not look up at you and I do not owe you any respect, you look up at me because I am a Titan and you have taken what is mine for far too long. It is time to put an end to this, it is no longer amusing to me.)_

With a charged weapon in hand and deadly determination, Zeus dashed toward the dark warrior startling Ares "Zeus, no!"

Before the lord of thunder could reach him at the top of the stairs Chaos stomped his weapon on the marble again and let his energy flow like veins of smoke eating the remaining light in the throne hall "Quia non videtur aditum mihi sapit. Quam ob rem—quam tu scis quia non est verisimile quod vellem, et nolite Recogitabo ut mihi conanti optiones ante quicquam stultius." He snapped his fingers and exposed a wall of braided coils with several gods trapped in them behind him. Ares widened his gray eyes and shook his head when he saw the many deities trapped, "Cogitare prudenter Deus Tonantem nec esse potuisse, quod factum est testimonium, si vis ire contra me."

 _(I do not think your approach to me is wise. If I were you—which, you probably know that is not something I would like, I would stop and rethink my options before attempting anything stupid. Think wisely God of Thunder or be a witness of what could happen if you choose to go against me.)_

Zeus stopped mid-track and saw Hera was one of the deities trapped in Chaos' poisoned coils of barbwire, "Hera..." he shook his head, "I will not bow before you—I rather rot and die before I kneel before you. This is not about you being manipulated by Gods, this is you, being a demon who needs to be annihilated."

"Ne propter amabilia, proprie uxor prudens?" Chaos arched his brow, "Tu vere es mascŭlus. Ego sum cogitavi ut omnes hos annos mutata in via tua, et afficientes cum mulieribus." His golden eyes narrowed with authority, showing his control over the matter, "Demitto vestro gladio."

 _(Not even for your kind and prudent wife? You really are misogynous. I would have thought that all these years have changed your ways of seeing and treating women. Lower your sword.)_

Ares saw Chaos' blade was starting to release sonic waves of energy and turned to his brother who still had his thunder blade pointing at Chaos and watched him roared angrily as he threw the first attack. Chaos raised his hand and created a barrier that reacted to the electric aftershocks coming from Zeus and his blade. Ares took cover with his own energy and run to try to free Hera from Chaos' trap but the warrior in black quickly turned and flicked his hand blocking Ares' path with more thorns; he turned to Zeus who was charging another attack and narrowed his golden eyes, he curled his fingers around the onyx hilt of his long falchion* sword and pulled it up and slowly walked down the stairs as he charged his weapon and sent the first blast at Zeus, one, the lord of thunder could manage to dodge with ease and responded the attack with another electric blast. Chaos jumped away and landed in the middle of the throne hall between Zeus and Ares and raised his dark sword as he looked over his shoulder at Ares and turned to Zeus who was the first to make another move; Chaos graciously turned and block Zeus' blade with his in a thundering clash that shook the ground with the strong impact blasting the high ceilings. Both deities looked into their eyes as they fought against the force on their blade that made screeching sounds of blade sliding against blade. Zeus summoned for another stage of his power and blasted Chaos a ball of energy using his other hand but to his surprise the lord of dementia mirrored the attack and returned it to the lord of thunder, sending him flying several feet away; "Videtur quod non omnium quae secuta est ars tua proelia laurigero subeuntem, Magister," _(It seems not_ _everyone has followed your battling technique, Master,)_ Chaos turned over his shoulder at Ares, "Nemo audiat vos. Et veniens ego cognovi vos, nullus crediderunt verbis tuis."

 _(Nobody really listens to you. You knew I was coming and yet, nobody believed your words.)_

Ares slowly moved his hand and rest it over the hilt of his claymore sword and took it out with impressive speed before Chaos' sharp blade hit him and held pressure on his grip, making both blades gnash loudly; there were no words but the intense tussle between both polemarchos, there was more to their silent battle than just an unwanted meeting.

As much as he did not want to admit it, Ares still admired Chaos's skills. The man was very smart and had a keen knowledge of a warrior's discipline. When Helios chose him to follow his steps and have his rightful place in the celestial army and later, as a political and strategic advisor to the gods, Chaos already had earned a meticulous reputation for his assertiveness and impressive skills. Chaos was more than just evil, he worked for his own convenience. He was a deity that never knew emotions; he did not know love and he did not know hatred and that made him more dangerous because he knew exactly how to manipulate anyone's emotions without ever feeling attached or compromised.

As he continued clashing his blade against him, it took Ares two turns, a dodge and a leap to understand the effect Chaos made on people. His energy was strong and it was something that if not careful penetrated to the very core of every living cell and corrupt it—bend it the way he wants, the way he finds it useful and entertaining. Being close to him made you feel sick, his presence made you feel confused, it made you want to tear your skin with your nails, like an unforgiving rash. Looking at him in the eye was like staring into the void of the universe despite having such bright and beautiful eyes, but unlike Gaia's, his held no life; they were orbs of blazing energy. His beauty was deceiving, making it impossible for him to believe at first what he had become before he committed mass murder to everyone that stood in his way, even his own kind. He simply didn't care.

Ares looked up and saw Chaos walking toward him with envious casualty, his beautiful face always in its poker state which made it impossible to decode his movements, after all, Chaos had mastered Ares' battle tactics and skills but he knew he was no longer in the same level of strength and what was worse, Chaos knew.

"Et in usus eius est beneficium," he muttered as he came closer, "Sciebam enim quod quando quis non habeat fiduciam. Ne te. Hoc ego si scirem quod nihil aliud discere ex te."

 _(You used her for your benefit, that is when I knew not to trust anyone. Not even you. That is when I knew I had nothing else to learn from you.)_

"No," Ares frowned, "I did not..."

"**Et celerrimum fidissimumque tuum figere solution was made, ut cibum tibi deos suos tuo. Et erat iuvenis, plenaque inlecebris et faciens venit ad caedem eius et conversus sum creatus est ei contra me. Soror Gaia. Et oblinito post me virtute ad eam tu usus ad pascere non illa se usque ad bestias, cum ipsa non posset adimplere necessitates peruerse doctus existat." He narrowed his eyes, "You tried to do the same with her offspring, trained him to become another one of your weapons only this time, it was the perfect excuse to keep it at bay. I am intrigued, Master, you should know that a Polemarchos is trained to target its opponent's faults and take advantage of it. An attack shown to me twice will serve as much as trying to catch air with your hand—worthless and pointless."

 _(**Your safest and quickest solution to fix the mess you gods made was to make her your own. She was young, naïve, and by letting her witness the massacre I have created you turned her against me. My sister, Gaia. You used her power to seal me away and later trained her to feed her to the beasts when she no longer could fulfill your pedantic needs.)_

"What did you do, Chaos?" Ares narrowed his gray eyes, "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing, really." Finally breaking the invisible language barrier between them, Chaos tilted his head to the side, showing a truly disconcerting lack of emotion in his face; the embodiment of void, it was unnerving—bone-chilling. "That soul has been probably eaten in Tartarus by now. I do give recognition to his endurance and perseverance, it took more than two thousand years to break him, as expected from Titans, although, no, my mistake—he is not a Titan, he is a—what do you like to call him? A yes... a hybrid."

"In the end, that makes you no different than us, Chaos. You too used him to serve your purposes and then fed his soul to the beasts of your realm." Ares took position again and raised his blade, shoulder height and pointed it at Chaos, "How pitiful,"

"A little too late on the lesson on ethics, Ares," Chaos looked at the god of war nonchalantly, "Do not mistake things, I had other plans for that soul. Despite its corrupted heritage, it is still linked to me through my sister's blood and that is enough to keep me interested to see what he had to offer, why else would I have targeted his existence for so many years?" He sighed, "But despite the many efforts in training him to create this carbon copy of myself, he is not pure blood, so what did you really expect from such an experiment, to survive? Please… there is a limit to everything, even to a morbid creature like him. The offspring was the key because he was the last in the line of descendance. We are connected, but I knew that soul was not going to endure the strain of Inferno nonetheless Tartarus for too long. Have you forgotten everything you taught me, Ares? Mind before force. Intelligence before battle."

"You are grieving your sister's passing and yet, you used her son to your own benefit." Ares frowned, "You disgusting leech of hell,"

"One cannot feel anything for something one has never met and I do not waste my energy on such pointless matters." Chaos shrugged his shoulder, "I did not even acknowledge his presence when the seal was broken. And let us be clear, I am not grieving Gaia's passing. She made her choice and in the end proved her lack of worth by choosing to betray me and casting that seal on me. But not even she, a Titan, could withstand the passage of time and the torturous burden of knowing her power was not enough to truly keep me locked away. Gaia always knew this, it was easy for me to feed on her fear, her mind was my playground." He narrowed his golden eyes, "Trust no one. Not even your own shadow... not even your own blood. It may surprise you how much backstabbing occurs when you are not paying attention." He turned and pointed his sword at Zeus who tried to attack Chaos with a stealth move and narrowed his alluring golden eyes peeking through the long pieces of raven hair falling over his face like tar, "Elige prudenter, Tonitrua Dei," _(Choose wisely, Lord of Thunder,)_ he snapped his fingers and in a rapid response the ground began to rumble and new dark vines with thorns emerged from the broken marble floors, tangling more deities and guards in them as they slowly moved to follow Chaos' command and point at themselves with their own weapons. Chaos turned and with one quick slash severed *Proteus' head, letting it roll down to Zeus' feet and shrugged his shoulder, "Oh please, one less worm servant at sea," he arched his brow, "One more move and your beloved Hera loses her head in the same fashion." He tilted his head low, "So, Lord of Thunder, what is it going to be? Your pride or their heads?"

Zeus clenched his jaw a minute and slowly lowered his blade. Ares looked at his older brother with shock in his eyes; the always unbreakable and prideful leader of Olympians slowly kneeled before the titan of void for the sake of his wife and felt his blood run cold in his veins. He was cornered, with Athamas on one side and many others under Chaos' influence there was not much he could do. At this point, Ares felt trapped. Whenever he looked, they were surrounded, whenever they wanted to run, they would follow. Chaos had the power to manipulate any soul and if he managed to free himself from Tartarus, it meant he had corrupted demons and giants at his service as well and in the end, calling for celestial aid was going to be disastrous. Ares knew that if he went ahead and continued fighting Chaos he would run out of time; his mission would fail, and his daughter would be in terrible danger along with the rest of the senshi and the universe but he had to take the risk, even if it was the last in his life, he sent a silent signal to one of the generals of the celestial army and braced for the outcome.

Chaos was Ares' biggest concern not because he didn't know how to fight him or because he would not be a worthy opponent, but because he knew the level of threat the man in black armor represented and how things would go if he attacked. Chaos was not the same he was all those thousands of years ago, this was a man lost in the webs of malice created by no other than him and no matter how much strength he would put into this battle, Chaos was the representation of destruction and now, as things came to be, Ares was at a very high disadvantage.

His presence meant only one thing and it chilled Ares' bones to the very core. Being at the very moment Gaia put the seal on her brother, he knew well what it needed to be done to break it and release him from his imprisonment; as he saw his brother yielding his authority in front of Chaos, and for the first time in eons, fear became a truth to him once again.

"Interesting," Chaos looked at Zeus with zero emotion in his eyes, "You have been glorified for far too long that has made you believe such pitiful lies."

Zeus widened his eyes and looked up at him but he didn't need to say anything to get the answer from Chaos, "You forget, even after all this time, that we are not the same. I do not waste my time with empathic sentiments, especially for you, God of Thunder. Kneeling before me does nothing to my benefit, but it will sure stain your reputation and how your subordinates will see you from this point on. Look at you, reduced to a pile of useless flesh and bone asking for mercy to a Titan." He shrugged his shoulder and kicked Zeus away from him, "Let me pass, Olympian. You stain the view." He turned to look at Ares over his shoulder as he snapped his fingers to call for the corrupted souls of the soldiers from his sucked his energy to replenish his strength, "I see what you did, Ares," he clicked his tongue, "You lost practice... and you forgot that I too am still a Polemarchos from the Celestial Army. I can read you like a book, I can hear your call in the back of my mind. Next time you want them to come to your aid, make sure they make it on time." He turned and dig his sword on the marble floors instantly and very much like Asteria's given attack, he allowed the dark energy within him spread from him to his blade all the way to his surroundings.

Where there once was a golden throne, there were now ruins covered in veins; everything slowly turned somber and cold, very much like Chaos' personality. He turned when he sensed the presence of those coming in Ares' aid and turned to Ares with his blade fully charged and like if a pocket in space was broken, Chaos let his energy clash with Ares' who quickly stepped in between his brother and in the middle of the massive explosion. Ares took advantage of the moment and energy from the impact to escape Olympus taking his older brother with him.

After the explosion and debris finally settled down, Chaos arched his brow already noticing the god's absence and turned to the web of gods trapped behind his new acquired throne and narrowed his eyes, "Non potes negare quod verum est de potentia divinitatis, et negare non potes esse meis. Denudasti fundamentum agnoscit me vitae meae genere, et nunc, et revelabo pudenda tua."

( _You cannot deny the true power of divinity and you can no longer deny my existence. You stripped me of the recognition of my ancestry, now I will strip you of yours.)_ His golden eyes narrowed and slightly turned over his shoulder at the shadows standing behind Athamas, "Move. I have things to do."

O—o—o—o—O

Ares opened his eyes and turned to Zeus who had the most distraught expression in his face, "Brother," Zeus slowly opened his and noticed the air was different from just seconds ago, "Why?"

Ares frowned, "Zeus?"

"Why did you save me?"

Ares sighed and pushed his brother's limp body away and pushed himself off the cold stone floor, "Your question is invalid to me."

"Why did you save me!?" Zeus looked up at his youngest brother "Why did you let me live?!" He roared to the verge of an anger breakdown, "Why!?"

"Zeus,"

"We are Olympians, Ares!" Zeus roared with rabid frustration, "That demon humiliated me! He stripped me from all authority! I did not even make a single scratch on him! He made of me a laughing stock! An amusement! I rather die than live under the shadows of shame!"

"This is not the time for this—"

Zeus turned to Ares and shook his head with disbelief, "You are one to talk. You have zero reputation as it is now, you are supposed to be the God of War and you did nothing to cut that demon's throat. You are useless Ares, Eris is right, she condemned you—Gaia condemned you!"

Like gas to a flame, Ares' rage ignited and grabbed Zeus from his neck and picked him off the floor, "Enough!" He growled as he pulled him closer, "Listen to me, Zeus, and listen well. This is more serious than an ancient stigma—this has nothing to do with Gaia, her son, and not even Chaos' breaking free from his prison. This is about you and your misguided truth and ego. This is about the foundation of this realm. Olympus is far from what it was supposed to be once we were freed from the nightmare that was living under the torturous control of the corrupted Giants that later infected the minds and spirits of many Titans who wanted nothing but power and blood. This is not what I signed up for when I pledged my loyalty to you—this is not what we fought for during the divine war and yet, here I am. You were given the authority and control—the title of King of Gods, yes, but at what price, eh, Zeus? Your other brother while he was against it at first, he followed your wishes and took over the realm of the dead, and me? I filled his valleys and fields with souls and the rivers of the underworld with the blood of both innocent and guilty. You say I am useless? I beg to differ because both of your realms stand today because of death and because of war, because of _me. I_ did the murder. _I_ became the assassin. _I_ was your medium of conquest—the one that gave _you_ that crown. You continued using me and the celestial army to gain more power and inflict fear among the rest, so in the end dear brother, you are no different than Tantalus, Pelops, or Atys... you are no different than Chaos himself and that is worse because we Olympians put our trust in your hands. I will not say I warned you but by the way things were going... this was fated to happen one way or another. This runs deeper than what your eyes can see and what your reason can accept as truth... we allowed this to happen, but not all is over, we still can fight it and correct things but we must accept that we can no longer do it alone."

Zeus felt the truth behind Ares' words hit him like a shower of thunderbolts; it was appalling to him to admit how much he had changed since they won victory over the ancient titans and how the realm has changed ever since. Those gods that once looked for a future without chains wrapped around them became the new inquisitors and even fought other deities to gain more power all to Zeus' command. Defeated, he looked down and closed his eyes with remorse, "He has Hera, Ares,"

Ares sighed softly, "We need to go to Hades, Zeus. We need to fight this war with everything we have." He let go of his older brother's jacket and turned to open the portal that granted entrance to the underworld. Unlike any other deity who went to Hades' realm, they did not need to walk through the death valleys or sail the rivers to find the god of death; it was a connection only they had as brothers.

As they walked down the long hallway that would lead the two olympian gods to Hades' throne room, the ravages of Chaos' escape were clear; whenever they looked, there were trails of bodies left in a catatonic state while others were left dismembered, demons and deities alike, they all faced Chaos' unforgiving force.

Both gods saw the tall doors of Hades' throne room open and immediately knew things were equally dangerous there as they were in Olympus and quickly walked inside the room. Hades was surrounded by the generals of the army of shadows looking down at a black mirror table showing him the status of the gates and realms within the underworld. Hades immediately felt his brother's presence and looked up to them as they walked closer; he turned to another soldier "Revise the status of the valleys,"

"Yes, God Hades." The soldier bowed his head and turned to the other armored soldiers. Hades walked up to his brothers and saw Zeus had a wound on his left cheek and the distraught expression on his face; Ares frowned "What is the level of damage?"

"Severe," Hades turned to Ares, "Chaos created black holes to trespass the gates along the galaxy, but, clearly, he is expanding like the demonic void he is." He sighed, "The rivers are still intact, Charon is taking care of it—Lethe and Mnemosyne put a seal to prevent corrupted souls merge with others and violate the laws of their sentences but, there is still much to be done."

"What is the status of Thanatos?"

"I called upon the army of shadows to stay at the rim but the leak is grave."

"I need to cross, grant me a portal, Hades." Both Zeus and Hades turned to Ares, "What?" The lord of thunder shook his head "To Thanatos?"

"Tartarus, to be exact."

"What?!" Hades widened his eyes, "Tartarus is under Chaos' influence, Ares! If I open a portal to Thanatos there is still a long way to go until you reach the gates of Tartarus and it will weaken the force I am trying to build to contain the damage. It is suicidal!"

"I will manage,"

"Why, Ares?" Zeus shook his head, "Chaos is free and he is about to murder everything!"

"Chaos is free, yes, but Endymion is still there and I need to bring him back." Ares took a deep breath full of uncertainty and hope, "He needs to come back,"

"Are you out of your mind!?" Hades growled with both panic and anger, completely stepping away from his usual calculating and stoic personality "After all that has happened, you still want to protect that demon?! Have you not seen what he was able to do!? This is what I was trying to avoid but you had to step in and awaken him!"

"This happened because you got comfortable in your position! Because you wanted to take over something it is out of your damn control!" Ares frowned, " _This_ is what happens when ambition takes over purpose! I warned you this could happen Hades, I warned you this was going to slip through your fingers! The Andromedian has been possessed by Chaos for centuries and up to this very moment he has been a vessel of energy to feed him until he is in full control. Chaos was never fully contained, Hades, you know this well." His gray eyes darkened, "The Terran Prince may have been the key to free Chaos but he is also the one that can take him down."

"Are you listening to yourself?!" Hades roared, "He is a demon! That whole dynasty is a damn cu—"

"Hades," Zeus interrupted, "The responsibility falls on all of us, not just you." He said uncharacteristically quiet, "We have a much bigger problem in our hands."

"Brother, how can you even consider what Ares is saying? After everything he has done!? After defying our laws?!"

"Our laws are worthless right now, Hades. With Chaos roaming free, they are just dust in the wind—inexistent." Zeus exhaled heavily, "Ares is the God of War, and he needs the army complete so we can rise against Chaos."

Hades clenched his jaw with frustration. In all his life, he has always had a silent admiration for his older brother and since the very moment he came forward and spoke to him about the plans of freeing themselves from the ravages of the ancients he swore his loyalty to him until the end of time. There was nothing he would not do for Zeus, he never wanted his place as god of gods, he just wanted to be his equal in his own way, Ares had done it, and he was the youngest. From a very young age, Ares grew the character necessary to build a reputation and catch Helios and Chronos' attention to consider him a valuable ally in the army forces; he became Zeus right hand in battle and later on, the God of War. Hades felt left aside, for many years he thought he was slowly being replaced and with being the lord of the death, despite his grand power, his ways of fighting have never been the same as Ares and that had harbored a core of bitterness. Hades wanted to become his own kind and be a valuable god in his own right, not just because he was given the realm of the fallen and with the imprisonment of Helios' corrupted dynasty, he truly believed that was going to grant him another status among the high gods.

"Brother..." He muttered, still caught in disbelief, "Why—"

"Chaos is slowly regaining his strength and power back. He is relying on his strategic abilities for now, but not even then I was a match to fight a battle against him and win. He is still under the influence of Tartarus and somehow managed to capture many Olympian deities to feed from their energy—he has Hera under his control, Hades." Zeus frowned, "I kneeled before him for mercy so he would not hurt her and in exchange, a deity lost its head. I have been exposed and all that is left is my reliance on you, my two brothers."

Hades frowned, "Even if I could manage to create a portal, Thanatos is destroyed and Tartarus has become a massive black hole—if there was no control on what happens there before, now it is worse. There is no way to get in and no way to get out—everything is completely destroyed, the hybrid included." He turned to Ares, "The Army of Shadows has decreased in number, according to Agamemnon, but it is still considerable. They are at your disposal, use them as you see convenient."

"I sent the signal, Aegeus is informed—the Celestial Army is gathered and already taking a stance around Olympus to contain the damage as much as possible but Chaos is growing in both strength and abilities." Ares turned to Zeus, "We need to move fast,"

"Meaning?" Hades narrowed his grey eyes, Ares turned to his older brother "Under extreme circumstances, extreme measures must be taken."

"Ares..." Hades frowned, "What are you going to do?"

"This a battle that concerns us all—your daughter included." Ares looked at his brother and turned to Zeus, "Yours too."

"The Sailor Senshi?" Hades frowned with concern, Ares nodded, "But also, I need some coordinates only Pluto, as the Guardian of Time and Space can give me."

O—o—o—o—O

The echoing sound on the empty hallways followed Chaos as he stepped in the middle of the large auditorium where the gods had their alliance meetings and also served as a courtroom to sentence those who have faulted their laws. The moment he had decided to go against the gods was vivid in Chaos mind like if it just happened. The moment he knew he was another kind, one that had been chained for far too long, one surrounded by magnificent enigma and power. He quietly walked around the empty auditorium letting many flashes play in his mind while remembering the many times he went there as both, god and culprit.

As he walked past what once was his rightful seat, the one that gave him his place among gods, he narrowed his amber eyes in thought.

-O-

 _"Aperi oculos tuos coram ... Sero est, hoc est quod contendit, obtinuit."_

 _(Open your eyes... before it is too late, this is not what we fought for.)_

 _"Et abierunt infirma," (You have gone weak,) Chaos looked down at his onyx spear-blade dripping blood on both ends and shook his head, "Nihil umquam est adeo manifesta ante oculos meos," (Nothing has never been so clear before my eyes,) he frowned, "Est quod agam, et dignus satis, ut mihi turn omnia circum. Aperti sunt oculi mei: habeo, quæ manifesta sunt, et repraesentare, quod non oportet, neque colatis eos, et non liget se cum opus est imago tua, et non opus ad pascere quis est meus sed modo sibi cupiebat."_

 _(There is nothing worthy enough to make me reconsider and turn things around. My eyes are open, I have clear what you are and what you represent—I do not need to serve them and I do not need to remain attached to your image, I do not need to feed anyone's interests but only mine.)_

 _"Tu Polemarchos, Chaos, et loquebatur de proditae sunt proprio genere." Helios looked around at the massacre around them, "Proditae sunt vos proprio familia,"_

 _(You are a Polemarchos, Chaos, and you are speaking of betraying your own kind. You are betraying your own family.)_

 _"In genere meo?"_ ( _My kind?) Chaos narrowed his golden eyes, "Mea familia?" (My family?) He arched his brow, "Non genus speciem et non familia—est nisi esse."_

 _(I do not have a kind and I do not have a family—they are nothing but weaklings.)_

 _"Nos participes eiusdem sanguinis," (Yet we share the same blood,"_

 _"Numquid hoc cogitavit de stirpe vestra ad ea quae tibi cura Avus? Qui fieri servi benigna carcerem? Esse potest demississime et subiectissime infirma?" Chaos frowned "Nos sumus Titanos! Proficisceretur ne ad alios spectant deorsum, et erudivit me, facis successores post te: qui fecit me: Ego sum,_ "

 _(Is this what you had planned for your descendants, eh, Grandfather? To become servants to those who imprisoned our kind? To be submissive and weak? - We are Titans! We do not look down at others, you trained me to be your successor—you made me who I am,)_

 _The almighty titan god of the Sun, Helios, stood tall in front of Chaos with his golden spear-blade in one hand, he was wearing a dark armor with a deep golden sheen and golden detailing in its shoulder blades, belt, and long black cape. His pitch-black hair was shoulder length and was pulled back with his characteristic gold sun halo headpiece. His prismatic eyes showed the majestic power flowing within him changing in all the spectrum of pure gold as he looked at his grandson with deception, "Et tibi defuit. Quidem culpa in me liberius tibi dedi tibi nimium confidere monstro meus nunc vide quid feceris."_

 _(And you failed. It is true, the fault is on me, I gave you too much freedom, I gave you too much trust, my prodigy, and now, look what you have done.)_

 _"Accipio et jure tuo dederis mihi ipsi allide accipio te in superbiam," Chaos wiped the blood off his sleek blade and walked toward Helios, "Inter Terra. Quod planetae creata iustus pro Delectationis meum,"_

 _(I am taking what you have given away and it is rightfully mine, I am taking the pride you let them stomp upon, including Terra. That planet was created just for my amusement,)_

 _"Quod planetae non ardet cum vita et voluntate Immunem meditor tinguere crimen ueneni,"_

 _(That planet pulses with life and you are not to taint innocence with poisoned intentions.)_

 _"Et creavit eam pertinet eo quod vi intus mihi est, quod cristallus ardet sua industria mea,)_

 _(I created it! The force within it belongs to me, the crystal that pulses its energy is mine,)_

 _"Non, Chaos," Helios shook his head, "Vos, quod facit explosione sese unda reductos, et tumultus quidem galaxia, qui creavit plures ob id sororem duxit in nativitatis tuae. Quod planetae, quia est vivere, quia tua sorore nostra potestate_."

 _(You caused the explosion that created many ripples and disturbances in the galaxy that as a result, led to the birth of your sister. That planet is alive because of our power—because of your sister.)_

 _"Inanis autem Titan ego sum et creationem intercedit; cristallus aureum, quod pertinet ad me ego sum verus successor ejus non Gaia."_

 _(I am the Titan of Void and Creation; the golden crystal belongs to me—I am its true successor, not Gaia.)_

 _"Vos autem fornicata es cum innocentes animo tuo commodo. Creaturae? No. Solum res quae creata est abyssus dementiae. Non entis autem praedecessor noster in sacris dignum lapis."_

 _(You have played with innocent minds to your own convenience. Creation? No. The only thing you have created is an abyss of dementia. You are not worthy of being a predecessor of the sacred stone.)_

 _"Est soror tua, quam habes in potestate vestra magis auto-anno disciplina, magis quam illa est paratus ut praeter fatum atque permittere ut cursum suum."_

 _(Your sister has proven more self-control than you have in all your years of training, she is more than prepared to take over and allow fate take its course.)_

 _"Nos sicut instrumenta ad te in animam viventem arma illos habere nos semper—Gaia non sin exceptio. Quia non solum spiritus qui in vita non sit magma lapis non potest accipere locum meam, fortis est, ut qui non fatebitur, sed non potest accipere medium quod est successorem sibi destinasse."_ _Chaos frowned, "Scio quæ facturus sis ad eam, sed monent vos es non iens ut solve quod effera dido sanguineam a me in telum contra avus. Obstabat quin et corrigi continentia nolentes iniuriam fecisti dignitate honor. Ego eam accipere id quod legitime meum est, si ad se interficere, etiamsi occidas me ad vos," he raised his sword and summoned his power and let a dense fog of madness surround them._

 _(We are just tools to you, living weapons for them, we always have—Gaia is no exception. Just because she breathed life into that magma stone does not mean she can take my place, she is strong, that I will admit but that does not mean she can take over and be the successor - I know what you are going to do to her, but I warn you, you are not going to solve anything by turning her into a weapon against me. That will not stop me from taking control and reverse the damage you have caused to our dignity and honor. I will take what it is rightfully mine, even if I have to kill her—even if I have to kill you too.)_

 _Helios immediately raised his hand and created a fire wall and closed his eyes, "Hoc est, ultimum videamus nos invicem est, praecedente prodigio mea." (This is the last we will see of each other, my prodigy.)_

 _The titan of the Sun dig his golden spear into the ground to create a circle of magma around Chaos, making him chuckle with cynicism, "Est quia omnes, ex forti Titaniaque Astra Sol? Tandem perdidit vires tibi omnia potes me iam non pugnare?"_

 _(Is that all, mighty Titan of the Sun? Have you finally lost all your strength you cannot even fight me anymore?)_

 _Helios shook his head, "Unum prohibere ad vos, ego sum." (I am not the one to stop you.)_

 _Chaos arched his brow and turned to Ares, who was already there with the army of Polemarchos, Gaia included; Helios turned to Ares and gave a nod the god of war seemed to understand his command turned to walk away. Helios stopped and turned his head slightly over his shoulder but did not make eye contact with his grandson,"Diversae sortis vasque introducam vos in tempore successit meus devorabit vos."_

 _And with those final words, Helios vanished from Chaos' sight forever._

-O-

Not long after that incident, the trust between titans and olympians began to strain and to prevent more damage and distrust, Helios secretly delegated his duties and final instructions to Ares and asked him to take Gaia under his wing to excel in her studies and training against Nut's wishes. Helios knew that after that moment, Chaos had chosen another path and that it was no longer in his hands to stop him. The fact itself strained the relationship he had with his daughter, Nut, but he knew from the very beginning that there was going to be strings of corruption permeating up to that point in their lives and that it was going to continue until his next successor came to the light. Helios had been protector of the golden crystal for lifetimes, more than any other of his generation and descendance had but his time of service was coming to its end and he had to return to its source, not because he was weak, but because he had fulfilled his mission to guard it and evolve it into something stronger where it no longer responded to him to its full capacity. He knew there was going to be a light where the crystal would attach itself and shine like it was meant to be but only time and fate would determine when it was going to happen. In the meantime, he knew he could trust in his beautiful granddaughter, Gaia, who unlike Chaos, had a caring and protective nature besides unbreakable spirit and strength. While he taught her how to use the energy from the golden stone and granted her access to use it, he was well aware that she was not one with the crystal, which is why he thought the best way for her to protect it was to have it close to her heart and hid it inside the golden pendant he personally crafted for her.

Helios was the only deity Chronos blindly trusted with the strings of fate, the only one that could get answers if he ever asked and as a man dedicated to his family, despite sometimes being too strict and distant, he knew Gaia was not strong enough to contain her brother's thirst for vengeance and possession. Helios left the divine realm with many answered questions behind him, questions only Chronos could answer but never opened his mouth to speak, and with that, another war followed, this time led by Chaos, and the rest is now history—until now.

Chaos stood in the middle of the auditorium and looked up at the glass dome ceiling showcasing the thousands of stars hanging in the dark sky as he thought about the last time he heard from his grandfather. He walked toward Helios' golden chair and took a seat. His amber eyes narrowed and threw his blade to one of the walls startling his uninvited guest, "Ego autem non est insidiatus est, Eris."

 _(I am not one to be lurking at, Eris.)_

"My, my... so, it really _is_ you."

Eris walked into view wearing a dark violet gown and tilted her head with marvel at the sight of the titan of dementia. Chaos looked at her nonchalantly but remained silent, allowing the dark goddess to continue, "When Hades commanded us to seal the gates of the Underworld, I sensed there was more to it. I see... so the devil has finally come out to play," she stood at a good distance from the dark warrior, but at his lack of response, Eris chuckled with confidence, "Ah... still the silent type, you have yet not changed."

Chaos closed his eyes, really not falling for her playful taunts; making Eris feel a little bit uneasy and annoyed, "No greetings for old friends?"

"Your language is repugnant and boorish," Chaos muttered in an elegant yet chilling tone, "Your approach to me, an abhorrence, just like Metallia, so unpolished and unrefined."

"Yet, she was your beloved,"

Chaos arched his brow, "Beloved? Please, the word itself is a stupidity,"

"It is not a secret she followed your every move." Eris walked into the large auditorium with clever caution, "There was nothing she would not have done for you. You were her motivation, she tried to free you because you promised her a life together—a future."

"Metallia had no sense of orientation, no sense of logic, as one would expect from shadows." Chaos leaned back in Helios' golden throne and crossed his arms with the same characteristic elegance that followed all of his descendants, "How the mind can make you see things that are not there—that shadow was worth playing with for as long as it was needed, but I was not going to invest my time to move her out of the way so I left her to be an amusement to Olympians, and in her own stupidity, she believed she had some level of worth."

"She was responsible for the Moon Kingdoms' fall, after all."

"You truly give too much credit to your worthless kind. Who do you think gave her the clarity to do all that?"

Eris felt a chill down her spine, "You knew Metallia was blinded..." she crossed her arms with a confident smirk, "I do not blame her, you are still as hauntingly beautiful as ever,"

"What do you want, Discord?"

"My, my... you should not talk to those who can help you with so much disinterest and arrogance,"

Chaos opened his amber eyes and looked at her without any sort of emotion, "Do not waste my time, Discord."

"I am here to offer you my valuable services," Eris flashed him a sensual smile. Chaos sighed with boredom, "Sicut semper, et primitiva,"

"You and your inaudible dialect," Eris frowned, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"What makes you think I am interested in whatever trick you can do?"

"I can be useful to you and help you take down Ares like you always have wanted." Eris narrowed her violet eyes, "Do not diminish my power,"

"Power?" Chaos cocked one brow, "You are the Goddess of Discord, you like to make everyone argue and angry, so? I can do that just by snapping my fingers." The dark lord pushed himself off the golden throne and walked down the stairs, toward Eris, "If it is to settle your ongoing and rather predictable dispute with Ares, go pretend you are someone of importance somewhere else."

"Says the Titan that was imprisoned for thousands of years..." Eris widened her eyes when she suddenly lost sight of the dark warrior and felt her blood run cold in her veins when he felt his cold hand on her neck as he pushed her back to the wall next to his blade with unforgiving force, "You bore me, and when I get bored, do you know what I do?"

Eris swallowed and shook her head slowly when she started feeling a sense of dread and loss echoing in her mind as she looked deeper into Chaos' hauntingly beautiful eyes of amber turn crystal gold, proving the extent of his magnetic power over her. The goddess of discord started shivering without control; unable to move away, she slowly started to succumb to the painful feeling of her mind being abused and manipulated. He didn't need to touch her to make her feel pain and distress, just his presence was more than enough. Her eyes widened when without control when many images and scenes of her existence started to come out of the deepest parts of her mind overflowing her with panic and fright; her skin crawled, the tips of her fingers tingled with pain. This was pure dread, void—this was the power of dementia.

"Discord..." Chaos tilted his head as he kept digging inside her mind, "I never understood your existence. There is nothing of value inside of you. You are nothing but a lowbred shadow."

Eris widened her glossy eyes, she could feel him inside of her rummaging into the very depths of her psyche, scarring her spirit and feeding himself from her fear; every thought, every idea—everything—was under his microscope.

Chaos narrowed his eyes, "Ares and I go back in time, long before you were even thought to be considered to be a goddess, clearly, we are not the same and I do not care for you. I do not need you. You have nothing of worth I could use, not even your mind, that is how low you are. You are not even an Olympian... you are a shadow from the Underworld that crawled its way out, a rebel soul Ares imprisoned there after one of the many wars I fought and won by his side—he kept you pulling out of your hole just to appease his solitude. There is a certain appeal to the eye, I see it, faintly, but, other than that... there is nothing. You are a vacant vessel without any appeal to be used." He let go of her neck and pulled his blade from the marble wall, "What can a harpy like you can possibly give me that I do not know or have not done millions of years ago?" Chaos looked at Eris as she started to felt like air was running out of her lungs and started to choke, "Ah, I see... you believe you are stronger than Asteria because you are here instead of her..." he narrowed his amber colored eyes and released the power he had over her and saw her fall to her knees, gasping for air.

"Do not mistake things, Discord." Chaos put his sword back in its scabbard resting at his hip and looked down at her with disinterest, "Asteria was a breed somewhat close to a titan while you barely earned a title as a deity, but even so, while she was indeed annihilated, she was a good source of valuable energy." He arched a brow, "You, on the other hand, are just a cheap copy of an Olympian and that itself is appalling. It is not worth my attention."

Eris rubbed her neck where Chaos' fingers left a mark on her alabaster skin and shook her head, "I have no interest in my nature—I am much more than just a title,"

Chaos let out a tired sigh, one that proved he was more bored than interested in whatever the goddess had to say but he had to give credit to the woman's desperation and that being the embodiment of discord was good enough for him to consider if he needed to cause any distractions. The woman on the floor was not even close to matching Asteria's strength or power, not even the andromedian, who went even lower in status and skill, but Eris could serve to stir the waters and be put to use for much darker reasons.

Chaos walked past her without granting her another glance, "Why not go lurk somewhere else than try to gain my interest? Go, be your boring and predictable self, entertain Ares..." He waved his hand to open the large doors for him and started walking away, "And while you are at it, get rid of your spawn."

* * *

 _The Divinity series is rated M. Violence, gore, cursing, and intimacy may occur._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _A/N: Thank you for so much support and reviews. They so much help with my inspiration and to keep delivering more chapters at a steady pace. I am glad you are enjoying the story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Thank you._

 _P.s. Next chapter may take a little longer to come out because I am currently dealing with some issues but fear not, it will come. I am ahead of where you are currently reading so, the chapter is already written and ready to go, but I just need a little time to figure some things out and find a place and time to put it up. Just give me a little extra time._

 _*Additional notes:_

 _*Erebus: Deity of darkness_

 _*Proteus: A shape-shifting, prophetic old sea god, and the herdsman of Poseidon's seals._


	71. Chapter 71

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Seventy-One

* * *

The indistinctive sound of steps and different noise-leveled chatter slowly pulled the moon princess from her haze and slowly opened her eyes; she stayed in the same position for a couple of minutes in complete silence and exhaled as much air her lungs could release. With weak force, she slowly pushed herself up and leaned her back on the headboard. It didn't matter how luxurious it was or how many covers and comforters she added, the bed felt stiff and cold without her husband. After a long minute, she looked down at her hand and saw her sparkly rose gold engagement and wedding rings on her finger making this a solid confirmation that what happened to her had been just a dream. Serenity's hand lazily slid down her neck down to her neckline to look for the golden pendant and wrapped her fingers around it tight, almost as if she was trying to make sure she was really back to her time and turned to look out the window; her eyes widened and quickly went to pull the thick curtains aside to look at the somber view outside.

The sky was the deepest shade of gray she had ever seen in her life and was all covered in dark clouds that looked like a dense fog and smoke blocking all attempts of sunlight to filter through. There was not a single trace of light and everything looked still, like if time had stopped. Usagi placed a hand on the window and frowned when frost started to form around it and that is when she noticed the thick blanket of ice over the city. The moon princess didn't need to ask anything to know what was happening and slid down to the floor, feeling the remains of hope crushing inside her chest along with her heart. She didn't believe she could feel more pain that she already felt over this past month, she didn't believe her mind could be put through more torture but then, this moment manifested like the cruelest of jokes and she saw Mamoru in the most beautiful and at the same time the most painful dream. The princess couldn't take it anymore and covered her face with her hands as she slowly leaned her head on the freezing cold window and wept with wrenching pain, "Pray... to who, Endymion? Nobody listens..." she opened her teary and puffy eyes and let out another heavy sob, "Nobody cares..." She pounded the window weakly, "Mamo-chan..."

O—o—O

Back in the living room, the girls were sitting on the sofa in silence all worried for the princess' health and how she had been dealing with stress lately. There was tension in the air but it wasn't because they were uncomfortable being all together, but because they were all aware something was happening, something else; Megumi turned on the news again to monitor the status of the city, at this point, Luna and Artemis had arrived with news on how the weather outside was becoming unforgiving and how panic was starting to rise on the streets. Also, how with Casanova Akira's constant appearances in the news had been stirring and lifting the negative cloud of speculation around her father's lifework as well about those blessed with divinity and explain how the frost phenomena and other strange occurrences were similar to what she experienced underground when he first found the ruins that were now more than confirmed that once belonged to the royal family of earth—the true guardians of this planet. The word cosmic attached to monarchy was not so foreign anymore, it didn't sound as crazy as it did months ago and she was making sure to give them the credit and respect the royals and sailor senshi truly deserved.

After meeting with who she later discovered was the moon princess and knew of the situation unfolding, she went on a quest to try and set the record straight and put the pieces of her life back together with the little courage she had left and that daredevil audacity she was known for. Days later, the unimaginable happened and found Mikael wandering the streets of Tokyo very much disoriented but without that negative aura that had taken control of him. It was like he was released from a malignant force; as if his soul was finally set free. Malnourished, hurt, and weak but alive—he was taken to a hospital and with much proper care, he was finally looking more like himself boosting Akira with confidence to make a public appearance once again. With her conversation with Endymion and his intervention to save her life from Asteria's grasp more than present in her mind, she was more than certain that he had to do something with Mikael's release from such dark spell. Both, prince and princess had kept their word and she couldn't be more grateful but also worried because it's been long since she knew or heard anything about the prince and by the look in the princess' face that last time they met and how the world was strangely behaving, she had the hunch, as a girl in love, that something was not right.

Akira felt she needed to support the moon princess in any way she could, it didn't matter how big or small her efforts were, she knew she had to do something to help and her best bet was to try and reach out to people to believe and look out for her husband. With a refreshed determination and much more knowledge on what she had in her hands, she went back to the apartment where she had left most of her research and started working on new leads. Whenever there was an opportunity for her to speak, she did, and wherever there was a place she could go to make an appearance and talk about what happened to her, she did, and surprisingly, her voice was being heard for better or worse, her voice and her words had a new value.

Her efforts were not in vain as it soon caught Luna and Artemis' attention and had been following her every move so she wouldn't reveal more than she was allowed for their safety, including hers, but they were all grateful for her efforts, especially Serenity.

People were starting to grow curious, anxious, and worried but also, they had started asking questions that months ago would have sounded too surreal: Where are the sailor senshi? And if there is a cosmic monarch protecting the planet from events that went beyond their control, where was it? They wanted to see them manifest. They were desperate to believe. Strange events started to happen not only in Japan but all around the globe, droughts, volcanic activity, earthquakes, extreme floods and very intense drops of temperature that now made them believe there was a stronger force, something that went beyond just a natural cause of nature that kept everything from collapsing. All satellite receptions started to fail, airports had stopped all functioning because their radars were not working and the increase of ice on the road and strong hail. Cellphones had problems with reception as well as other electric appliances. It was almost as if earth was failing, like if it had stopped spinning and everything had started to move out of place.

While all this happened, the shitennou had been over the edge about the princess' health and mental well-being and stayed by her side, or at least, for as long as she allowed them to be. Thankfully, Megumi had worked a very special bond with her, one very different from the one she had with the girls but equally important that allowed her to keep a closer eye on her. Serenity fully trusted her and Megumi fully trusted Serenity and she knew that no matter how broken or tired the princess might be, she was well aware that she had a bigger responsibility in her hands that kept her glued to reality as ugly and disastrous as it currently was.

As the four generals stood by the window, they stayed in the same place in complete silence. Ever since the princess was taken to her room, each and everyone silently prayed and deeply hoped their biggest fear wouldn't come true. Zoisite pressed his lips as he looked out the window. Jadeite noticed the tension in his always calm face and took a deep breath, but it as always, it was the brave one to break the uncomfortable silence like the sharpest of knives, "Should we be worried?" He asked softly while still looking out the window. He really didn't want to keep looking at the horrific scene outside but his eyes felt glued to the scenery, making it impossible to look away. Nephrite pressed his lips together, him too, feeling forced to keep his moss-colored eyes fixed on the cold image from outside and also trying his best to keep his usual calm-self intact "When did we stop feeling like this?" He sighed, "Ever since Endymion crossed to that parallel in time, our minds have been fixed in the horrors that lie behind his absence."

"At first I was certain of this plan of his but now..." Jadeite put his sarcasm aside and let his serious character come through, printing worry into his warm and boyish voice, "I do not know what to think anymore. I can no longer tell what the hell is he doing." He frowned, "He should have come back by now—why has he not yet returned?"

"Jadeite," Zoisite interrupted, trying his best to calm his brother's rising nerves, "Please, not here, not now..."

"It has been over a month since he disappeared," Jadeite frowned with increasing anger, "The Princess... she is suffering, her spirit is breaking," he turned to Kunzite who was the most silent of them all and frowned with a pleading undertone in his voice, wishing to be thought out of his ideas, "Kunzite..."

Kunzite took a deep breath and closed his eyes, pushing Jadeite more over the edge, "You have been more quiet than usual lately... why are we not doing anything!? You are our leader! Second in command to Endymion, you are his right hand, why are you not doing anything?! I cannot plan any strategies if I am not given any damn resources!"

"Jadeite..."

"Say something, Kunzite!"

Zoisite tried to intervene again but the older blonde shook his head, "No, Zoisite, don't."

Kunzite understood Jadeite's frustration and panic, he had it too, the unnerving feeling that things were not right. That in fact, they were worse than he expected them to get with the prince's absence. Princess Serenity's health was failing, no matter how much she tried to stay calm and strong; while it was different from the time Endymion feel unconscious, she never really got over the traumatic experience of being locked away from their special bond. Back then, despite him being completely under the influence of the crystal's protective power, she could see him, she could stay by his side, but this time he was gone, and what was worse, he had obliged her to leave his side against her wishes. To Kunzite, it was still a mystery what happened when they met and parted ways in Inferno, but one thing was for sure, he didn't guarantee his return to her and she was not taking it well, no matter how much she tried to prove otherwise.

All those nights he's been visiting her without the others, he had seen different sides of Serenity that has kept him wondering just how much more is there to know about the moon princess. All he knew back then was that she was very sweet and polite, the perfect model of a princess, educated, refined and not to mention beautiful. Now that he allowed himself to think about it, her beauty was not even one he had seen before; he admitted there was a quality in her that sure took everyone's breath away, and while at first, he gave credit to her nature as a true Olympian goddess, he later realized it was something much more than that, something that bloomed from within. Her beauty amplifies within the mystery that surrounds her, unlike Venus' sensual and alluring beauty he was so addicted to, Princess Serenity had too many other qualities on her favor, physically and intellectually.

To most people, she was bubbly and carefree, sweet and friendly. Sometimes a little too naïve. A girl everyone wants to be friends with or be around with, but the more time he spent with her, the more he came to learn they had only seen whenever she allowed others to see and it made perfect sense why Endymion fell in love with her since day one. Whatever way anyone chose to call her, Usagi or Serenity, was a woman shrouded in complexity and the always practical prince had never stopped discovering things about her. She has kept him completely in awe up to this current era. From brave to intimidating, to sweet and adorable, to strong and determinant, the moon princess was like looking into the many beautiful shades of an opal stone. She challenged Endymion in ways no others did and not only in terms of strength or character, but in everything that happened in their everyday life. She was playful yet she had an avid thirst to get to the bottom of everything, she was curious by nature but also idealistic. She was distracted but also always made incredibly profound questions that were completely appealing to the heavily analytical prince—she could go on for hours in a debate with him about almost anything and get lost in a world of their own. She always kept him wondering what she would do next, she always put him out of his comfort zone without making him feel vulnerable. She was a pillar to him, Serenity was Endymion's rock; his anchor—his life. She was very noble, even much more than he was, loyal, and kind, but she also knew how to make herself heard and respected. Whenever she looked at you with that strong gleam in her crystal blue eyes, one could feel completely helpless and obliged to listen and obey. She had a smile that could melt the hardest of shells but also seeing her cry could totally break your heart. Princess Serenity had created a special sister-brother bond with Kunzite that was based in sole trust, she has proven she was as strong as his royal brother but also, that she was one of a kind—her own kind of goddess.

Serenity was indeed a jewel, one Endymion was very lucky to find as he always said, and now, he was one of those lucky ones to see why she was so precious to him. But sadly, as of now, this precious jewel was on the verge of losing all its gleam because her protector—her best friend and soulmate was not there with her. Kunzite was having a hard time because he was running out of advice to give to her that would soothe her spirit and also because he knew what it meant to lose her too.

He let out a heavy sigh as he looked out the window with a stricken face but before he could answer his younger brother, a loud thump inside the bedroom caught their attention. He quickly turned to Venus who responded with a quick, silent nod and walked back to the bedroom with Mercury following behind. Before the girls could open the door, the generals could hear the princess' heart-wrenching sobs calling her husband's name and clenched their jaws in deep mortification.

"She felt it..." Nephrite muttered.

"She knows," Zoisite nodded and looked down with defeat. Jadeite hung his head low and closed his eyes, "What is going to happen now?"

"I do not know, Jadeite," Zoisite sighed heavily, really hoping to give a valid answer but nothing certain came to mind, "I honestly do not know."

O—o—O

Inside the bedroom, Venus with Mercury walked with a terrified look on their faces as they came close to Serenity, "Princess..." the blonde was the first to reach for her friend and Mercury closed the door behind her to give them enough privacy. After talking to the girls who were still in the living room with the shitennou, the bluenette thought it had been a while since she last checked on her and Venus tagged along since she was the only one besides Mercury that knew the truth behind her weak health. When they heard the noise and Venus was alerted by Kunzite, their fears were confirmed and as soon as they opened the door. Their hearts froze when they didn't see her on the bed but instead by the cold window with her long pearlescent hair covering her like a sleek sheet of silk as she poured her heart out into tears.

"Endymion!" Serenity cried louder and pounded the cold glass with her fists, "Endymion! Mamo-chan!"

It was more than obvious that the princess was having another nervous breakdown that it was taking another hit to her already unsteady health, "Usa-chan," Venus tried to talk to her more like her sister than a worried guardian and gently combed her hair away from her face and looked at her weeping friend completely lost in her pain, taking short breaths. Mercury kneeled in front of her and turned to Venus, "Help me take her back to the b—"

"No,"

Mercury and Venus blinked and looked at the princess shaking her head effusively, almost angry, "Don't do it. I can't do it... I can't do this anymore..."

"Usagi-chan?"

"I can't do it..." Serenity tried to push herself away from her blonde friend but Venus' arms were keeping her close to her, reminding her of her friend's strength, "I don't want to—not anymore."

"What?"

Serenity dried her tears brusquely with her forearm and gave a determinant glare to her friend, "I can't wait anymore!" She sniffed and turned to Mercury with that same look in her crystal blue eyes, "I can't keep doing this... I cannot keep allowing myself being put to sleep, I have to do something!"

"Usagi-chan, you need to rest—"

"I've rested enough, Ami-chan," Serenity looked at Mercury and tried to stand up, "I need to get out of here,"

"You're too weak, you can't go out like this! Usagi, _please_ , try to understand!" Venus tried to pull her down but the princess was starting to fight back with renewed strength. "No!" Serenity frowned, "That is all I have been trying to do all this time! I can't stop thinking about it and I can't accept it! I am done trying to understand! I am done waiting! I don't want to wait anymore, I have to do _something!_ " She shook her head, "I am angry, I am fed up!"

Mercury tried to calm her down and turned to Venus, knowing she had better persuasive powers than her but the princess wasn't giving in and continued fighting the girls until she stood up and walked out of the bedroom with Mercury and Venus following behind in a hurry. Haruka was the first to see Serenity coming close and quickly stood up, startling everybody in the living room. Kunzite watched her walking toward him without glancing at anyone else in the room and immediately took his role as overprotective brother and looked at her with the same worry in his cool gray eyes, "Princess..."

Serenity felt a lump in the back of her throat making it hard for her to speak, her body started shivering so much that if she wasn't holding on to the general, she would be on the floor again because there was little to no strength on her knees to support her, "Please tell me the truth,"

"Princess..."

"You promised me, Kunzite." Serenity frowned, "Tell me the truth."

Kunzite closed his eyes and gave the princess a slow nod; Serenity tightened her grip on Kunzite's arms and leaned her head on his chest. She stayed in silence for a couple of minutes, trying to deal with the turmoil happening inside her. She wanted to cry and she wanted to scream but beyond just feeling hurt, she opened her heart to a much stronger feeling—anger. Serenity closed her eyes and took a deep breath "We can't rely on Nephrite's powers right now, they won't answer. They won't listen. It's up to us now."

"Princess, the stone—"

"I am stepping in and taking his place, exactly like he wanted me to," Serenity looked up at Kunzite with authority despite the tears streaming down her eyes, "I can't keep waiting... I can't keep wondering what to do," she dried her tears and took another breath, "I don't have his skill or power, but I don't need to hear people's prayers echoing in my mind or to monitor the status of Earth to know it's slowly shutting down."

"What?!" The girls widened their eyes in shock, Uranus being the most surprised "But... this planet... the guardian..." Mercury shook her head, "Usagi-chan, what you're saying is—"

All nine senshi and four shitennou were taken by surprise by a strong roar and a brutal earthquake; Venus turned to a very shocked princess trying to keep her balance and pulled her into her arms and widened her eyes when she felt another set of arms around her and turned to look over her shoulder at Kunzite using his body as a shield, "Kunzite,"

"We need to go to a much stable ground,"

"It's going strong!" Mars turned to Jadeite who had his arms around her protectively, "We need to leave the building,"

"We can't leave while the ground is shaking this much!" Mars said with worry and saw Luna hiding with Artemis under the coffee table, "As soon as it ends, we have to get out of here,"

"Maybe if we create an energy force," Zoisite wondered as he held Mercury tight, Mercury blinked, "Like a hyperspatial pocket that could help us walk out,"

"Prepare to leave!" Pluto said out loud, startling the girls "What are you going to do, Pluto?!" Venus turned to the time guardian with worry; Neptune looked at her with panic "Don't you dare stop time!"

"Pluto!" Uranus tried to stop her but Saturn intervened and shook her head, "I won't let her—go, take the Princess with you and get to a safer place. I will stay with Pluto to keep the flux steady—" she raised her hand to call for her silver glaive that appeared out of thin air without the need of her transforming into her senshi uniform _"Silence Wall!"_

Pluto summoned the power on her garnet orb and the rest of her key rod appeared "Father Chronos! Grant me time!" She squeezed her eyes shut, "Please... grant me time..." The senshi of time held her rod up high and shouted with glorious authority, _"Time flux—interlock!"_

An intense light started to gleam from the garnet orb in her talisman and quickly engulfed the entire building, creating a small pocket in time that made it go at a very slow pace; she turned to the shitennou and pointed the door, "This will give us the opportunity to flee before something happens! We must take her out to safety!"

"But what about the people in the building?!" Serenity turned to Venus as she helped her stand up, "We will take care of it, Princess," Uranus said as she ran toward the front door to check they had a free path, "Go!"

Venus turned and grabbed the princess' hand, "Let's go," Serenity nodded and looked for Megumi who thankfully had taken Luna and Artemis with her and was being protected by Jupiter and Neptune as they ran out of the apartment all the way to the emergency stairs. Uranus turned to Pluto with worry, she knew the soldier of time had majestic powers, more than what she was allowed to witness in many battles but with great strength always came great consequences and slowing time, while it technically did violate taboos, it was not as punished as if she stopped it completely. These sorts of manipulations it still took a toll on her body because it required a massive amount of energy and self-control to focus and be performed with success, "Are you alright?"

Pluto nodded, "I'll be alright,"

"What is it?" Uranus turned wide-eyed to the shitennou who were the ones that stayed behind and frowned when another loud growl echoed in the air, "What is going on?"

"We have entered a stage where Earth is trying to survive with its last resources, the energy that is left from going extinct relies on the Princess," Nephrite answered dryly and saw the people from the building started to come out of their apartments and guided them to the emergency stairs. Uranus stopped and shook her head with worry, "What does that mean?"

"Hurry!" Pluto looked at her garnet stone and widened her eyes when she felt her energy started to drain for the strong power, "The time pocket is weakening! I cannot force it to slow down for too long!"

Earthquakes were not a new thing in Japan, and thankfully, people were taught and trained on what to do when one broke out, no matter the intensity but not even engineering in its most advanced state could compete with the brutal power of Earth; all buildings were fully equipped for these situations but the last series of quakes did not feel regular. They all came with stronger aftershocks and they had many alerts of tsunamis coming their way, driving people to a panic state. By the time the girls and shitennou took the last set of stairs to the main lobby, the police and firefighters were already on the streets making sure everyone was safe and taken to the safest zone around the districts as a preventive measure.

After a couple of more strong shakes and rumbles, the ground stopped and so was Pluto's small time-bending and joined the others and quickly walked away from the commotion before they were taken to another place. The shitennou went to check on the princess who was staring at the building with tears in her eyes and anxiety kicking in, "That was the last thing that tied me to him..."

Megumi turned to look at her with wide eyes, knowing exactly what the princess meant with those words. Over the past few weeks, she has been working on a silent resolution to finally merge both of her lives, the one she led solely as a royal and the other she led solely as a simple girl and make a new one out of it. In between those layers, a soldier was born, and she fought for love and for justice to bring peace to this new era. It finally made sense to Serenity why her mother was so overprotective of her but also why she made the sacrifice and sent her to be reborn in this planet; what it didn't make sense, however, was how she could fight for love if her love wasn't there anymore.

"Princess," Kunzite walked over to her, "We need to leave before earth resonates again."

"Let's go back to the shrine," Venus suggested and turned to Mars, "We will have enough privacy there and it's safer," the raven-haired priestess nodded but felt a sharp pinch in her chest that made her take a hasty breath and looked up at the sky, "Something is strange—I feel it in the air,"

Jupiter turned with worry, "An enemy?"

Mars' amethyst eyes narrowed, "The energy in the ambiance... is..." she turned to Serenity who was looking up at the thick-clouded sky and hesitated for a minute before continuing, "...Becoming poisonous—hostile."

Jadeite narrowed his eyes and turned to into the same direction as the princess and frowned confused, "W-What is..." his gray-blue eyes widened in horror and turned to the mass of people still coming out of the tall building, "Get out of the way! Get away! Run!"

Mars widened her eyes and gaped with shock at the dark hole opening in the sky, like a bottomless pit. The priestess took a large gasp of air, "Father..."

This was enough to break the thin layer of patience and order among people as they started running without direction all trying to save their lives. The low rumble sound, like a horn piercing through the air, sent chills down to everyone, the senshi and shitennou included. Upon the first thunderous sound, what looked like a shower of hail started to come out of the pit formed in the sky with massive force contaminating everything in its way without mercy; the trees and all green grass became food for malice igniting a wave of madness and desperation among people as shadow creatures like the ones that once were under Asteria's control poured out like tar from every corner while other dark entities floated in the sky as they came out of the dark hole.

Panic rose as the effect of the scorching pieces of dark matter made contact with earth's atmosphere; it looked like if the sky was breaking and the thick black clouds covered the sun completely. Along with the thickness in the air and the brusque winds now rushing through every corner of every building came more disaster. Serenity froze in place as he watched how the once starlit sky, the same one that often soothed her troubled mind and was a witness of her cosmic love with the terran prince was becoming a living nightmare as it cracked with every rumbling thunder crashing across. Her crystal blue eyes burned with tears and let them fall without shame or control.

"Pray..." she mumbled with a quivering voice. She took a deep breath and replayed her previous dream with Endymion and the many moments they had shared together, good and bad times. Difficult times, happy times; those times when she felt she could not go on anymore, times when he was helpless watching her sacrifice herself for the sake of others. The time when they chose to follow the path as warriors in this life without looking back and those times when they were a simple couple in love. Every second spent between them became as vivid as she was reliving it in a fraction of seconds; their time apart while he was studying abroad, the nights she stayed up until late because she knew it would be morning on the other side of the world and she wanted to wish him good luck in his mid-terms. Their emotional meetings and departures at the airport. Their casual and romantic dates at their favorite ramen house, their leisure time at his apartment and the more formal visits at her parent's house. Their long trips to the supermarket or the mall; the many times she lied to her parents just so she could spend nights with him, those times when he stayed up late reading her essays to check for any misspells before her deadlines, or when he helped her with her art projects even when he didn't have a single clue of what he was doing. Those silent nights when she could stare at him and draw many portraits without him noticing and how it was then when they made love for the first time in this era. When they got engaged. Their wedding and the ways they always reminded themselves how much they loved each other all the way from the moon and back to the world they belonged. Time was playing a cruel joke on the moon princess, time—no, that no longer existed for her. She bitterly thought. Time had stopped for her the moment she parted ways from Endymion, time had stopped the moment her hand stopped holding his. Without Endymion—her Mamo-chan—nothing made sense to Usagi.

 _"Pray..."_

Serenity took a shaky breath as she wept over the many promises that were slowly crumbling beneath her feet, this was not it—the world they belonged. A world where she was alone and he was trapped somewhere else, a world that was slowly freezing to its demise; where people were afraid and others were dying. This was not the world they wanted to be part of two thousand years ago and that they vowed to protect together this time.

 _"Pray..."_

She heard the pained screams of the people running in different directions, some getting trapped, others attacked and others possessed. Like a horror movie played in slow motion right before her eyes, she saw everything she so much fought to protect as sailor moon was being taken away from her by an alien force—a divine force, her own kind. Her crystal blue eyes burned with tears of anger and let them roll down her flushed cheeks as she saw dark creatures come out of the ground like tar quickly looking for innocent lives to take as hosts. Her shaky hand reached for the pendant hanging on her neck and grabbed it tight before taking a deep breath and closed her eyes. This was the time for her to follow her husband's wishes; she was not going to give them the joy of seeing her break, instead, she was going to step in and take his place with courage and determination and fight with everything she has.

" _Pray..."_

Without saying anything, Serenity started to walk away, startling the others; Venus was the first to panic and go after her but the princess raised her hand to stop her mid-way.

"Usagi..." Venus muttered with worry as she watched her walk further away. Serenity stopped in the middle of the empty street and tilted her head up to look at the corrupt sky with authority, "The people of Earth are not alone—they have me. This planet is not alone, it has me. _He_ is not alone—he has _me!_ " She took a deep breath, "Whoever you are, I won't let you steal it away, this _our_ world! _This_ is where _we_ belong!" She frowned with anger and let the power of the silver crystal within her slowly manifest in ribbons of light bursting from the white and gold brooch and quickly morphed her clothes into her ethereal white gown.

The dark entities pouring out of the pit in the sky and the ones crawling on the ground soon took notice of the light shining bright, luring them to go in that direction and like rabid beasts went after her. She turned at them with an unreadable expression in her face and aimed her palm at them allowing the energy whiting her come through, disintegrating them in a fraction of a second by an intense beam of light coming from the crystal.

The girls watched in awe at the princess' unexpected take, this was something they had never seen before, coming from her, who always said she did it in favor of love and justice. This was different, she was obviously going through an emotional crisis that if not being careful it could spawn out of control and cause great damage including her. The blonde senshi watched her with tears pooling in her eyes, she could see it, the pain, the anger, and the desperation. Unlike her previous life, indeed she was a different person now—she was older and more mature, her precious Usagi. She was no longer a helpless princess but a soldier, a sailor senshi, once that fought against evil but right now, her actions didn't match her principles as Sailor Moon; the princess showed no mercy, no sympathy, and no remorse for whoever was caught in her way and Venus was worried because right now, she wasn't just fighting against the demons and shadows, but she was had become her own worst enemy.

"Usagi!" The blonde raised her hand holding her transformation rod up in the air, _"Venus Crystal Power... Make—Up!"_ Mars nodded at Jupiter and Mercury and quickly followed suit, _"Mercury Crystal Power..."_

 _"Jupiter Crystal Power..."_

 _"Mars Crystal Power..."_

 _"Make—Up!"_

The generals changed into their battle uniform with just a flick of their hands and quickly went to take his position to protect the princess who was still gathering enough energy from her crystal to fight the darkness back. Kunzite turned to Nephrite and Jadeite and saw there were still people being targeted, frantically running for their lives and sent a signal to Zoisite to use his healing powers and raise a barrier to protect them. Venus along with the other inner senshi created a protective barrier around the princess to block the dark shadows from getting to her. Kunzite, while overprotective he knew what the princess was trying to do and as he promised, he would follow her commands both as his leader in battle in Endymion's absence and sent another signal to Nephrite and Jadeite to go over and shield the people in the same protective stance.

"Dammit! Those things again?!" Venus turned to Mars as she ran towards the princess "We need to support her until we can escape—the minute there is an opening, we will meet at the shrine."

Mars nodded and brought her hands together to call for her inner fire, _"Akuryo—Taisan!"_ Jupiter extended her arms and broke the seal on the crystal spheres on her belt, _"Flower hurricane!"_

 _"Shine Aqua—Illusion!"_ Mercury blasted a strong stream of icy water at the shadows and turned to see the outer senshi had already transformed and went to take the lead in fighting the demons approaching to give time to the inner senshi to counter-attack and take the Serenity with them. Sailor Uranus watched the princess standing with an unfaltering determination and frowned with worry. This wasn't new to her, to see the princess putting her own life aside for the sake of others, to put herself on the line regardless of the consequences; it has always been like this but this time there was more that went beyond her undying wish to help the innocent—it was a silent cry for help. She couldn't fight the need to go to her aid, it made her blood rush inside her like a desperate call, now more than ever the lunar princess needed much support and not only one a hug or a reassuring couple of words of understanding could give, she demanded her voice to be heard, she demanded attention to let whoever was threatening them. Despite the guardian not being present, she was still standing tall and she was not going anywhere until she succeeded.

Neptune stood by Uranus' side and saw a melancholy look in her lover's always passionate eyes and immediately knew what she was thinking; she turned and saw Pluto and Saturn running to them also fully transformed, "Pluto, are you alright?"

"Yes," Pluto took a couple of hasty breaths and nodded, "I'm okay." Saturn's violet eyes narrowed in thought, Neptune noticed right away, "Saturn?"

"Something is not right," Saturn muttered, she shook her head and turned to Pluto, then to Neptune and Uranus who was now desperate for an answer, "What do you mean?"

"I feel something else..." Saturn frowns with panic, "It's coming..."

"What's coming?" Neptune looks at the youngest of the senshi with worry, "What do you mean? Saturn, _what_ is coming?!"

Saturn looked up without a single expression crossing her porcelain face and fixed her violet eyes on the princess and then at the shadows crawling close and tightened her grip on her glaive, "Dementia."

O—o—O

Serenity slowly opened her eyes and allowed the crisp and soothing light spread around and dissolve the shadows coming close to the crowd, freeing those that got possessed as well, granting the shitennou enough time to act and lead them to safety. Kunzite watched agape, feeling forced to stop and admire the woman in white; Nephrite stood by his older brother's side and frowned, "Kunzite,"

"The Princess..." Kunzite muttered with worry, "Strengthen the barrier— _now_ ," his hand rested on the hilt of his quartz sword and pulled it out of its sheath, "I am taking the front but I need you to cover and prevent any collateral damages,"

"Understood," Nephrite nodded, later frowned with restrained worry, "I might have to do something that falls far from my ethics and rank as Shitennou, Kunzite,"

Kunzite smirked with confidence, knowing exactly what he meant, "Drastic situations force us to take drastic measures, Nephrite. Do what you have to do, as long as we get rid of them and keep the shadows away from Princess Serenity—we are not to take any chances here,"

Nephrite nodded and brought his hands together in the shape of a triangle and closed his eyes, " _Stellae omnia scire, quando sol eclipsatur illi terebrare circa ea nervi in tenebris—_ " he frowned and opened his hazel colored eyes, "Caelestium orbium, dona mihi mysticum numerum potentiarum—"a dark mass started to spark in between his hands, showcasing a miniature of a system of orbiting heavenly bodies, _"_ _In hac orbita sit ad angulum planum est ex 88.2 ° ad visus linea in Terra, Alpha Coronae Borealis—saevam vim fractam quaero Asterothe stellae vires me deficiant benedicere quod obsidendi vias!"_ With the blazing power gathered in between his hands, the northern general broke the energy sphere and allowed the energy take over him as he extended his arms and blasted the possessed bodies and creatures around them in a merciless chain of reaction that electrified every single shadow taking over.

Jupiter stood in pure shock to see the power coming from Nephrite, a way she has never seen before, not even when he was brainwashed by Metallia's dark power. The priestess squinted her eyes to protect them from the blinding light, "What is going on?!" Venus turned to Mars with urgency and pulled her closer to her, "This is our chance, we need to stop Usagi before the crystal maxes out her energy!" She shook her head, "She is not thinking about the consequences of her actions—she's in an emotional trance, we need to stop her!"

Mars widened her eyes when she sensed more shadows coming their way and turned to look behind her with panic and brought her two fingers close to her forehead and summoned a mystic charm,

 _"Rin,"_

" _Pyou,"_

" _Tou,"_

" _Sha,"_

" _Kai,"_

" _Jin,"_

" _Retsu,"_

" _Zai,"_

" _Zen..."_

" _Akuryo Taisan!_ _"_

The moon princess looked up at the sky but she felt her body was failing to resist the power the stone demanded from her to stay active and dissolve the dark clouds; Pluto saw the princess' struggle and quickly intervened, the senshi of space and time swung her titanium time rod at the shadows and lifted to call for its power, allowing the heavy and strong whirlpools of the gates of time swirl around the ball of energy forming at the top of her garnet stone and turned _"Death Scream,"_

Sailor Neptune ran with Sailor Uranus to join Sailor Pluto in battle, with the senshi of the skies calling for the aggressive power forming in her fisted hand, _"World—Shacking!"_

Neptune raised her arms to welcome the heavenly powers of her planet and ancestors and allowed a strong seaquake crash around her and threw the blast of energy at the shadow-like creatures, _"Deep—Submerge!"_

Saturn frowned as she looked at the sky with anger and frustration for feeling limited when performing an attack, being her, the one that could cause the most damage. With all the senshi and shitennou so close, using her full strength would put them in great danger since her power, unlike the rest, was meant to break the fibers of life and fate and bring everything to its demise. Despite being a sailor senshi, she did not have many options of attack, with her, every single move had to be carefully planned because of its unmeasured and unforgiving force, but seeing the princess trying her best to remain calm and the others stepping in is when the clear memory of the prince hugging her in gratitude and putting his trust in her hands ignited her rage, making her think how could this happen? How Hades could be so ambitious and disinterested of innocent lives? Saturn felt embarrassed and angry for being linked to a god like him, not even her mother, who was known to be mediatic and peaceful stood to defend what was fair, to defend _her,_ and it cut her to the very core.

If things continued like this, the senshi or death and rebirth knew the princess was going to be the most affected; battling a heavy depression and a weak health was going to break her sooner or later and she could not allow it, "I was given a mission and I do not intend to fail. No matter how many times I betray you. No matter how many times I go against your law, Father—Hades, I will not change my view. I will not turn my back on the idea of living a peaceful life—the idea of a future where we can live at peace. I will not stop believing in the Prince and Princess, regardless of what happens to me, I will not let them disappear." She walked toward the shadows as she swung her sharp glaive cutting several shadow bodies moving close and turned elegantly with her weapon held up with pride, ready to call upon her apocalyptic power.

Serenity broke concentration to look at the young senshi standing several meters away from all of them and holding her weapon straight across her body with both hands, proving she just had made a decision and that she was going through with it, regardless of the consequences. The princess widened her eyes in shock and held her breath in panic, "No, stop it, stop it, Saturn!"

"Your trespassing is a fault to the laws of the Underworld and I will not allow it!" Saturn raised her glaive up and frowned; "I am the emissary of silence and death, and this is when you come back to where you came from!"

"Saturn, _no!_ " Serenity shook her head and pushed Venus aside to let her pass through the protective energy barrier the girls kept around her and ran toward the senshi of silence.

"Princess!"

 _"Silence Glaive—"_

"Saturn!"

Serenity ran as fast as she could and stood in front of Saturn to protect her from her own attack and the shadows coming toward her and opened her arms to let the bright light from the crystal surround them in a protective cocoon while it reacted to the soldier of death's command.

 _"—Surprise!"_ Saturn widened her dark violet eyes and looked up at the princess taking the blow for her. Serenity turned angrily over her shoulder at the shadows and stretched her hand out and narrowed her eyes, "I banish you from this land—this planet is not yours to have." She frowned and raised her hand up; out of thin air her white and silver royal tiare appeared in ribbons of silver light and stomped it on the ground, _"Moon Healing—Escalation!"_

Summoning one of the first attacks known from her as senshi brought so much nostalgia not only to her but to the other girls as well. It was shocking to witness she was not limited to the stage of her transformation but to be able to actually go back and make use of the crystal in any way she thought was best to tackle an enemy. This was a solid proof of how the princess had grown in both experience and strength, proving she could master every known attack and heighten its level of power to match her current state. At the first burst of light emanating from the silver moon crystal standing on top of her long rod, it immediately cleared all the first line of shadows but Serenity didn't want to risk it and leveled her power to the next stage and let the rod stand for itself as she opened her arms wide, _"Moon Princess—Halation!"_

All senshi and shitennou watched the magnificent power pouring out of the princess like never before. Mars watched the princess' stance in awe, "It's different..." she covered her eyes from the intense light, "This isn't like when she first became Sailor Moon—it's something else, it's stronger and divine." Venus turned to Mars with wide eyes, "This means..."

"The true strength of a Goddess," Mars nodded with awe, "The power of a Queen."

"Queen..." Mercury mumbled with awe as she watched Serenity stabilizing her energy to purify great lengths of corrupted land. The unmeasured force coming from her friend and the intensity of the light flowing through her was more than enough evidence that Sailor Moon had finally reached her peak and have taken the next step as heir to the crown of the moon kingdom. The woman in front of her was not taking a stand as a soldier anymore, it was the woman that lent her power to the soldier from years past; her posture, her stance, her power, and demands were ones of a woman with fearless authority and control, a deity that was fighting not just for a common good but for the life and well-being of this planet she considered her beloved treasure—this planet was hers. The blue-haired senshi pressed her right earring to activate her intelligent visor and noticed a decrease in the princess' heart rate and felt a chill down her spine, "We need to make her stop—she is yet not strong enough and her body is resenting it!"

Saturn watched the moon princess standing right in front of her with her arms open wide and felt her eyes burning with tears. It was clear that she was struggling despite her strong presence and the magnitude of the power she was handling and how she didn't make it look like it was taking the effort it actually was and yet, there she was, giving her life for her—the bringer of death. The young senshi could see the princess started to shiver while she continued sending a strong blow at the darkness ahead but she also noticed she was on the very edge of losing herself in the power she was controlling and in a quick move, she let go of her glaive and wrapped her arms around her to give her support.

A last hurrah of beaming light exploded into a blinding mass of energy that lasted for a couple of seconds before going completely out, leaving a very exhausted princess fighting to stay on her feet. Thankfully, by this time, Uranus and Neptune had stepped in with the power of their talismans along with the inner senshi that went quickly to aid both the princess and Saturn.

"No... no, don't leave me!" Serenity cried when she felt like if her energy had been taken away and started feeling weak and heavy, her body couldn't even stand on its own anymore. Without much effort to stay on her feet, her knees gave in when she felt a pair of strong arms catching her before she could hit the ground. "Princess!" Sailor Uranus shouted, slightly shaking the princess' shoulders to try and keep her awake, "Princess!"

"En—dymion..." Serenity started to feel a heaviness all over her body and with the remains of strength left in her, she turned her head to meet the sky senshi's deep blue eyes, "H-How do I pray for you?"

"What?" Uranus frowned, confused. Serenity tried to shake her head but she was still too into her own emotional turmoil, "Pray..." she let her tears roll down her cheeks, "I have to pray..."

"Princess, we are taking you back to a safe place, please hold on." Neptune cupped the princess' cheek and saw her trying not to give in to the heaviness claiming her body. Saturn looked up and saw the city had gone silent and the shadows that were threatening their lives were no longer there. Pluto stood by her side and placed a hand on her shoulder, "She did it," Saturn nodded slowly and tightened her grip on her glaive, "Yes... but at what cost?"

Venus was next to join them and sighed with concern, "We need to leave now so Mercury can check up on her," she turned to look at her when suddenly something else—something unexpected caught her attention. Jupiter noticed the change and the shock in the blonde's cornflower-blue eyes "Venus, you alright?" She turned to look over her shoulder and widened her eyes the same way as Venus, in deep shock.

Walking behind the shitennou who had successfully carried the survivors to a safer area to get proper care from the paramedics on the scene, came Megumi side by side with two other people; a man with long white hair wearing an all-white assemble of tunic and pants and a golden crescent moon pendant hanging from his neck and a woman with long black wavy hair wearing a black and yellow gown with the same crescent moon pendant hanging from her neck.

"Artemis..." Venus muttered under her breath with emotion as she felt her eyes blur with a fresh batch of tears; it had been so long since she saw him in his human form. Mercury blinked completely shook by the change in both advisors, "L-Luna!"

Kunzite soon went to stand next to Uranus and Venus and checked on the princess, but before he could ask, the sandy-blonde senshi gave him the information he hoped for, "She's alright—exhausted, but alright." With a sigh, Kunzite turned and finally noticed the change in the advisors as soon as Megumi finally came close; the maiden along with both Luna and Artemis went to check on the princess "Usagi-chan..." Luna whispered, trying her best to hold her tears.

"The area is clear," Jadeite was the last to join the group, "We must leave before we get trapped in the commotion and before another unexpected outbreak occurs,"

"The shrine is our best option," Mars quickly suggested, "Going back to the apartment right now would be risky, we don't know if another quake might take us by surprise and the shadows... that is a whole other story."

"All is connected," Nephrite's brows knitted, showing concern "And it will not stop, not until we are all under their control."

O—o—o—o—O

The dripping sound of blood splattering the once impeccable floor of the palace that housed the Imperial family of the Omega Galaxy created the most morbid of symphonies when paired with the steady echo of footsteps and the screeching sound of metal scratching the floor.

Chaos tilted his head up, his golden eyes peeked through the long pieces of hair covering one side of his face as he walked into the large dome throne and threw their army commander right in front of both rulers, close to death. The empress in a black and gold gown gasped as she stared at the man with long forest green hair stuck to his bloodied face. "Alpha!"

The soldier flinched in pain and looked up at the woman looking down at him with a stricken face, "Em—press..."

"Salve, Romanorum et Omega," Chaos dig his sword on the impeccable black granite floor and looked around at the glass throne room, "Quod fuit tempore quo me tandem huc,"

 _(It has been long since I was last here,)_

The emperor of Omega, Hadar, always wearing the most elegant and expensive robes made of stardust and silk, with his short dark hair and groomed beard made him look impeccable, always listed as one of the most handsome and polished monarchs in the universe, but also known for his short temper and common impulsive actions. He put a protective arm in front of his wife and frowned, "It is true... the rumors... the demon is out of its cage."

"Demon?" Chaos tilted his head to the side and squinted his pale golden eyes in thought. The man was a master of concealing any emotion, if given any. Before being categorized as a serial killer, Chaos was never the kind that showed any understanding or sympathy for others and not because he didn't care before, but because it was his nature to be neutral. To Geb and Nut, this was an important issue, to the gods, an opportunity to have the perfect weapon at their disposal. Chaos was poised and elegant, hauntingly beautiful; he never raised his alluring deep voice and the most he would do to express any sort of reaction to anything was whenever he lifted a brow—a very known family trait. Chaos didn't really understand what pain, anger, or joy was like, to him, they were all distractions for the mind and he grew true to that philosophy. Even before he stood against the gods; the man was always reserved, quiet, and observant. The titan god of void was always one step ahead of everything and everyone, and it was this character what put everyone on the edge because no one could really know what was really going through his mind.

"Low creatures always tend to categorize the unknown with the most cliché of terms." He looked down at the soldier breathing heavily on the floor and choking on his blood and arched a well-concealed brow, "If this is the man taking the front of your forces, you are beyond any salvation. What kind of soldier is this?" He kicked Alpha aside and looked up at both Imperials.

"You disgusting creature! What are you doing here?!" The emperor clenched his jaw angrily, "How dare you to show your face—after all you have done, after causing so much dama—"

"—While it has been a long time since I last saw your face, Emperor of Orion, I am not here to remembrance." Chaos snapped his fingers and like a deck of cards, every soldier around him fell unconscious at his feet and looked at the couple standing several feet above him. The emperor frowned "Star seeds, that is what you are truly after, is it not?"

"Star seeds?" Chaos waved his hand, " Ah... _that_. I only fed the fixation on that senshi's mind, that was her idea of supremacy. My existence goes deeper than just a handful of useless shards of cosmic energy." His hand slowly rested on the hilt of his sword, "As of now, Ares is trying to scrape every corner in the universe collecting every remaining polemarchos to fight as if there was some sort of evil, but even if there is, evil cannot be fought when is harbored inside every living soul, that is the true law of nature. While mortals may be the most flawed kind there is, you are not that far from that reality, you are all defective creatures. There is darkness in all of you." His beautiful golden eyes narrowed, "Why am I here, you ask? Because you have something I want. As simple as that."

Both the emperor and empress widened their eyes, "Do you not dare..."

"Or what, Emperor?" Chaos tightened his grip on his sword and dragged it with him, cutting through the shiny floors like a knife on butter as he walked toward the imperials, "Are you going to send Centaurus to take my head? Your Polemarchos is not here—" he turned over his shoulder and watched the Omegan commander fighting for his life and trying to stand up, "To be the place that gave shelter to Geb and Nut, I expected you to have much stronger protection—one much worthy to house Titans." Chaos' pale gold eyes changed to a deeper amber color, "You still make poor decisions, Emperor of Omega, so poor, you even do such with your own life," he turned to fix his golden gaze on the empress with the same poker face, "Do you have any last words for whatever soldier this is, Empress Agena?"

The empress felt her blood running cold in her veins as she nervously looked at Chaos; Hadar turned to his wife perplexed, a hint Chaos caught right away "Well, I have not come here to discuss pointless matters of the heart," he looked down at Alpha spitting blood on the floor and pierced his sword through his chest and kicked him away with force, "I have things to do and places to be," the dark soldier extended his arm out and narrowed his eyes, *"Vos autem praevaricator habent navitas obice dividit, ut ab inferis ad superos reliquum. Ubique latet tenebras mundi scaena nomen esse, sed supra naturam cuiuslibet."

 _(You have the energy to break the barrier that divides the underworld from the rest of the realms. Darkness lurks in every corner of the universe, my name a stage of existence, but my nature superior to any kind.)_

With a flick of his wrist, a strong wave of energy sent both monarchs to the opposite side of the throne room allowing Chaos to walk up the stairs and break the glass window wall behind to take over the power of the core of energy coming from their sacred treasure—the stone encasing the full power of the dark hole at the center of the Omega Centaurus cluster. His golden eyes sparkled with interest as he got a hold of the dark matter stone and looked at it gleam like oil sleek, ** _"Quaecumque mandavero tibi portas infringere corrugo obtinuit. Veteribus copiis non intelligatur cum Olympio Ligari oppressionibus sanguine. Chronos, ut ad episcopum loci et temporis, et Zeus Iovem Dominus Deorum sed nihil custodiet et non vultis custodire. Et non habere iubes. Inanis praecox, sicut ipsa, procul faciam vivere et esse creaturae quam ille qui recte genus suum Titanas proficisceretur, et conteram: et ab obice oriri ex inferis,"_ He narrowed his amber eyes, _"Et non abscondam a me nulla materia quanta temptes."_

In the middle of the commotion, more guards entered the scene with Sailor Beta, the sailor senshi of Omega, and immediately ran to take Alpha's weapon and took his place in leading an attack at Chaos, "I will take on to claim your head for threatening the lives of our rulers and people!"The sailor senshi, fully dressed in a dark brown leather-like tunic with a golden belt around her waist that matched her fiery red hair and red eyes charged the weapon with energy and threw it at the polemarchos in black _"Flare Star!"_

Chaos raised his hand without needing to turn and face the woman running toward him with sword in hand to take on his life and swept her away with ease with just the flick of his hand and caught the ignited weapon, "Impetus tuum obsoletis mihi," _(Your weapons are obsolete to me.)_ he fixed his gaze on the senshi trying to stand and arched a brow, "Sic autem pugnatum est via tua," _(So are your ways of fighting.)_

He threw the sword at Sailor Beta with enough force to pierce her leg and pin her to the ground, making her scream in pain. He turned over his shoulder and one by one, every single soldier fell onto the floor in a catatonic state.

The brutal wave of energy in reaction to Chaos' presence merging with the black stone shook the ground and structure in the throne room cracking the pillars and floors as the strong gusts of wind blew without route and control, making it impossible for the emperors to move. Alpha looked up and widened his eyes when he saw the warrior in black swallowed the energy of their source of power like if it was nothing; never in his divine life he has ever seen someone able to come that close to it, let alone manage to be one with it, not even the emperors who were the ones strong enough to protect it and channel the energy to supply their realm with life could, proving the lengths of the polemarchos' power, one that by the look of it was not going to be possible to match or even surpass.

The soldier slowly turned to see the empress staring back at him with tears in her eyes, silently confirming the feelings harbored between them. He tried to move but his body was failing to respond, he was limited to watch the horror scene in slow motion, with Sailor Beta pinned to the ground and dealing with her own pain and the soldiers all falling under Chaos' influence this was sure to be the demise of the Omega Galaxy. His deep green eyes started to feel heavy but his blood felt like it was boiling in his veins. Against his will, his body reacted to the presence of Chaos and then he saw it—it's true form. With dread, he looked at the man in black and widened his eyes feeling completely helpless as he was slowly taken hostage by the voices in his head and the inexplicable wrenching feeling harboring inside of him. He wanted to die, he wanted to rip his skin off his body—it was unbearable, the pain, the anguish, the paranoia, and fright. Alpha screamed at the top of his lungs, like a madman that was thrown into a pit of hungry beasts. He felt his skin itch and burn and with each and every breath he took it felt as if his soul was slowly leaving his body. It was an internal battle between his own demons and his good will—a genuine fight between good and evil. Trust and betrayal.

The same started to happen to those that fell under Chaos' power. Each soldier slowly turned into a shadow, some completely gave in to their most and darkest secrets and sins, others simply could not take it anymore and tried to kill themselves with their own weapons but the pain and the madness didn't stop. It couldn't stop—their souls belonged to Chaos.

With unnatural motion and a confused sense of direction, the omega commander looked up at Chaos with a harrowed face and without him knowing or even feeling a thing, he went on one knee to pay his respects. The empress looked up from her hiding place behind a broken pillar and shook her head, "Alpha..." Her emerald eyes glistened with tears when she saw the man that had pledged loyalty to them, but mostly to her in secret, was now taken away from her. Under Chaos' command, Alpha turned to where Sailor Beta was still trying to pull herself up but the sword on her thigh was in too deep and she was feeling weak. She tried to drag herself closer to her empress, but she quickly went to her aid instead. The beautiful empress, now with her always impeccable robes stained with the senshi's blood tried to pull the large blade from her thigh; Sailor Beta widened her eyes with panic "E-Empress, you must get away—run!"

"Alpha, we have to save Alpha! _Please!_ Save Alpha!" The empress pleaded as she tried to pull the long weapon but a creepy hum distracted her making her turn and see that the man she was trying to save was completely under another entity. Alpha turned to grab one of the fallen soldier's weapon as he came close to them being this Sailor Beta's only chance to aim and hit with her attack, she reached her hand out to him and shut her eyes to mask her pain for what she was about to do, to her, Alpha was more than a comrade, more than a soldier, he was her twin brother and now, for the first time in their lives and for the sake of Omega, they had to part ways, "I am sorry, Alpha... I cannot allow you to come any further." The empress's eyes went wide with shock as she saw the man she secretly held dear to her heart being abused by the demons nested inside of him and holding the sword up above his head, "N-No..."

"Die!"

" _Flare—Star!_ "

The strong beam of light went straight into the handsome soldier's chest, knocking him down. While the attack didn't fully kill him, it was strong enough to put him out of consciousness. Between harsh and quick breaths of exhaustion, Sailor Beta turned and made sure both emperors were alright and used all of her strength to pull the blade off her leg not paying attention to the trail of blood she was leaving behind; with the help of the empress she finally stood up but the commotion coming close distracted them from their little grieving moment.

"Demon!" A thunderous voice echoed in the room, giving the cue to know who the new owner of that foghorn-like voice was. Chaos closed his fist, taking the last of the energy from the dark hole into his body and turned to look over his shoulder at the soldier walking into the room followed by a group of soldiers. The broad silver armored man, probably 6 ft. in height, with long deep blue hair flowing behind him like a long curtain of stardust and a large star-shaped scar on the left side of his face, glanced at Chaos with anger as he rested his hand over the hilt of his sword; Chaos leered at the polemachos of Omega with disinterest and tilted his head low "Ah... you."

Centaurus stared at him with a thirst for murder and dashed after Chaos without any warning for an opening and clashed his gladius sword with Chaos' long sword. The brusque polemarchos turned to use his star-studded shield to turn and hit the polemarchos in black but Chaos easily dodged his attack and extended his arm out to his silver-clad peer and hit his sword with force three times, setting a distance between the two, "The Polemarchos of Omega. The grand Gladiator," He narrowed his bewitching eyes of amber, "Your skill is undeniable—but your brute nature chains you down to be another pawn of Ares' army. Nothing really has changed; another lifetime could go on and you would still be the same primitive soldier."

"How did you get out of your hole, Chaos?"

Chaos turned his sword in an axial motion and dig it on the floor in a strenuous echo, "Surprised? I was hoping it to be, for old times' sake... _friend._ "

"That word is meaningless to me now," Centaurus frowned and took his position again; Chaos arched his right brow, "Is this supposed to hurtful? Should I pretend to be offended?" He sighed with boredom, "What a waste of energy and time but you all seem still to be attached to such primitive force—this thing you call emotions."

"What did you do Chaos?!"

Chaos shrugged his shoulder, "Why does it matter? You were there, you should know how I got out. I thought that after so many years, you would realize the great mistake that is to be a pawn working for gods." The dark lord started walking toward Centaurus dragging his heavy sword along with him, "I waited for this moment to come, all this, it is not a stroke of luck—it is a plan. I planned this and all of you blindly fell into it with so much ease. I am appalled, Centaurus, you better than anyone should know that I do not believe in spontaneity."

Centaurus roared with rage and ran towards Chaos both engaging in a heated sword fight. Centaurus' large sword crashed against Chaos' causing heavy ripples of energy and crashing everything around them. The large warrior turned and grabbed his stellar shield that once again materialized out of thin air and used to push Chaos back and break his defense, a staple attack from the omega warrior but it did not surprise him that Chaos' skills were still ahead of his, no matter how much he promised himself to increase his experience and level of damage; no matter the sacrifices he made and the brutal nature of his force, being in a fight against Chaos required more than just strength and he knew it well. With bottled anger and deception, Centaurus turned and kicked Chaos' sword out of his way and threw a fist at him, Chaos reacted quickly again and used his sword to block Centaurus' blow. The gladiator frowned and leaned forward to channel his power and blast Chaos out of the way when he realized what he had done.

Chaos raised his hand and arched his brow, "Looking for this?" He opened his palm and allowed the energy from the dark hole manifest in waves of cosmic dust around him; Centaurus widened his eyes in horror "T-That is..."

Chaos tapped his forehead, "Intelligence before brute force, Omega Centauri." He opened his arms wide and narrowed his gleaming golden eyes, "Void before creation."

The energy flowing inside merged with his own and dig his sword into the ground; Centaurus turned to the soldiers taking everyone out and quickly raised a barrier to absorb the aftermath of the large explosion but there wasn't much time to take second chances to counter-attack; after that, everything went black.

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is rated M. Violence, blood, cursing and/or intimacy may occur._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _Translations:_

 _Nephrite's attack: The stars know everything, when the sun is eclipsed, they pierce the strings of darkness around it. Celestial orbs, grant me your mystical powers. With the plane of this orbit is inclined at an angle of 88.2° to the line of sight to the Earth, Alpha Coronae Borealis—I seek the raging power of Asteroth the broken star to bless me with its strength and use this mortal body to consume what is blocking thy path!_

 _Chaos' statement: Whatever gate dividing my conquest I command you to break it. Our ancient force is not meant to be chained to the oppression of those with Olympian blood. Chronos may the Guardian of Space and Time and Zeus the Lord of the Gods but I guard nothing and I do not wish to protect. I own and I command. As void itself, I live far beyond creation and I will be the one that guides our kind, Titans, to break the barrier and rise from the underworld. You cannot hide from me, no matter how much you try._

 _Additional notes:_

 _*Alpha:_ _(Centauri): Commander of the Omega army. In astronomy, Alpha Centauri is one of the_ _three brightest stars in the Centauri constellation. Beta being the second, and Proxima, the third,_ _traditionally, called Rigil Kentaurus or Toliman, meaning "foot of the centaur", the system has an overall magnitude of -0.28 and is 4.4_ _light-years_ _from Earth._ _Being the closest to the solar system, this makes the most obvious reason as to why Geb and Nut chose the Omega galaxy to build their sanctuary and live in secret exile after Gaia's departure from the divine realm. (reference: Divinity – Question of Honor)_


	72. Chapter 72

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Seventy-Two

Uranus waited in the hallway, right outside one of the guest bedrooms at the shrine and turned to Megumi who was walking her way with an unreadable expression in her face as she turned to walk into the bedroom for what would be the third time. The blonde senshi looked at her with unmasked concern but it was obvious she was still ashamed for all that has happened and mostly because she felt responsible for being part of the problem. Megumi was about to open the door but stopped midway, she didn't need to be told what was going on, far she knew and she couldn't keep ignoring the situation, not anymore. She tilted her head low and drew in a long breath and exhaled slowly, "She is alright," she simply said. There was nothing the blonde could recognize from the tone in the maiden's soft voice, no anger, no glee, no guilt—not even relief, there was nothing. It was just there, pounding like a fist in a dry wall, a truth she so much wanted to know but was too fearful to ask. Uranus nodded and leaned her back on the wall and crossed her arms not in her usual defensive stance but more like if she was trying to find some comfort, something that would assure her that things were going to be alright, "Thank goodness..."

Megumi stood still in the same position with her eyes fixed on her *tabi-clothed feet and closed her eyes, "She is awake... if you wish to go inside, I can wait here."

While she may not be able to read the tone in the maiden's voice, her choice of words was enough for Uranus to confirm the tension between them was real; she had to admit she wasn't too good at giving apologies, but despite what everyone thought of her, she did know how to accept her faults and face her mistakes—this was one of those moments.

"You're angry at me," Uranus tilted her head enough to look at Megumi and sighed, "And I don't blame you... I disrespected you by trying to kill the Prince... I deserve your anger," she gave her a shy glance, "I owe you an apology too, Megumi."

"It is not about what you said or what you did to His Highness, this is not about you, Lady Uranus," Megumi opened her eyes and turned to look at her, "It is about the aftermath, what is happening now." Her chocolate eyes narrowed, "I may be a weak and clueless woman, one that knows nothing about this modern life, but there is something that has been clear to me from the moment you found me and that is the closeness between all of you; the familiar closeness you have and how you look out for each other's back." She shook her head slowly, "But ever since Prince Endymion fell unconscious, there has been division—you took sides." Her voice started to break with emotion, clearly proving that she was also affected by the situation, "I cannot make you change your mind, Lady Uranus, and I cannot forbid you to be by the Princess' side because division is not what she needs, but support. I support her, I care for her—she is special to me and I cannot let you hurt her. Even with this powerless body of mine, I will look out for her."

Uranus widened her eyes with unexpected surprise to see the fragile girl they found months ago looking lost and helpless was no more. In front of her was a strong, confident lady that wanted nothing more but to be of help to everyone, even now, when she had gone against her prince she was there, helping her snap out of her thick sad cloud of remorse. With a soft smile, Haruka shook her head, "You are far from being weak and clueless. You are not powerless, Megumi, you are much braver than you think... much braver than me."

Megumi looked at her a little taken aback by the always unbreakable woman the senshi of the sky was known to be. This was a silent apology and Megumi could not feed the cause of division, this was a start to lift the heavy weight over everyone's shoulders and a fresh start to rebuild the trust that has brought them together as a family in the first place. Megumi's mouth curved into a small smile, "I will hold on to that compliment,"

Haruka smiled and gave the maiden a silent nod; finally making peace with the terran maiden. Megumi was about to walk into the room but stopped mid-way and turned to the blonde, "I think... you should go in. Now would be a good time to start healing old wounds..." she turned to open the door and stepped aside, inviting the blonde to walk inside. Uranus pushed herself off the wall and decided to listen to Megumi. As soon as she crossed the door, she spotted Mercury sitting on the bed next to the princess who was still trying her best to stay awake, and Venus close by the window next to Mars. The blonde leader was the first to notice the new visitor and widened her eyes, "H-Haruka..."

Uranus waved her hands apologetically and stood by the door, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to interrupt... I just wanted to know how she is doing but I can wait out—"

Mercury patted a wet cloth against Serenity's flushed cheeks. She turned to look over her shoulder and noticed the look in the sandy blonde's eyes was more anxious and worried than just of one who wanted to check up on her friend. She stretched her arm out with the cloth in hand and gave her a small smile, "I need to ask Megumi a few things, would you help me keep her cool?"

Uranus glanced at Venus, then a much quieter Mars and hesitated for a moment, "I—I..."

"Is it me or is it getting colder?" Mars broke the heavy silence and turned to Venus; both women knew the reason behind the strange change in weather but just like Megumi, they could see the worry in Uranus' eyes and they wanted to reinforce the bond that was between them and patch things up. Venus sighed and rubbed her hands, "It _is_ getting colder," she pouted her lips, "Got any tea to make? Everyone's probably freezing at this point,"

"We're at a sacred shrine, there is always tea to make—come on, help me in the kitchen," the priestess looked at Uranus and smiled softly, "The Princess is in good hands,"

Uranus gave the priestess a much more relaxed smile and nodded as she grabbed the damp cloth and took Mercury's side on the bed next to Serenity and saw them leave the room. With a soft sigh, Uranus turned to pat the princess' forehead and blinked when she saw she was awake and looking back at her. Serenity blinked slowly and tilted her head on the fluffy pillow and let out a soft exhale, "Uranus..."

"Venus and Mars went to make some tea, Mercury went to check something with Megumi... I can go look for them if you want," Serenity shook her head and put her hand over Uranus', "No, I'm glad you're here..."

"How are you feeling? Can I get you anything?" The sandy blonde asked with worry, Serenity sighed and shook her head, "My pain is much more than just physical," she gave the taller woman a sad smile, "I know the girls are looking after me, Ami-chan is being a wonderful doctor to me but I am far from needing rest or medicine. What I need is resolution... I need truth, I need clarity..." she took a deep breath, "I need my husband..."

The last part of her confession made Uranus' feel a knot in her stomach when she remembered Serenity's words before dozing off, "Pray..." she narrowed her eyes, "What did you mean by that?"

Serenity's gaze shifted from hers and tilted her head low letting her long and lustrous piece moon-pearl hair fall over her face; Uranus saw her hands closed into fists and tugged on the blanket, giving her the cue to understand it was something with a much deeper meaning, "Princess..."

"Endymion said that to me in a dream... he asked me to pray..."

Uranus' widened her deep blue eyes; the princess remained in the same position but her voice started to quiver just by the mention of her husband's name, "That last moment... I know he tried to tell me something the circumstances were not allowing him to say out loud, and while there was a moment I felt I was deciphering his words and felt hopeful, right now, I am back to where I started... I feel lost, desperate... angry." Serenity took a deep breath and looked up at Uranus with glossy eyes, "Do you believe this is what we deserve?"

"No," Uranus shook her head, "No, Princess... I don't."

"I am not asking you as a Princess, Haruka, I am asking as a friend— _your_ friend. All of you started calling me Princess but that's a choice you made; it shouldn't change things or who I am. It shouldn't change the fact that I'm your friend. Serenity is just a name."

Uranus leaned and wrapped her arms around Serenity to pull her closer in a loving and protective embrace. This simple question made her understand just how deep it was "No, I do not believe you deserve any of this. You don't deserve any of this, Odango-chan. Love is not a crime and it shouldn't be treated as such... I should have known this better than anyone. I should have been more understanding."

Serenity responded to the sandy blonde's hug and put her arms around her, finally putting an end to the awkwardness between them and sighed softly, letting her tears roll down her flushed cheeks, "Have Pluto ever mentioned to you how the future comes to be?"

Uranus shook her head, "No... but you know she mustn't break the rules imposed to her as Guardian of Time and Space."

"Do you think this is the foundation of a new silver millennium?" Serenity took a moment to pull back and gave Uranus a doubtful glance, "All that has happened makes me question everything I've seen in the past... it makes me wonder if, in the end, things happened the same; if the Queen I met back then is the same Queen I am supposed to be now... if she went through all this too, if she ever experienced this harrowing pain and sense of loss. If she fell into hell and the King went there for her to send her back." The pearled haired princess shook her head and frowned with confusion in her icy-blue eyes, "The more I think about it, the less sense it makes to me and the more I believe that woman wasn't entirely me." Serenity frowned, "And the same goes for the King, who decided to stay behind and keep quiet while the Endymion I know has disposed of that same mask that made him be a man shrouded in mystery and took full ownership of his place as warrior and monarch without hesitation." She shook her head, "I don't feel that's a reality, anymore."

"Then build something even greater,"

Serenity turned to Uranus who was looking at her with determination, "I don't know if things are supposed to go a certain way. If we are following something. I honestly don't think life is this predictable. If what you saw is what you will get. Odango-chan, if your beliefs don't match the ones you saw in that future, change it and do something greater. Be a different Queen, one you feel is the one this era needs, one that makes you feel like you're a part of it."

"Haruka..." Serenity blinked with awe; Uranus cupped her cheek, "This is you— _now._ " She moved closer and held the princess' hands tight, "Now more than ever I believe you can truly change the world for the best regardless of what the gods think. You may be the Moon Goddess but you live here—you married the Prince of Earth, and you made this your home and not just that, it also allowed us to make this place _our_ home too. If you need a louder voice to pray for your husband, I'll give you mine, if you need support, I'll give you every ounce of energy within me for you to fight, just don't give up Usagi... please don't give up."

Hearing the much simpler version of her name brought much-needed peace and reaffirmation to the princess' spirit, she didn't know she needed it until she heard it—to remind her she was still that girl that underneath it all, was a believer of love and that there was a reason for all of this. Serenity took a deep breath and nodded feeling much more at ease to know they were a team again but most importantly, that her loving friend was back. They stayed in silence, both grateful for one another. Words weren't needed anymore, everything had been said and to Serenity, this was better than any a simple apology she could have given her in the past because she could see the truth in her words reflected in her eyes and the strong will in her voice. After a little while longer, Serenity started feeling heavy again and dozed off when Megumi walked into the room with a cup of tea for the princess and found the blonde sitting on a chair in front of the bed. The maiden soon after traded places with her and offered to watch over Serenity so she could go meet the rest at the living room where they were discussing the recent events and planning a counter-attack.

The minute she entered the room, all girls and generals turned to an also civilian dressed Uranus and made an abrupt pause, making the sandy blonde break the awkward silence with a dry chuckle, "Yes, yes... I'm still here." Her light humorous words and the calmness in her voice immediately lifted the tension in the air, putting all grittiness between them to rest. Neptune's deep blue eyes gleamed with relief when she saw her lover come back and take a seat on the carpet, next to her, "How is she doing?"

"She is trying her best not to sleep but her exhaustion took its toll on her," Uranus took the porcelain cup Neptune slid on the coffee table and let out a soft sigh, "But deep down... she's having an emotional meltdown." Her eyes met the rest, then Pluto's garnet ones "She questions fate and the future she got to see years ago—she has started to question her as a future Queen and Prince Endymion as King of Earth, or, in this case... Crystal Tokyo."

"Ah, that..." Jadeite rubbed the bridge of his nose, "I remember Endymion mentioning something about it and what happens to this planet in the future but a part of me did not understand what he was talking about... I could not allow myself to believe it actually happened." His gray-blue eyes widened when he felt Mars' hand taking his and nodded, "Yes, it happened. A few years back we fought an enemy that came from the future. This _'entity'_ forged its way in the time-space corridor and infiltrated into this era—that's how we eventually met Pluto."

"She is trying to understand if her future-self went through all this to get where she was. She wants answers but the only one that can give her those answers, is you, Pluto." Uranus tilted her head, "So, I'll ask on her behalf... is this how the future comes to be?"

Pluto pressed her lips in a tight line for a few seconds and considered her options. This was a difficult position for her, a taboo she could not dwell in too deep and tell others, but she revolved around the idea of how unfair it was for them to hold on to a pocket in time where they got to meet their future selves. The olive-skin beauty let out a soft breath, "No,"

Everyone in the room fell silent, even Artemis and Luna, who were still dealing with the changes of having been transformed into their human form. Venus widened her cornflower-blue eyes and shook her head, "Wait... Pluto... what do you mean?"

"Time and Space are parallel forces, yes, but they're not linear," Pluto turned to Venus and the white-haired general sitting next to her, then to the rest who had the same shocked look on their faces, "Meaning, every single thing that happens in the past can affect the future in any way. Some things may remain and happen in different times under different scenarios but I cannot say with certainty if what is happening today happened to the Monarchs I once lent my powers—I am the Guardian of the Gates and Time, anyone with access to those doors can come to me for help but that doesn't mean it's a clear view into the future and while some things may be fated to happen others are superfluous and fickle."

"But then..." Mars frowned confused, "Does it mean the royals we met back then do not exist?"

"The King and Queen exist—it's them. There is no doubt about that, but how _they_ live depends on the decisions _they_ made back when they took their role as monarchs. It is a great possibility that their ruling began years after your battle with the Dark Kingdom ended, giving more sense as to why they ascended the throne when Neo-Queen Serenity was 22 years old."

Venus widened her eyes, "W-Wait... what?!"

"It does make sense..." Artemis frowned, "When we met the King, he never foreshadowed Saturn's awakening—the talismans, the duty or existence of the Outer Senshi, Sailor Galaxia, Chaos, or the Cauldron..."

"That's right..." Luna nodded, "And also, the Inner Senshi did not change... their uniforms... they never evolved."

Pluto nodded and sighed softly, "I know this is complicated to fully understand, it's about time and time is ever changing. Everything we do, give shape to who we are in the present and who we want to become in the future. It is clear to us by now that future started to change when we realized Crystal Tokyo didn't happen after the battle with Galaxia ended and how Princess Serenity didn't marry right away, gave birth to a child, and locked herself in a crystal palace by the age of 22. Instead, we all lead a different life and it was probably because of that vision we all had of the future. In that flux of time, Crystal Tokyo didn't happen after Galaxia, Saturn probably didn't wake, neither the Outer Senshi. There were no time-space infiltrations, nobody corrupted the frame of time, nobody infringed the laws of space, nobody played with fate and nobody traveled through time."

"Traveled... through time..." Mercury's eyes widened with surprise and turned at Pluto, "Then... does that mean..."

"Small Lady's constant traveling through time and space and the constant interactions with all of you may have ended up manipulating the flux of time at a greater scale. That is one reason, but also, Nemesis, the Black Moon Clan, and you, when you traveled back and forth from the 30th Century." Pluto tilted her head, "Everything... as big or little in importance changes things in the future." Pluto took a deep breath and let it go, "Everything, even stopping time. Time should never stop because it causes severe ripples and shifts in the continuum. Think of it as a tsunami... once it crashes and reaches the shore, it wipes everything in its path. Pockets in time and space can be created and at that time, Nemesis was defying the laws of nature by breaking taboos and the clan had to be defeated one way or another. There is certainly more as to why the King and Queen, along with the Sailor Senshi weren't able to prevent it and defeat them."

"Also, we were not there..." Jadeite frowned and looked at the senshi of time, "By the King's side... we weren't there, right?"

Pluto pressed her lips tight and shook her head, confirming the general's words. This truth hit everyone like if a ton of bricks just fell over them at the same time; there were two viable options from here, either they just came to aid the prince and will eventually die and go back to an inanimate state inside of a mineral stone while their souls go back to Limbo, or, the future actually change and they get another chance to recoup and continue with their lives like the girls have been doing. Jadeite seemed to be the most affected by this, but it didn't mean the same troubling thought echoed in the minds of the rest of the shitennou and the girls.

Venus felt a hole in the pit of her stomach as she remembered the conversation she had with Serenity days ago about the possibility of being Chibi-Usa the baby she lost in her recent miscarriage and how they wanted too much to hold on to the idea that the future they saw suddenly became real. It was true, what Pluto said; they have been living a life so far from what they saw all those years back as a result of having crossed a forbidden place in time, unconsciously or not, they did not want to live the same way they did thousands of years ago, they wanted freedom, they wanted to live the challenges and triumphs of adulthood and experience what it was like to be in charge of their own destiny. In the end, it wasn't about them blaming their nature as divine beings and senshi, it was how they were almost bound to leave everything behind for a future they were so sure it was going to happen one way or another.

Venus took a deep breath and tried to fight the tears burning in her eyes as she curled her hands into fists nervously, "So... Chibi-Usa..." she looked at Pluto with glossy eyes, "Is she..."

"She still could be born." Pluto muttered with the same held emotion in the back of her throat, "But, I really don't know... I understand the laws of time, not fate. I didn't get to see her again..."

Mercury closed her eyes and lowered her head, feeling sucked into the same emotional whirlpool as Venus when the same harrowing conversation she had with Serenity the day after she returned from hell happened. The same question that burned the princess to the very core, that broke her heart into millions of pieces because unlike the rest of the people in this world, Serenity was the only woman who got to meet the child she has with the love of her life years before she was even conceived. She looked after her, cared for her, and loved her so much she wished time would get faster to be able to hold her in her arms and really be able to call that beautiful baby her daughter. But now, the same heartbreaking fear that has been haunting the princess had started to haunt Mercury too and it felt like if a bucket of bricks just fell over her head. She couldn't help feeling vulnerable and extremely emotional; she looked up and locked eyes with Venus who was in the same condition for being the only one besides her that knew the princess' sad secret.

For the rest, the confession was also difficult to grasp and understand. Knowing that the existence of the little girl might be just something that happened in their minds was too sad to be true when they all got to know her and spend valuable time with her.

"Mercury?" Zoisite's warm voice startled her and turned to look at him, "I-I'm alright..."

"So, this means everything is changing," Jupiter asked Pluto with a soft voice, "All we believed was true, turns out it wasn't—not entirely."

"This is why my jurisdiction is a taboo." Pluto sighed softly, "Father always warned me to stay at bay with the strings of time and this is one of the reasons why. I finally understand that whenever he warned us about something is not because he knew but because he could sense the flow in the space-time corridor flowing differently. Father Chronos knew more than I'll ever will and if he prepared me for this is because he bent and broke several taboos to send the warning and set the course of time to this line where we were able to reincarnate in the same era, at the same place." She hugged herself, "It's finally clear to me what he did..."

"Pluto..." Neptune looked at her with worry, Pluto nodded and looked at the girls with determination, "Chronos asked me to help my kind. A titan warrior, one that needed to die first in order to be reborn in another time to fight the enemy then."

"Endymion," Kunzite's eyes narrowed with understanding, "He is who Lord Chronos was talking about all those years ago,"

Luna widened her eyes and turned to Kunzite, then to Pluto "A Titan..." Artemis nodded, "I see... it is all clear to me now," he brought his alabaster hand to his chin in thought, "I remember Lord Chronos mentioning this before... but he never said who this warrior was... so it is true, then? It was Prince Endymion all along."

"B-But... how..." Venus frowned and shook her head, deeply confused, "How are you so sure? And... Titans? They are a myth that went extinct according to all my studies... so then what God Ares said when Mamoru was awakened was true...?"

"The history of Titans and how their fate came to be is a subject Gods in Olympus wanted to treat with discretion." Artemis turned to Venus, "It is true some Titans were abrasive, violent, and some too cruel to rule—they were, after all, descendants and evolution of Giants. Their nature is raw and unfiltered, so is their source of power. They are ancient creatures with very strong powers—different from gods. But even with all that majestic power and control, there were those who did not want to live in misery and that believed in a better future so when those that fell into corruption tried to gain control over the divine realm and raised in arms, they went against their own kind and joined Zeus, Hades, and Ares, in battle. After the Titanomachy, many of them died, others were imprisoned in Tartarus, but those that helped shape this new era remained and followed the new divine laws of Olympians as gods, so they could co-exist with others and live in peace. Yes, it's true." Artemis looked at Pluto, "Lord Chronos, the God of Time and Space, was one of those Titans," his feline emerald eyes landed on the shitennou and Venus, who was holding Kunzite's hand, "And the Titan responsible for freeing the three pillars of Olympus and who took Ares under his wing was none other than Lord Helios, Titan of the Sun."

"Wait..." Venus felt her blood run cold, "Artemis... so what you're saying..."

"Acknowledging anyone as titan was almost like casting a spell, it was an unspoken word." Artemis nodded, "That is why gods made a great emphasis to tag everyone under one same category but the truth always comes to the surface, no matter how many times try to change the story. Titans exist and a few still remain."

"Artemis is right," Kunzite squeezed Venus' hand gently to catch her attention and looked at her, "Endymion is not a demigod as everyone thought he was. He is from titan descendance." The room fell silent. He continued, "Remember, Queen Gaia is Helios' granddaughter—she has never been a Goddess, but the Titan of Earth."

Everyone except for Pluto, the shitennou, and Artemis went into a turmoil of shock, Uranus included and quickly remembered the princess' words when defending her husband's ways of fighting. Neptune looked at Pluto with the same surprise in her ultramarine eyes, "Pluto... you are Titan too,"

All eyes landed on the senshi of time. Pluto smiled softly and nodded, "Yes, I am." She blushed and closed her garnet eyes, "So, it is left more than clear that we are far more refined than popular belief..." her eyes fluttered open when she felt Saturn's hand on hers and smiled. Mercury shook her head with disbelief and covered her mouth, still trying to process this new information, "So this means..."

Artemis nodded, "When Goddess Gaia broke the law and married the Terran King and consequently left the divine realm, the gods forbid all contact with Earth as a desperate measure to prevent another Titanomachy from happening, but it is not her who they had to protect themselves from,"

"Chaos..." Mars muttered with fright, "Chaos is a titan too..."

Artemis nodded, "And that is the truth behind his imprisonment. Chaos rebelled against Olympians and used his training as polemarchos and his ancient power as a titan to break a new war—a new Titanomachy."

"That is why Endymion has been labeled as a monster—a hybrid." Nephrite said from his place next to Jupiter, "His existence defies the divine laws since a titan and a mortal were not supposed to bear a child."

"Prince Endymion is a link between both realms. He alone could be an alliance between gods, titans, and mortals, and that is what the gods are so hesitant to see as something good." Artemis sighed softly and turned to Luna, who had her burgundy eyes fixed on him with clear shock, "I knew about the identities of those with titan descendance but it has always been treated as a delicate matter. We were not allowed to address them as such because the word itself became a taboo. Queen Serenity never mentioned it either, but her close and loyal friendship with Queen Gaia and Lord Chronos was enough for me to understand the situation and put the pieces together with time."

"Does Serenity know about all this?" Venus turned to Artemis with worry, "Where to begin to explain it to her?"

"She knows," Kunzite nodded, "She is well informed, and she now understands why their union has been seen as a crime—a vile act of treason. An Olympian of a very important Empire turned her back on her kind to share her life with who represents a disgrace to them—titans." He turned around to see Uranus, "This is why you were given the order to eliminate him."

"Exactly, Lord Kunzite," Artemis nodded, "To gods, Prince Endymion was born a sin—a curse, and his upbringing, his education, and consequent training in battle made of him a solid threat to them because he has proven what he's capable of. Back then, he was monitored. Every move he made was tracked down by Ares' soldiers, the High Gods, and even Queen Serenity, who in an attempt to look after her friend made matters complicated. Hades took interest in his soul because Endymion performed his duties as well as any other polemarchos despite his heritage, but also because they all fell under the strong belief that he is Chaos reincarnated."

Venus propped her elbows on her lap and hid her face behind her hands, "This all makes so much sense now and I feel awful..." she shook her head, "All the times I made my Princess suffer by pulling her apart from him... by telling her he was a threat to her... I was under that same disgusting belief,"

"But the question here remains," Mars crossed her arms and turned to Artemis and Pluto, "Is Mamoru the reincarnation of Chaos?"

"Chaos is a titan that sadly has lived for far too long, my daughter."

Everyone turned surprised to see Ares standing at the temple's porch wearing his golden armor showing the havoc of war. His always tight ponytail was loose, letting his long ashy-blonde hair fall freely down his back with some pieces stuck to the trickles of sweat condensed in his forehead; his breathing was hoarse like if he had been in motion non-stop and shook his head, as if he was showing remorse about something, "So, to answer such a lingering question, no, the Prince of Earth is not Chaos reincarnated. They are two different entities sharing the same dynasty and bloodline."

-O-

 _Ares ran down the long halls of Tristan palace in Saturn to find his brother, Hades, with hurry. Since the gates have been corrupted the lord of war had to take other routes and measures to get to his brother's realm, considering the gravity of the situation and how his presence if noticed, would disrupt even more danger to everyone in the cosmic and divine realm. Ever since he escaped Olympus with Zeus, he put his war plan into motion and have the army of polemarchos the order to tackle, fight, and report the level of damage already been caused in the universe while he set up a hideout in Saturn to work on their strategies with the help of his brothers, bringing the sense of familiarity and closeness to them that somehow got lost due the different jurisdictions that demanded more of them over time._

 _The guards opened the large heavy doors to allow the god of war walk inside Hades' study, where Zeus was with the lord of death discussing the current status of Olympus and the points in the alliance that has already been invaded and affected by Chaos' influence and an army of demonic shadows. The lord of thunder turned to his youngest brother but before he could say anything, Ares waved his hand to command the guards to give them privacy._

 _The large room had become a war cave with every monitor focused on every point of their alliance and marked parchments with hundreds of constellation maps notes pinned on long tables. As soon as the large doors were shut, Zeus turned to his youngest brother and frowned "Ares,"_

 _"Omega has been compromised. The Emperors were attacked, so was their Sailor Senshi, Beta, and their army Commander, Alpha, who is in critical condition as we speak—his fate is dubious." Ares frowned, "Our fears are confirmed. He took it, the Centaur black hole and used its power to create a bigger void—I am talking about multiple pockets and openings in the space continuum. He has upscaled his game, Hades. He is playing with fate."_

 _Hades pounded the marble desk with his fist and hung his head low, "That demon is taking over Olympus..."_

 _"No, he is taking over the Universe, Hades. He is becoming a force of nature." Ares narrowed his eyes, "And the worse part of it is that he has not even started yet,"_

 _"What do you mean?" Zeus frowned as he watched his brother walk to one of the tables with the maps pinned on them, "Centaurus managed to cushion a great part of the explosion. His status report: The star of Centaur is in grave danger of falling without the energy from the back hole Chaos stole. This only solidifies what we already know about Chaos, he is a master strategist, just like Helios. He prepared all this beforehand—all that has happened was planned. The sudden attacks, the shadows approaching, the unusual activity in the Underworld—Asteria's intervention. Everything."_

 _"What about Hadar and Agena?"_

 _"They are safe—Centaurus protected them from the attack and have been taken to Kinmoku for shelter while Omega purifies from the vile energy Chaos left behind."_

 _"And Centaurus?"_

 _"Injured, but, not gravely—for what I was reported from him and later, from both Emperors, Chaos took advantage of the power from the explosion to open a portal and disappear." Ares pointed at one of Hades' water mirrors he used as monitors, "This clearly explains he is suctioning energy from every brutal source available to recover, but he has already started to attack and take over strong points in the universe—planets had started falling under his corrupted nature and he is taking those with weak minds as hostages,"_

 _"We still cannot track his whereabouts," Zeus frowned, "What about the other polemarchos' locations?"_

 _"I have sent the order to_ _Aegeus; they shall proceed as necessary," Ares clenched his jaw with concern, "But this is the first time I am concerned about how much they will able to repel and eliminate."_

 _"Ares..." Zeus narrowed his grey eyes. Ares turned to his brother and shook his head, "Chaos is no longer a deity I can read and control anymore. He is no longer my pupil and I am no longer his master. I am afraid to say he even surpassed my skills by just being able to orchestrate all this from the prison he was locked into—not even Centaurus, who was his match in both skill and strength could stop him. This is a soulless Titan feeding from other's traumas and fears." His gray eyes landed on Hades, "How are the conditions in your realm, Hades?"_

 _Hades shook his head, "You will not hear the answer you are looking for, Ares. The gates of the Underworld are sealed. The Alpha Galaxy is fully contaminated—the gates of Tartarus were forced open and that has brought serious consequences to the rest of the valleys in the Underworld. Styx, Erebus, Mnemosyne, Lethe, and Charon are taking charge of directing the souls to their respective place while_ _Rhadamanthus, Minos, and Aeacus are suppressing the evil from spreading more and causing a breaking point at the entrance._ _Agamemnon is taking the front in the gates commanding the army of shadows to contain as much poison from spreading but it is taking too much energy and work to keep them under control. He has sealed the gates; no soul comes in and no soul comes out..."_

 _"But demons are a different thing. So are the corrupted and vile—" Ares turned to look at the water mirrors again and watched the different areas already affected. This was far more difficult than when they were freed to fight the titans, this was a war that included deities of their own kind, this was irony at its best and now the tables have turned where they were facing the same cursed fate titans had to face millions of years ago. He felt life was slipping away through his fingers and everything they fought so much to achieve. The more he saw the images of entire planets being destroyed or left in misery state brought the image of the moment they were rescued from the prison he was being chained and condemned to be sacrificed alongside his brothers to feed the power of the corrupted giants and titans. It was still so vivid in his mind; the moment he saw the light of day and the moment he took a sword for the first time and followed every instruction given by Titan of the Sun. From that moment on, a new god of war was born and with him, a new league of soldiers that would change the course of divine laws._

 _After the war, Ares did everything in his power to be a worthy protector of Helios' legacy as a proper way to repay him for everything he had done not just for him, but for his brothers and what Olympus had come to be. He became his most loyal pupil and eventually, took his place by sharing that same ideology to other polemarchos until Chaos decided to turn against them. This was probably the hardest thing for Ares since he was fighting against none other but Helios' grandson, a titan god he met since birth and witnessed becoming one of the best, if not the greatest warrior he had seen, easily surpassing his own grandfather's in both strength and skill. With Gaia, he tried to implement the same teachings and while he succeeded in making a superb warrior out of her, she was too confused and hurt to confront her brother, the man once was only was able to smile for her. The truth was bitter but it could not be ignored. Without Chaos, there wouldn't be any opportunity for Gaia to be born. Gaia was a wish come true, the warmth and nurturing soul Helios' dynasty needed; a titan born to nurture and give life not to cause destruction but, in their need to keep a balance in the universe and spare them from the ravages of Chaos' brusque nature, she had to become more than just a creature of peace and become an unbreakable protector of the life that was already blooming on Earth._

 _To Ares, it was more than clear Chaos had grown too strong and too manipulative for them to stop him and imprison him so easily. Times were not the same and Chaos was too prideful to surrender—it didn't appeal to him to be forgotten and with that thought in mind, it came easy for him to take control over Tartarus and eventually break free. He was a force of nature and a state of mind, his existence ran deep down within everyone's minds and this time, he had to be stopped and not by imprisonment or a stronger seal. Chaos, living representation void and dementia couldn't be sealed anymore._

 _This is when things finally made sense to Ares. Even with all the support from all the polemarchos in the universe, this was not a war he could win. He needed a much stronger weapon, or better said, a much skillful warrior, one that could be as dangerous as him—a successor. Ares needed to rely on who could be a valuable match in battle and that could only be another descendant of Helios—his own kind._

 _"Hades, is there a way for me to get into your realm?"_

 _"What?" Hades and Zeus turned with a stoic expression in their faces. Ares turned to look at them "I need to go to Tartarus, is there a way?"_

 _"Ares, I have told you there is nothing left of that realm. Going there is suicide!" Hades' tension echoed in his always calm voice, "Try to understand, the hy—"_

 _"The only thing we need to understand, Hades, is how we are going to witness this universe succumb to Chaos if we do not fight against him." Ares narrowed his eyes, "We cannot win this by just relying on our old ways of fighting—Chaos surpasses all this; he knows how we feel, how we think, he knows our every move. He learned from us, we have been nothing else but entertainment for him,"_

 _"Ares—" Zeus frowned, "Now it is not the time to go our separate ways, we need to do this together, we need to join forces to fight Chaos and bring him down!"_

 _"This is not a war we can win just by ourselves, Zeus!" Ares's thundering voice was charged with desperation, "Not even with a whole army of Polemarchos! Chaos knows them all, he knows each and everyone's weaknesses! How can I make you understand that all this is a game for him!"_

 _Hades shook his head, "It is completely destroyed, Ares. Thanatos is a dead end, so it is the road that leads to that demonic realm. It has been long enough since Chaos broke free, by now that man's body has been devoured by the rabid energy from that place."_

 _"I cannot accept it. I will not accept it until I see it with my own eyes."_

 _"Why are you doing this, Ares?" Zeus looked at his brother with doubt, "We need to focus on how to save what is left of Olympus, Gaia is gone! She is dead! You cannot bring her—"_

 _"—This is not about Gaia, Zeus. This is about what that young man represents. He is the good that is left of Helios' dynasty, his rightful successor... the only one left that can revendicate his family's place in Olympus and clear their names from the shadow cast upon them." Ares shook his head, "I cannot take a negative from you anymore, Hades. Enough is enough, this is not the time to be against each other."_

 _Hades clenched his jaw as he saw the determination behind Ares' gray eyes; as much as he hated to admit it, the lord of war was right in one thing, the hybrid could have been a possible opponent for Chaos for the sole reason that if he was the one that could break the seal, he could be the one that could bring him down but the conditions in which he left the underworld were enough to believe such possibility was no longer viable; but he knew his brother, and sadly, he was as stubborn and prideful as he was, so for now, he had to step aside and let his brother see with his own eyes the inevitable._

 _With a flick of his hand and a low call, Agamemnon appeared before the three gods in a matter of seconds and bowed his head to show them his respects. Hades took a deep breath and raised his hand in expectancy, "Give me an update of the state of the Gates of Tartarus,"_

 _"It is still a challenge to keep under control, Milord. The Gates have been severely damaged and the demons are desperately trying to come out. The area is poisonous and it has started to consume the rim between realms. If not stopped, grave dangers are upon us all."_

 _Hades peered at his younger brother and motioned him to follow the commander, "Ares will go with you, show him the rim and the extent of damage in the Underworld. If Charon comes across, tell him I gave the order to sail you both to the closest opening to Tartarus."_

 _Agamemnon widened his eyes, "Y-Yes, Milord."_

 _Hades turned to see Ares and sighed, "I will keep the portal open but keep in mind that for the sake of everyone's lives, it cannot last for too long."_

 _Ares nodded and followed Agamemnon and disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Zeus and Hades guarding the portal. Zeus closed his eyes and shook his head, "Is he really dead, Hades?"_

 _Hades extended his arm to keep the energy flowing to keep the portal open and let out a heavy sigh, "Half of my demon servants are gone, Zeus. Cerberus, Hydra, Chimera, Empusa... when you rely on Medusa to help, is because things are critical; she is a double edge sword and she comes always as a last resort."_

O—o—O

 _Ares didn't need to go too far to see the aftermath of Chaos' escape from Tartarus. What Hades once kept as one silent place was now plagued by the haunting sounds of screaming and crying. Where there were valleys now were soils of putrid flesh and bone and where there were once rivers of bioluminescent waters were now rapid streams of gore and lava._

 _The god of war couldn't believe his eyes, denied in the truth before him he turned to Agamemnon and nodded. "Milord," the commander pointed the points where the gates for every valley now stood under the threat of falling down, "All the dark matter you see there is the poison that has filtered from Tartarus—the pillars are weak and so are the gates. It is like stepping through cracked glass. Lord Hades has commanded us to seal each valley entrance so the souls resting in there would not be disturbed and while we have accomplished that to some extent, the demons are unleashed and are feeding on the suffering of those trapped in these waters."_

 _Ares clenched his jaw for a minute, finally soaking into the scenario unraveling in front of him and turned to the demon shadows creeping close. He extended his arm and blast them with energy, instantly dismembering the bodies without any mercy, "Where is the ferryman?"_

 _Agamemnon raised his arm in the air and sent a signal to call for the old man that appeared sailing the fetid waters in his bone longboat. As soon as he came close, the old man widened his fiery eyes when he recognized the man in golden armor next to Agamemnon, "Aye, Aye..." Charon could not help to hide his surprise and stopped by the shore of the closest edge between the Underworld and Tartarus, Acheron—the river of pain. The old man bowed his head to pay his respect to Ares and looked at him in the eye, "But if it is the God of War himself. Your presence only confirms the gravity of the situation, Lord Ares."_

 _"Charon, it has been a long time since I last saw your face."_

 _"That indeed, Milord. But this might be the worst of times for you to pay us a visit... considering the view—that is. There is not much where I could take you. I have been doing a lot of work for free for Lord Hades lately." He rubbed his bony fingers together, "My revenues are becoming thin, you see,"_

 _Ares ran his tongue over his chapped lips to counteract the burning sensation and frowned, "Charon, I need you to take me to the closest shore to Tartarus."_

 _"Nay, nay, God of War—that is not possible. The waters are—"_

 _"I know what you did for the young Titan," Ares interrupted the old man with certainty in his voice, "I know you aided him in his quest to find Asteria and send the Moon Goddess back to safety," Charon widened his fiery eyes in surprise, "The boy,"_

 _"Have you seen him?"_

 _"Nay, nay... I have not seen his gallant face again, Milord."_

 _Ares frowned, "Take me there, Charon. This is not a request, but an order."_

 _"The rivers are overflowed, Milord. Goddess Styx and Goddess Lethe have brusquely changed their courses. Reaching the rim between the Underworld and Tartarus is non-existent at this point and if there is still one, is close to falling in shatters."_

 _"I am not asking. Take me there,"_

 _"Thanatos is in complete ruins, Milord."_

 _"That is a risk I will take. I need to see the level of damage with my own eyes,"_

 _Charon offered his bone paddle as a step for both Agamemnon and Ares to get into the bone ferryboat and quickly pushed it away from the shore and into the rapid putrid waters of the river of pain. It didn't take long for Ares to feel disgusted by the stench and covered his nose and mouth with his deep purple cape. Charon clenched his jaw and kept paddling, after a brief moment of silence, the old man let out a heavy sigh, "The entrance to Thanatos is where I last saw him, before all this happened, Milord." Ares turned to look at him and frowned, "And after that?"_

 _"Not long after I sailed Lord Hades' daughter with the Goddess of the Moon back to the shore that would eventually take her to the fourth dimension and later on, the mortal realm. But the young Titan, I never saw him again." Charon continued paddling and extended his arm as he pointed the ruins on fire, "That was the road to Thanatos."_

 _Ares frowned and stood by the edge of the boat and looked down, "I need to come closer,"_

 _"Milord, the current is too strong!" Agamemnon widened his eyes and turned to the ferryman, "We can all get trapped in the gore of these waters!"_

 _"I need to get to that shore! I need to get closer!" Ares raised his voice with command and turned to Charon, who nodded in response and started paddling to the rim of the tainted red waters. As expected, their presence caught the attention of many demonic creatures lurking in the shadows feeding themselves from whatever remains of scattered bodies that flowed from the dark pit and went after the lord of, who immediately unsheathed his claymore sword and slashed them into pieces as he jumped to the shore. Right after he landed, he rushed to what remained of Thanatos and consequently what was left of the gates of Tartarus._

 _He knew he was getting closer, it felt like an eternity, but he was sure he was getting closer as the fetid stench was becoming unbearable and the air was turning thick, making it difficult to breathe. Ares covered his face with his cape as he continued going deep into the dark mass of energy that was still flowing from the pit and widened his eyes in horror when he realized how far he had gone. His gray eyes couldn't entirely capture the picture of devastation flowing beneath his feet, the abyss where malice and hatred poured like a fountain and the winds were nothing but pure poison. Ares turned and saw the army of shadows under the command of Agamemnon were trying to maintain the barrier but the force was too strong to fight back._

 _"This is what remains—the rim no longer exists, it is merging. Tartarus is taking over..." Agamemnon stood by Ares' side and pointed out where the gates used to be, "It is not possible to survive under these conditions."_

 _Ares watched in complete shock and horror and began feeling his body suffering the ravages of the poison flowing without control, his hands began to blister and his dry lips had started to bleed. His skin felt on fire and his eyes had started to miss focus, "Milord! We have to retreat!"_

 _The god of war felt like if he had been punched in the pit of the stomach and all air had left his body. As much as he wanted to deny it, as much as he did not want to believe, Chaos had them in the palm of his hand. His eyes began to tear with both pain and desperation. With an incredible sense of loss, Ares hung his head low and closed his eyes, "Please forgive me Gaia... forgive me... I could not get to him on time..."_

-O-

"Father!" Mars quickly went to the porch to help Ares walk inside but the god of war refused to take a further step. He raised his hand to stop her from coming closer and shook his head, "It is not safe for you, Mars." He looked at her with shame and sadness and shook his head, "My aura is contaminated, if you come any closer it will infect you,"

"But why?" Mars looked at him and saw his always impeccable golden armor was stained with what appeared to be black blood and widened her amethyst eyes and turned to Jadeite with urgency, "Please bring me water from the blessed fountain." The blonde general nodded and went to grab a bamboo bucket and ran over to the temizuya to fill it with clean water and came back shortly after. Mars watched Ares turning to take some of the water with a small bamboo bowl and let it fall over his head and face until he was completely soaked and let it wash the remains of debris and poison off him.

Ares wiped the droplets of water hanging from his long fringe and looked at Mars with pain in his eyes before diverting his gaze from hers and took a deep breath, "The gloom hanging in the air... it only confirms it even more..."

"Father..." Mars leaned closer, "What are you saying? What happened to you?"

"I have come from the remains of Thanatos," Ares looked up at Mars and saw Saturn was standing behind the priestess, "The rim that keeps the Underworld safe from Tartarus has been demolished, the seal has been breached—Chaos is free."

Everyone felt their blood freezing in their veins; Saturn shook her head stupefied by the news, this was one of the few times her always stoic and innocent face was marked with horror, "It is true then... Father had to do something with this tragedy..."

"Hades is one of the few that remains sane, Saturn. It is he, who has granted me permission to travel back and forth from Tartarus into this realm despite presenting a heavy threat to you all." Ares shook his head, "The Underworld is coming to a breaking point. He is trying his best to keep everything sealed but the poison and malice are too strong. If you have tried to contact him, this is the reason why you have not been able to create a connection."

"And... Chaos...?" Mars looked at her father with a worried frown, "H-How...?"

"Chaos has taken control over Olympus. I confronted him, but if I kept fighting him, he would have put the fates of countless deities in danger and I had no other option but to retreat. War has begun and I should not be here... but I needed to warn you now because I do not know if I will be able to return." Ares sighed and closed his eyes, "You need to be prepared,"

"God of War, you said you came from the rim of Tartarus..." Kunzite looked at the god of war with expectancy, Ares opened his eyes and nodded; already knowing what the white-haired general was trying to ask him, he shook his head, "There is nothing left... everything is completely destroyed."

Kunzite widened his eyes with horror but it was Jadeite that made clear what the god of war was fearing to say; the blonde shook his head and fell to his knees, completely shook by the news and started taking hoarse breaths, "This cannot be... this cannot be... no..." Mars went to his aid and wrapped her arms around him, "Jadeite..."

"No... it cannot be..."

"It cannot be..."

"No... no..." Jadeite shook his head, trying his best to treat this with any remains of wittiness and playful sarcasm, "You are trying to fool us... you gods always making everything so dramatic... he would never... he would _never..._ " He shook his head and let his tears roll down his cheeks with panic, "He would never be so stupid to let himself die... he would never... no..."

Nephrite and Zoisite stayed behind with their heads low while Kunzite tried his best not to break character but felt like if a cannonball just hit him right in the stomach. Pluto felt like if her body stopped responding, all she could hear were the echoing sobs from the blonde general and the panic gasps of air from the girls. Ares looked up but before he could say something else to explain what has been happening, he spotted Serenity standing inside the temple looking at him with an unreadable expression, "Serenity..." He widened his gray eyes when he saw her storming toward him without paying attention to no one else and slapped him across his face twice with rabid anger.

"Princess!" Luna and Artemis tried to stop her but surprisingly, Mars pulled them back and shook her head, "Don't,"

"Mars..." Luna looked at her with surprise but the priestess didn't flinch with her decision, "She needs this... she needs to let it out,"

"I curse your existence! I curse the moment you came for him! I curse you God of War! Damn you! Damn you all!" Serenity pushed Ares down the stairs of the porch and followed him as he got up from the ground, only to be pushed back with her fisted hands, "It's your fault!"

"Princess..."

"I blame you for everything! This is your fault!" Serenity slapped him in the face again and pushed him back, making him lose his balance. "How could you!? How could you do this to us?! Why do you hate us so much!?" She shook her head and slapped him again, "You and your stupid pride and your fucking honor! Damn you God of War! Damn you all!" She fell to her knees without care and covered her face, "Noooo! Noooo! Nooooo!"

Ares couldn't help feeling completely broken by the princess heavy sobs and pulled her closer, taking every punch and slap she was giving him without complaint. There was nothing he could really say to make things better, there were no words to describe the tension in the air and how he should have done things to avoid all this mess. He knew he was responsible, ever since the prince's life was threatened twenty-one years ago, he intervened because he knew he would be the one that would put an end to what was wrong with his family. He believed in the prince when no one did, when no one wanted him to be alive and he really wanted to see him succeed, he really wished for him to take Helios' place in Olympus.

Serenity held tight from Ares' arms and hung her head low, "What happened?"

Ares closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "Serenity..."

"I need to know what happened..."

"Chaos is free—the Andromedian breached the seal,"

Serenity widened her eyes and looked up at the god of war, "Athamas..." she frowned and shook her head in horror, "N-No... that can't be... he's dead! I saw him die!" She pulled back, "Endymion killed him! I saw... how he killed him..."

"The Andromedian is possessed, Serenity, he is no longer the man you knew as a soldier back then. There is darkness in him that Chaos finds valuable, he is feeding on him until he is no longer useful." Ares sighed, "As for Endymion, I do not know more... I just came from Inferno's pit. The rim that divides the Underworld from Tartarus is close to being no longer existent. Everything is in crumbles."

Serenity shut her eyes tight and took a deep breath, her grasp tightened and held to dear life to Ares; she shook her head, "Endymion is not dead..."

"Serenity..."

"No, no—he's not dead! I know he's not dead! He _can't_ be dead... otherwise, he wouldn't..." Serenity opened her tear-glossed eyes, "He wouldn't..."

" _I'm here... even if you can't see me... I'm here..."_

His deep, warm voice echoed in the back of her mind when she remembered her dream with him and shook her head, "No..."

 _"Pray... my soul is yours..."_

There was something inside Serenity's mind that snapped her from reality. She felt her chest constricting and everything around her turned into a big blur, all sound became an echo, she didn't feel cold, she couldn't feel any more pain—she had reached her peak. She broke. Her hands let go of Ares and pushed herself away and walked past him, completely ignoring the icicles crystalizing on the ground, freezing the soles of her bare feet as she walked away from the shrine like a lifeless spirit.

Megumi widened her eyes, "Where is she going?!" She tried to go after her when she saw Ares quickly turning to try to stop her from walking any further from the shrine's grounds, "Serenity!" His hand tried to grab hers and widened his eyes when he saw the moon symbol shining in her forehead, proving the divine and royal blood running through her veins. The more she cried the more the crescent moon became clearer and much more intense; she extended her arm and threw a blast of energy at him to move him out of her way as she continued to walk down the long road of stairs that led to the street. Venus watched in panic and hurried after her, "It's happening again... we need to bring her back!"

 _"Pray..."_

For every step down she took, she remembered her husband. Every single smile and every single tear, the sound of his laughter, the sound of his voice. The way he said her name. His scent, his heartbeat, his warmth. Their level of intimacy and how they promised to stay together even in the afterlife. Serenity let her sorrow take possession of her like any other demon would and looked up at the dark sky when she heard the echoing sound of growls coming close again and frowned with anger marking her beautiful face and raised her hand _"Silver Moon Crystal Power—Make Up!"_

Venus widened her eyes when she watched the princess being engulfed in a strong beam of light that soon changed her dress into her sailor senshi uniform, "Princess!"

It wasn't long until the strange noises caught the attention of everyone else and in a quick motion the girls and shitennou transformed back into their battle attire while Megumi was pulled back inside the temple by Luna and Artemis and turned to Saturn who had taken a stand in front of them as she held her intimidating silence glaive across her body, "I will guard them—go with her..." She turned to Pluto and narrowed her eyes, "My moment isn't here just yet..."

"Saturn..."

"Go after her, they're coming again. I'll stay here, I will keep them safe!" Her violet eyes narrowed, "But whatever happens, Pluto, do _not_ stop time."

Pluto nodded and ran out of the temple with Uranus and Neptune behind; Saturn tightened her grip on her silence glaive and took a deep breath, _"Silence—Wall!"_ The young senshi turned her glaive and stomp it on the ground, creating an orb of magnetic field protecting them from any attacks that may come from outside.

"Where did she go?!" Uranus frowned as she ran down the long stairs, her deep blue eyes widened when she spotted her using her royal moon tiare as a weapon to strike the creatures crawling at her in a pace and coordination none of the senshi or shitennou have seen before. Her secret training with Endymion shone with magnificent skill, proving her level of fearlessness.

Kunzite turned to Venus to confirm the silent command of battle and signaled the other shitennou to take position and widen the perimeter of defense and raise a barrier to protect the princess as she prepared to attack. Jadeite ran and pointed strategic points of attack and raised his hand to call for his sword and slashed the shadow creatures in one single move to open the way for the others to pass through.

Nephrite brought his hands together and gathered enough energy and threw the blast at the monsters, _"Starlight Attack!"_ He turned to Jupiter and nodded; Jupiter repeated a similar motion as Nephrite and turned on her axis and threw a brutal mass of electric charge, _"Jupiter Coconut Cyclone!"_

Sailor Moon turned and kicked the enemies without any fear crossing her beautiful face, she turned fast again and swung her long scepter across her body and sent flying another dark demon. Kunzite ran towards the princess and unsheathed his pink quartz sword and jumped high in the air to cut the head of a demon close to attack Sailor Moon when she turned to look over her shoulder and glanced at a demon that was running toward her too fast for her to make a different stance and cover but before it could touch her, it fell cut in half and turned into a pool of tar at her feet.

The first in command shook the blade to the side to get rid of the tar-like substance off his sharp blade and looked over his shoulder at the princess, "I can see his skills manifesting in you, Princess, and it makes me proud. I serve my leader and will follow your command in battle but I will not allow you to stain your hands with their putrid blood—use me as your weapon instead."

Sailor Moon looked at him and then at the deformed youma coming their way and both took position, Kunzite raised his shining blade and narrowed his grey eyes, "I do not know who we are going against this time but we will defend this planet until the very end. You are our light of hope, Princess Serenity, we will not surrender."

Sailor Moon looked at the youma and stomp her silver tiare on the ground and let it stand on its own, very much like she did hours earlier. She extended her arms wide and channeled her inner power to activate the power of the stone sitting at the top, _"Moon Healing—Escalation!"_

In an enchanting dance of strings and ribbons of bright silver light, the crystal shone in all its glory through the shadows and the tar pooling the surface from the sewers and dark corners. Kunzite felt the burn in his eyes of unshed tears as he watched the princess take a stand on her own in the line of battle in honor of her husband and the dream they have cherished as the most precious of treasures. This was Endymion's legacy on her, the strength, the determination and the will to carry on despite feeling broken inside; this was the true heart and spirit of a warrior and Kunzite couldn't feel prouder to be at her service.

O—o—O

As they ran away from the shrine, Mercury activated her smart goggles and started studying the territory, "It can't be..."

"What is it?" Jupiter turned to the blue-haired senshi, Mercury shook her head, "This is the same as when Asteria was crossing into this world—it's the same energy,"

"What?!" The thunder senshi turned to look up at the roaring sky and frowned, "Then... does it mean she's... not really... dead?"

"Or that someone else has opened a new portal from the Underworld." Mercury pointed in the direction Venus ran off and quickly jumped away from the youma's coming close to attack, _"Mercury—Aqua Mist!"_

Ares frowned and turned to look up at the sky, "A gate from the Underworld has opened..." he turned to Mars and extended his hand out for her to hold. Mars widened her eyes when she felt a rush of energy flowing inside of her, a fire that could not be put out to extinction, "Go after the Princess, aid her in battle,"

"Father—"

"I will take matters here," Ares frowned and let go of his daughter's hand, "Go,"

Mars nodded and left with Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto to find the princess. Ares narrowed his grey eyes and raised his hand to call for his golden claymore sword, "Of course... it had to be you," he turned to look over his shoulder at Eris, who was standing on top of a pillar wearing a black gown that matched the pitch dark of her long tresses, "Greetings my dear... how long it has been since I last saw your daunting-looking face," she smirked with confidence, "And I must say... pain suits you."

"I thought I made myself clear when I said I wanted you out of my sight,"

"I cannot do that, Ares, not when there are mutual interests on the line,"

"Interests?" Ares rested the blade of his large sword over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes at Eris, "What can a shadow demon like you can possibly be interested in other than making everyone miserable?"

"Chaos escaped as you probably know," Eris crossed her arms, "Your biggest fear has become a reality,"

"And I would not be surprised if you have taken his side," Ares shook his head, "But, what? Are you here to claim my head?" Eris narrowed her eyes, "No, I am here to take something of much more value," she smirked, "By the way, where is our daughter? I would like to say hello."

 _The Divinity Series is rated M. Gore, violence, cursing and intimacy may occur._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _ **A/N:**_ _I want to thank you for leaving a message on the last chapter. Reviews are the true fuel to my inspiration for this story._

 _ **Additional Notes:**_

 _ ***Tabi**_ _足袋_ _are traditional Japanese_ _socks_ _dating back to the_ _15th century_ _. Ankle-high and with a separation between the big toe and other toes, they are worn by both men and women with_ _zori_ _geta_ _, and other traditional thonged footwear._


	73. Chapter 73

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Seventy-Three

* * *

In between crashing sounds of debris and gusts of strong wind, Ares dig his sword on the pebbled floor and looked up at Eris who had been using her manipulative power over the shadows to attack the god of war. Ares frowned "How low are you willing to go just to make everyone miserable?" He turned quickly and slashed another demon and turned to look at her with a threatening frown, "Can you not see how he is using you?"

"As long as he brings you down, I will be satisfied." Eris narrowed her violet eyes, "He can destroy everything for all I care... this damn planet and everyone living in it included."

Ares cut through the Eris tar webs and slashed several shadow monsters and looked at her with pure anger, "You disgust me," Eris threw another blast of dark matter at Ares and opened her arms to call for more demons, "I despise you,"

"I thought we have left that clear last time we met, that is not new to me." Ares muttered bitterly and slashed his weapon to cut through another web of tar, "You can hate me all you want, but the facts will not change. You are still a shadow desperate for attention,"

There was something in Ares' sarcastic tone that finally unleashed Eris' rage and threw a blast of dark energy and raised her hand to call for more shadows, "Squirm in anguish as you see your beloved's planet be eaten by the pain and decoy of every sin that spurs from the Underworld while I wallow with joy of seeing you become a washed-up warrior!"

Ares frowned and grabbed the hilt of his sword and pulled it from the ground, "You are insane Eris..."

"No, I just hate you." Eris's eyes gleamed with pleasure, "I hate you with all my soul and I will not rest until I see you rot in hell. I will destroy everything you hold dear—your precious palace, your honorary title, this planet and your daughter. You will now see what it is to go against demon nature—against a deity from the Underworld."

Ares's eyes gleamed with bottled up anger and quickly turned and slashed another round of shadows coming his way; in a matter of seconds, his most raw and animalistic nature flourished at the mention of his daughter. In a flash of light, the god of war leaped from the ground up to cut the light pole to bring Eris down; like a master puppeteer, the goddess of discord snapped her fingers to summon tortured spirits and corpses from pools of tar and waste flowing from her gown and pointed her sharp nail at Ares, "Is that all, God of War?"

Ares run toward her and turned his sword around him to create a barrier and clashed his sword against the wall Eris was putting up against him to counter-attack and pulled the tar into strings weaving between her fingers to limit Ares' movements but as expected, he knew more than one way of attack and moved at a much faster pace that made it difficult for her to pin him down completely. Eris turned over her shoulder and blasted him with more webs, Ares in response, charged his sword with energy and blasted her with a strong attack, making her fall to her knees.

"I should have cut your head when I had the opportunity," Eris looked up at him as he moved closer and put her hands on the ground. Her eyes widened when she felt it shaking with an unknown and unmeasurable amount of force, knowing for a fact that her intrusion came with more than she bargained; more than she could control. Ares looked up at the roaring sky and took one sharp breath, "Mars..."

Eris tangled her tar webs around Ares' to stop him but the god of war turned and grabbed her hair to pull her off the ground and close enough to look her in the eye, "I swear on my own life that if you meddle in this war, I will completely ignore the fact that it was you who gave birth to my daughter. I am not afraid of you, Eris, and I do not pay mind to whatever rotten feeling you nest in your core. You are a pebble in a shoe—a disgrace. You are far too set in your ways to change and realize he's feeding on your madness and vile thoughts—the only thing you preserve like a valuable treasure. Not even you can grasp the level of danger he represents but by the time you do it will be too late," his gray eyes darkened, "You are cursed," he grabbed his sword and glided it through the long tresses to free himself from her trap and let go of her with disinterest.

"What have you done!?" With shaky hands, the goddess of discord watched the pieces of dark hair turn into tar and drip through her delicate fingers. In a sudden change, Eris started chuckling in a very unnatural nature, "Go on ahead... try and play the hero. But even if you kill me, the madness will not stop... my strength may never be a match for yours; you may cut my hair, you may ruin my beauty but my biggest advantage against you is that you always underestimated me and now, I happily take it as a triumph." With a shaky finger, Eris carved a symbol on the ground and looked at Ares with pride, "You see... there is a reason why Hades and Asteria have recurred to me for various favors in the past,"

"You are a curse,"

"And that is fine by me. I am not the embodiment of discord for anything, my beloved," Eris grinned when the sky started to roar and the ground began to crack beneath their feet in a strong earthquake, "Just who do you think helped the Andromedian walk around the Underworld with so much freedom? Who do you think made him invisible?" She frowned, "Who do you think opened the portals for Asteria? Chaos is free because I intervened! Because I am sick of all of you and I wish for _you_ to rot in misery. I have been plotting against you for centuries, my dear Ares... I have waited so long for this glorious moment to come where I can finally see you defeated." She cracked a light chuckle, "It has been quite entertaining, see you go back and forth searching for answers, arguing with your own brothers—that is the power of discord, I go beyond common sense."

The more Ares looked at Eris, the more he realized how much damage his detachment from everything had caused. Like Gaia had said to him when they briefly reunited, what he could really expect from an entity that was created from a wish of collusion and thirst for revenge? What could he really expect from discord itself? —Nothing, but it's like he said: She was there every time he needed her. In the end, they both fed themselves from the poison of their nature, they didn't care to pretend. She as a deity that brought disgrace and poverty of spirit and he was a deity born from the need of war and rebellion. For the first time in centuries, Ares put his defensive attitude aside and gave himself a minute to actually look at the woman having a mental breakdown on the ground despite her victorious grin, "It was never about Gaia, Eris. Our constant fights, the hatred toward each other, our tumultuous affair and inevitable separation—it never revolved around the fact that I had lost her. I never had her in the first place. She was never mine and I was never hers, not even when we thought it could be. We came to understand it—she and I—how it was never meant to be. We made our peace with it and moved on." He kneeled in front of her and put his finger under her chin to lift her face and look into her deep colored eyes, "With us, there was never love—it was just satisfaction. It was just knowing that whatever disaster we made, we would always find some sort of comfort and pleasure and that worked for us. It was not because you hated the fact of bearing a child, it was that you knew who you are and you were afraid that something good could come out of our union—war and discord was not meant to bring beauty, but it did, and I cannot let you destroy her, even if it is the last thing I do... I will protect her because she gives war and discord another meaning. You are the mother of my child, yes, but this is my last warning Eris."

The god of war moved his hand away and turned to grab his sword and looked down at Eris who was feeling completely emotionally disarmed, her deep violet eyes widened when she felt tears rolling down her flushed cheeks and shook her head, no matter what she felt, that unsettling grin could not disappear from her face, she was too lost in her little revenge, "It is too late now... he will take everything, he is coming and there is nothing you can do about it."

Ares' eyes narrowed, feeling the absence of who he thought it would, "Still, I have to try."

O—o—o—o—O

Artemis stood next to the window with his arms crossed as he looked outside in silence while Luna sat next to an inconsolable Megumi on the floor; Saturn had kept her word and hadn't moved ever since the senshi, Ares, and shitennou went after the moon princess. But just because she had remained quiet doesn't mean she wasn't mourning after the somber news the god of war came to deliver. The maiden's choked sobs kept her thinking on the things she could have done to intervene and force her father to annul the binding contract he had made with the prince to save the princess.

The same harrowing expression that haunted the faces of Saturn and Artemis also haunted Luna's sweet and delicate face. Her beautiful feline eyes were glossed with the same tears Megumi had been crying ever since she heard Ares say he didn't know anything about Endymion; his silence only confirmed it was most likely his fate had met its end in the depths of the Underworld. Helpless and broken, the mauian advisor had her arms wrapped around the terran maiden and pulled her close so she could cry on her shoulder; she closed her eyes for a minute and took a deep breath, "I wish there was something I could do..."

"I cannot accept that he is gone..." Megumi sobbed, "He promised he would return to be by the Princess' side... he promised he would take care... my Prince would never give up so easily and he would ever break a promise..." her chocolate-brown eyes widened and looked up to find Saturn kneeling in front of her. Her gloved hand reached out to dry her tears in the most loving gesture and cupped her flushed cheek very gently. Her deep violet eyes held the same emotion as Megumi's but also deep wisdom that proved her high-ranked place in the divine realm despite her young age, "I know how painful this is. I know there are no words that can really solace the void and the disappointment nested in your chest for not being able to do more... believe me when I say, that I know _exactly_ how you feel. I am a Sailor Senshi and yet, I cannot use my powers as the other girls can. I am the soldier that represents the Underworld and yet, I could not do more to prevent any of this—I am fated to die every time I make use of my power but I have also been brought back to life." She shook her head slowly "What I am trying to say with all this, is that death is a myth—almost a taboo. We don't want to hear about it, we don't want to talk about it because we see it as a something horrible—death is always an uninvited guest but it is also the door that leads to a new beginning, a path for rebirth. Death is not always something that stops existence; it's just the end of an era, the end of a cycle, of a pattern, of a past. I do not believe Prince Endymion is gone and will stand by that belief because I have seen what he is capable of doing. I have seen him fight and so have you. This is just an obstacle that is taking him longer to overcome but while he is not here, we cannot weaken our bond, we need to stay united for Princess Serenity. She is our light of hope but she needs us to be strong and right now, we are the strength she needs."

The young senshi's words were a warm comfort for Megumi's heart, a reminder of the whole purpose of the mission entrusted to her by the god of war himself. She wandered the universe and many waves in time without knowing where to go or who to look for but she knew what she needed to do and that was summed up to this very moment. She looked at Saturn with gratitude and let out a soft breath as she dried her tears; Saturn leaned closer to give her a hug when she felt a tug in her chest that made her go back to take a stand as guardian.

"Saturn," Artemis frowned as he looked out the window; the senshi in purple and black went to stand by the window to look outside and took a deep breath, "As I suspected it, another portal has been opened."

"But... everything is also covered in ice," Artemis muttered, "The temperatures have dropped considerably in the last couple of hours, there is a clear unbalance in Earth's natural movement and its magnetic fields—almost as if its weight is being lost. It's slowly shutting down."

"It will completely if Princess Serenity is hurt," Saturn turned and extended her arm to call for her glaive that like a magnet to her hand, immediately flew over to her and stomp the weapon on the wooden floor to strengthen the barrier protecting them, "This is making it easier for the spirits of the Underworld to merge with this planet. Somebody is forging a portal into this realm,"

"Asteria?" Artemis gave her a worried glance, "Could it be her?"

"No," Saturn narrowed her violet eyes and shook her head, "Asteria opened those portals back then because someone helped her do it. It is not easy to cross over and while she guarded the gates of Thanatos, that did not grant her the power to travel through realms. No, this is someone else's doing." She tightened her grip on the long titanium rod of her glaive and frowned when the air carried a haunting echo. Artemis turned to look outside and nodded, "Let's go find them,"

Saturn glanced at him with surprise, "Artemis, I cannot risk—"

"You are a Sailor Senshi, Saturn, you may not be able to use your full powers with as much ease as the girls but you are an important part of the team. We will stay and wait for your return but you need to go to them, you need to help in any way that you can,"

"No. We have to stay united—if you go, we will go as well."

Saturn blinked and turned to look over her shoulder at Megumi who was standing up and gave her a reassuring nod, "For Princess Serenity, we will be alright. I promise you."

The sailor senshi of silence nodded, "You need to stay close to me. I will create a field to protect you from the poison that lingers in the air. While it is harmless for me, it could be for you and I do not want to risk any chances,"

Megumi nodded, "Thank you, Lady Saturn,"

Saturn smiled and started to ran after the girls and shitennou to give them her support feeling much more confident and calmer to know Megumi, as powerless as she said she was her determination and faith was as strong as all of their powers combined and right now, that is all they needed—faith.

O—o—o—o—O

" _Mercury—Aqua Mist!"_

" _Akuryo Taisan!"_

" _Venus—Love Me Chain!"_

Mars threw another blast of fiery energy at the tar that continued spreading without control all around them and turned to Jadeite who was manipulating a sandstorm as he ran around the perimeter to delimit the heavily contaminated areas from the rest, crystallizing a herd of demons inside and turned to Kunzite who was also using his given energy power to slash the shadows threatening to come close to the princess who was fighting alongside the first in command of the shitennou when another loud hornet sound rumbled the ground and took them unprepared. Kunzite slashed another demon and glanced over his shoulder to check on the princess who had been silent most of the time they've been fighting but her face showed the same level of concern as her body had started to suffer the consequences of maxing out her power, "Princess!"

Sailor Moon turned around and knocked a line of demons surrounding her and cursed softly while she started feeling out of breath. She extended her arm holding her tiare _"Silver Moon—Crystal Power—"_ her crystal blue eyes widened when she felt a strong wave of dizziness and nausea overpowering her, making it impossible to stay on her feet, "N-No... not again... _please,_ not again!"

"Princess!" Kunzite yelled with desperation clogging his voice and turned quickly to slash another army of shadows but the same dense fog that was affecting her was starting to get to him too and the number of shadows sprawling like fog all around was like a dead end to their battle.

"Princess Serenity!"

Sailor Pluto raised her key rod and swirled it with the gusts of wind from the gates of time and space, _"Death Scream!"_ Sailor Neptune leaped from the hoard of shadows she was fighting and raised her hand holding her golden mirror, _"Submarine—Reflection!"_

Venus turned and whipped her golden chain to make way to go aid Sailor Moon but she didn't hit a group of shadows when another one was rising again, "Dammit!"

" _Mars—Flame Snipper!"_

The blonde leader turned to Mars who kept firing arrows at the shadows, "One of us has to do it, otherwise it will be too late," the raven-haired senshi said with urgency as she turned to shot another long arrow at another demon, "I have your back—go!"

"Mars..."

"Go!"

Venus widened her eyes and turned but the ground started to shake again with brutal intensity. The blonde senshi tried to stand, but as soon as she hit the ground, she became a trap for the shadows _"Rolling Heart Vibration!"_ The golden energy bursting from Venus' palms was quickly suctioned by the glossy yet putrid substance bubbling from the ground, "W-What?!" She widened her eyes with horrid panic "N-No!"

"Venus!" Mars turned and traced a sacred circle to free her leader and friend, _"Burning—"_ her amethyst eyes widened when the same tar substance crawled up her white boots and pulled her down, making her fall to the ground, _"Fire—Soul!"_ Her command ignited the flames bursting from her hands but were also quickly devoured by thick substance "What is this!?"

Mercury arrived with Zoisite to that side of town and quickly scanned the area, "This isn't common matter—I-I can't... I can't find any weak points or source of power!" Zoisite extended his arm to summon the power to form a long crystal spear and started to slash the dark substance while he sent bursts of energy with the other. His green eyes widened when a hand came from the pool of tar beneath his feet and pulled him down, "Dammit!"

"Zoisite!" Mercury called with panic and went to his aid as she used her freezing powers to at least buy some time to free her friends and go after the princess; for a second she thought it could work but she was soon caught in the dark substance, "I can't... Zoisite!"

Sailor Uranus widened her eyes and ran with Jupiter when they spotted Kunzite was the only one guarding the princess and ran after her while Sailor Pluto and Sailor Neptune kept using their talismans to disintegrate the shadows. The senshi of sky raised her hand and quickly performed a clean first stage of attack by gathering enough energy in her hand and pounding the ground to create a shock wave and clear the enemies around the senshi, _"World—Shaking!"_ She jumped out of the way and raised her hands in the air _"Space—Turbulance!"_ Golden spheres crashed all over clearing the way for her match in strength, Sailor Jupiter, so she could perform a brutal intervention. The senshi of thunder brought her hands together and called for her mighty power, _"My guardian, Jupiter, brew a storm! Call the clouds! Bring down the lightning! —Supreme Thunder!"_

The thick black clouds in the sky roared angrily as they charged with energy but as soon as they reached Jupiter's tiara she was instantly attacked and fell to the ground where she was quickly trapped by the rotten corpses crawling in the tar, "Jupiter!"Uranus screamed with angst and raised her hand but Jupiter turned to look at her, "No! Go after her! I will deal with them here—Usagi!" Go to her!"

Uranus didn't need to be said more to dash right where the princess was still fighting alongside Kunzite; like a trained runner and a goddess of the wind, she managed to leap through poles and run as fast as she could to get closer when she saw something coming out of the tar. Her eyes widened when she spotted a creature formed from the same bodies until it morphed into a demon inhuman proportions that had set his target on the princess and the general. The long-limbed monster cracked its elongated head in a counter clock movement until it sat in the right position. With a roar and screeching noises from the bodies tangled with it, the demon took giant and thundering steps toward the white-haired shitennou that was still slashing bodies to keep them away and protect the princess.

Sailor Uranus measured the time and it would be pointless for Pluto or Neptune to try and catch up when they were beginning to struggle the unmeasured overload of poison. Uranus raised her hand and held her sacred talisman that appeared out of thin air and dashed toward the demon beast as she called for its power, _"My Magic Tool—Talisman! Show thy power and protect me! Space Sword Blaster!"_ She lay down her sword to charge the abrasive energy at the demon tumbling it down and turning it into tar again. Uranus let out a heavy sigh of relief but as soon as she turned, she heard the same unnerving sound of bones cracking and looked over her shoulder with horror as the demon slowly began to re-spawn and take shape again, "They regenerate..." She muttered angrily and tightened her grip on her weapon. To this, the outer senshi were urged to one last resource, she had only one option left before havoc completely broke loose; she turned to where Neptune and Pluto were fighting and raised her sword to give the first command. Sailor Neptune's golden mirror started to shine and turned to Uranus who had her weapon up and followed quickly to give the second silent command, Pluto twirled her rod to hit a demon and took the garnet talisman off the long key staff and raised her hand up high to seal the trifecta and create a barrier. In a flash of light, the three talismans reacted to each other and formed a prism of energy that helped block the dark entities still flowing from the ground while the senshi and shitennou were still fighting to get rid of most of the tar-like substance that was keeping them trapped.

Just minutes after, Sailor Saturn got to the scene with Luna, Artemis and Megumi behind and immediately used her glaive to create a protective field to protect them from the shadow demons, _"Silence—Wall!"_ Her violet eyes narrowed, "The portal is wrecked open—" she held her glaive horizontally to keep the barrier steady against the tar substance that was flowing all over, Megumi widened her eyes with horror when she saw the princess stumbling and making an effort to stay strong, "Princess!"

Sailor Moon couldn't fight the heaviness in her body and fell to her knees trying to grasp some air but the ambient was becoming so thick it was hard for her to breath. Dazed, she slowly opened her eyes and looked up and saw the gravity of the situation and how everyone was surrounded and limited to attack; they were being outnumbered; there was no doubt Earth was being invaded by a demonic presence that was too strong for them to fight. She could not help feeling her eyes burning with tears as she felt running short of air. She fell and rolled to lay on her back; her hand slowly searched for the pendant she knew she had around her neck and held it tight, "Please..." Sailor Moon mouthed with desperation as she looked into the pitch-black sky and let the tears pooling in the rim of her crystal blue eyes roll down her cheeks, "Please..." she mouthed again, this time, trying to force her strained voice come out a little louder, "Please..."

" _Pray,"_

"Please..."

" _Pray..."_

"Please..."

" _Pray... my soul is yours..."_

"Endymion..."

" _...My fate is in your hands..."_

"Please give me strength... please hear my prayer..." Sailor Moon put pressure in her abdomen to allow her voice come steadier and tried again, "Hear my calling..." she slowly moved her head and saw the shitennou being surrounded and took a deep breath and pushed herself to turn over but was only able to rest on her hands and knees, facing the ground. She frowned, "I am calling for you! Hear my voice as I call for thy presence to manifest! I need thy help!" She tightened her grip on the golden stone and took another deep breath, this time, feeling more secure of what she was doing as she pounded her gloved fist on the tar-stained ground.

"I call upon the guardian of this planet!" She took another deep breath and kept pounding the ground with all the strength she had in her as if she was trying to wake something she believed was still pulsing very deep underground, like a very weak heartbeat. She couldn't give up, she didn't want to give up—she knew he wouldn't give up. Sailor Moon closed her eyes and let her tears damp the ground beneath her as she kept punching her fist with desperation, "I call upon the presence of the Titan with the power of Sun in thy heart! Blessed by its light, I, Serenity, Goddess of the White Moon, I call for thy help, Sun Titan! Rightful Earth Guardian, come forth!" The silver crystal in her broach started to react bursting in clear and intense rays of silver light as she unlocked its heavenly power "Come forth!"

The girls turned wide-eyed; Venus feeling the most helpless and desperate of them all, tried to break free and go over to the moon princess. Knowing what unleashing this kind of power meant, "Sailor Moon!"

Sailor Moon kept insisting with her fists pounding the ground, already ignoring the numbness in her wrists. The golden pendant started to gleam with a warm, golden shine and by some sort of miracle, she knew what to say in perfect Latin. She heard them in her mind, like an answer to her desperate cry her lips moved to the sound of the words, _"Antiqui_ _enim vocat istam virtutem lapidis Solaris Titan ut Terrae, iure tutor! Audite me quaeso, exaudi me miseram deprecantem! Da mihi fortitudinem! Custos Titan obvium! Adiuva me! Adiuva me placere!"_

 _(I summon the ancient power of this stone to call for the Titan of the Sun, Earth's rightful guardian! Please hear me, hear my prayer! Please give me strength! Titan Guardian! Help me! Help me please!")_

Sailor Moon kept repeating the words like a mantra over and over again, each time louder than the last. Between sobs, and trapped between worlds, the princess widened her eyes when she felt the ground started to shake and her hand started feeling warm, "Endymion..." She sobbed and started repeating his name, _"Endymion! Voco nomen tuum, quia manifestaturus coram me, Titan stare coram me! Surgit, Endymion! Surgit!"_

 _(Endymion! I call thy name to manifest before me, Titan, stand before me! Wake up, Endymion! Wake up!)_

"Princess!" Kunzite turned and widened his eyes when he saw a strong gleam coming from Serenity's hand and clearly saw a silhouette manifest from the beam of light and flash up high into the dark sky "W-What the..." he mumbled with shock as he saw it disappear into the thick and stormy clouds.

"Endymion! Adiuva me! Adiuva me! Help me! Hear my voice! I need to help them but I can't do this... I can't do this alone..." Serenity started sobbing with heart-wrenching pain as she kept a tight hold on the golden stone in her hand, "I can't do this without you! Help me! Please! Your fate is in my hands—I know you are not gone... I know you have not left me! You promised! You promised you would never leave me! You never break your promises... you never..." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, "Endymion... please... hear my prayer... I am praying for you... please... come back..."

" _Help me please..."_

" _Help me..."_

" _Help me..."_

" _Help..."_

" _Help..."_

" _-on..."_

" _-mion..."_

" _-dymion..."_

" _-dymion..."_

" _Endymion..."_

" _Endymion..."_

" _Endymion,"_

" _Endymion,"_

" _...Who is that?"_

" _...What is that?"_

" _...That sound... an echo... is it?"_

Somewhere deep in the universe, tangled in endless coils of thorn vines and dismembered bodies lay the body of the Prince of Earth. Suspended between what no longer could be described as life or death, where not even Purgatorio existed as a reality and time passed by like faint gasps of air. He didn't know how long he has been there but it was enough to be just another lost soul in the land of torment.

" _Where... where am I?"_

" _Endymion..."_

" _That sound... that... name... it's mine... it's me..."_

" _Surgit... surgit Endymion..."_

" _Why am I here?"_

" _Where am I?"_

" _How did I get here?"_

" _It hurts... it hurts... everything... it hurts..."_

" _What have I done? I don't know... what have I done? It hurts... my chest... it pounds... I can't see... I can't move... so much hatred... so much pain..."_

" _...What a heavy curse..."_

" _Surgit..."_

The constant sing-song sound reached his ears slowly shaking the thick fog of confusion taking over his mind and reason. It was calm and soothing, like a breeze on a calm afternoon. He could almost feel the cool mist crashing in his face; his mind was transported somewhere in time, a time where he could feel the warm rays of the sun pulsing life through him, a time where he could open his eyes and look at the clear night sky and the moon hanging in the velvety darkness of the evening like a giant pearl.

" _Endymion..."_

" _You're here... I recognize that scent... there is only one person I know that has that particular scent. The scent of pink rose's dew. He sent you, didn't he? That King... what a sentimental man,"_

" _Aperi_ _oculos tuos... scio te non audiunt me,"_

" _Yes, I can hear you, finally, I can. The sound of your voice... I have waited so long, it makes me want to cry. This damn irony of knowing you are here and yet not being able to look at you, not being able to speak to you but just with the echo of my mind... it truly makes me want to cry. What a sentimental man I have become as well."_

" _It is called growth, dear. That is the gift of mortality. You learn from your mistakes and you become a better version of yourself."_

" _Is this why you gave up your divinity?"_

" _I never gave up anything, I just made the decision to live freely with the person I love. The same way you have been doing for thousands of years with the woman you are deeply in love with. You have come a long way, my beautiful Setting Sun, and you cannot meet your end in this putrid place. You do not belong here."_

" _Your brother stole my life to revive his,"_

" _He is the shadow of a man I once knew as my brother but that is no more. You are Helios' true successor, Endymion, it would be pitiful for you to believe this is all there is. After all you have gone through, meeting your end under these circumstances is unacceptable. You cannot give up your life for such a low purpose, that would be a tremendous waste of hope and talent."_

" _Et non opus dicere magna ad eum intelligere facit quod me sic petis,"_

 _(You do not need to say it out loud to understand what you are asking me to do.)_

" _Qui enim imminentem videret, tum post eum ibit. Vos postulo ut ire. Hoc est enim mandatum, ut non veniam a Ares. Et hoc est mandatum de tua familia. Helios, avis vestris, et patrem tuum de mihi. Chaos est mori."_

 _(He is threatening her, he will go after her. You need to go back. Yes, you are the key to set him free but you are also the only one that can make him meet his fate and that is exactly what I am asking you to do. This is not a command that will come from Ares. This is a command from your family. Helios, your grandparents, your father and also, from me. Chaos has to die.)_

His eyes slowly opened but there was no light or focus in them, instead, there was a milky cast covering the prismatic beauty of his intense gaze. His sight was deceiving and blurry and his mind had fallen under the haunt of the void he was in, he felt like there was no air filling his lungs, his body was in a complete state of agony.

" _Surgit, Endymion... hoc est quo pertinent,"_

Endymion gasped for air when he felt a warmth sitting over the right side of his face; his first response was to flinch and try to move away but then the soothing energy started to run over the rest of his body.

" _Et non pertinent ad hunc locum... in quibus excito sursum, et ad te pertinent._ _Et fuerunt ab ea longe nimis longum est,_ _ire ad suos. Serenitati te exspectat. Et orantes pro vobis est, mea Solis Occasum._ "

 _(You do not belong to this place... wake up and return to where you belong, go back to her._ _You have been away from her for far too long,_ _Serenity is waiting for you. She is praying for you, my Setting Sun.)_

" _Help me..."_

" _Help..."_

" _Endymion... help me..."_

 _"Serenitati..."_ Endymion widened his eyes when the sound of the princess' strained voice echoed in his mind and ignited a new rush of energy that pulsed from within bringing back a sense of belonging and existence but also, a new intense wave of emotions, enough to break free from his trance.

" _Help..."_

He started feeling pain and sorrow; anguish that soon turned to anger and rage when flashes of previous events started to play in her mind reminding him of everything that has happened from the day Serenity was taken by Asteria to the Underworld to how he went to the very depths to go and get her back, his fight with Hades, the hunt for the dark titaness and later when he sent her back to Earth. His eyes started to burn with tears when he remembered the exact moment he had found her all bruised and with her white gown torn from the many times Athamas tried to take advantage of her; her, his Usako—his wife, his life.

" _Endymion... please... hear my prayer... I am praying for you... please... come back..."_

" _...Come back..."_

With a loud scream charged with anger, the tears pooling in his eyes started to wash away their opaqueness as he finally returned to reason and woke up from the forced nightmare Tartarus had put him in. His prismatic blue eyes widened when he saw the light above and let his tears roll down his cheeks, "Et ego audiat vos..." _(I hear you...)_ he forced himself to stretch his arm out from the thick vines to reach the golden light floating in front of him and pushed himself off the bloody ground not minding the coils of thorns severing his skin and tearing his uniform "Ego quin audiat te..." _(I can hear you...)_

The spirits trapped with him started to react to his movement and tried to pull him back into limbo. "Ego Regrediens..." _(I am coming back...)_ Endymion pulled the vines with his left hand and stretched his right arm to the light and turned angrily at the deformed spirits and narrowed his stormy blue eyes as he called for his power to set everything on fire and finally reached out for the light that was going to free him from the darkness.

" _Scindite seorsum caelum—mihi fecísti vias lucem... Olympio Dea Lunae,_ _verba tua magna et patet. Accipere quo nunc es ad me. M_ _ihi fecísti vias lucem."_

 _(Tear apart the sky and light my way... Olympian Goddess of the Moon,_ _your words are loud and clear. Take me where you are. G_ _uide my path with your blessed light.)_

O—o—o—o—O

"I don't know how long this will resist! The energy is too strong!" Sailor Uranus said out loud, Kunzite growled and tried to crawl over to where the princess was laying on the ground, "You must resist!" Uranus frowned as she kept her sword up high above her head, "Neptune, Pluto! Hang on!"

Pluto felt a strong charge of energy activating the garnet talisman and widened her eyes with shock; with a determinant glare up to the skies she started walking toward the portal and held her garnet stone up high, taking everyone by surprise.

"Pluto!" Neptune called out with anguish, "What are you doing?! Come back! Pluto!"

"I know it—this energy... I know what this is... I know what it means..." Pluto said as she looked up at her glowing talisman, "I know it!"

"P-Pluto?!" Neptune's blue eyes widened with surprise "What are you doing?! Come back!"

"He's coming..." Pluto closed her teary eyes, "I command the winds of time to clear the way for you to cross. The gates are open—come forth..." she took a deep breath, "Come forth..."

Several feet away from the outer senshi Venus looked up and turned to Mars, who had the same stunned look in her face as she looked at the dark sky parting with a strong beam of light, "Is that..." Nephrite pushed himself off the ground and nodded, "The star of Leo is resonating..."

"The star of Leo..." Jadeite widened his eyes and turned to his brother, "Nephrite... could it be?"

At the other side of the zone of war, Saturn raised her glaive up to keep the shadows from going any further when she felt a strong pull, like if she was being notified of a new presence. She turned and saw the strong stream of light breaking the mass of darkness like a ray of sun all the way down to the pools of tar in swirls of fire that shook the ground.

The demon howled and moved closer to the princess who was now on the verge of unconsciousness staring back at the monster with wide eyes, exhausted and frozen with panic for not being able to move or channel more of her power. With a loud roaring on the ground and in that same blinding flash of light, the prince of earth crossed to their realm and ran straight to the beast with a charged sword and dagger in each hand, leaving everyone in great shock. With raging anger and a murderous glare, he dug his sword into the ground and released a blast of energy that flowed from underneath the surface consuming the streams of poison and tar with flames as he ran toward the large demon that had now noticed his presence.

In a fraction of a second, Endymion let go of the hilt of his sword and grabbed it from behind, using the weapon as a level to impulse himself up to dodge the demon's arm swinging at him. He leaped and turned with his dagger in his left hand and stabbed it right at the back of the demon's long head and carved it down to its mid back and letting the poison inside it pour out. With a screeching sound of horrid pain, the demon began crumbling into dozens of rotten bodies that quickly went after him. Landing at a considerable distance, Endymion extended his arm and aimed his hand at them, " _Antiqua potentia lapis beati auream per Solem in potestatem,"_ he frowned, letting the ground roar majestically as it allowed the power within him manifest to his command, _"Adolebitque omnem immunditiam de terra hac!_ " _(Ancient power of the golden stone blessed by the powers of the Sun, burn every impurity from this land,)_ his deep blue eyes turned sapphire as he tightened his grip on his sword and charged it with energy and jumped high enough to be above the herd of demons piling and meshing up again into one gigantic being again and with one quick and precise swing, he chopped its head and dig the blade on the body that was squirming on the ground, _"Solaris emundetur a fluxi seminis!"_ A wave of energy exploded in all directions feeding on the invading darkness and freed the senshi and shitennou to join the battle again.

As much as Venus was still very shocked to see the prince was actually there, alive and fighting like a beast against the dark masses, she decided to put the moment aside and called for her power, _"Crescent Beam—Shower!"_

Mars quickly followed as she was helped by Jadeite who was creating a sandstorm to encapsulate the shadows still trying to escape, Mars brought her hands together and traced as a circle with her arm _"Burning—Mandala!"_

Jupiter cracked her knuckles and charged her hands as she turned to Nephrite and nodded to combine their powers, _"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"_ Nephrite extended his arms and shouted, _"Luce_ _stellarum impetum!"_ Mercury turned to Zoisite who in response nodded to confirm the command and blasted the shadows with his own chain of energy spheres, _"Zoi!"_ Mercury raised her hands up, _"Shine Aqua Illusion!"_

The prince looked down with a poker face as everything ignited to massive proportions and pulled his sword from the demon without any trace of emotion showing in his blood-stained face as he watched it squirm to its death. He turned and quickly searched for the princess' whereabouts and ran toward her when he saw her laying on the ground while the others took care of clearing a path to escape. Feeling weak and exhausted himself from the massive astral trip he just did and the deep wound on his side, Endymion fell to his knees next to Serenity and leaned down to link his energy with her to help her stay awake. Serenity opened her crystal blue eyes and immediately responded to his presence by breaking into heavy sobs when she tried to come closer but the prince gently pulled back to keep her at a distance. The action felt odd, almost as if he was rejecting her, and it startled her. Endymion shook his head slowly to catch his breath, "Close your eyes,"

Sailor Moon frowned still very confused but the situation unfolding and the panic around them quickly pulled her out of her hammering thoughts and turned around to look at the girls and shitennou fighting the shadows but gave in to his request and closed her eyes. Kunzite rolled to his side to dodge an attack from a shadow and turned to the prince with shock marking his face, "Endymion..."

The prince looked over his shoulder at his friend and right hand and pointed the ground, "We need to retreat. The portal can't be closed completely. The area needs to be put in quarantine." Kunzite nodded, "We will raise a barrier then—"

"No," Endymion shook his head and turned to Saturn, who was looking at him, "This is not something we can contain—gather everyone, we have to leave."

"Understood," Kunzite nodded and quickly turned to Sailor Uranus but before he could say anything, the blonde senshi nodded "We will create the opening for you to leave first,"

"Will it be enough?" Neptune turned to look at her partner, Uranus bit her lower lip "We have to make it enough,"

"The impact will send a direct hit at the portal, I will use the garnet stone to create another time pocket—be ready!" Pluto shouted out loud for the girls, shitennou, and royals to hear she turned to the blue-haired senshi, "Mercury! Give us the sign when to attack!"

Mercury nodded and pressed her third piercing to activate her intelligent visor, "I'm on it!" She started calculating the mass of energy and dimensions of the portal to find a loop pattern, "Almost... almost there... almost..."

Neptune gave Uranus a mischievous smile, "Don't you dare falling behind, do you hear me?" The blonde smirked in response and winked an eye at her as she turned to look at the demons crawling towards them. Mercury turned to make sure Venus ran to meet with Kunzite and went to help the prince and princess get away and quickly raised her arm, _"_ Now!"

" _Space Sword Blaster!"_

" _Submarine—Reflection!"_

" _Chronos Typhoon!"_ Pluto quickly stomped her time rod on the ground and shouted, _"Time Flux—Interlock!"_

As the three attacks from the outer senshi joined into one, Pluto created another pocket to force time to go slower around them; the olive-skin senshi took a deep breath to keep herself grounded as she tried to manipulate the gears of time again to allow the rest to escape and widened her eyes when she felt Uranus lifting her up and carry her with them. Endymion locked eyes with Saturn and nodded, silently asking her for the destructive favor and turned to Kunzite to ask him to carry Serenity and leave the area.

Once she made sure everyone was out of the zone of danger, the dark-haired senshi broke the barrier protecting Megumi, Luna, and Artemis and handed the responsibility to Mars, who quickly went to their aid with Jadeite and ran off the scene. Sailor Saturn walked toward the explosion and raised her glaive and with one graceful swing she called for its destructive powers, _"Silence Glaive—Surprise!"_

The destructive force from the polished weapon created a vacuum that summed with the powers of the talismans still igniting into the portal created an explosion louder and bigger than the one she brought down in Juban. Her violet eyes narrowed with authority as she watched everything crumble down before putting the place in lock-down quarantine with the power of her glaive and turned to leave.

O—o—O

It wasn't long before the aftermath of the explosion and Saturn's power caused strong ripples caught up with the rest as they continued to walk back to the shrine where Ares had done everything to eliminate the poisonous energy coming from the portal Eris had created. After his encounter with her and her inevitable return to the underworld, Ares waited to make sure his daughter was alright before returning to meet with Hades and Zeus. As much as he wanted to intervene, he knew there would be consequences because after all, he was a deity and his presence would bring an unwanted attention Earth didn't need while it was under such questionable conditions.

His gray eyes finally caught a glimpse of his daughter walking up the stairs with the rest of the team and grew twice in size when he saw none other than the terran prince slowly following far behind.

"By all heavens..."

He gaped with utter shock, finding it hard to process what he was witnessing. That is when he noticed the great effort he was doing to stay on his feet while he was still linking his energy with Serenity's aura to keep her conscious regardless of the strain it was causing him. It was indeed a miracle he could stay awake, it was a miracle he still had energy left to share with the princess. It was a miracle he had found his way back to his world under the conditions in which he returned. Endymion was almost unrecognizable. There was no doubt of his struggles in the underworld and the changes his body experienced once he crossed to the living realm. There was blood all over his torn uniform and smudged face; his hair was damp and it was surprisingly longer, almost reaching his shoulders and a stubble that was even longer than the one he had grown when he was in Limbo.

Lightheaded and beyond exhausted, Endymion stumbled a few times while trying his best to stay on balance and leaned on a wall to catch his breath, alerting everyone with worry.

"Endymion!" Sailor Moon turned with panic and tried to go and help him stand, but again, he stopped her from getting closer and shook his head. Her first reaction was one of shock, then she felt miserable and with a huge urge to cry, but at the same time, it frustrated her not being able to understand why he was pushing her away without any sort of explanation. She knew this wasn't the time to act like if she was 14 years old again and make a dramatic scene but it had been so long and so much has happened ever since they parted ways that she couldn't help feeling heartbroken. She wanted to help him but as soon as she turned, she was quickly stopped by the dread of her own fears that had started to play with her emotions, making her suspect the real reason behind his distant behavior. She wanted to hold him in her arms and yet, she couldn't. What a bitter torture.

The prince sighed and turned when he saw Sailor Mercury came close and saw the wound that was still bleeding on his side, "Oh my god... you're wounded!" She looked at him with worry when she realized it was a deep injury and that it was indeed, a miracle that he was even conscious and capable of fighting the way he did and walk on his own for as long as he had without any help. She looked at him with tear-glossed eyes and dread when he pulled back, "What happened...?"

Endymion took a sharp breath and shook his head, before he could give some sort of answer, Mars kneeled down, next to Mercury, "We need to go to a hospital," she said in the most calming tone she could muster, knowing he wouldn't want to stress Serenity even more but her tactic didn't work too well when she got to see the deep wound on his right side. The priestess looked up at Jadeite who was helping Kunzite get him up from the floor despite his weak attempts to push them away and turned to give the princess support as she helped her stand too. Jupiter turned to Sailor Moon and cupped her cheek, "I'm calling Motoki, he will be able to help us get him into the hospital,"

"No," Mercury sighed softly and turned to Jupiter, "Moving him would only make things worse,"

"You can't be serious..." Venus frowned, letting her side as sister shine through, "He's bleeding!"

"Knowing Motoki, he won't allow him to move either," Mercury muttered softly and looked at Endymion putting pressure to the wound with his cape, "But I don't have the equipment I need to treat this kind of wound..."

"Call him... he'll come... with the tools you need," Endymion let out a harsh breath and flinched, proving that speaking required more effort than it appeared, "I wouldn't want him to take the risk... but it would be worse if he doesn't know what's going on... I need his help..."

"We'll go find him," Jadeite said with reassurance and turned to Mercury, "But we would need Sailor Mercury to come with us too and that would—"

"I'll be fine..." Endymion found his voice again, "I can handle the wound until you get back," he flinched again when he pushed himself off the ground and took another step. His eyes widened when he saw Artemis and Luna in their human form and then at Megumi who was running toward them with streams of tears running down her face "Megumi..."

The maiden stopped and used her long sweater sleeves to dry her tears but they would not stop pouring out; she took a deep breath and bowed her head to cover her face with her hands. The prince leaned close to grab her arm but restrained himself from moving closer, also putting an awkward distance between them. The maiden frowned when she saw the princess' look in her face, one of pure agony. No words were needed to know something was going on but also, that it was something only they had to talk about and resolve in private.

Her thoughts went as far as to think the tension was maybe because of what happened that day when Serenity was captured by Asteria, imagining the prince might still be upset about how the princess left without notice and without the pendant to protect her. Her first instinct was to turn her attention to the princess, knowing with certainty that the distress written all over her face was caused by his lack of words. Megumi put her hand over Sailor Moon's forehead as if she was checking her temperature and let out a heavy sigh, "Thank heavens, I was so worried... I am so glad you are alright,"

Sailor Moon felt a hole in the pit of her stomach but the young maiden quickly understood her lack of emotion was a consequence of her trying to appear calm so she quickly pulled her into a hug and sighed, "It is going to be alright... breathe..."

This little moment between the princess and Megumi gave Endymion the opportunity to notice there was someone else there besides the inner senshi and shitennou. His prussian blue eyes locked with Ares' gray ones and confirmed the gravity of the situation; if he was there it was because something bad has happened. Something _very_ bad.

The god of war walked up to him until he was face to face "Expaveram pessimus..." he sighed, "Erat enim tempus volo loqui. Sunt autem multa de nobis necesse est potissimum, quod factum est ad vos."

 _(I feared the worst. I wish there was more time for us to talk. There are many things we need to discuss but most importantly, what happened to you.)_

Endymion arched his brow, "Latine?"

Ares nodded, "Rerum secretarum exitibus," _(For privacy issues,)_

"Pulchrum satis. Melius est servare si volumus huius brevis et vade in puncto." Endymion nodded and combed his long fringe away from his face, "Scio enim liberum est. Vulnus est casus." His deep blue eyes narrowed, "Respondeo dicendum quod necesse est dicere quod non ad vestram vocationem, et exercitus serve meus jacet officium hic... si me neve hostis erit."

 _(Fair enough. It is better if we keep this short and go straight to the point. I know he's free. This wound is not a casualty. It is needless to say that I cannot respond to your call and serve your army, my duty lies here. If that makes me fail you or makes me your enemy... so be it.)_

Ares shook his head, "Est Polemarchos 'prioritas servire et tueri. Uxor tua hac orbis et habitatores eius. Ordinarius bellator, et vos non intelligo: sed, ut ad petere quod, ut esset, quia nimis—"

 _(A Polemarchos' priority is to serve and protect. Yours is your wife, this planet, and its inhabitants. You are no ordinary warrior and I understand, but, I may have to ask for something that might be too much for—)_

"—Scio."

"Nudus est sub comminatione. Regnator Olympi sub sua potestate iam et ipse coepi ut praeter eum etiam alii planetarum. Non est vitiosus et abusivam; postquam eo ventum est ad inferos adii sed omnino separatur utriusque regni coronam cessante. Scio quod scitis et inferis tuae paciscor per in quo liberabo principis... et... verum et ex parte nostra. Ab inferis possis servare omnia agit bus aliis vero lovem dimensionumque consilia impetu opus servo. Ego autem missus sum ad libertatem sensit erectos Polemarchos alterum, ut pars exercitus, informari non opus est tibi ut Helios 'semen tuum opus est quaerere auxilium momenti in hac missione."

 _(The Underworld is under threat. Olympus under his control and so he has started to take over other planets as well. He is vicious and manipulative; after I confronted him, I went to Tartarus to look for you but the entire rim that separates both realms no longer exists. I know what Hades did and I know of your deal with him in order to free the Princess... but... he is on our side. He is doing everything he can to keep the Underworld from merging with other planets and dimensions while Zeus and I keep working on the strategies of attack. I have sent the alert to the other Polemarchos, as part of the army, you need to be informed but as Helios' descendant, I need to ask for your support on this important mission.)_

Endymion shook his head, "Quicquid sit inter me et Hades est non-amet a hoc non possum perdere et focus meum illo. Quod si non est Hades stimulus foramen unum in maledictione reputabitur ostium ergo, quis est?"

 _(Whatever is between Hades and me, is not important at this point and I cannot waste my focus on that. If Hades is not the one opening cursed portals, then, who is?)_

Ares frowned, "Deorum hoc manipulated suum commodum. Hoc tempus erat Eris, id est de peccatis inferi... recipere misit me, sed ego non possum promittere tibi non erit iterum." He sighed heavily, "Cogitavi mortuus es."

 _(Deities he has manipulated to his convenience. This time it was Eris, one of the sins of the Underworld... I have sent her back, but, I cannot guarantee there will not be a next time. I thought you were dead.)_

Endymion narrowed his prismatic blue eyes, "Non possum deserere meam vitae aut illi alienae pepercit."

 _(I cannot give up my life to him, or anyone else.)_

Ares nodded and let out a thick chuckle, "Tu Mater tua quasi canetis," _(You sound like your mother,)_

Endymion sighed, "Scio me, sed ego coniecto, quod ingeniosus, et didicit habitus a te,"

 _(I know, but I guess she learned that witty attitude from you,)_

Ares arched a brow, "Non, ut rei familiaris est," _(No, that is a family affair.)_ he frowned, "Mihi opus ire retro et verisimile non est ultimum tempus rursus occurremus, ego autem vobis vere sunt relevabor ad tergum, Princeps de Terra,"

 _(I need to go back, but this is probably not the last time we will meet again,_ _but I am truly relieved to see you are back,_ _Prince of Earth,)_

Endymion nodded, "Et iterum, Deus ad Bellum. Et dato pendere tuae quamvis, quod si verum est quod utilis est ad Ego, ego te non tepostulo signum,"

 _(Until next time, God of War. I will be pending of your alert, but if he is as flamboyant as I've been told, I don't think I'll need a sign.)_

Ares gave the young prince a smirk to show his relief and looked at Jadeite standing next to him, his small grin dissolved in a matter of seconds, "Et vos servetur habere sermonem, Custos Caeleste." _(You and I have a pending conversation, Celestial Guardian.)_

The lord of war continued his way leaving a very shocked general behind. The blonde blinked with a deadpanned look on his face and turned to Kunzite, then to Endymion, "Did he just..." Endymion sighed with a nod.

"Did he?"

"Yes..."

"Really?"

"Yes..."

"Do you—?"

"Yes..."

"And when does it stop?"

"Stops?" Endymion arched his brow and shook his head, "It never stops. A father never lowers his guard when it comes to his daughter... you have to prove you are not a criminal and earn his respect. It is what father's in law's do and yours... well... you better put your strategic skills to work and learn how to pick your battles."

"You wanted a relationship? Well... there you go." Kunzite muttered; Endymion turned to Kunzite and gave him a cynical glance, "Don't even get me started on yours..."

Kunzite blinked greatly surprised; Jadeite sighed as he tried to help the prince take the first step inside the house but Endymion pulled back abruptly and took another forced breath, "No,"

"Endymion?"

"I can't go in, not like this..." Endymion turned and made the best effort to walk to the temizuya startling the shitennou and princess, "End—" her crystal blue eyes widened when she saw he stopped her from coming close to him again and turned to take a bamboo bowl clearly used for watering plants to take plenty of water and let it pour all over him while mumbling something in an inaudible tone. He did the same thing at least five times before he finally was able to catch his breath and closed his eyes. A soft golden sheen made his military uniform and armor slowly dissolve and be replaced by his civilian clothes with the exception of his belt holding his sword and the small blade attached to the onyx scabbard that he preferred to keep at hand, just in case it was needed.

Kunzite followed the trend and went back to his civilian clothes and he walked over to help the prince stand up, "Come on, let us go inside before you catch pneumonia."

"Thank you..." Endymion exhaled and flinched when he felt the strain in his wound, "For..."

"Don't mention it," Kunzite pulled his brother closer as he walked to the shrine, "Welcome back, my brother."

O—o—O

A little away from the commotion, Ares turned to his daughter and cupped her cheek, "Remember who you are. Do not cave in. Be proud and always look forward."

Mars nodded, "I will," Ares cupped her cheek gently and turned to leave; preferring to keep the confrontation with Eris quiet mostly for Mars' sake and peace of mind. It would only make things worse if she knew this violent intrusion came none other than from her mother's hatred toward him and everything he holds dear, mostly, their daughter. The thought of them bickering and fighting all the time in front of a very young Mars made him stop in his tracks and took a deep breath. He turned his head but did not make eye contact with his daughter, "Do you care for him?"

Mars blinked with genuine surprise and felt her cheeks flush with unexpected shyness, "F-Father?"

"Is he worthy of your affection?"

Mars exhaled softly, "Yes, Father, he is. I care for him and he cares for me very much."

"Enough to stand side by side in battle?"

"Enough to stand side by side even when there is silence in between."

"Mars," Ares' brows knitted together, "Do you understand the complications of your union?"

"Would you oppose the same way the Gods have opposed Serenity and Endymion's union?"

"I do not care what the Gods think, they have bigger issues to worry about. I am asking as a man that knows the consequences of being involved in a complicated affair," Ares finally turned to look at her, "I am talking about you—are you aware of the difference that lies between you two?"

"Yes,"

"And?"

"It is not enough to pull us apart, we both know our strengths and our weaknesses. We both understand our place and we know it is not something it just magically stands on its own. Love isn't easy, being in love is not just staying for the smiles and giggles, it is understanding and it is also the support when things go wrong or turn bitter."

Ares nodded, "That is all I needed to hear,"

"F-Father?" Mars blinked, startled. The god of war sighed, "I am relieved to see you are nothing like me." He turned and kept walking away, "Stay true to that philosophy, my dear child, as it is far better than divine law." In a flash of light, the god of war was gone. Mars looked up at the sky with worry in her amethyst eyes, "Father... your eyes hold so many unspoken truths..."

"Mars,"

The raven priestess turned to Jadeite who was walking over to her, "Yes?" The blonde general frowned, "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Mars nodded and turned to look around, "Where is everyone?"

"Inside. We just took Endymion to the same room Princess Serenity was occupying a while ago. He finally let us come close to him," Jadeite took a deep breath, "We are going to find Endymion's friend. I am leaving with Zoisite and Mercury," Mars nodded, "Please be—" Jadeite put his finger on her lips and gave her a soft, loving smile "I would be the biggest fool in this universe if I let myself be pulled away when I was just given the chance to be with you. I will be careful, I promise."

Jadeite's little declaration of love shook Mars to the core, making her eyes gleam with tears "Yes, that would make you the biggest of fools," she could help to break her tough shell and break in tears, "I swear I would go look for you and burn you to a crisp if you don't come back soon." Jadeite chuckled, "The regal deity of Mars has spoken,"

"Listen, Jadeite—" Mars blinked, "Uh... huh..."

"What?" Jadeite chuckled more lightly, "Why the grimace?"

"I just realized... I don't know your full name," Mars blinked, "Your family name,"

"Ah..." Jadeite smirked and crossed his arms, "It happens, it very much watered down when I became one of the Shitennou; I was called by my status rather than my actual surname."

"Didn't that bother you?" Mars frowned, Jadeite shrugged his shoulders "My status never defined me. I very much respect my origins and the memory of my family, my existence and servitude are enough to pay homage to them every day for as long as I live. The rest is just royal protocol. The same goes for Kunzite, Zoisite, and Nephrite."

"But... what is it?" Mars shook her head, "Without your title?"

The blonde general smiled, "De Abbacia, that is my family name."

"De Abbacia..." Mars muttered with awe at the elegant sound of his ancient origin, "My, it sounds so fancy..."

"Well, my origins are far from being fancy. I come from a very humble family of farmers," Jadeite smiled softly, "But I am proud."

"No, no, no..."

"Mars?"

"I'm deviating from the subject," Mars sighed, "I am serious about this, Jadeite,"

"Me too," Jadeite shrugged his shoulders, "There is nothing to be ashamed about,"

"I swear that I will get so mad if you let something happen to you..." Mars couldn't hold her tears any longer and let them run freely, "I swear that I will burn—" Jadeite pulled her into his arms and kissed her temple, "I know. I will be very careful, I promise. I will come back very soon."

The blonde general kissed her again and turned to Zoisite and Mercury already waiting for him at the entrance and pinched her cheek lovingly before turning to walk away. As Mars watched them go down the stairs, she took a deep breath and looked up at the dark cloudy sky and closed her eyes, "Ojisan... please look after him."

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is rated M. Violence, gore, cursing, and intimacy may occur._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _A/N: Messages and reviews always fuel my inspiration. The more I can get, the faster I can write. Thank you so much. Long wait, huh? I had to post it today because work is eating me alive and I wanted it to be up before the holidays. This is my gift to you, thank you for sticking with me another year! I hope you enjoyed-Happy holidays!_


	74. Chapter 74

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Seventy-Four

* * *

Not long after Jadeite left with Zoisite and Mercury to find and bring Motoki, Uranus arrived at the temple with Pluto. Neptune and Saturn turned to saw Megumi walking down the hall with a tray in her hands, "Megumi," the sandy blonde called out to her softly. The maiden turned careful enough not to drop the wooden tray with a hot pot and cups and let out a sigh of relief, "Oh, thank goodness you are back safe and sound." She blinked and turned to Pluto with concern, "Lady Pluto, how are you feeling?"

"Much better, Megumi, thank you." Pluto gave her a soft smile. Neptune turned to look around, "Where is everyone?"

"How's the prince?" Pluto asked with worry in her voice. "Is he alright?"

"The prince was taken to one of the guest rooms after taking a much-needed bath and change of clothes," Megumi motioned her head to the hallway, "But he is injured and is considerably weak. Lady Mercury, General Zoisite, and General Jadeite went to look for the prince's doctor friend,"

"I guess you are talking about Motoki," Neptune smiled and turned to Uranus, who was nodding in agreement, "How long has it been since they left?"

"A little over an hour," Megumi said softly; Saturn stood by Pluto's side and let out a soft sigh, "He's most likely exhausted. I think it will be best if we wait here for everyone to come." Megumi nodded at Saturn and turned to Uranus, her brows furrowed when she saw her sitting on the sofa with a lost stare, almost worried, clearly ashamed "You are not going, Lady Uranus?"

Uranus let out a soft sigh as she leaned her back on the couch's backrest, "I think it is best if I wait here. This is not the best moment to make things uncomfortable, once again."

"His Highness is not a rancorous man," Megumi narrowed her eyes, Uranus turned to look at Megumi with a sad smile, "I know, Megumi. But right now, I am not what he needs to see or with whom he needs to talk. I am just very glad that he's back, I truly am."

Neptune sighed softly, "Haruka is right. Usagi-chan needs to have her time with him, it has been long since they were together." She said in a gentle tone, "Let us not forget he was gone for over a month, and they both went through their own torment."

"We'll be fine," Uranus pointed the tray with a weak smile, "Go. It will get cold,"

Megumi took a deep breath and walked into the living room. She put the tray down on the coffee table and prepared four cups of tea with the skill and grace only a lady who had learned how to assist royalty could achieve. The maiden turned and put each cup of steaming tea in front of the four outer senshi, "It will make you feel better," she smiled, "You need it too."

"Thank you very much, Megumi," Saturn said softly and went to sit by the coffee table and wrapped her hands around one of the porcelain cups to warm up her numb fingers. Uranus widened her eyes and stared at the maiden who silently went back up and walked down the hallway in smiled softly as she leaned on to grab her cup and took a small sip to warm up. Neptune savored the soft hint of ginger in the tea and sighed softly, "You will have to talk to him eventually, Haruka."

"I know," Uranus took another sip and turned to look out the window, "But I don't think this is the most appropriate time, I really don't."

"I am still trying to understand... I was sure I had felt the second key I gave him being used..." Pluto looked down at her steaming cup of tea, "I wonder how did he do it, how did he travel through space and crossed realms without it... I am truly amazed by his level of skill..." her garnet eyes narrowed, "Is this the power Father Chronos told me I could bend to aid my kind?"

"His words make sense," Neptune looked at Pluto, "When the Princess was taken, the Prince opened the portal to get to the fourth dimension without a key and even there, where everything is a pocket in time and space, he managed to find you at the gates."

"Still, it is strange..." Pluto sighed, "While he has the power of a titan, I am the only one who can control the flux of space and time, as a force not entirely as a mechanism for foreshadowing." Uranus frowned, "What do you mean?"

"I do not know or predict the future. That is not what my jurisdiction is about and that is not my power." Pluto looked up, "Yes. I have keys that allow us to move through parallel universes and move through space. The gears of time are in my hands and rely on the power of my talisman, but I do not control fate. Fate is the core to our existence and while it is not as fickle as time, it changes if it needs to change—they're natural forces; fate and time do not stop and if manipulated, it causes grave consequences, but they work differently. They're their own continuum." She sighed, "That is why I assured Crystal Tokyo exists but not as a prediction for the future; it happened on its own, under different circumstances and while the King may have or not awoken the same way the Prince has, they're not entirely the same. He did not rely on the Golden Crystal to fight the Black Moon Clan or to fight on Neo-Queen Serenity's behalf. None of the Senshi evolved in power, jurisdiction, and strength. We were not there. The Shitennou were not there. Circumstances changed. The second the Silver Crystals from the past and the future came together in the same plane, things changed. Like water forced into a dam, fate broke free and steered its course to keep flowing without obstacles, changing time. I do not control the force of fate. Things are not the same because it has been manipulated far too much..."

"This would explain why..." Uranus looked down thoughtful, "Why we were sent here to be reborn. Why Neo-Queen Serenity from that future sent you back to be reborn with us... Saturn, too. As a Queen that never showed up her face again and for a King that chose to hide his identity behind a mask, something must have happened that they thought was worth changing..."

"Small Lady," Pluto closed her teary eyes, "She paid the price for the peaceful reign they built behind the mystery of their identity. While the world had the benefit of longevity... they knew this, their daughter while much loved, she was lonely because they committed to do much more of what they could handle—more than they should have." She opened her garnet colored eyes with realization, "They were aware... it was them, the King and Queen, who granted their previous selves the permission to cross so they could see that future with their own eyes and make a wise decision on what's best for them to do and which path to follow."

"Odango-chan questions everything right now... her words now make so much sense. How she doesn't feel like she is supposed to be _that_ woman— _that_ version of a Queen. She is Serenity but she is also Usagi and she doesn't want to forget about that important fact."

"Neo-Queen Serenity sacrificed the normalcy of their lives for the sake of Earth. She maxed out her power as Sailor Moon and stepped in as a goddess, closing the bridge between mortals and divinity, once again." Neptune mumbled with wonder, Uranus nodded, "Because the King never fully awoke..."

"But things are different now, they're equals. They both are awake, aware, and strong." Pluto took another sip of her tea, "Right now everything is uncertain and we are in the middle of a bloody war that didn't happen in that time frame. Chaos and the Underworld are dangerous threats and if not contained, they will force fate to make its way and change its course once more,"

"This is so unnerving..." Neptune turned to Saturn with worry, "Do you think Hades has something to do with this?"

"I don't know," Saturn shook her head, "I didn't get a chance to see Mamoru-san's wrists... and..." she sighed, "I know there is something else happening there. Maybe he did... maybe he didn't. These random acts of violence and portals from the Underworld still have me thinking... still have me greatly worried."

"What do you mean?" Pluto turned to Saturn, the young senshi sighed, "The prince's return might have to do with the pact he made with Hades... maybe he sent him to take care of this matter but we won't fully know until we talk to him and right now, he needs rest to recover."

Uranus took another sip of her tea, "I'm glad she isn't alone anymore. I hope he can take her out of the dark place she put herself into." She sighed softly, "Right now, that is all I care about. I believe in them—these two strong individuals who have their mind set to build—not a better—but a new future. I believe in them, _our_ Neo-Queen and King."

O—o—O

Megumi walked into the room that was spacious enough to house everyone without feeling crowded. They were discussing and taking account of the recent events and mostly what has happened since the princess was taken hostage and then, what has happened after her return. Endymion was sitting in a large futon on the polished wooden floor with his back resting on the white wall while still keeping light pressure on the wound with a thick gauze in silence, with Serenity, who was also back into her casual indigo-blue dress sitting next to him but trying to maintain the awkward distance between them. After Endymion was taken back to the room to rest, she didn't try any other way to get close to him. That was all she felt she could do for the time being.

The more she tried to keep focused on the matter unfolding and on Nephrite's voice explaining what has been happening and what he has read from the stars before the ambient got to this level of danger; from the strange wave of sickness to the disappearances and possessions. Serenity really wanted to engage herself in the conversation but her mind was completely wrapped around the truth that was left inconclusive before Endymion and she parted ways in the Underworld. A truth she hasn't still processed very well and that had made her feel in complete anguish and guilt for the last several weeks of pure torment.

How many times she has thought about this moment. What she would do, what she would say, but now that it was here and finally happening, she felt completely lost and nervous—she was terrified. The few times she dared to take a quick glance at her husband it was hard for her to interpret the expression on his face; not that she could read his thoughts, either way, the man was a master in concealing emotions. Serenity mentally came to the conclusion that not even in his most neutral and casual state she couldn't tell what went through Endymion's mind. Many things went through hers, and his silence made things more upsetting because right now, she didn't know how to approach him. This was different from the time they had that bitter fight over jealousy. This was a matter with no people meddling in between and something only they could talk it out and solve things if they could be solved, that is. At this mere thought, her hands started to shake. Anxiety was starting to take over her body and she couldn't control it. Serenity closed her eyes silently praying for it to stop, or at least to be able to keep it concealed until she could leave the room but her torturous mind had started to punish her with an overwhelming wave of bitter thoughts and bottled up emotions.

Venus took notice of it right away, and from time to time she would either pat her back gently or held her hand to disguise the shakiness and quietly give her emotional support. Being her the only one besides Mercury that knew the reason behind her sudden episodes. Jupiter sat next to Nephrite while Mars stood with her arms crossed by the window and turned to look outside, "I hope they're okay,"

"I am sure they are, Mars," Artemis said softly and turned to the prince who had been awfully silent the whole time and looked at the tick cloth he was pressing on his side stained with blood, "Endymion..."

Despite having his head low and his face concealed under his long hair, Endymion had been very observant of his wife's odd behavior. He heard her unsteady breathing, the tension on her lips and how she licked them every few seconds. He saw her curling her hands from time to time and how her knuckles turned white from trying her best to keep herself together. The voices in the room became a blur in his mind. Whatever the others were discussing, he wasn't paying much attention and to be honest with himself, he didn't really care at the moment. As selfish and conceited as it was, Endymion didn't care for any portals or any shadows spurring from hell at this very moment, all he cared was her—his wife, and ever since he got back, he has been paying close attention to every single gesture she has done.

"They are alright,"

All eyes were on the prince who still had his head low, "They're coming back,"

Mars blinked, genuinely impressed by the sharpness of his psychic and perceptive skills, clearly proving they had escalated to an extra-sensorial level and that he was in complete control of them. Her amethyst eyes widened when she saw a glimpse of his piercing blue eyes peeking through his dark hair, "He's coming back." The secure tone in his deep voice made Mars realize he had been using his power to track and monitor their location and that he was communicating with Jadeite to tell him which ways were better to take to avoid any inconveniences. A wave of relief washed over the priestess and gave him a small smile of gratitude, one he responded with a polite nod. Kunzite turned to look at him, "About the other points of attack, there have been—"

"Stop,"

Kunzite blinked, "Endymion?"

"I'm sorry, Kunzite... I can't..." Endymion turned slowly to look at the general and shook his head, "I need time... to sort things..." he sighed heavily, "Could you give me a moment alone, please?" He shook his head slowly, "I can't... not now."

His unexpected reaction startled everyone but given the circumstances and the condition in which the prince had returned and everything that was left unspoken and inconclusive, it was more than understandable. The tone of his request was unnegotiable. Kunzite widened his gray eyes and turned to Venus who taking his hand and nodded in complete agreement, "Of course," she answered for the general as she stood up and motioned Kunzite to come with her without reproach or asking any more questions, "We will go wait for Mercury, Jadeite, and Motoki in the living room,"

Endymion nodded and turned to change the gauze for a dry, clean one again and sighed, "Thank you, Venus."

Mars followed Venus and turned to help Jupiter stand up and walked with them out of the room. Without much anything else to say, the rest just complied to the princes' wish and turned to leave the room quietly; Venus squeezed the princess' shoulder gently before getting up as a sign of encouragement. Serenity nodded and turned to Endymion, trying her very best to sound as calm as possible, "Please let us know if you need anything, we'll be close."

She turned to get up from the futon when she felt his hand gently holding her wrist, quietly asking her to stay. The princess widened her eyes and quickly turned over her shoulder at Venus who had noticed the prince's stealthy move and smiled when she understood what he was trying to do with his abrupt interruption. On one side, she was glad to give them their time because they both needed it and on the other, despite seeing the worry in her soul sister's face, she felt relieved that she was finally going to be able to talk things with him. She needed it, they both needed it. It was time.

With a single nod, Venus turned and slid the door closed. She blinked when she saw a very curious Kunzite leaning on the hall with his arms crossed, "What—"

Venus brought a finger to her lips to motion him to lower his voice and let out a soft sigh, "Give them time, Kunzite. All I can say is that they need this... they need to have a moment for themselves regardless of what's going on outside. They need to heal first and to do that, we need to leave them alone." She held his hand and walked down the hall toward the living room; the general frowned with suspicion "You know more to this, am I correct?

"All I can say..." Venus stopped and gave him a sad glance, "All I know... is that right now... they need each other. There are things they need to say to each other so they can move on."

O—o—O

Inside the room, Serenity felt a little hopeless and a little bit scared. A couple of minutes have gone in complete silence and Endymion hadn't said anything despite being sure they were all alone. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out, trying to keep her façade.

"I think it's better if you try to rest until Furu-chan gets here," Serenity looked down at his hand still holding her wrist and felt the burn of fresh tears threatening to fall. She closed her eyes really trying her best to stay strong and let out another long breath, "I will go ask Megumi to bring you some—" her eyes widened when she felt him pulling her closer to him and putting his arms around her. All of her attempts to stay grounded crumbled like dry sand in that very moment, feeling like she was trapped in some other dream.

"Serenity," Endymion held her close in a tight embrace, his lips so close they caressed her ear, his warm breath printing his presence into her mind, "You don't have to do this anymore,"

"I-I don't... I—"

"No one is here but you and me... let it out,"

As if the words were the key to release her from her emotional prison, Serenity started shivering and broke into heavy sobs for what she felt it was like the longest of time. She clung onto him and cried without measure or grace, it was raw anguish pouring out of her, every single moment of dread and pain manifested in a heart-wrenching cry. She wished for this moment to happen for so long that now that it was here, she couldn't tell if it was real or not anymore. Endymion propped his chin on her shoulder and closed his eyes as he rubbed her back up and down and gently rocked her back and forth, paying little to no mind to his level of exhaustion, the wound on his side or the pain trying to claim over his body, "That's it baby, let it all out..." he breathed in her ear, "I'm here..."

"No, no... no!" Serenity shook her head and tightened her grip on the white clean yukata Mars gave him to wear after taking his much-needed bath, "No... you're not... this is a dream... another damn dream where you will be gone as soon as I open my eyes again... and I can't... I don't want to lose sight of you anymore..."

"You won't. My soul is yours, Serenity. I would never leave you... even when you can't see me, I am with you."

Serenity opened her eyes wide when she heard him repeat the same declaration he gave her in her recent dream, making her think they actually met somewhere in time and space. She pulled back and looked into his deep prismatic blue eyes, "W-Why do you keep saying that?"

"Because it's the truth," Endymion inched closer, "No matter where I am... I never give up your memory. I never stop putting my fate in your hands,"

"That dream..." Serenity said between choked sobs, "You said those words to me... was it you... in reality?" Endymion nodded and gently tucked a lock of silver hair behind her ear, "Yes, it was me..."

"It really happened?"

"Yes, it really happened,"

"B-But..." Serenity shook her head, still trying to understand, "H-How...?"

Endymion took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He couldn't stop looking at her, he couldn't stop touching her. His fingers combed her long fringe away from her tear-stained face and cupped her flushed cheek with his hand, finally believing he was there holding her in his arms. Finally feeling alive.

"There was a moment where our souls linked and found each other in another astral plane... we wanted so much to be together you created a safe place with scraps and pieces from your memory and guided me there, the same way you guided me here—you pray, I listen. That is the power you have over me, Serenity. You take me wherever you are. I am yours, completely yours; I surrender my existence to you, that is the meaning of my words. It's my solemn vow to you." He put his hands on each side of her face and looked into her eyes, "You are the bravest and strongest woman I know, Serenity. You are my polemarch."

Serenity closed her eyes and hung her head low. She sniffled, but it wasn't long enough before another wave of sorrow took over her and made her break into sobs again, this time, exposing the root to her suffering, "No..." she shook her head, "No... I'm far from being strong... I'm weak, so weak..."

"Don't say that,"

"It's my fault... it was my fault... I was reckless... I was careless and I have paid the most horrible price for it. I feel that no matter how much I try, I can't be at your own level of strength. I can't stay calm and collected as you do and I hate it... I hate it! _I hate it!_ " Serenity's breathing fastened as she tried to pull back from Endymion while gasping for air, "I hate it! I'm awful... I'm awful!"

Endymion tried to keep her steady when she started showing the signs of going through a strong anxiety episode and had to put a little force and restrain her to keep her from hurting herself, "Serenity,"

"It was my fault!"

"No,"

"It was my fault, it was all my fault!"

"No,"

Serenity tried to pull back but Endymion's restraint was far stronger than the fight she could put against him to move away; her body reminded her of her condition when she started to feel weak and light headed again. At this point, she had started shaking too much to even be able to move on her own. Resigned and mortified, Serenity just let go of any attempts to break free from her husband's hold and crashed her face on his chest and started sobbing with heart-wrenching pain, "I couldn't keep our baby safe..."

There it was, she had finally let it out. Endymion closed his eyes when he felt the burn of his own tears threatening to fall, "That's not true,"

"I couldn't save our baby..."

"No,"

"I lost the most precious gift life could ever bless us with... I lost our baby!"

"Serenity..."

"I lost my most precious blessing and now I am going to lose you too! I am going to lose you too and I can't... I can't live knowing this truth! I can't live knowing I am going to lose you!" Serenity's eyes widened when she felt Endymion pushing her back enough to look at her with the most clouded shade of blue in his eyes she's ever seen; the sorrow was there and impossible to hide, there was also anger and frustration but mostly, it was a deep concern for her.

"Don't ever say that again, do you hear me Serenity?!" His voice quivered despite being low, his tears wouldn't dissipate either, "Don't you even dare! Don't you dare speak this way! Do you hear me?!" Serenity gave him the saddest of glances and shook her head, "It was my fault..."

"It wasn't your fault."

"You're mad at me..."

"Of course not! How could I?!"

"You hate me because—"

"Stop," Endymion frowned and put his hands on each side of her face, "Listen to me, Serenity. Whatever your brain is trying to convince you to believe is not true. This is your anxiety playing cruelly with you, this is your depression forcing you to give up but I'm here and I won't let you succumb to it because I love you with every fiber of my being. I love you too much to let you do this to yourself. I love you more than life itself—let the sky fall to pieces, let the Earth freeze to its very core... if you are not here, it doesn't make sense. I love you and I want you to understand that it wasn't your fault. Don't ever say or even dare to think I hate you because it would be like cursing what we've been fighting relentlessly for the last two thousand and plus years." His thumb caressed her swollen lips with gracious care and shook his head, "It wasn't your fault, you didn't kill our baby—you're not weak."

Serenity tried to speak between choked sobs but Endymion put his thumb on her lips and pulled her close to him and started rocking her back and forth again, "I will keep repeating this as many times necessary until you allow yourself to understand my words. You didn't kill our baby. You didn't lose it because you were careless or weak. It wasn't your fault." He closed his eyes and kept repeating the same thing over and over letting his own emotions take their toll on him as well. It broke his heart to hear his always quirky and always hopeful wife having an emotional breakdown of mortifying caliber. She had locked too much pain and anger inside her it had affected her mental and physical health. This was the first time he heard her cry this loud and with so much strain and unfiltered emotion, the first time he heard her choke between sobs, the first time he heard her scream with raw rage and impotence. Endymion put his own pain aside and wrapped his arms and legs around her to create a safe cocoon for her to cry and let go of all the torment she had felt over her for weeks.

Serenity held onto him to dear life as she kept weeping with desperate measure. Her mind wanted to react, she wanted to speak and break the heavy spell that was keeping her in a state she couldn't even control. It was something else, something deep inside that was purging the guilt and clenching her heart between its sharp claws. The more she heard Endymion's deep and calm voice repeating over and over again the same statement, the more she slowly felt coming to terms with what happened and the more she accepted she needed to hear this from none other than him. She sobbed, wept, screamed, cursed and cried in several intervals until she felt like she couldn't go on any longer; until her chest felt empty and her eyes had no more tears left to cry. Serenity started to feel more grounded and aware of where she was, who she was with and made a pause to finally let his words bring that much-needed sense.

"You didn't kill our baby, you weren't weak, you weren't reckless. You didn't lose the baby because you weren't strong enough or careful enough to keep it safe."

Serenity sniffled and slowly let go of his crumpled and very damp robe and gathered enough courage to look up to him "Then why did it happen?" She whispered, "Why did it happen to us?"

Endymion leaned to kiss her puffy eyes and carefully patted them dry with his sleeve, "As a doctor, I can give you a long list of reasons that could have caused your miscarriage and none of them would be linked to a lack of effort or care on your part. As your husband, I will just bluntly tell you it's nothing you did or didn't do, it simply happened. Yes, it is awfully sad, it's frustrating—it's painful. It makes you want to question and blame everything and everyone around you—it makes you curse your own existence, but, even with our unusual background, we are not exempt of these situations because it's part of being human. As brutal as it sounds... these things just happen and it is no ones' fault."

"It's unfair..."

"It's mortality, Serenity. The one thing deities never fully understood of us. The one thing that made us a point of comparison and a reason to be thought inferior and powerless."

Serenity sniffled, "I feel so guilty... I was so scared of talking about this with you... I tried to tell you... I wanted you to know but I couldn't bring myself to do it..."

"Why?"

"I was afraid I was going to lose you..."

"Serenity..."

"I was afraid you were going to hate me and leave..."

"Never," Endymion shook his head and pinched her nose gently, "Usa, come on. What kind of a person do you think I am? I would never do that to you. I would never, _ever_ hate you. I would never pass the blame on you and leave. I have never thought you are weak but on the contrary. You are very strong for having gone through all this alone while I was dealing with a stupid existential crisis when my priority has always and should always be you. Forgive me for not being by your side to support you when all this happened... how do you think all this makes me feel? I am the one afraid of losing you."

This is when Serenity finally realized she wasn't the only one dealing with the loss and guilt. He had it too and just like it was happening to her, it was happening to him too. It broke his heart and it also made him break into tears, it also made him question everything and everyone, it also made him hate his own existence. Despite being aware and mentalized that it was something that could literally happen to anyone, he was hurting in his own way and with his own set of reasons to blame himself for the cause. The prince leaned down to her ear, "I'm sorry," he whispered between low sobs, his voice breaking with emotion, "I'm so sorry, Usako, I'm so sorry. Please... forgive me... please... forgive me..."

Serenity closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck and took a deep breath. She turned and kissed his neck, "No, no... you would never lose me, baby... never, ever. I'm never letting you go, I'm here and I love you... I love you with all my heart and soul."

"I'm so sorry..."

"I'm sorry too..."

Nervous and ashamed, Serenity finally looked up into his royal-blue eyes and took a deep breath, "How... did you find out?"

Endymion sighed softly as he gently dried his tears that had settled on her neck with his sleeve again. Things truly changed for them since that day, they both lost track of time and reality, they both dealt with madness and the pain of being apart. They both felt they couldn't carry on, they both felt loss and anger, frustration and fear—deep haunting fear.

"The day I woke up from the coma... when I touched your hand. I felt an overcoming sense of fear and loss coming from you. I felt a heart-wrenching pain and I immediately knew something had happened to you, something that went beyond simple anemia. Later I figured out what it meant: your paleness, your lack of enthusiasm, your low defenses... I saw the sadness and fear mirrored in your eyes when you asked me about how would I feel if we had a baby and also, I saw a couple of empty boxes of pregnancy tests poorly hidden underneath the wash towels in our bathroom."

Serenity pursed her lips when she remembered that moment when in a very quick attempt to keep her suspicions hidden, she put the boxes in that drawer and forgot about it later, "Ah... that..."

Endymion caressed her cheek lovingly, "There were all these red flags demanding my attention but also pleading me to keep my distance and to understand." He shook his head, "It wasn't the time—you weren't ready to talk about it because you were still trying to process what happened. That's why I wanted you to stay at home... I knew things were not easy and that the circumstances were not ideal but I wanted to try to give you as much normality as possible to get you back on your feet. You're very damn strong Serenity, stronger than me, but you were exhausted, you needed a break and I wanted to give you that. I wanted to take care of you and help you heal at your own pace and be ready to talk about it but that moment didn't come... until now..."

Serenity rubbed her eyes and sighed, trying not to break into tears again, "I learned all this too late... I—" she trailed off and shook her head, "I thought I could just... I don't know... pretend it didn't happen and focus on the bigger picture,"

"That's the thing, Usa, the bigger picture is you," Endymion tilted her chin up to meet his eyes, "To me, you are that bigger picture."

"But with everything happening, Asteria, Athamas—"

"Oh no, no, no. You can't do this—it's not fair." Endymion shook his head, waving his finger in front of her, "You can't put your own health and sanity behind those two like if they mattered. You come first— _always._ _You_ matter _here,_ to Megumi, the girls, the shitennou, your family and friends—you matter... you mean everything to me."

"You mean everything to me too but I was too scared... too ashamed..." Serenity sniffled, "I felt like a failure, I still do..."

"Well, I am asking you not to," Endymion leaned closer and dried another tear, "You are not a failure,"

"I can't stop thinking that this could be the same treatment the gods gave your mother when she was expecting you... that all this was some sort of punishment from them..."

"You can't know for certain what happened to my mother when she was expecting me; that's a different chapter—a different story. That was a battle she fought alongside my father and it's something only she could clarify then, things were different for them than how it has been for us."

"They didn't want you to be born, isn't this the same?" Serenity looked at him with hurt, Endymion sighed, "Well, no... and some still don't want me to live, but as set the gods are in their ways, it wasn't them."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because no one knew about it, Serenity. Your pregnancy easily could have been the perfect opportunity to lure me and break me. It would immediately come up when I met with Hades and he would have used it against me. It would have been something Ares have mentioned to me right away considering who we are, but also... divinity doesn't work that way. Gods don't just magically snap their fingers and change the course of things, that's why there are sailor senshi and polemarchos fighting to keep a balance in the universe, that's why they depend on Ares' celestial army... that's why they create alliances and go to war. Just imagine how different things would be if they could? The universe has divine laws, not even them, with all the power they have, can bend and break as they please."

"I can't stop thinking about it, Endymion, what if this baby was _her_? What if I lost _her_?"

"Don't do this, please," Endymion cupped her cheek and shook his head, "Don't torture yourself with those thoughts..." Serenity frowned, "Doesn't it worry you?"

"Well, yes, it does. It breaks my heart, actually, but... I really want to believe it wasn't her and also because I know it's not healthy. I can't live thinking about it because it would be miserable for the both of us and it wouldn't be fair for any other baby that might come in the future."

"See..." Serenity sighed tiredly, "That's the thing Mamo-chan..."

"What _is_ the thing?" Endymion frowned; the princess looked at him with sadness, "That day, before I went to see Furu-chan, I stopped by to see Mama and she told me—among other things—how she couldn't get pregnant. I came to understand why I was allowed to reincarnate into this world despite being connected to the Moon. I was literally a wish—granted. My mother, the Queen, granted Ikuko-Mama the wish of having me..." Serenity sighed, "Even Queen Serenity, a Goddess with all this unimaginable power and the blessings of a sacred crystal had problems to conceive, again, I was a wish—granted."

Endymion put his arm around her shoulders for support and pulled her closer, "A granted wish is never a bad thing, Usako. It's a blessing."

"Normally, it wouldn't... but given the circumstances..." Serenity rubbed her swollen eyes, "I'm so scared..."

"I'm here, you're not alone," Endymion kissed her temple "This is never easy. Pregnancy is a coin toss in the air and with it, comes risks. This could happen to even the most fertile people in the world—trust me,"

Serenity blinked the tears that were still trapped in between her long lashes and sniffled, "Did you get to... you know... treat patients that went through this?" Endymion kissed her head again, "Yes. When I was in E.R. I got to deal with cases like these and I also had treated patients dealing with the aftermath of a miscarriage. The pain, the physical decompensation, some with severe cases of anemia or diseases that turned chronic due to the lack of iron in their bodies."

"You read me... like an open book,"

"I'm a doctor, Buns..."

"Yes..." Serenity sighed softly, "And a very good one..."

Endymion cracked a weak chuckle, "Nah... I'm just a nerd,"

"Yeah, that too." Serenity tightened her grip on his arm, "I can't... I can't stop thinking about it. What if she's the baby I lost?"

"What if she wasn't?" Endymion tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, "But, even if you give birth to a child in the future and it turns out not to be her... it won't make that baby any less special or loved, and it doesn't mean she can't come later."

"But... what if I only can have one baby?"

"That won't make any difference of what I feel for you, or that child."

"What if this happens again?"

"I'll be with you in every step of the way and we can always try again, whenever you feel ready."

"What if I can't get pregnant again soon?"

"Nobody is pressuring you to do it,"

"Society does..."

"Screw society,"

"What if I can't give you any children at all?"

"That would still won't make any difference on how I feel about you,"

"Why are you like this?"

"Like what?"

"So good to me..."

"I love you,"

"But—" Serenity's eyes widened when she felt her husband nudging her to stop, "No, no, don't give me buts—there is no room for buts anymore," his voice was calm; Serenity hugged herself and leaned her head on his chest, "Isn't that unfair?"

"Why would it be unfair?" Endymion looked down; Serenity shook her head "You staying with me under such shitty conditions,"

"The only unfair thing for me is that you keep having such shitty thoughts,"

Serenity gasped, "Mamo-chan,"

"You said it first, Usako." Endymion tapped her nose, "Bottom line, I'm not going anywhere, like it or not, you're stuck with me—you signed the papers, there's no turning back." He smiled softly when he felt her arms tightening around his back. Endymion combed his fingers through her long hair and took a deep breath, "Usa, does someone else know about this?"

"Ami-chan figured it out..." Serenity sighed softly, "Not the miscarriage, but she suspected I was pregnant and asked me right after I returned... you know... from _there._ But it was expected because she's a medical wizard like you. Venus and Furu-chan know this too but I asked them not to say a word to anyone..." she gave her husband a shy glance "I'm so sorry..."

"Why?" Endymion frowned, Serenity took a deep breath and exhaled, "For having told Furu-chan before I told you... he was the first one to know because I needed to be sure and asked him for a consultation and later, discuss my case with an ob-gyn specialist. One he trusted."

"I'm glad you did." Endymion caressed her cheek, "The only way I would have gotten upset about all this was finding out you didn't get any medical attention, you did the right thing, Buns,"

"That is why I went out that day..." Serenity looked at him with shame, "I needed Motoki-oniisan to tell me again about my test results that confirmed that, in fact, I had a miscarriage."

Endymion felt a sting in his chest when he started recollecting everything that happened that fateful day—the stress, the strain for them to stay together and how things eventually spiraled out of their control with horrible results. He pulled her closer to her as he leaned his head and back on the wall to release some of the tension on his lower back and mild some of the pain from his wound. He slowly closed his eyes, finally letting sink in all the information, "How far along was your pregnancy?"

"Six weeks,"

Endymion blinked his eyes open and furrowed his brows in thought when he started making numbers, "Six?"

"Yes,"

"Wait..."

"Yes,"

He looked down at her with a little shock crossing his handsome face, Serenity lay her head on his shoulder and looked up at him, "Our scientific experiment gave us more than just sleep."

Endymion's deep blue eyes widened and felt a flush taking over his cheeks when he started putting the pieces together and remembered the events that happened that night and what led to putting science to the test, "But..."

"I know, I don't know what happened either," Serenity shrugged her shoulders, "We really aren't normal,"

"Huh..."

"It's ironic..." Serenity interrupted his thoughts, "I clearly remember that night,"

Endymion blushed slightly, "Uh, well, it's kind of hard to forget, Usako... you almost die of a caffeine overdose,"

"I did not!" Serenity objected with indignation as she looked up at him wide-eyed. Endymion tapped her nose gently with a grin wide enough to lift the tension off his wife's body, "You couldn't sleep because you had like three cups of black coffee loaded with crazy amounts of sugar!"

Serenity blushed and nibbled her lower lip with her teeth, "Well, in my defense... I needed to stay awake... and I blame your stupid coffee!" She trailed off and pouted her lips, making Endymion chuckle, "Sorry Buns, nothing can justify what you did,"

"I was working!"

"Yeah... no, dear, that's still not a good excuse,"

"No... it's not good enough... it was stupid of me, I admit it. I did feel like I was going to pass out."

"It's because you were about to,"

"I couldn't sleep—it was horrible..."

"I know. You didn't let me sleep either—you kicked me several times out of frustration."

Serenity puffed her cheeks and took in a deep breath, "I remember we were talking about how Papa was a little hesitant that Shingo had started dating someone because well... he was fearful something like _this_ happened."

Endymion caressed her cheek and leaned down to kiss her temple, "You were already pregnant when we got married,"

"Yes,"

"The brusque mood swings..."

"Yes..."

"The dizziness..."

"Yes,"

"The laziness and cravings..."

Serenity felt his arm tighten around her and broke in chuckles when she realized what he was doing to help her get out of her dark cloud—the same way she helped him whenever he was in a gloomy mood, "That's always been a thing with me, Mamo-chan."

"True," Endymion smiled at the lighter, much calmer tone of her voice, "Your father would have murdered me if he knew you got pregnant before getting married," he sighed, "I can totally picture it."

Serenity laughed and stretched her arm to cup his cheek with her hand, "We would have figured something out, we could easily have told him I got pregnant during our honeymoon..."

"Still, he would have at least said something embarrassing like ' _couldn't keep it together, eh, son?'_ "

" _A little urgent on the matters of love, aren't you?"_ Serenity broke in laughter as she mimicked Endymion and did her best impression of her father, _"Pants were too tight for you, I suppose,"_ Endymion laughed, " _Couldn't you just keep the passion under control for a little longer?"_

 _"You kids!"_

 _"You kids!"_

" _You just got married!"_

" _What is the matter with you two?!"_

" _You're giving me too many grays... I'm getting old sooner than expected!"_

"Oh my god... that's so him," Serenity's smile slowly faded, "He would also have gotten so happy after the shock..." she sighed softly; Endymion wrapped his arm around her waist, "He's your father, he would have understood... after putting us on the spot in a family reunion or something, of course,"

"Oh, yeah, totally. Oh, Papa..."

"Yeah, that is your Papa alright,"

"Endymion..."

"Mm?"

"Did you find him?"

"Who?"

"Your father,"

Endymion's eyes widened and looked down at his wife with shock. Serenity drew back and sat again to be face to face with him, "Did you?" Endymion let out a heavy sigh, realizing what it must have happened, "You know..."

"Yes,"

"Kunzite told you,"

"I literally cornered him to tell me the truth, please don't be angry at him. It wasn't easy to crack his loyalty code but I was trying to put the pieces together and try to understand what happened and why you didn't come back with me..." Serenity tilted her head, it was her time to set the record straight and talk to him about their meeting and departure in the underworld, "But also... it was your mother..."

"What?" Endymion widened his eyes with surprise, "My mother?"

"Queen Gaia came to me in a dream, she comforted me and told me that your father was taken away from her in an act of revenge."

"Mater..." Endymion looked down with tear-glossed eyes, "You saw her... you saw my mother?"

Serenity slowly nodded, "Yes,"

"How is she?"

"Beautiful,"

Endymion closed his eyes with a sad smile gracing his lips, "She is one beautiful mystery, yes," he sighed, "I'm glad... I'm glad you could..."

Serenity looked at him with worry, "Mamo-chan, why didn't you tell me?"

The mention of his mother, coming to his beloved wife's aid lifted Endymion's spirit. Not only she had been watching over him from a distance and even went to wake him up from his almost dead state but she was watching over Serenity and keeping her with her feet grounded. He felt his eyes burn with more tears because no matter how close they have been they still haven't seen each other. There is always an invisible curtain keeping them from seeing eye to eye. With a heavy sigh to put his emotions back in order, Endymion looked at her and shook his head, "Because you were dealing with the loss of our baby, Usa. I couldn't bring this up so casually. I wanted you to heal first," he took a breath, "I was going to talk to you but..." he shook his head, showing his anger, "That bitch stood in our way,"

"Asteria,"

"Yes, Asteria."

Serenity bit her lip in thought, "But... when we were there... when you sent me back..." she looked at him with tears shimmering in her eyes, "Why didn't you tell me then?"

Endymion pushed his hair back with slight annoyance for its unusual length and shook his head, "Because you needed to come back to recover. If I told you then, you would have done something to stay and where I was going was not remotely close to what you witnessed or something I wanted you to see."

"Is it true then?" Serenity looked into his deep blue eyes, "You made a pact with Hades?"

Endymion nodded, "Yes, it's true. For me to get to you faster, I made a deal with him that allowed me to find you in Thanatos and send you back with Saturn,"

"And... that deal..." Serenity frowned, "What was the price for that deal?"

Endymion raised his hands to let the long sleeves slid down and expose the marks on his wrists that proved the binding contract between them. Serenity widened her eyes and looked at him with fright and shook her head, "No, no... no... why?! Why did you do that!?"

"I was desperate to find you..."

"But at the cost of your own life?!"

"It was the least of my worries, I had to do it to get to you at any cost and I also needed to find him," Endymion sighed, "Ares informed me the King was thrown in Tartarus like the lowest of demons—he was left there to die in the slowest and cruelest way possible, paying for a crime he never committed. Once I made sure that you could return home safely, I mentalized myself that I had to go all the way down there to find him too. I couldn't leave him behind—I had to do it, but I had to do it alone because I knew Hades would take it as another opportunity to do something else that would put you more at risk and I couldn't allow that, at any cost." He shut his eyes and rested his forehead on hers, "It killed me to see you go—it broke my heart not being able to say all this out loud and be by your side during this hard time but I did it to protect you. My silence was my best bet but even so, I cannot ignore how much pain I have caused you and it's something I've dealt with every passing minute. I don't deserve you, Serenity, I really don't deserve you... none of this is fair to you."

Serenity felt the heaviness in his voice and quickly propped on her knees to be at his height on the futon and wrapped her arms around his neck to draw him closer to her; she clung to him like if her life depended on that moment and shook her head, "No, what it isn't fair is how they have been trying to break us apart." Her fingers curled in his long hair and took a deep breath, "All I wanted was for you to come home... ever since we parted ways, I knew you were trying to tell me something and in so many ways I started getting the clues you left me... I even asked Megumi to teach me Latin,"

Endymion blinked with surprise, "You did?"

"Yes,"

"Really?"

"Yes... I was so blinded by grief that I needed to know at least a little but I couldn't find the answers I needed... but don't get too excited, I couldn't learn much, I'm horrible at it. I butchered the language."

Endymion let out a weak chuckle, "My, my... I thought that was how you brought me back,"

"That... I am sure it was pure magic."

"Hmm..."

"Mamo-chan..." Serenity turned her head and kissed his neck softly, "I don't know if this is it—if this is how Crystal Tokyo comes to be but I don't care about how much I have to give up—" With this, Endymion shook his head and jerked back, interrupting her, "No, stop. Please, don't tell me that,"

"Sacrifice is part of the future—" Serenity blinked, startled. Endymion frowned with displeasure, "No. That is not something I can accept. If I learned something from all the turmoil we've been going through for the last couple of months, is that you don't have to sacrifice your peace of mind to get to a certain stage in your life and be where you want to be—where you feel you need to be. Sacrifice should never be a step in life, sure, it's not easy and one must work really hard... but that's life in general. To be happy, you have to keep being you and you have to keep doing what you feel is right— _for you._ As selfish as it sounds." He leaned closer to brush his lips on hers and closed his eyes, taking in the intimacy of the moment, "I can't give you a straight answer as to what's going to happen once this is over. If I take my father's place as king, what changes are going to be made. It's my duty, yes, I am part of a dynasty that requires me to stand in the line and protect this planet in any way that I can. I am fine with it, but you don't have to let go of your essence—you are free to decide what you want to do."

Serenity leaned closer and held his hand close to his heart, "I want to be where you are. I want to be your equal and protect this planet together, if you take your place as king, I'll take mine as queen. I too have a throne I must serve and honor but most importantly, I want to create a world where we belong and where we can live free."

"Then, that should be Crystal Tokyo. Our biggest mistake was to think we must model our time to what we saw in the 30th Century. That is the present in another time, a reality that happened in another plane. Maybe that will happen eventually, far into the future if the circumstances require for us to make other decisions, but we can't live with that idea plastered in our minds. This is the present, this is us now." Endymion tightened his grip on her hand and looked at her with confidence, "Be the queen you think it is best for this planet and its inhabitants, but most importantly, be the queen you want to be without sacrificing your own freedom and happiness—don't silence your beautiful voice. Do not bind yourself to the image of the queen you met years ago—do not believe that is who you should become if your ideals and goals have changed. I know that for sure. I do not see you as a woman encased in a crystal palace, it doesn't make sense to me since all you have wanted ever since I met you is to be free, to be of help to people—not an adornment. I see a fearless woman that wants to be involved in every matter, a soldier that steps in and takes my place when I am not around like the true leader she is. Times were different back then, Serenity, so was your age and your ideals, but this is us, _now._ Things changed for us and we must work things out according to our time and our own experiences. Pluto _never_ said that was a definite future—not even she can tell what is going to happen and what's not."

"Endymion..." Serenity felt like if a hundred sacks of sand were lifted off her shoulders, she knew this but somehow, she needed to hear it from him. The rightful guardian of this planet, the future king and it's polemarch, "Do you think we can do it? Do you think we can be a king and a queen that can still grasp freedom and normalcy? That we can somehow still feel like us?"

"Yes,"

"Do you think I can still be your Usa and you my Mamo-chan?"

"Absolutely, baby. That will never change. That's who we are." Endymion nodded and brought her hand to his lips, "We aren't normal, Usako, that's a given... but that doesn't mean we can't make things work. That doesn't mean we've changed. We will figure something out and live the best of both worlds, as you told me more than once,"

"Do you think we still be able to do the things we like?"

"Yes. And I think we will, Buns _._ We will find a way. This planet is not just mine anymore, it became yours the moment you chose me as your partner. Remember that what's mine is yours, even the things you can't see but you know that I have, are yours."

"You are more than just my partner, you are my everything." Serenity smiled and let a new batch of tears roll down her cheeks, "I love you so much," Endymion wiped her tears with his thumbs, "I love you madly,"

"I missed you so much..."

"I missed you too, you have no idea..."

Endymion leaned to prove his declaration with a passionate kiss that reminded their selves how much they belong to each other and how much they can work as one to tear down any obstacle that stands in their way. After several minutes of pure bliss and emotion, they parted to gasp for air and looked into their eyes. Her hand cupped his cheek and exhaled, feeling much more relieved and much more like herself, "I was so scared... I thought you didn't love me anymore..."

"What?!" The prince blinked surprised and jerked his head back, "Why would you think such horrendous thing?!" Serenity pouted her lips, "Because when you returned you didn't want me close, you didn't want to touch me and you pushed me away several times,"

Endymion tilted his head and gave his wife a kind smile, "Baby, I came straight from hell's wasteland—literally. I was infested with poison, debris, gore, and all kinds of putrid matter. If I did, you would have gotten infected. That's why I didn't want anyone to come near me and threw all that blessed water from the temizuya over me—I needed to wash all that off. Thank goodness for the soap, toothbrush and razor Mars gave me afterward to clean and feel better—more like myself." He looked at her and cupped her cheek, "I was a sack of infection and disease,"

"And this?" Serenity combed his long hair back, Endymion sighed, "That... I need scissors to take care of it."

"It's not bad—strange, but not bad."

"Hmm..."

"So, you really went there..." Serenity blinked in realization, "You really went to hell,"

"No," Endymion combed her hair back, "I went to the place hell is not even a point of comparison, love. I went to Tartarus—the land of the tortured and corrupt. A pit of pure hatred and insanity," he rubbed his tired eyes, "I went all the way down. Where underneath all that waste, my father had been left imprisoned for two thousand and plus years like the worst of criminals."

"You did find him,"

"Yes,"

Serenity looked down and widened her eyes with panic when she saw the wound still open on his side, "Mamo—" the prince put a finger on her lips and shook his head, "It's okay, I am trying to keep it under control. I can't focus all of my energy on it because that would disbalance other things I am doing to stabilize this planet's lack of energy, but I'm alright."

"It's still bleeding..."

"I'll be alright,"

Serenity looked at him without a single trace of fear, "Who did this to you?" Endymion turned to grab a new dry sterile gauze and threw the other in the bag next to the futon and flinched when he put pressure again, "Athamas,"

Serenity's eyes widened once he confirmed what Ares had told her earlier, "It—it doesn't make sense... he... you..." she took a hasty breath and shook her head in panic, "He died... you ki—"

"—He's possessed, Serenity. He's completely lost under Chaos' control. His tortured mind is valuable energy for him and he's feeding on his hatred and ambition. The Andromedian is a tool, he's always been... even before he met you, he was already under a dark influence." Endymion flinched again and cleared his throat, "Which explains why he's the one who broke Chaos' seal. He used his mind to take control over things and that's who Asteria was working for—she kidnapped you to lure me there and set him free."

Serenity shook her head, still trying to process the information; Endymion took a deep breath, "Tetigit potest frangi sigillum lumine solis—The seal can be broken by one touched by the light of the Sun. The key to breaking the seal put on him was by blood—my blood." He turned to make sure his sword was close, "I had already found my father when Athamas appeared. We were caught up in a fight when he grabbed the dagger from my belt and stabbed me with it,"

"What happened to the King, Mamo-chan?"

"Before going to the Underworld, Pluto gave me two space-time keys. I used one to send you and Saturn back—the other was meant for me to get out of Tartarus with my father, but I was too exhausted... the wound and the poison from that place had maxed out my energy, so, with the remains of it, I used it on him and sent him away instead, relying on the certainty that you would pray for me and bring me back to you. When you took me into this astral dream, you guarded my soul when Chaos was breaking free, you saved me from dying. We stayed together for as long as you slept and when you woke up, my soul returned to my body and entered in some state of unconsciousness, until your prayer woke me up and guided me here."

"My prayer..." Serenity blinked still surprised by the immense power she felt flowing through her the moment she spoke the words in ancient tongue, knowing for sure the power in the golden pendant might have something to do with it. She let out a soft sigh, "Chaos is really free... this is why all this is happening, the portals, the demon leaks..."

"I am certain there are more deities involved in all this, Ares confirmed it." Endymion sighed and put the sword and dagger away, "But his desire to make everyone miserable is latent and he has already begun to make himself noticed. As of now, he's already taken possession of Olympus and it won't be long until he tries to take over and achieve what Galaxia wasn't able to do." He looked down for her hand and laced his fingers with hers and gave her a serious glance, "Serenity... I am going after him. I need to—I _have_ to. It's my duty and something that needs to be done to get rid of this damn curse and stigma once and for all. I have to take Chaos down for the sake of this planet, for our sake, and my family's memory. I need to take their honor away of his cursed shadow because that is not who we are or what we stand for. As Helios' descendants, we are born, chosen, and trained to fight for a reason that should never be linked to evil. Chaos and I are the last ones standing, we are the last ones carrying Helios' blood and legacy running through our veins but we aren't the same. We have different stances and beliefs that will make this a complicated battle. Hybrid or not, I need to fight. He should not be the one last standing. He's beyond demonic nature, Serenity, he is a creator of void and a bearer of dementia. He's powerful, yes, but his shadow has fallen over us for far too long and it has to stop and to do that, Chaos must die."

Serenity saw the determination of his words reflected in the shifting ultramarine undertones in his rich- colored eyes, it was a truth neither of them could ignore and unlike she did when she destroyed the cauldron and threw Galaxia in to restore the balance in the universe and bring peace back. She always knew it was something that would eventually happen again—a dormant presence that was waiting for the slightest opportunity to spur back again. She beat Galaxia like a true soldier but now it was up to Endymion to defeat the physical manifestation of darkness. It was more than clear to Serenity what Endymion was trying to say. What he was pleading her to understand between the lines.

In order to fight Chaos, he had to break all restrains and become as violent and merciless as him. This was a warning, a plead for her to stay strong and to believe he is not like him, that he is not the monster everyone thinks he is but how even so, he had to take drastic measures to get things done. This is the duty of a polemarch. Their fate is to deal with war and bloodshed up front with their mindset for annihilation; different from a soldier born and being chosen by cosmic fate to make use of divine power. They both worked in parallel to keep peace and order in the universe, they both fought for a common good, they both target and eliminate dangerous threats and enemies but their duties, their upbringing, and performance are different. A polemarch is chosen and must be qualified to be strictly trained to kill and perform with sharp merciless skill. A sailor senshi is born divine and with the duty to defend and protect with the blessings of their cosmic home. Sailor senshi are regal soldiers, they serve to guard the beauty and bring much-needed balance to the universe to counteract the havoc and murder polemarchos leave behind after the war. Never meeting but knowing each one exist. Even with such a bitter and brutal fact ringing in the back of her mind, Serenity came to terms with it. She and Endymion were soldiers, both with the same objective set in their minds but with a different approach and she respected it.

Serenity looked down at his hand still holding hers and nodded, fully aware of his mission, "I understand," she looked up and made strong eye contact with him that matched his in intensity and authority, "But I also want you to understand that I will fight by your side. That I won't lose sight of you again and I won't let you lose yourself into the madness he wants you to fall. If things go out of control, I will be there to protect you and bring you back if you lose your ground. Let me be your anchor." Her voice held no room for negotiation, "I will fight the way I know how, the way I learned, and later you taught me. I will fight with everything I have and I will not yield under any circumstance." Her grip became stronger, "Are we clear on that, Polemarchos of Terra?"

Endymion brought her hand to his chest and bowed his head in deep respect, "Yes, Sailor Moon. I hear you, loud and clear."

Serenity blinked, "Mamo-chan?"

"You have always been my anchor. I need your help. I want to fight by your side, Usako." He said lowly. After a minute, he looked up at her and put his fist up, waiting for her to seal the deal. Serenity smiled, she leaned closer and bumped her fist with his, "This is it, we will do this together," Endymion nodded, "We will do this together."

"Whatever it takes,"

"Whatever it takes,"

"No more hidden messages,"

"No more hidden messages,"

"Good, because I'm not very good with that..."

Endymion smiled, "Yes, Princess. I will tell you the codes in Latin,"

"No, no, no... no..." Serenity shook her head, startling Endymion and making him laugh, "What?"

"That's a hidden message! See? You're already breaking the code, Mamo-chan!"

"I need to share some battle words with you that will come in handy for where we are out fighting,"

"Okay, fine, but easy ones..."

"Hey! You said you asked Megumi to teach you Latin!"

"Well, yes, but that doesn't mean I'm fluent! My pronunciation is horrendous!"

"Usa..."

Serenity chuckled, "Come on, Mamo-chan, it's me," Endymion stared at her completely dumbfounded for a minute and finally broke into laughs, like rays of sunshine, the gesture warmed Serenity's heart and leaned closer to squeeze his cheeks with her hands, forcing his lips into a cute pout. She chuckled as she leaned her forehead on his, "I will fight with all I have,"

"I-know-Buns. I-know-you-will." Endymion muttered with his puckered lips and winked an eye at her, spurring her confidence, "You're a badass."

"To the Moon and back—"

"To the world we belong. Let's make it a reality once and for all."

O—o—O

"I think she stopped crying. I don't hear noises coming from their room, anymore." Jupiter said with relief; Mars sighed softly and leaned her head on the Amazon's shoulder, "I can't blame her. This has been a very emotional time, especially for her."

"They need this time," Nephrite said softly as he sat on the large carpet, next to the coffee table, "It is only fair," Jupiter nodded "Maybe they fell asleep,"

"I can't help but notice that even though the prince has returned, the ambient is still very gloomy—it is supposed to be 4 in the afternoon and it looks like it's 10 in the evening." Artemis muttered while looking out the window, "The clouds in the sky are so thick and dark, not a single stream of light can filter in."

"Endymion is probably monitoring Earth's status, but I know for a fact that it takes more than just will to put everything back the way it was." Kunzite said softly, "He's wounded and weak, but we still need to know what comes next—what happened to him during his time in the Underworld." He turned to Saturn and sighed, "And if the Lord of the Dead had something to do with his return,"

"Of course," Saturn nodded, "I understand,"

"Can you sense something, anything, Lady Saturn?" Nephrite turned to the youngest of the soldiers, but Saturn shook her head, "The moment Princess Serenity returned, Hades shut down all connections. I know these portals were from the Underworld but I can't make any contact with him."

"I do not want to make matters worse, but it would be terrible if he joined forces with Chaos." Uranus said from her place on the couch, "That would only complicate things,"

"I will return to the fourth dimension." All eyes were now on Pluto who sat quietly next to Saturn since they returned from battle, "My place is right at the gates of time. If I can prevent more damage filtering into this planet or at least know who is behind this, who is opening those portals, I have to do it,"

"Pluto, that is too dangerous," Neptune turned with worry, "It would put you in great danger—"

"It's suicidal," Uranus joined her lover in the argument, "We can't—"

"It's my duty, Uranus, Neptune," Pluto turned to look at them with a somber glare, "It is what Chronos ordered me to do when he left his post."

"I don't think division is what Serenity needs right now," Venus looked up at Pluto, then turned to Kunzite, "This is the time for Senshi and Shitennou to work in a strategy together. We all have different powers and abilities and the Outer Senshi are our pillars of strength and you are a part of it. _We_ need you here, _I_ , need you here. I am not letting you put yourself in danger."

Pluto widened her garnet eyes, "Venus..."

"This isn't that future where you are to be left alone to guard the gates, Pluto, you are our friend. You are family and family sticks together. You were reborn in this planet for a reason." Venus arched her brow with authority, "This is an order from the first in command. You stay put. You stay with us."

The sound of heated footsteps startled the girls and generals, "They're back," Artemis said with alert when Jadeite made an appearance with Zoisite; Jupiter quickly stood up and frowned with worry, "Did you—"

"I'm here," Motoki walked into the living room with Mercury looking completely distraught, "Where is he?"

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is rated M. Violence, cursing and intimacy may occur._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _ **Side Notes:** The word 'Polemarchos' stands for who is a senior commander. A leader of a large army. In many books, and encyclopedias (yes, I have those) it's used as both, polemarchos or polemarch with the first option being more sided to how it's pronounced and its Greek origins._

 _The scientific experiment Usagi and Mamoru are talking about is a reference you will find in the collection of extra chapters, Divinity: A day in the life,_ _"You can quirkiness in aisle five, next to the cereals."_

 _ **A/N:** I would like to take a moment to thank every single one of you. You, who have joined me on this long, long journey. You who have reviewed, read any story, any chapter. You who have stuck with me on each season. You who enjoy the story-thank you. Thank you so much. Divinity will continue with IV (season title still yet to be revealed as Fates and the Afterlife continues), maybe not at the same pace, but there is still more to come and it would be one hell of an adventure if we stayed together for that ride as well. _

_I want to wish you the very best on this new year that is upon us. New experiences, challenges, and adventures. I wish for you endless amounts of creativity, love, health, work. A cozy roof above your head, warm food, warm clothes, and a warm bed. I wish for you to enjoy every single minute of your days, every breath you take may be filled with joy. I wish all the good in the world, to you, my reader, follower, and friends. (you know who you are)_

 _Happy new year!_

 _-Nebelflecke,_


	75. Chapter 75

Divinity: Fates and the afterlife

Chapter Seventy-Five

* * *

"Second room to the left,"

Jupiter sighed with relief as she walked with him down the hallway; she stood by the door and put a hand on his shoulder to stop him briefly, "Okay, I need to ask you something,"

"What?" Motoki blinked, startled. Jupiter took a deep breath, "Please, don't freak out."

Motoki frowned, finding her warning a little bizarre, "Why?"

Jupiter sighed shook her head, "Just... don't freak out,"

"Mako, I'm a doctor, I've seen a lot of morbid cases, it's—" Motoki turned to slide the door open and looked at Serenity kissing Endymion's swollen jaw. His green eyes widened with genuine shock when he saw his friend was all bruised and with cuts everywhere, not to mention with his hair unusually long and tousled, "What the _hell_ happened to you!?"

Endymion and Serenity shared a quick knowing glance before looking at a very shook Motoki walking inside the room shaking his head with expectancy. He turned to his wife and kissed her on the lips with a feathery touch and looked into her eyes lovingly, "Could you give me a moment with him? It won't be long,"

"M-Mamo-chan..."

"Please?"

Serenity felt a bolt of anxiety crawling in, she tightened her grip on his arm and felt her eyes burning with tears, "You promise me you won't go anywhere?"

Endymion noticed. He felt it—the jolt of fear and desperation running through her body. He could feel her heart beat fasten and her breathing turning quick and forced. Things were far worse and mortifying than he had initially thought. She was dealing with much more than just post-traumatic stress. Her kidnap and stay in hell, Athamas' abuse and several attempts to rape her, the miscarriage and their long separation had taken their toll on her. Serenity was emotionally exhausted by dealing with several stages of psychological trauma and try to keep herself afloat, and this was the harrowing result. He could feel it all and what was worse, he could see how she was slowly crashing down and quickly reacted by pulling her into a secure hug and kissed her temple, "It's okay, Usa, it's okay. I'm here."

"Please tell me this is not a dream..."

"I promise you it's not a dream. You're awake,"

"You're really here?"

"Yes, I'm really here,"

Serenity took a deep breath and exhaled, "I don't... I can't..."

"I'll be right here when you return, Usako. I swear." He pulled back to look into her eyes, "It's just for a little while, yes?" Endymion cupped her cheek and watched her slowly nod with resignation. Serenity turned to get up from the futon and went to Motoki, who had also noticed the unusual behavior on his friend. She looked at him and gave him a quick but very tight hug, "I'm so glad... thank goodness you're okay, Onii-san. Thank you so much for coming,"

"Always, Usa-chan, I'm so glad to know you're alright too," Motoki felt a sting in his heart at her lack of response. Usually, she would have given him a smile or a little nudge, even told a little joke but nothing came, not even a nod. He pulled back and patted her shoulder gently, "I'll take care of him, don't worry."

The silver-haired princess nodded and walked out of the room with Jupiter and Mercury, who knew this was a moment they needed to have alone. Once the door was closed, the blonde turned to his friend sitting on the large futon and frowned like a big brother expecting a credible answer from his junior, "Well?!"

"I've been... busy..." Endymion said between grunts as he tried to sit up straight. Motoki sighed and went to sit next to him, letting his duffle bag roll off his shoulder before putting it on the floor, "Busy getting your ass kicked?" He muttered as he started inspecting the cuts on his brow, cheek, his broken lip, and the swollen bruise on his jaw, "Seriously, what the hell happened to you Ma—" he frowned and pursed his lips, startling Endymion, "Motoki?"

"No, no... I am not talking to Mamoru here," Motoki shook his head and pointed an accusing finger at him, "But I can't remember the name—the one I know is your real name, so I'll just keep pointing at you until I remember,"

"Motoki, seriously, you can call me Ma—"

"No, no—no,"

Endymion crossed his arms, "You sound like an angry mother trying to scold a kid by using his whole name," he narrowed his eyes, "Come on, Motoki, stop it. It's odd."

"Well, maybe I am. All this makes me very upset and you're the only one here to deal with my rage..." Motoki squinted his eyes, waiting for his friend's answer. Endymion sighed, "Endymion,"

"That—" Motoki blinked with awe, "—Is a very damn cool name,"

"Uh..." Endymion gave him a puzzled glance, "Thanks?"

"Seriously? That's your real name?"

"Mamoru is my real name too, Motoki."

"You know what I mean..." The blonde flicked his hand, "So... does it have a meaning?" He pursed his lips with dying curiosity, Endymion arched his brow in a quizzical fashion, "Seriously, Motoki? _Now?_ "

"Hey, this is all new to me despite knowing you for years. I recently found out you're freaking royalty," Motoki gave him an inquisitee glance, "You're so fucking full of surprises and it sounds _too_ fancy to not have a meaning, so, come on, tell me,"

"Ugh," Endymion rolled his eyes, "You can be so intense sometimes..."

"Well, you know me, I'm all about intensity," Motoki arched a brow, Endymion sighed heavily, he was too exhausted to argue. Too exhausted to even try, "Sunset,"

"That's what it means?"

"Long story short: yes,"

"Seriously? All that means something so... simple?"

"Yes. Sorry to disappoint you,"

"Who gave you that name? An astral being?"

"The Titaness of Earth—so... yeah... I guess she's an astral being. If she's Helios' granddaughter..."

"Titaness?"

"Yes,"

"Wait, _Titaness_?"

"Yes,"

"You're a _Titan_?"

"No," Endymion closed his eyes for a second, realizing he had said more that he would have wanted to, at least for now, "I was born—" he sighed, "Again, long story short: Yes—well, kind of."

"As in Titans from the myths you read in books?"

Endymion sighed softly, "Yes," he frowned, "You're familiar with all of this?"

"Reika, man... she knows the whole shebang like the back of her hand,"

"Of course, but she's a skeptic of all of this. She's a woman of science."

"Well, supposedly, you too and here you are,"

"Touché,

"I know, but she's been very invested in this matter ever since the idea of an ancient cosmic monarchy came to the light."

"I see..."

"But also, it's been all over the news," Motoki looked at his friend, "The archaeologist... she's fighting for your rights," Endymion frowned with surprise, "What do you mean?"

"She's been talking non-stop how you are the protector of this planet and how you saved her life and also her father's... in the past? Something about finding a secret journal he had well-hidden with all these entries and notes describing a place he remembered living before and that _you_ —Sunset—existed as the rightful Prince of Earth."

Endymion widened his eyes with shock "Wait, what?"

"Dude..." Motoki tilted his head with confusion, "You haven't heard any of this?"

"No," Endymion shook his head, still very much shocked with the news. Motoki gave him a strange glare, "Seriously, Mamoru, where have you been all this time?"

"Let's just say that I've been very far... far away,"

"Someplace I wouldn't understand?"

"Yeah... not for now at least," Endymion frowned, "Has she said anything else?"

Motoki sighed softly, "Well... she mentioned that for what she read in her father's secret journals—as in more than one, describing his visions of a past life as a military man. I can't remember the name... she gave a name..."

"Casanova..." Endymion muttered, trying to place the name with all his military peers, "I can't place that surname... it doesn't ring a bell so I can't imagine who he might have been. Obviously, his name changed with time." He shook his head and looked at his doctor friend with slight concern, one Motoki quickly picked up as he wrapped the thick velcro of his sphygmomanometer around his friend's left arm and started taking his blood pressure, "Don't worry, she hasn't said anything about you being Chiba Mamoru. But she's been showing proof of your existence—solid proof. Things she found down on those ruins that are perfectly paired to the things she discovered from her father's secret essays and journals. You're becoming quite a legend,"

Endymion pursed his lips, not really sure how to take the news. This could complicate things, and what more, this could attract some unnecessary attention that would create more problems than solutions because he was well aware that finding out about people with divinity living on Earth was not a pill easy to swallow, much less monarchy with divine ancestry. With a nervous, but very cautious approach, Endymion looked at Motoki, "And the response?"

"People are desperate, they want to believe... some are still hesitant, others hopeful. It's a cloud of confusion out there. They wonder that if you really exist, then why all is this happening. They want to put an identity—a face to this _monarch_ or, _protector_. They don't know which term they are supposed to use when talking about you." Motoki bit his lower lip and gave his friend a much more serious glance, "Please, help me understand so I can help you," he narrowed his eyes, "Who are you?"

"I'm the same person you've been knowing for years, Motoki. Yes, I may be someone with... let's say, divine ancestry, but I was reborn and I'm not much different from what you see. Mamoru is my civilian name, Endymion my ancestral name, the one I take as royal, but I'm the same person."

"So, it's not a Jekyll and Mr. Hyde kind of thing?"

Endymion let out a weak smile, "No, it's not. I don't stop being one to become another so I don't care how you wish to call me. Of course, with everything that's been happening it's easier for everyone to call me Endymion but, I'm Mamoru. I'm still the guy that got his ass kicked and needs your help," Endymion arched his brow, "I'm still your friend—I hope."

Motoki let out a hearty chuckle, one so full of sentiment and comradery; he turned and bumped Endymion's shoulder with his fist in a brotherly fashion and sighed heavily, "The best, you're too cool Chiba Mamoru, or should I say, little ray of sunshine setting in the horizon?"

"Shut up," Endymion sighed, "Ah, I knew telling you the truth would come and bite me in the ass sooner than later..."

"Well, you know me... I'll stop—for now," Motoki chuckled and exhaled heavily, allowing the gloomy truth of his condition to settle in, "But seriously, how the hell did you end up like this? 120/80—you're good." He took the velcro off Endymion's arm, "They're still at it, aren't they? —These gods..." He gave his friend a weary glance, "This sudden and very strange weather... the quakes... it's related to you, isn't it?"

"It is what I am fighting and trying to control," Endymion clenched his jaw when he felt a shot of pain when Motoki helped him take the yukata enough to expose his upper body to examine the bruises on his chest, arms and back and check for any broken ribs when he touched the sore area around his wound, "I am trying to prevent from going it worse but things are complicated,"

"And you're exhausted,"

"Hmm..."

"Wait..." Motoki frowned when he finally noticed the gauze soaked with blood and widened his eyes, "So, you _really_ got your ass kicked... Ami told me you were wounded but I didn't think it was something like this..."

"It could have gone worse..." Endymion watched Motoki putting on a pair of latex gloves and leaned closer to examine the wound, "Mamoru, you got stabbed,"

"Yes,"

"And you've lost a considerable amount of blood,"

"Most likely,"

"It's not most likely, it's a fact—have you seen how freaking pale you are right now?"

"No,"

"How the fuck are you still conscious? This must be awfully painful,"

"It hurts like a moth—well, you get the idea,"

"Yeah, no shit... damn," Motoki frowned and looked at Endymion, "You are a different species, Chiba Mamoru."

"Ha," Endymion let out a weak chuckle when he understood the reference behind Motoki's playful comment, "Yeah... so I've been told,"

"Fortunately, there aren't any vital organs damaged, nor any major vessels jeopardized—I see it's a deep wound but you still managed to keep it from getting it worse. There is no infection," Motoki continued studying the wound for a few more seconds and drew back, "But I still need to clean and suture it to help it heal faster and to control the bleeding,"

"Go for it,"

"It won't be nice,"

"None of this is nice, Motoki."

"You got that right,"

Endymion took the gauze from Motoki and kept putting pressure while he got everything ready. He knew this was going to be too graphic for Serenity to see, being this another good reason why he asked her to wait for him with the girls but the most important, the one he really wanted to dig deeper soon after came to the limelight as he watched his friend put on a new pair of gloves and a mask to cover his mouth before he took a more comfortable position to put the injection with anesthetic into his muscle.

"Thank you for helping her, Motoki." He squinted his eyes and gritted his teeth as he felt the solution going in. Motoki took a deep breath, knowing right away what Endymion was talking about, "She told you..."

"I knew, but not from her..." Endymion said between clenched teeth and exhaled, "She just told me and how you helped her with her tests and finding a specialist,"

Motoki nodded as he slowly kept pushing the last of the anesthetic solution and turned to throw the syringe into a bag to throw away later. The young doctor gave a few seconds to wait for the anesthesia do its work and quickly grabbed the needle and surgical thread; he blinked and gave him a surprised glance before starting, "Wait, you knew?"

Endymion nodded and looked down at his friend doing his surgical work with impeccable precision and care, "After I woke up from the coma, I found boxes of pregnancy tests hidden in the bathroom and later on, she started giving me all these secret hints that eventually led me to understand what had happened to her but I was waiting for her to be ready to talk about it,"

"She was beyond petrified," Motoki said carefully as he saw another tiny knot with the thread, "She thought you were going to get mad and leave her—which I told her it was _never_ going to happen,"

"Thank you," Endymion clenched his teeth and grunted, Motoki arched his brow "Felt the needle?"

"Yeah..."

"Sorry, man... it's local, you know it's not that strong..."

"Yeah, I know... don't worry, I can take it. It's more the needle than the pain, actually,"

"Ah right... you have a thing with needles," Motoki started working on the next knot, "Childhood trauma,"

"Childhood trauma,"

"That's odd for a Titan, you know?"

"I was born human—both lifetimes, the titan thing has nothing to do with it,"

"Still, it's amusing,"

"Also an irony for someone who's a doctor, but, here we are." Endymion sighed and closed his eyes, "What was the medical diagnosis?" Motoki glanced up at him quickly and then back at his work, "I asked Watanabe-san to take the case,"

"She's the best in the hospital," Endymion gave his friend a faint smile, Motoki responded the same, "Yes, I knew you would have agreed with me on that—" he took a small pause to work on the knot and continued, "By the samples she got to take and how her tests came out, it all points that there was a hormonal disbalance—mismatched chromosomes. There was a genetic fault that caused an abnormality in the embryo. Watanabe-san told me it was most likely the embryo—"

"Never had a heartbeat,"

"Never had a heartbeat," Motoki nodded, "That's right. By the time she checked her and did the ultrasound, she saw there was no product inside but dilation and curettage were still needed to take samples and dismiss other much more serious factors and also, take the remains of whatever remained. Fortunately, despite not getting medical attention right away, there was no infection so it was a fast procedure with no complications. She was given a list of recommendations to follow but..." Motoki cut the thread once he finished with the last suture and pulled back with a heavy sigh, "By how things are, I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't follow them."

"Yeah..." Endymion lowered his gaze, "That sounds very possible..."

"I'm very sorry, Mamoru." Motoki noticed the sadness washing over his best friend, "For you and Usa-chan. I am truly sorry for your loss. In all my time working as a doctor... this is the first time I've cried over a loss, it really got to me. I can't imagine how hard it must be for you two." The blonde gave his friend a very empathic glance, "How are you?"

"Heartbroken, I can't find my nerves of steel to deal with this. It's difficult to process. Difficult to believe," Endymion pressed his lips in a tight line and patted his friend's shoulder, "Thank you, Motoki. For everything."

"She may be Sailor Moon, the kickass heroine but she's also my little sister, it was my duty as her oniisan."

"I know, Motoki, that's why I'm relieved to know she went to you for help,"

"How is she now? She was very distressed when she talked to me about it," Motoki started to clear the area and put everything inside the same ziploc bag, including his latex gloves. Endymion took a deep breath and put his yukata again to cover his chest, "She feels responsible... she's scared that it may happen again or that I may want to walk out of the relationship if she doesn't get pregnant but that truly is the least of my concerns. I care for her and I know it will take time for her to regain confidence but I'll do everything I can to support her and help her heal. I know all that has happened has taken too much of her and she's exhausted—physically and emotionally."

"I noticed," Motoki nodded, "She's dealing with traumatic stress,"

"Worse, it's much worse," Endymion sighed, "And I'm the one responsible for it. I should have been there... all this..." He rubbed the bridge of his nose, finally purging the emotional tension he had been keeping under control for his wife's sake. He shook his head, trying his best not to break in front of his friend. Motoki leaned closer and gave Endymion a fraternal hug of support, "It's okay, Mamoru, you have to let it out too. That's what friends are for,"

"Motoki..." He looked up at his friend with glossy eyes, "We'll take care of all this mess but... if anything happens to me—"

"Don't you fucking dare," Motoki pointed a finger at him, "Don't you fucking dare think that way,"

"I know I can count on Kunzite, I know I can count on Jadeite, Zoisite, Nephrite... the girls..." Endymion looked at him, "But you... you became the friend I needed when I felt the most alone, when I couldn't trust anyone, when I was most confused. Beyond wealth, beyond power, you made me see that everything I did was worth it—you helped me find her, the girl of my dreams. Not the divine princess but the girl that would bring sense to my life. I fell for Usagi the very moment my eyes looked into hers. Since the very first day I met her, you helped me make it happen—to be with her. I wouldn't be this happy if it wasn't for you, Motoki, and I can't thank you enough for every single thing you have done and you still do for me—for us."

"Why the hell are you like this?!" Motoki felt his green eyes burn with tears, "Ah, goddammit Mamoru—you, En—ah fuck, I forgot again..."

"Endymion,"

"Damn you, Sunshine!" Motoki pushed him back and rubbed his eyes to dry his own tears. Endymion cracked a choked laugh and did the same, "Jerk," Motoki sighed and shook his head, "Douche,"

"When I say you are family, I mean it. Usagi knows this—as her oniisan, please..."

"Mamoru,"

"I have caused her too much fucking pain, Motoki, too much," Endymion said with a quiver in his voice, "And she doesn't deserve it— _any of this_. This isn't what I promised her at the altar..." he leaned his head on his hand and closed his eyes, "I can't lie to you Motoki, I'm scared—I'm very scared of losing her in this madness. I don't even know where to start... I don't know how to help her. I failed her,"

"The best way to start is by not thinking something is going to happen to you," Motoki sighed, "You need to stay. Stay to keep up your promise to her. Forget about anything else, just focus on being present and fight with everything you have to make things better—to make things right. Make all this worth. All this pain, all these wounds can't go unnoticed, they have to pay." Motoki patted his friend's shoulder, "I know you're scared, you love her. She's your wife. It's perfectly normal. But right now, you have to be strong for both. Women are so freaking amazing, but yours is not just _any_ woman and she's not going through common stuff. She needs help, yes, but she also needs a rock to grab on, a stable ground to stand on and you are that stable ground. You are her rock, Mamoru."

Endymion took a deep breath, still with his head low and his eyes shut, "I know..."

"And if you feel like breaking, that's when I come in." Motoki pulled his friend closer and shook him a little, "That's what bros are for. If you feel like weeping, I got tissues,"

Endymion smiled, "I'm good, thanks."

"Ah, come on... I've seen you cry before, come on, let it out," Motoki's voice took a much serious tone, "You need to shed the guilt so you can move on. You can't swallow everything, that's not healthy."

"None of this is healthy, Motoki." Endymion sniffed and pulled back. He rubbed his hands over his face to dry his tears and cleared his throat, "Thank you for everything, Motoki." He turned to his friend, "I need you to take care and be with Reika. I'll do everything I can to keep you out of danger,"

"All I ask is not to carry everything on your shoulders. This sounds so fucking epic but I know it's a very serious matter." Motoki tried to keep the lightness of his humor to make this conversation less emotional but every single word Endymion was telling him hit him like a ton of bricks because he could see it—the power manifesting within him. He noticed the change of color in his eyes and he finally decoded the meaning behind the 'mysterious' vibe everyone always said he had, but he also could see how aside all this, he was still his best friend and how much in pain he was right now.

"I won't ask much else because I know there will be things far too complicated for me to understand. I know all of you are on a different level than the rest of us—than me. You have powers no one else has, but I don't care Mamoru. You are my best friend. I don't care if you're royalty—whatever you are—I don't fucking care. I care for my bro, so you better kick their asses." He gently slapped his friend's cheek twice in a brotherly fashion and moved back, "Reika is determined to help too in any way that she can, so she's working with the archaeologist to do serious damage control."

Endymion widened his blue eyes, "What? Wait... she knows?"

"She's convinced now more than ever that you exist—I know, _her,_ the skeptic, science girl. But after all that's been happening, she finally accepted it, but she doesn't know it's _you_." Motoki sighed, "Although, I think I will have to break my code of loyalty to you guys and tell her who you are, once this is all over."

"Of course," Endymion sighed "But right now, keep the secret a while longer for your safety. You need to be with her, Motoki."

"I am. We've been staying with her parents at one of their houses in the outskirts of Tokyo—she's safe but she's stubborn and to make things more interesting, I am too. Mamoru, I am needed here—I don't have powers as you do, but I can take care of people, this is my way to fight this battle with you."

Endymion smiled, "I value your courage and I thank you. Thank you for your support and for not seeing us like strangers," Motoki chuckled, "Nah, to me you are all a bunch of awesome people—your bros too." His smirk slowly faded with worry, "Mamoru, be honest with me... what do you think will be the aftermath of all this?"

Endymion shook his head, still perplexed himself with the bomb of information he still had in his mind to process, "I honestly don't know, Motoki."

"What will happen with you?" The blonde made his question more specific, "It's kind of a given that you won't return to your ordinary life as a doctor working in a hospital from 8 to 8—you're past that stage."

"I don't know, Motoki," Endymion gave his friend a weak smile, "Maybe I will. Perhaps not with the same structured schedule, but..."

"You and I know that's not going to be easy," Motoki frowned, "You are much more than just that, dude."

"I'm still me,"

"Yes, but you are also doing this amazing thing on the side,"

"Motoki, I—" Endymion's deep blue eyes widened by the blonde's unexpected interruption, "Listen, Mamoru. I know you worked _really_ hard to be where you are as a 'regular' citizen, trust me, I totally understand. But you need to realize that you are a doctor in a much bigger scale. You heal and take care of the whole planet and that's something no one else can do but you. What are you so afraid of?"

"I am not afraid, Motoki." Endymion took a deep breath, "I just don't want to make the same mistakes,"

"I think you were given enough time and experiences to learn how not to repeat them, as an orphan kid, as a lonely guy, as a thief, and later a masked hero—your priorities and ethics are now very well set and grounded," Motoki gave him a confident smile, "You're not alone anymore. You can finally put your trust in many hands, not just mine's but the girls, your fellow friends, and most importantly, Usagi's."

Endymion's lips curved in a grateful smile, faint but charged with emotion. Motoki's words fitted like a glove, he knew what to say because he also knew what it was like to be alone in a room full of people. Motoki knew what it was like to feel a man that somehow was never good enough to do or become someone; from the loss of his father to his strained relationship with his step-father and the things he had to do make way for him to be a different person from what he was expected to be, what his family wanted him to become and actually succeed. Unlike him, Motoki opted for a much more positive take on life and even when sometimes he faked it, he always had a smile on his face. Always.

He was from a family that worked hard so they didn't have to worry about money and while they owned two successful business, he was not even close to matching Reika's wealth nor Mamoru's but he never felt intimidated or less than them. He never showed off his own success, he never tried to prove anything and he never felt like he needed to compete with them.

Motoki always sensed Mamoru was not an ordinary guy. Since the very first day he saw him dealing with Usagi's overexcited rants that quickly picked up as poor attempts to mask the heavy crush she had on the dark-haired young man. He knew there was something about him, that at the time, he couldn't put his finger on but eventually found out the heavy baggage of life experience and wealth he was carrying over his shoulders. Later on, it came the truth about a secret identity he created to look for answers he still needed to find.

People always asked him, his friends—Endou, included, and later on, Reika, how come he—a college student—was such good friends with a high-school student. Why he treated him more like an equal, rather than a senpai looking after a *kōhai and his answer was always the same: He understands.

Mamoru understood life and Motoki really wanted to learn how to do it too. The young man didn't act his age, he always had this elite personality and controlled behavior in check. He was often misunderstood as arrogant, pompous, even conceited, and it was easy to figure out why. He rarely ever raised his voice, he was always on his own and before he started dating Usagi, he never got himself involved in any social events, in fact, he avoided them. He knew when to say no and he wasn't afraid of the outcome. To everyone, Mamoru was cold, but in reality, he was the perfect example of an introvert and surprisingly to many, he was very easy going once one got to know him. To Motoki, Mamoru was a master of patience and respect and since the moment he crossed words with him, he was instantly intrigued by his quiet personality. He always wondered how him being two years older than his younger comrade couldn't see life the same way. Mamoru may not be the most expressive person but he had a level of compassion and empathy that went far beyond from any of his other friends had. With time and without really trying much, Mamoru started to open up and become more of a brother than a friend to him, unlike his college friends, whom he still cares about, Mamoru was always there showing his support without really expecting anything in return.

When he had a bad day at the arcade or the parlor, Mamoru was there to cheer him up and even stepped in to help him when he was short on staff—especially on Valentine's day, when Motoki knew he could take advantage of his good looks to lure more customers to the parlor despite knowing his friend didn't like the exaggerated attention. Mamoru put his pet-peeves it in the back of his mind and did it anyway—for years—for him. When he had trouble studying for his exams, Mamoru was there to teach him fast reading and memorizing techniques to improve the quality of content in his essays. When he had a bitter argument with his step-father, the first person he'd call would be Mamoru because he always had the words he needed to hear, good or bad, he always knew how to bring him peace of mind and put his feet on the ground.

Mamoru always understood. When he graduated med-school, when he secured his residency and later when he got his fellowship at the hospital, when he wanted to take his relationship with Reika to the next level, when he got engaged, when he got married, and even when he got involved in a brawl in a bar a couple of years ago, of all of his friends, the one he called for backup was Mamoru, and later, at 3 in the morning, they were having coffee in one of the booths at the empty crown parlor with bruises and a broken lip laughing and talking about what happened.

Mamoru always had his back and he was always there to celebrate his achievements or to scold him when he showed any lack of sensitivity or thought with his life choices. Strangely enough, the kohai had taken the role of senpai, despite the age difference. Over the course of ten plus years, Mamoru gave Motoki the confidence to stay true to himself and in the end, he did it—he taught him how to understand life. Now, with all this knowledge, mastered patience, and great love and respect for life, Motoki had to stay strong and be there for his friend because now, it was him who needed help. A man that despite having the world's fate in his hands—literally—was his one true and loyal friend.

No wonder why he had this unbreakable patience and sense of responsibility—he thought to himself as he looked at Endymion pushing his long fringe away from his face. He pointed his finger at him and paired his narrowed eyes with a frown, "Wait a minute... is this why you became an internist?"

"What?" Endymion blinked startled, "No,"

"Yes, you did!" Motoki grinned. Endymion sighed softly, "Honestly? I chose to be an internist because the schedule was less strict than the one of a surgeon, like you."

"Nah, you knew this the whole time," Motoki squinted his green eyes with wonder, "You knew this was a metaphor as who you were in reality. This was all part of your plan..."

"My plans are as volatile as a leaf in the wind, Motoki. They are always changing—any of this wasn't a plan of mine. _Trust me._ " Endymion cracked a light chuckle as he leaned his back on the wall and slowly crossed his arms, "After this, another chapter starts, yes. I can even dare to say that I will try to give Usa a much normal life as possible but..." he shrugged his shoulders again, "We haven't crossed that bridge to figure things out, just yet."

"Well, yes, that I get. But, what do _you_ want?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

"What I want?" Endymion sighed, "I just want all this to be over."

"Okay, and then?" Motoki looked at him with interest, Endymion shrugged one shoulder, "Find a way to adapt this change into our lives in the most positive way possible. I know it won't be the same as before, I know some things will have to change but..."

"You want to still keep some kind of anonymity—of normalcy—so to speak."

"Yes,"

"Sounds fair," Motoki puffed some air from his cheeks, "Do you think it could be possible?"

"I don't know, it's much worth the try," Endymion pursed his lips, "If there are still many people among socialites that know who Chiba Mamoru is but doesn't have a single idea of what I look like, I think I can work some things out. At least to give me time to think how to make a smooth transition and not something that just happens overnight."

"That's a good point—mature as expected from you." Motoki nodded, "But, what if you have to make public appearances as a royal?"

"Do I look like a royal to you now?" Endymion arched his brow; Motoki glanced him up and down and shook his head, "Not with that beat-up face, and that oddly long hair, no,"

Endymion cracked a weak chuckle, "Thanks,"

"Well, it's the truth," Motoki leaned closer and turned Endymion's face to the side to pay a closer look on the prince's bruise on his jaw and broken lip, "This is the first time I've seen you like this," he squinted his green eyes, "Man, you got really smashed up," he looked at his friend as he leaned back, "I really hope you left whoever did this to you worse looking,"

"Yeah... well..." Endymion sighed, "I won't go too much into details,"

Motoki pursed his lips, "That kind of gives it away," he exhaled with slight annoyance, "Ugh, you never change, you're too damn prudent."

"Hm," Endymion touched the cut on his lip with the tip of his tongue and made a grimace "To answer your previous question. Did you ever suspect Usa was Sailor Moon before you found out the truth?"

"No,"

"Did you ever recognize me either with the tuxedo or as Endou?"

"No," Motoki shook his head and frowned, "Glad you brought him back, by the way,"

"Yeah..." Endymion pursed his lips with shame, "Sorry about that."

"Meh, we weren't _that_ close anyway," Motoki chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, "He started dating a girl that took most of his time not long after all that happened, so we ended up losing contact,"

"That girl being Nikita,"

"Yeah... Nikita," Motoki sweat dropped, "That devil woman... she really went under my skin,"

" _Just_ your skin?" Endymion grinned with mockery, "Come on, Motoki,"

"Don't get me started with you. Mr. Chieko," Motoki cracked a laugh at Endymion's change of color in his cheeks, "Ah, hit a nerve, huh? You were saying?"

"Unlike you with Nikita," Endymion narrowed his eyes, "I never slept with Chieko,"

"You didn't have to. She did more than enough to leave you all messed up for quite some time," Motoki crossed his arms and waggled his brows, "As I told you, we all have a past,"

"Yeah, sure, Mr. Carcass,"

"That's me, alright,"

"So, Endou—this will set the perfect example," Endymion narrowed his eyes, completely ignoring Motoki's triumphant grin, "Did you ever connect the resemblance between me and who I was as Endou?"

"No,"

"And did you find a resemblance when the girls weren't using their senshi uniform?"

"No, not that I can..." Motoki widened his eyes with genuine awe, "...Remember..."

Endymion tilted his head and gave him an assertive glance, "There's your answer," Motoki gaped his mouth with shock, "Hold on... does it mean you can make us forget?"

"No,"

"Then, what is it? You can conceal that power?"

"Something like that—it's called aura. When the girls transform, they unleash it to become senshi and use their powers—the same for me."

"So, what? It's like a trick to keep that power concealed?"

"No, it's more like staying low-key."

"Is it possible?"

"More than concealing, it is how divinity works on people." Endymion leaned his head back, "Deities can be forgotten once they lose contact with them. If I let my—" he air quoted, " _'Presence,'_ or in this case, aura, go fully active and we met and then later that day when I am not doing it anymore, you wouldn't think you spoke to the same person. You would think of me as someone else,"

"Whoa..." Motoki scratched his head, "So it's more like a subtle illusion, kind of a memory,"

"Something like that,"

"And Usa-chan can do that too?"

"Yes, better than anyone," Endymion nodded, "All of us can do it; it's a simple technique. We just keep our auras dormant. With you works slightly different because we aren't hiding anything from you—after you found out who we were, we didn't even bother. That's why you could tell it's us anytime we _'transformed'_."

"That's why people can't quite figure out your identities despite all of you showing your face—well, with the exception that you did wear a mask."

"Yes, but also to be fair, it is quite hard to remember a face you barely get to see but to put it simply, yes, that is how it works."

"Magic,"

"Divinity is complex. Gods did it in ancient times; that is why there are shrines but no one could actually see the deities so easily... not unless they allowed it."

"That is a very smart move, Mamoru. Although it may need a lot of thought and strategy, not to mention coordination." Motoki let out a soft sigh; Endymion shrugged his shoulders, "I know, but I think it's a better solution than actually considering wearing a mask to keep the anonymity every time I am in public—if I need to be, that is. I think creating a false identity is worse than just keeping a low profile. I want to keep things in the clear but I don't need the attention, I don't want a shrine of worship, I don't want to become a celebrity—I don't care about any of that and neither does Usa. We just want to move on with our lives in peace and make an appearance when it's highly needed." The prince rubbed the bridge of his nose when he started feeling a strong headache coming, "I know my place Motoki. There will be times when it will be necessary for me to stand under a spotlight and that's fine, but I have a duty I must excel at, and I know I can do it without much old-fashioned royal fanfare following me behind like a ghost. It's a dream, I know, but again, it's something we won't know how to handle until we get to cross that bridge."

"It sounds very plausible," Motoki crossed his arms, "You're smart, you'll figure things out."

"Let's hope."

Motoki took a deep breath and started to notice the exhaustion in his friend's appearance. He turned to put his things in his duffle bag and that is when he noticed the sword and attached blade leaning on the wall next to him and it hit him. In just a fraction of a second, it made him understand the gravity of the situation and what was needed to be done for all this to be in fact, over. For Mamoru's words to actually become a reality.

For a moment he managed to put his brotherly view of Mamoru aside and actually see what Endymion was really about, what his name actually meant and stood for among the things he was doing for their sake and it shook him. Not sure why, the blonde doctor felt an itch, and undying curiosity to get to see the weapon closely as if he was still trying to come to terms to all the things he had been discovering about all of them over the last couple of months. Maybe he couldn't believe that it was an actual murder weapon because he had never seen Mamoru using one, he didn't know he could. Maybe it was the wonder of seeing something he was sure had a divine connotation with his eyes, the things his wife was still trying to study and understand.

Motoki slowly leaned until he was just inches away to touch the hilt of the long and elegant sword when Endymion's hand grabbed his wrist to stop him. Motoki slowly turned to look at his friend, who had his head low and eyes closed. It took him a few seconds to open his deep prismatic blue eyes and turned to him with a warning look on his face, silently asking him not to touch it.

Motoki drew back, still taken aback by the unexpected action from him and frowned, "Is it yours?" His voice finally put all jokes aside and it was left with pure concern and amaze. Finally allowing himself to see past the strong bond and camaraderie between them and talk to him with the respect he deserved. Endymion gave Motoki a single nod and noticed the dread in his friend's green eyes, "Yes."

"And... have you—"

"Yes. In ancient times, I was trained to excel with weapons and martial arts and had the discipline and teachings of a military man in order to serve and protect that kingdom the archaeologist found in ruins. The same one she is trying to defend and wish to come back to its former glory. I faced death more times you can imagine, I know the smell of gore. But despite being the path I chose for myself, I was a man lost in the aftermath of a war that found love and redemption with a goddess, and not just any goddess—the best of all." Endymion made a short pause, "Ever since I woke up in that hospital room, I felt confused for not remembering any of that life I chose for me in the past but somehow, I still felt trapped between two realities with one being a complete mystery. I always felt something was missing until I found Usagi—my girl of the hair of moonbeam. It all came back to me but now, there is a difference... I know my purpose. I finally know who I am and why I was granted to be reborn." His blue eyes landed on the sword carefully leaning on the wall, "That weapon has mystical origins and it immediately reacts to whoever touches it... it can burn you. My duty is to use it the same way the divines that wielded it before me did to protect those they held dear. Usagi is my life, all of you my family. There is a planet that needs to be protected and that is what my name means—to protect, like the sun setting in the horizon until the moon can come up and bask us with its soothing and cleansing light."

Motoki felt a chill down his spine, the low tone in the prince's voice was enough proof to believe he was strong enough to set things right. He was proud, he felt proud to be by his side while all this is happening, while his life is set to be changed, once again.

"You let them know this planet isn't theirs to take," his green eyes gleamed with unshed tears, "And you better stay safe to look after my little sister, do you hear me, Endymion?"

The prince smiled and gave him a sure nod, "I will, Motoki."

"And also, kick their asses for me too, will you?"

"Of course,"

Motoki quickly switched again, bringing back a much more familiar ambiance, "But, really do it."

"Promise," Endymion chuckled, "It's weird, you calling me Endymion."

"Why? You prefer if I didn't?"

"Nah, it's cool. It's just... I don't know, it's you."

"This is me being serious."

"I get it, but again, it's you."

"I am actually kind of getting a hold of it. It makes sense why everyone calls you Endymion when things are very serious."

"Well..." Endymion shrugged his shoulder, "To me is the same. It actually started with Usa calling me Endymion after I came back from the coma but now I realize everyone jumped on the train for some reason, I don't mind, but I know this might be so damn confusing and too much to process for you,"

"After a while I caught the hang of it, don't worry. I'll switch it too from time to time, just to keep things interesting," Motoki chuckled. Endymion laughed, "Alright, sounds fair."

"Ami told me Usa-chan's name is Serenity,"

"Yes,"

"She's not just Sailor Moon, right?"

"No. She is the Princess of the Moon,"

"Damn," Motoki narrowed his eyes, "You sure are an amusement to fate,"

"Oh, you have no idea." Endymion sighed, "It's a very long story,"

"Well, I'll have all the time in the world to listen to it once this is all over. Trust me, I do want to know."

Endymion chuckled, "You got it." Motoki arched his brow "Beers?"

"Where?"

"Where else? My favorite bar ever, of course,"

"The small one hidden in that back alley by your old apartment?" Endymion laughed, "You still don't learn, do you?"

"Well, if I need a wingman to throw some punches, I know I can call you. Just make sure not getting stabbed..."

Endymion chuckled, "Sure," he took a much more relaxed breath and exhaled, "Man... I could really use a beer right now,"

Motoki blew his bangs, "Me too. There's so much to talk about,"

"Yeah," Endymion nodded, "I also wish I had a chance to go back to the apartment..."

Motoki nodded, "I suppose you would like to have some clean clothes,"

"Yes," Endymion pursed his lips, "But it's also because there are a few things I would like to keep safe—the clothes, well Mars already gave me this... so... I might take her offer and become an apprentice at the shrine for a while,"

"How much more comfortable can it get than that?" Motoki laughed, infecting Endymion with his joyful chuckles, "Exactly, it's actually pretty comfortable,"

"Okay," Motoki crossed his arms, "So, what is that you want to keep safe?"

"The watch Usa gave me for my birthday last year, I don't want to lose it. My wallet, phone—mostly personal things."

"Ahh yeah..." Motoki widened his green eyes, "The cosmic one, right? That is one hell of a watch," Endymion nodded, "It is, like the mugs,"

"Who would have thought Chiba Mamoru was a sentimental man when it came to things like these?" Motoki narrowed his eyes, Endymion smiled, "Those aren't just _things_ for me. They mean something very special,"

"Don't worry bro, I'll go get them and keep them safe," Motoki patted his friend's shoulder "I still have your key hidden somewhere in my apartment. I had to make several copies because Usa-chan always asked me if I had a spare one because she had lost hers..."

"Yes," Endymion slowly nodded, "By now, half of Tokyo must have found a key to our apartment,"

Motoki laughed, he admitted to himself that he was deeply glad none of this other part of his life had changed a bit of who he is. He could see it, the same genuine and simple personality underneath the layers of mystery that have always characterized Mamoru. It surprised him how any of this made him lose ground or focus, or how he didn't show any specks of weakness or even fear. Sure, he was worried but who wouldn't—he thought. Mamoru had the weight of the world over his shoulders, and even when hurt and with a long road ahead of him he looked like he could see the experience in his eyes by the way he spoke his words with caution and straight to the point. This is something he has done before, a very long time ago, it was crystal clear.

O—o—O

"I feel like It's been a long time since we ate something," Jupiter turned to Nephrite, then Mars "Should I go cook us some proper dinner?"

Venus propped her chin on the hand she had resting on the coffee table and let out a soft sigh, "For the first time in I don't know how long, that actually sounds like a very good idea." She turned to Serenity who was taking a slow and elegant sip of her tea and smiled with relief. It had taken a while for her to calm down but she was finally feeling a little more like herself. Ever since her return from Inferno, which, in Venus' mind it was not something too easy or simple to put aside, Serenity had a thick cloud of remorse hovering over her that is was becoming harder to fight the more time it passed. In the middle of somberness, every now and then she found peace, but now, with the prince back, it also came resolution.

Jupiter nodded and turned to Mars, "Got anything for me to make?" Mars smiled, "The kitchen is all yours, Mako-chan, go do your magic. There should be enough to make a hearty stew—we could use the heat since it's still too cold outside,"

"Sorry about that, Rei. I am still working on it,"

Megumi widened her eyes and quickly turned to find the prince standing in the corridor, "Your Highness!"

All eyes were fixed on Endymion, who was using Motoki's shoulder for support as they walked into the living room. Serenity widened her eyes and sprinted to his aid, "Mamo-chan! Why are you up?!" She whispered with worry; Endymion found the pout on her rosy lips adorable, "You didn't come to me, so I decided to come to you. I swore, didn't I?" Serenity's eyes gleamed with tears and gave him a warm smile; Motoki turned to his silver-haired friend, "He's stubborn, he wanted me to come get you,"

" _Him?_ No..." Jadeite waved his hand as he pushed himself off the ground to go to help the young doctor, "He is a sweet teddy bear," Motoki grinned and followed along, "Right, right... a little ray of sunshine,"

"Hey, that too!" Jadeite smirked a toothy grin as he helped the prince keep his balance allowing Motoki to step aside. "I forgot how similar you two actually are..." Endymion sweat dropped and narrowed his deep blue eyes and turned to Motoki, "I should have never told you what it meant..."

"Sorry, bro," Motoki chuckled, "I had to go for it. It was right there..."

Jadeite and Nephrite helped Endymion sit on the carpet between Venus and Mercury, who was quickly examining the wound Motoki just stitched close. Serenity giggled and turned to Motoki, "You're talking about his name, right?" The blonde doctor nodded, "Yeah, he told me..."

"Furu-chan," Serenity held his arm, "I—"

"Let me say something first," Motoki tapped Serenity's nose gently, "I know you're the Moon Goddess, and I always thought you being Sailor Moon is the most awesome thing ever—but to me—you will always be my little sister just as much he's always going to be a brother to me." He sighed, "I would say little because he's younger than me but we know he stole the role of older brother way long ago."

"Yeah, that's so true..." Serenity let out a soft chuckle, "We're too much for him at times,"

"That we are," Motoki smiled, "But, in our defense, he's a lot to handle too."

"Motoki-oniisan, I really have no words to express my gratitude for everything you have done for us," Serenity said softly as she looked into his green eyes, "We will make things right, I promise."

"I know you will, Usa-chan," Motoki rested his palm over her head, "I believe in you." He peered a quick glance at his friend talking to Kunzite and the others and sighed softly, "He always had a strong sense of responsibility but there is no doubt that you are his rock, you keep him grounded but you also help him dream and that's amazing."

Serenity widened her eyes with awe, "Motoki-oniisan..."

"Please Usa-chan, leave the guilt behind. You two need to move past it but you have to do it together. He's mourning and hurting too. But it's not fair for neither of you to stay in this emotional slump. You need to take care of each other. You need to keep dreaming because it's what will brighten the future for the rest of us, but most importantly, it will set _you_ free."

Serenity felt her eyes burning with unshed tears and nodded slowly. She leaned closer to him and took a deep breath, "I know,"

"Do they know?" Motoki pulled her closer and rested his arm over her shoulders, Serenity sighed softly, "Besides you and Mamo-chan, just Ami-chan and Minako-chan."

"Are you going to tell them what happened?"

"I don't know. I don't think I can go over the topic again, not for now at least. It's still very painful and I feel is something I can only talk with Mamo-chan,"

"Totally understandable, and I think you should." Motoki nudged her gently, "He wants that—he needs that, Usa-chan, grant him that right, let him help you."

"I will," Serenity leaned her head on his shoulder, "I love you, Furu-chan. I don't know what we would do without you. You stay with us even when we are a total mess,"

"I love you too, Usa-chan, to me it's always been so awesome that you allowed me to be part of this secret. I am very grateful and lucky to count you all as my friends." Motoki kissed her head in a brotherly fashion and nudged her again, "So, tell me... that sword he has in that room... can he really use it?" Serenity blinked and looked at him, "You saw it,"

"It was in its sheath, I tried to grab it but—" Motoki gave her a curious glance when he saw her shaking her head nervously, "Oh no, no, no, don't touch it—it can seriously burn you."

"He told me that," Motoki frowned with curiosity, "But he didn't tell me why..."

"It is a direct conduit between him and the sun, he passes energy into it and uses it to fight the darkness and impurities with its strong light. The fire coming from it is sacred, so it's best if no one touches it because it can ignite and cause a disaster. Plus, it's freakishly sharp and heavy, despite its sleek appearance."

"Really?"

"Yes,"

"You've held it before?" Motoki widened his green eyes, Serenity nodded with melancholy, "Yes... once... it didn't end well." She gave him a weak smile, "But, he taught me once how to fight with it..."

"Wow..." Motoki blinked, "You two sure are something out of this world."

Serenity regained her position with her head on his shoulder and let out a soft sigh, "Mamo-chan is very strong Furu-chan. He has proven it many times before and not just in terms of physical strength." Her arm held his tightly, "And that sword... he doesn't know how to use it... he masters it. It really is something to see him using it."

Motoki smirked with pride and nodded when he thought of their previous conversation, "Damn it, Chiba Mamoru," he shook his head, still showing awe and wonder, "You're really fit to do this and make it look cool."

O—o—O

Endymion stopped by the coffee table to sit down, not before greeting Pluto who happened to be the closest to him. She looked at him with so much curiosity settled in her deep garnet eyes and took a deep breath, "I have so many questions I want to ask you..."

"Yes?" Endymion turned to her, Pluto exhaled, "I sensed the keys I gave you at the gates were used but I couldn't understand how it wasn't you."

"It was me, Pluto." Endymion nodded, "I used them—I prayed for you and your father to listen... but, I didn't use them for my benefit."

"You found him..."

"Yes,"

"He's was the second key,"

"Yes,"

"Did Hades send you back?"

"No,"

"Then who—"

"Serenity did."

Pluto sighed with relief, "I am more than glad to see you here but that does not justify the risk on your actions,"

Endymion gave the soldier of time a complicit smile, "Aren't we enough risk just by the fact of being who we are?" The underline of his words gave a much deeper meaning to the context of their little argument, it was something only they could share, something only they could truly understand. A silent bond, one that gave Pluto all kinds of feelings rushing under her skin. She couldn't fight the slight blush tainting her cheeks, a sign that she was more than just overwhelmed and it cursed it in silence, because she knew better than anyone that whatever it was, it was not a wise thing to pursue or pay attention to.

"You better than anyone understands this," Endymion said softly, most for them to listen than the rest to understand, giving a true value to their conversation. Pluto let out a soft sigh and nodded, "I do, I truly do... I can't argue that with you."

"There is more to this conversation but..." Endymion smiled, Pluto nodded, "I know. One thing at a time,"

"Thank you, Pluto, for everything."

"Thank you for keeping your word. She missed you."

"And I missed her, terribly."

Endymion smiled and turned to Neptune, who responded his silent greet with a warm smile and noticed the tension in Uranus' face as she tried her best to look somewhere else. Choosing to ignore the slight awkwardness between them, Endymion turned to cup Saturn's cheek gently, "I'm glad to see you're alright, Hotaru-chan,"

"It's the other way around, Prince, we were very worried." Saturn smiled as she stood up to help him keep his balance as he slowly sat on the floor, a gesture Endymion found truly endearing from the young senshi since she always seems to be taken as someone cold and distant when in fact, she was incredibly sweet and mellow. The senshi of silence, dressed in her usual dark choices of clothing, this time tunic dress and knee-high stockings, shook her head, "I have no words to justify what—" she shook her head and took a deep breath, "I am awfully ashamed for how things hap—" her violet eyes widened when she felt his hand pinching her cheek gently, "It wasn't you, Saturn. It was something I had to do. I was aware of the consequences but I had to limit any sort of explanation to avoid more problems at the time. I thank you for your support, I couldn't trust anyone for such task but you and I will forever be grateful—and please, leave all protocol aside, you don't need that with me. Any of you do..."

Everyone was feeling the familiar warmth settle back in, everyone but Uranus. With Endymion's comment, she felt a strong sting in her chest and it was not because she didn't feel glad that he was back, but on the contrary. It was more because she knew there was unfinished business, something it didn't end when she apologized to Serenity. Neptune had been reminding her something she had clear that she needed to do but strangely, for the always upfront and fearless woman Uranus was known to be, she didn't know how. She didn't know how to approach the prince, she didn't know how to take his kind and friendly invitation to address him without any protocol lines, without putting his royal status before anything else. With her it was different, there was a stiffness, a slight tension in the air that wasn't making it comfortable for her to even look at him. She wasn't afraid, she was ashamed because the more time it passed, the more she realized the stupidity behind her void actions.

"How are you feeling, Mamoru?" Venus took his friendly invitation without hesitation and looked at the prince with worry while he was trying to find a much more comfortable position to sit. He crossed his legs Buddha style and let out a slow breath, "I'm alright... sore..." he pursed his lips and blinked at the blonde's stunned look on her face, "What?"

"You have a stab on your side and you're just sore?" Venus squinted her eyes with disbelief, "Like I am ever going to believe your casual take on this,"

"I don't have a right to complain, Minako." Endymion sighed, "Not when I know she's gone through so much worse,"

Venus gave a slow nod and pursed her lips, by the way he looked at her it was clear what he was trying to say and leaned closer to pat his shoulder and give him a quick hug, "I'm terribly sorry for what happened..." she whispered in his ear and moved back to avoid any suspicions, making it seem more like one casual and sisterly hug loaded with sentiment and a bereavement meaning. Endymion nodded and squeezed her arm quickly to answer her heartfelt gesture; following this, he tilted his head over his shoulder and arched a curious brow when he spotted the Mauian advisors standing by the window, "So, are we ever going to talk about Artemis and Luna's drastic change or is it just me wondering what happened?"

Venus cracked a light chuckle, "Ah, yeah... about that... you're kind of late to the party,"

"Figures..." Endymion smile, "I'm am not surprised,"

"You got to keep up, my friend," Venus clapped her hands, "You. Gotta. Keep. Up."

Artemis exchanged a complicit smile with the prince, remembering the conversation they had not too long ago about his wish to be able to take a human form. "I do," Endymion's smile widened, "You look good, Artemis," his eyes moved to Luna, "You too Luna, gracious as always."

Artemis gave the prince a respectful nod, "Thank you, Endymion."

"I have to admit it's still a little strange," Luna smiled softly, "But it's a nice change."

"It's good to see you doing alright," Endymion smiled and leaned close to Venus, "Serenity's crystal?"

"Totally,"

"Got it."

Endymion took a deep breath and slowly let it out, feeling much grounded to whatever was happening. He looked up at the girls and shitennou, trying to end the pause he made when he asked to be alone, "I don't have enough words to express my gratitude for everything you've done but mostly for staying by Usa's side at all times. It's clear that there are still many questions lingering in the air: where I have been, what happened to me, what did I do and why I didn't return with her and Saturn. The situation at hand is urging me to put this aside for some other time. All I can say is that this isn't Hades plan; what's happening now on this planet is where my focus is going to be from this point on." He turned to look over his shoulder at Motoki standing next to Serenity and narrowed his eyes, "But to do this, I need your help. We need to work as a team if we want to come out victorious from this."

Motoki widened his green eyes; he wasn't expecting to be considered to be part of this plan since he was literally powerless and way back in terms of skill like they all have proven to have but the determination in his friends' eyes and the security in which he spoke was proof enough that he was counting on him too, regardless of anything and if he was talking to him too is because he had something valuable to put into the whole plan. He was in complete awe. This was the first time ever he was part of these meetings he knew they had; he felt important, he felt dependable and needed. Not because he didn't feel like it before but this time it was like he wasn't just Motoki, their friend, but Motoki—their accomplice and peer in battle, he felt like he was one of them. He knew he needed to put his training as a doctor and his nerves of steel to the highest test and keep a wide-open mind to digest what he was about to hear. He wasn't afraid—he was ready for this. He wanted victory and for his friends to fight for that normalcy in their lives.

The blonde doctor walked more confident of being part of the team and took a seat next to Rei on the sofa while Serenity went to sit next to Endymion on the carpet, filling the gap between him and Venus. Her heart skipped a beat when she felt his hand looking for hers and lacing his fingers with hers in a secure hold, a silent but powerful way to calm her nerves and assure her he was not going anywhere.

"Ares probably broke the news to you, Chaos is out." Endymion narrowed his deep blue eyes, "The reason why he's free is the wound on my side. The seal he was cast on meant that it could only be broken by one touched by the light of the Sun—which means only from his own line of blood could set him free; of course, Chaos knew this and manipulated the Andromedian's lack of self-control to do the work for him."

"Athamas?" Mars widened her amethyst eyes with horror, "Wait... Athamas did this?"

"The Andromedian has been under Chaos's influence way before he even met Serenity." Endymion turned to look at his wife for a second before turning to the girls and generals, "Chaos feeds from those with troubled pasts and minds, one speck of negativity is enough for him to latch on and put anyone under his influence—the Andromedian had enough to feed him a lifetime."

"And with him roaming free..." Jupiter frowned with worry, "This means he is going to manifest here."

"It also gives a sense that he has taken control of the Underworld..." Saturn said softly and turned to the prince, "Is this why I cannot establish any contact with Hades?"

"I have not much knowledge of the extent of damage in the Underworld. The rim that divides it from Tartarus is close to being nonexistent and for what Ares informed me, he has Olympus under his control as well as other planets and stars. Hades is trying to keep containment but it's clear Chaos has allies and that he has an army of demons following every command, the Andromedian included." Endymion knitted his brows in thought, "Ares alerted all Polemarchos. The army is already fighting against the shadows. He is working alongside Hades and Zeus to keep it from expanding but Chaos is a force of nature and he is not benign." Endymion turned to Jadeite and Zoisite, "How is the status on the barriers?"

"Steady," Zoisite answered quickly, "No abnormalities have been detected,"

"It has kept civilians out of the zone of damage," Jadeite frowned, "The area is highly contaminated,"

"I am taking care of the pulsations and the flow of energy on Earth, the aftermaths of the sudden activity registered in the last month are still a high priority." Endymion looked at Mars, "I am monitoring the status on a low profile, hence the lack of change. If I drastically allow it to return to its normal levels it may cause catastrophic disaster and also, catch their attention."

Mars nodded, "I understand, the fire is disturbed—it doesn't give me much information to use to our advantage,"

"The same with the skies," Nephrite jumped into the conversation, "The stars are not willing to talk. I am not getting any coherent information. I tried contacting Omega but there is a vacuum, I cannot see or listen to anything. It is unresponsive and it is usually my first choice for quick information,"

"Nothing appears on the mirror, either," Neptune looked down at her golden talisman and frowned, "There is no reflection,"

"We will tackle the enemy with a net that depends on strategy and teamwork—we need to rely on what we have at our disposition now, which is, our power and our trust put on one another." Serenity gave a quick glance at everyone. Endymion turned to look at her with nothing but pride and love reflecting in his alluring eyes; this was the woman he knows, the unbeatable Sailor Moon. Serenity tightened her grip on her husband's hand and continued, "Each and every one of us has different strengths and skills we must take advantage during battle. We must not yield to Chaos' manipulative powers—I know this firsthand." She turned to Artemis, Luna, and Megumi, "If anything happens, it would be necessary for you to go to the moon palace and stay at the prayer tower—I will need your support from there,"

"Kunzite, Zoisite, Jadeite, and Nephrite—you will take your cardinal points." Endymion turned to the first in command and right hand, "Order to follow a command of retaliation without fault. You will take my place in land—Zoisite follows your lead and will put Nephrite and Jadeite's strategies on a short-term course of action." Kunzite nodded, "Yes, Master."

"Without an army, things will escalate quickly. We need to think fast and we will need to act without any hesitation. A speck of doubt will be valuable fuel for Chaos." Endymion conceded a serious and trustful glance at everyone in the room, surprisingly for Uranus, she was included. The prince started to gather information from the shitennou and the events that happened in his absence to corroborate Ares' information and start working on a counter plan. With extreme detail, Endymion proved his skills as strategist as he meticulously broke down the different causes and effects in case of another invasion and what would be the core to tackle and who would be the best to perform each task always reminding them that there was a certain limit and when it was necessary to obey a code for retreat.

The senshi impressed by his level of knowledge paid close attention to the indications that slowly gave shape to a very intricate but viable plan. They went on what they should consider as red flags and what would require immediate action for both monitoring and counter-attack. At this point, it all boiled down to the fact that this war was something they would have to fight alone. They didn't even know when or how things were going to be affected now that Endymion had taken his stance on not leaving Earth to serve Ares in Olympus with the rest of the celestial army but he was sure that war had begun and that Earth, would be on the line of battle due its misconception of being a rural and weak planet.

As the evening fell upon them, mostly because of the hour ticking in Mars' living room clock and not because they were able to tell by looking at the sky, Endymion paid close attention to every question and concern from the girls and shitennou and even allowed Motoki to put his two cents on the matter and explain the situation he has been going through at the hospital and what he'd seen on the streets. The strange cases and diseases, the violent wave of anxiety and panic and what he has been doing to prevent another breakout.

Endymion knew it—he felt it. The more he connected his energy to monitor earth, the more he could sense the desperation and the painful pulsations coming from deep underground. Earth was crying, it was suffering, and even when it didn't look like it, Endymion was suffering too. Darkness was thick as tar and it was taking a lot of effort on his part not to break while he did contention and damage control. He silently prayed for the storms to ease and the oceans to recede. He prayed for the ground to stay still and the winds to lower down—he prayed to earth to be calm, he prayed to Obelix and Helios in the name of Elysion. But he also prayed to his mother, to help him stay strong.

After what he experienced in Tartarus, Endymion understood what Chaos represented, what it was—who was behind that name. He knew he was viciously coming close with much more hatred than he ever imagined it could be harbored in someone. At this point, he had to be true to himself and think of all the things that happened that eventually led him down this moment and he saw it clear; the faith that was put in his hands.

Twenty-one years ago, he woke up in a hospital bed having no recollection of his life; alone, confused and scared. It took a lot of discipline, self-encouragement, and guts to carve his way into the world. A world he later learned had a line of warriors that had the duty to protect and help it exist; he didn't understand the challenge, even so, he took it and, in that journey, found the truth. He found emotion, he found redemption, and he found love. Now, with all that knowledge in his power, he had to make things right. He was ready to step into the future and give his wife the life of peace and happiness he has promised for more than two thousand years.

It was time.

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is rated M. Cursing, violence, gore and intimacy may occur._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _A/N: Part of the conversation between Endymion and Motoki is hinted to some comments happening in "To the Moon and back to where we belong" from the collection of chapters, Divinity: A day in the life._


	76. Chapter 76

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Seventy-Six

* * *

 _In fields of gore and scorch the soft rhythm of footsteps echoed melodically with the cringing and heartbreaking sound of people affected by the unforgiving force of war. The aftermath was always more difficult than the battle itself, Gaia thought with bitterness as she stood in the middle of a bloody field, bruised, dirty, and with a golden sword tightly secured in her hand. Her knuckles had turned white for the amount of force which she was holding it, it was clear that her opponent was no easy one; someone close, one that knew her like an open book. Someone with whom she shared the same blood._

 _Her indigo blue uniform glazed proudly with the sheen of its golden armor across her chest and shoulders. Her roman pleaded skirt in the same blue color scheme moved with the thick, poisonous wind; thick leather belts wrapped around her waist securing the scabbards of her magnificent weapons in place. Her dark colored high boots reached up to her golden armored thighs, wrapped with the same thick straps of leather. A long dark blue and gold lined cape flowed on her back like a protective, yet intimidating mantle, showing her high rank as a warrior. On her head, a golden studded tiara with long spikes on the sides gave the appearance of golden rays of the sun, paying great homage to her descendance. Her long black hair flew with fiery grace behind her back after the tie keeping it together ripped while in battle and now was clouded with the ash of burnt corpses._

 _Her hazel eyes slowly changed colors, between shades of forest green to gold, with tears still very hesitant to roll down her dirty cheeks as she looked at her target with a stricken-looking face. She walked without paying attention to the fallen, the echo of her heels in par with the pounding sound of war. At this point for her, it was not going to help if she showed any signs of mercy toward those that worked under his corruptive command._

 _Once fallen, it was all the same. The ground belonged only to those that were still standing; Ares made sure to teach her how to strip all emotion from her whenever she had to take her place as a warrior and engrave such words in her mind._

 _Gaia kept moving forward despite the cries and harrowing whispers of pain asking for help, down the road she remained, steady and with so many questions still echoing in her mind._

 _Chaos turned to look over his shoulder with an expressionless face. It was always too difficult to read him in comparison to other warriors and polemarchos. With a double-bladed glaive held in the same regal fashion she held her sword, the titan of void waited for his little sister, the titan of earth, to come closer with an expectant glare. If there was something that could prove the man had any sort of life flowing through him was his prismatic eyes, so rich in color and yet so cold and distant. He fully turns to face her, in his own black and gold armor and long cape. His long black hair was tight in a sleek high ponytail that exposed his alluring glare and beautiful face that just like Gaia's, it was now stained with specks of dirt and blood._

 _No words were needed, they both knew what this fated meeting meant and which stand they took in this merciless war._

 _In the same cautious fashion, Chaos started moving toward Gaia without glancing down at the mess of corpses pilled at his armored feet. With slow, larger strides, different from his sister's, the polemarchos kept moving until they were just mere feet away from one another and gave the young warrior what he ever gave anyone else. The end of his luscious lips curved in the faintest of smiles, one he learned to master with time. But despite it was barely there, it made the whole meeting much more bitter because it was something he knew what could do to her. Gaia felt the sting in her heart but didn't want to respond to his gesture, she didn't want to give recognition that he had hurt her and that she had missed him ever since Helios gave her his place and become as a sailor warrior, and consequently a polemarchos—the first of their kind. The only woman that broke the mold and earned valuable recognition among her peers after struggles and misconceptions._

 _They stayed in silence looking into their prismatic eyes for an unmeasured period of time; none of them knew, none of them cared. It was the breaking point in the close relationship of care and admiration between a sister with her older brother that once existed, many years ago. It was a silent goodbye._

 _The private moment between them was so intense to see, it meant the culmination of a generation divided by different perspectives and ideals of what a future should be, the faces of right and wrong; of curse and redemption. Gaia tried, she really tried, but her eyes could no longer hold her tears and without noticing had started to fall, staining her face._

" _Cur clamas?"_ _(Why are you crying?)_ _He asked nonchalantly. Between sobs, Gaia shook her head but did not say anything to Chaos who was now threatening her life with his own weapon pointed right at her. Something in his alluring eyes changed and now, he looked at her with disconnection, like he would with any other enemy—a stranger, "Si non armis capax superbia, ut de itinere me et nolite vastantes mea est." (If you are not capable of holding a weapon with pride, get out of my way and stop wasting my time.) he said with elegance in his deep monotone voice._

 _Gaia shook her head again while still showing the pain of having to fight him in her eyes. Chaos narrowed his amber eyes and stared at the people standing behind Gaia creating a barrier to keep the raging and burning flames she summoned to protect everyone from their inevitable encounter. He arched a brow, "Hac via elegisti igitur haec duo extranei facti rationes divinas. Quibus fides tua erunt suis ignominiam tuam: et in verbis meis adtende. Parantur simplicitate, stupidis, et infirma."_

 _(This is the path you have chosen then, this is what we have become—two strangers on divine grounds. Those beliefs of yours will be your own disgrace, mark my words. You are being naïve, stupid, and weak.)_

 _"Quid mihi et tibi est?"_ ( _What have you become?) Gaia narrowed her eyes and pointed her golden sword at him showing less hesitation than before. In response, Chaos gifted her a twisted smirk, one too far from the faint genuine smile he gave her just moments ago._

" _Tua pessimum somnum exterreri solebat._ " ( _Your worst nightmare.) he shook his head with deception as the ground started to rise in flakes of ash and debris. After that, there was not much else to be done, destiny had taken its course, so did fate._

-O-

Gaia stood in the middle of the garden in her shrine looking at the water slowly dripping to the many pools of the large stone fountain. Beautiful in her cerulean gown, the queen of earth waited for something she knew was inevitable; she was aware that her actions would cause ripples and that it was a quiet invitation for fate to cross the gates of her pocket in time. She felt it, blood calling blood. It hadn't been long since it happened and she knew it was just going to be a matter of time. She knew him too well and she had loved him too much, but even love had a limit—even love could be let go.

"Alios duos annos et tempora currerent; eandem esse memoriae. "

Gaia took a deep breath when she heard that deep voice she never imagined she would listen to again and closed her eyes, "Sunt quae utcumque conamur oblita animorum sculptum manent. Sicut vulnus, quod non sanatur."

 _(There are things that no matter how much we try to forget, they remain carved in our souls. Like a wound that never healed.)_

"Et odium pro dilectione mea es tu tamen tam vivus sicut et ego hodie; sed nunquam cedere in memoriam et blandimenti meus dulcis ...soror."

Gaia slowly turned around and found Chaos standing by the garden gates of her secret shrine still looking at her the same as the last time they met. Even though millenniums have passed, despite the careless way his long hair fell down his back and covering half of his face; Chaos remained the same. He was the same elegant man she remembered; haunting and beautiful.

She couldn't fight the feeling of nostalgia, just to see him was enough to open pandoras' box and remember all things that happened between them, good and bad. But unlike him, Gaia had changed—she had moved on. Experience, knowledge, and age had enriched her life enough to make her understand how things came to be and accept those she could not change. She learned how to trust no matter how much her heart could get broken in the process and she learned how to delegate; how to let things go and put fate in other people's hands. But the most important was that she learned how to believe that any sort of emotion given to him was at this point, worthless.

Their bond was torn millions of years ago.

"Carcerem tuum est hoc? Semper durus es fatum non est in occursum tuum ad inferos. Et fugit in conspectu tuo redde tu debitum… et creavit te in medio nusquam... haec, omnia procul ab ea et a minimo usque dilectus tuus ex Terra."

 _(Is this your prison? I always knew you did not meet your fate in the underworld. You escaped before you could pay your dues... so you created this... in the middle of nowhere, far away from everything and everyone, even your beloved Terra.)_

Gaia narrowed her hazel eyes, "Et vide oculis tuis sunt usque in errorem mittentes. Latebat in umbra veri, et adhuc ostendere voluit, qui vere sunt aliquid, quod non repraesentet."

 _(I see, your eyes are still beguiling. Hiding their true shade. You still have decided to show something that does not represent who you really are.)_

Chaos lips curved in the slightest grin ever, "Oculi mei?" His eyes narrowed, "Quis ego sum vere? Ego sum id quod sum, Soror. Oculis tuis cogita idem facit. Nos nati sumus sub eodem genere sunt eiusdem generis, sed dissimilis nos et vos, et placuit tibi ut sentio magis deterius humana non habent interest in aliquid non sum exprimens."

 _(My eyes? Who I really am? I am what I am, Sister. My eyes reflect the same thing as yours does. We were born under the same lineage, we are the same kind but unlike you, who decided to lower yourself to feel more human I do not have an interest in portraying something I am not.)_

Gaia stood her ground, "Qui non sunt oculis proposita participat avus noster; non fallunt omnia, Chaos. et non sunt idem. Oculi mei, tu dicis? Ista sunt coloris—pravum."

 _(Those are not the eyes of someone who shares the ideals of our grandfather; do not mistake things, Chaos. You and I are not the same. My eyes, you say? They are the same color as yours—deceitful.)_

"Non, non utique. Non est similis tui et non violabile spiritum. Capio, non dare."

 _(No, of course not. I do not have a breakable spirit as you do. I take, not give.)_

Chaos stepped inside the garden and looked around. The clear light filtering through the thick foliage of the trees and greenery didn't reflect in the dark of his hair or uniform, "Et erant semper venereum, Gaia. Semper quaerit quod defendi non possit manu conserva. Quare hic factus est in prodigium?" _(You were always a romantic, Gaia. Always trying to keep safe what cannot be protected. Is this why you became his prodigy?)_ His hand touched the leaves of a large plant by the fountain and let it wither and turn to ash so as everything around him and looked at the titaness in blue, "Si enim tantum potuerunt videre ruinam. Ex peccato mortali Olympo, quanto Titania natura operam perdidisti. Omnibus est inutilis," _(If only he could see your fall. From Olympian to mortal, how much you have wasted your Titan nature. It was all for nothing.)_

"Natura mihi numquam dubium vocarentur," _(My nature was never questioned,)_ Gaia's hazel eyes followed the man in black pinching the leaves and petals of her well-preserved garden as he walked toward her, "Nec?" He says with slight mockery in his rich voice, "Et quomodo venit in esse maledictæ reliquiæ tuæ? Quomodo non erat iudicium ut vivat in aeternum in Lethaeo flumine?" _(Then how come they cursed your existence? How come they sentenced you to live an eternal life in Lethe's river?)_

"Cur non ad te pertinet?" _(Why do you care?)_ Gaia followed her brother with her eyes as he kept moving around the garden, "Quid autem magni momenti est hoc?" _(Why is this important now?)_

"Errat igitur possis videre factus es mihi in eundo. Noctem cunctamini. Et tamen non iubereris occidere et suscita mihi gladium, pro te vincula mea. Et oblinito vos fascinavit me." Chaos narrowed his eyes, "Et noluit ea et feceris. Et quia ratio credendi prodiderat tua te alta et recta essem scirem. Et cognovi quod pulchrum erat praetorem contentio."

 _(So you can see the mistake you made by going against me. That night, you hesitated. You were ordered to kill me and yet you could not raise that sword and get to me, instead, you imprisoned me. Put a spell to seal me away. You did not want it and yet you did. You betrayed your own belief system because deep down you knew I was right. You knew what I was doing was fair, the natural course of nature.)_

"Aequum?" _(Fair?)_ Gaia frowned, "Numquam crediderunt occidendum. Iustitia? Post te? Denique iam fecisti? Est nihil ex eo." _(I never believed in murder. Fairness? After everything you did? After everything you have done already? There is nothing left of it.)_

"Sed tu eos ad implevit homicidium. Et factum est Pater mi cor. Et factum est, et Helios Ares tria cor."

 _(Yet, you committed murder for them. You made dear Father proud. You made Helios and Ares proud.)_

"Non erat de superbia, Chaos, non opus est cessandum est." _(It was not about pride, Chaos, you needed to be stopped.)_

Chaos arched his brow, "Et cognovi quod non ad factum." _(You knew that was not going to happen.)_ He crossed his arms, "Te semper cum timore vixit. Etiam in Leti Tartara caeruleosque potui sentiunt. Metallia satis esset excutite fiducia tua et faciet, et pavebunt fugientes habitas." _(You always lived with fear. Even in Tartarus, I could feel it. Metallia was enough to shake your confidence and make you live with dread.)_

"Quid est quod vis, Chaos?" _(What is it that you want, Chaos?)_ Gaia said in a cautious tone, the slight low notes of her voice echoed the similarity of Chaos', proving they shared more than the characteristic beauty of Helios' dynasty, the dark color of their hair, and the majestic lure of their eyes. Chaos' amber eyes narrowed, "Quid habes ut mea et veni huc, ut sumeret eam." _(You have something that is mine and I came here to take it back.)_

Gaia sighed, "Diceris esse omnipotentiam, non recte facta tui." _(To be as omnipotent as you say you are, you do not have your facts straight.)_

"Quod crystallo, Gaia, in quo est?" _(The crystal, Gaia, where is it?)_ Chaos voice deepened with threat, "Dare te melius ad me et nolite vastantes mea est." _(You better give it to me and stop wasting my time.)_

"Aut quid? Centauri in vobis tradet me feceras?" Gaia raised her voice, "Prodiderat avi similis tui? Amo te prodiderat navus nobis? Et domus tui familia?"

 _(Or what? Are you going to betray me like you did with Centaurus? Like you betrayed our grandfather? Like you betrayed us? Your own family?)_

"Familia?" Chaos broke character for a fraction of a second and let out a dry scoff, "Dum fuimus una? Helios non avus nobis, Gaia. Ubi uix ullos numquam, se oculis intuitus esset alienum. Familia, te dicere? Et amavit pater illius pugnam animam viventem atque arma habere volebant, sed nihil arbitrio suo et matri quam alii, nisi quod cogitatur de egenis pertinebat eius et familia eius. A natura propria mulieris gradiebatur maledicens et eam urgentes vehementer declinare anniteretur imitantur autem vita est Olympium, urgentes vehementer declinare anniteretur fit in societatem eorum? Tu melius quam quis debet scire, non sunt tractata contritum quasi pupa, quia anima nostra cum manibus habens alabastrum papularum, lucentis maculæ, et matrem tuam quotiens vidit contritum labrum. Et primo depre Gaia cum nobis, et sanguis in venis currens et conatus ad convertendum nos nimis. Cur enim non detestatur? Quid enim habemus, ut taces? Non sum qualis sit et bellum ludibrio circum quod Aris voluit esse et non potius tradam misogynous fratrem suum. Et Rex Deorum. Ego nihil nobis regem."

 _(Family? When were we one? Helios was not a grandfather to us, Gaia. We barely ever saw him and whenever we did, it was like looking into the eyes of a stranger. Family, you say? With a father that was obsessed with battle and that wanted nothing more but to have living weapons at his disposal and a mother that only cared what others thought of her and her family. A woman cursing her own nature and desperately trying to imitate the life of an Olympian, desperately trying to fit into their society? You better than anyone should know, you were treated as a broken doll, it disgusted our mother whenever she saw your alabaster hands with blisters and a broken lip. She was disgusted Gaia, with us, with the blood running through our veins, and she tried too much to convert us. Why are we an abomination? Why do we have to keep silent? I was not going to sit and be played around like a war toy as Ares wanted me to be and I was not going to give more power to his misogynous brother. The King of Gods. I serve no king.)_

Gaia felt the truth of Chaos' words and she felt torn. For centuries, this mere fact was something that had marked her existence and the reason behind her actions after she left Olympus and her duties as soldier, goddess, and polemarchos aside. Chaos did not need to stain his words with emotion to know it was the closest he could perceive as frustration and pain. For a moment, Gaia understood him. For a moment she could see why he rebelled; he allowed her that much.

Helios was a man that always kept his distance. He was not cold but there was always an invisible wall around him that made you keep your distance with him. She remembered Nut always complaining about how she never understood him and how much she hated the choices he had made for her family. Her own father had turned her back on her and had sent Ares to kill her and her son, her mother called her worthless for falling in love with a mortal and for not meeting the standards of a woman her status should always prove to the universe.

Chaos was right, in reality, there was no family. It was just a swarm of pride, duties, and honor and now, it was taking her breath as she tried to fight her tears.

"Essem tua familia, Cho..." _(I was your family, Cho...)_

"Familia ne mittat familiam ad infernum," _(Family does not send family to hell,)_ Chaos narrowed his golden eyes and turned nonchalantly, "Non mittet in circuitu eius familia maledictionem in domo, sed tamen, quod factum est. Et melior est quam scire quis et pro magno pretio."

 _(Family do not cast a curse on family, but yet, it happened. And you better than anyone knows there is a high price for it.)_

Gaia widened her eyes in horror, "Quid est?" _(What?)_

"Oculum pro oculo, Gaia. Dic mihi, quomodo sentiunt? Numquid amarum? Quid placet? Lex talionis. Tradis me, et ego contemneris. Interrogabo vos quod vir inferno amator est mortalis."

 _(Eye for an eye, Gaia. Tell me, how does it feel? Is it painful? How is it like? The law of retaliation. You betray me and I will betray you. Ask your mortal lover what hell is like.)_

Chaos snapped his fingers and in a curtain of smoke, all the beauty neatly preserved had started to wilt in the same flakes of ash and decoy that once surrounded them in that field of war. "Solvit pretium pro familia tua stultus proditione ac iudiciis. Primum illam tuam esse mortale hybrid virum tuum et progenies."

 _(Your family paid the price for your betrayal and stupid decisions. First, it was your mortal husband then your hybrid scion.)_

"Monstrum," Gaia looked at her brother with rage manifesting in her eyes, "Daemonium!"

"Aureus Crystalli, Gaia." _(The Golden Crystal, Gaia.)_ Chaos extended his hand with authority, "Interrogabo vos et ego non. Nihil reliqui iam deditio," _(I will not ask for it again. You have nothing left, surrender it now.)_

"Ego illud non habent," _(I do not have it,)_ the terran queen frowned, "Nihil enim ad deditionem ego custodem suum non adesse. Ad caelestis elegit, et non est tibi." _(There is nothing for me to surrender, I am not its guardian anymore. The crystal has chosen, and it isn't you.)_

Chaos stepped toward her with raw annoyance until he was just inches from her and narrowed his golden eyes as he wrapped his hand around Gaia's delicate neck without remorse, "Omnino conatus sum conservare meum non te occidere sed hodie te non interficiam eo quod in suis operibus considerant de eodem sanguine, Gaia. Me tangere anima mea cor tuum parcens vobis est melius, hoc tempus ante dic mihi patientia incipit currere."

 _(I have been trying my best not to kill you but I will not put into consideration the fact that we share the same blood, Gaia. I will not touch my heart to spare your life this time so you better tell me before my patience starts to run low.)_

"Cordis? Nemo est tam intra vos est. Quid acturus es? Mitte ad Inferos? Tartara mittit? Mors faciet vobis. Hoc autem non est verum, et dabo tibi non do vobis potestatem. Mortuus ego non sum, Chaos." Gaia said with defiance and arched her brow, "Tu recte. Semper ego cognovi te prohibere ad me. Non, sed certum est quod si aliquis ibi est iens futurus." she narrowed her eyes and allowed the energy she had been using to keep her shrine morph her deep blue gown into her uniform, "Oculum pro oculo, Chaos."

 _(Heart? There is no such thing inside you. What are you going to do? Send me to the Underworld? To Tartarus? My death will do nothing for your cause. It will not give you truth and it will not give you power. I am already dead, Chaos. You are right. I always knew I was not going to stop you, but I was certain there was going to be someone else that would. Eye for an eye, Chaos.)_

Gaia closed her eyes and let go a deep breath, " _Ut Helios me, usque ad me, ut sacro loco matris terram._ " _(Helios take me away, take me far away to the sacred ground of our mother land.)_

Chaos golden eyes gleamed with alert when he saw her use her power to break free and disappear right before his eyes without a chance to track where she went, she knew; she was prepared. Chaos realized this meeting was not fate and that it was not because he had found her, it was because Gaia had let herself to be found by him. This was a plan she had been working on for thousands of years—fate had nothing to do with it nor his skills to track her down.

It finally made sense, her sacrifice, her silence, and the words behind the seal she put on him. There was no question about it, they were too much alike but like water in oil, they could no longer coexist.

"Potest frangi sigillum Sol tetigit," _(The seal can be broken by one touched by the light of the Sun,)_

Chaos allowed his energy consume the last of the pocket in time his sister was using with divine help as a stage for their encounter and frowned when he started putting the pieces together, thinking how this had been a much more elaborate plan. Gaia was not the one to fight against him, she never was. The titan of void and dementia narrowed his golden eyes and slowly turned the darkest shade of red.

"Et maledicam tibi, Helios. Maledictus vir trahentium cuius esses status."

 _(I curse you, Helios. I curse the trail of your existence.)_

O—o—o—o—O

After an extensive and very intense meeting came a much calmer evening hours later. Jupiter took Mars' word to take over the kitchen and along with Nephrite, she took charge of the food committee and made a delicious feast for everyone. With Jupiter, it was never a simple meal. Whenever she walked into a kitchen, she would completely transform any ingredient into a flavorful masterpiece of several courses.

The moment may not the most appropriate to sit and enjoy a banquet but for them, it was the first time in a very long time since they all were in the same room together. Venus, Kunzite, Mercury, and Zoisite helped set the coffee table to put all the dishes in the middle while Mars and Jadeite lit up more candles and put pillows and blankets for them to sit to make the floor a little more comfortable for everyone. It was a moment they all needed; the company, the closeness, the table talk and the random jokes thrown here and there. Motoki stayed for a little while longer after the meeting ended but on Endymion's request and guidance, Kunzite step up for the task to escort him home, also because it would give them time to bond and get to know each other better.

Serenity was fully committed to tending her husband's needs and remained by his side the entire time, while Neptune, Saturn, Pluto, and Uranus helped Jupiter clean the kitchen after they were done meanwhile Mars went to do the necessary arrangements for everyone to spend the night at the shrine. The heaviness of the night was almost palpable they didn't need a clock to tell them it was late and that it was time for everyone to have some much-needed rest and be prepared for any sudden attack. The girls and shitennou had gone to their respective futons, some of them were in the adjacent room that used to be Yuuichiro's, others in Mars' bedroom and others in the same bungalow the shitennou occupied when they returned from Purgatorio all with the intention to give the prince and princess some valuable and much needed privacy.

Pluto was one of the people staying at Yuuichiro's room with Saturn and turned to Neptune and Uranus as they walked back inside from the small washing room, "I'll go with Saturn to bed, we can barely stay awake; there are more futons in the room, where are you staying?" Neptune finished rinsing another pot and turned to Pluto, "I think we'll stay with you, we'll go as soon as we're done here. I think everyone went to bed,"

"Venus is just waiting for the general to return from escorting Motoki home," Uranus said and took the pot Neptune just rinsed and started drying it with the towel in her hands, "But he shouldn't be far,"

"Where are the prince and princess?" Saturn asked with curiosity; Pluto put her arm around the younger senshi, "They probably went to bed as well," she turned to Neptune and patted her shoulder gently, "I will see you there,"

"Sure," Neptune smiled and continued washing the dishes and handed another plate to Uranus, "You all right?" she asked her lover with a worried tone. Uranus answered with a slow nod sparking Neptune's curiosity even more, "You sure?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You've been awfully silent all night,"

"Well," Uranus dried another plate and took the next one and repeated the same process, "There's not much for me to add aside of what's already been said." The calm tone in Uranus' deep voice only gave Neptune more reasons to believe she was dealing with some things in silence and by the shy way she was behaving she could know why. Uranus turned to put another stack of dry plates in one of the cupboards and returned to start drying the glasses and mugs Neptune had put to drip on the bamboo strain rack. "I know what I have to do," she broke the silence between them, "I just... I don't think this isn't the best time to do it."

"When would it be the best time to talk?"

"I don't know... maybe when we are not about to go to war,"

Neptune squeezed the excess water and soap from the sponge and sighed softly, "That must be the weakest excuse I have ever heard from you," she turned over and looked up at her much taller partner, "Now would be the best time. You just heard it not just from him but from the princess as well,"

"I honestly don't know what to say, Michiru." Uranus said with genuine concern, "How valuable an apology from me would be to him at this point."

"You always secretly admired his outstanding support. While you may not have been too close in the past, you were respectful to each other. Haruka, this might be the best moment to break that awkward barrier between you two and actually work on the foundations of a solid friendship."

"I don't know, Michiru,"

"Just remember who was the one who willingly took his place to look after her when he was gone and later went studying abroad."

Uranus stopped drying the crystal glass in her hands and widened her eyes. She turned to a smiling Neptune, looking back at her with eyes so full of understanding and love, "Deep down, you two have always kept a silent pact to be in the line of fire if her safety is in danger. She knows how to look after herself, that is true, but when Seiya was around, you know she was going through very hard times and it got worse when we all fell under Shadow Galactica, but you always stood in his defense. You respected his place by her side, so despite all you've learned and remembered about him, you still considered him a friend and that's something he needs to know; you need to make peace with it and who knows? Maybe you two become good friends—you know he's a good person and he's cool too."

"Oh? Are we having a soft spot for the Terran Prince?"

"Of course," Neptune smiled widely, taking Uranus completely out of her orbit of confidence and teasing nature, "I may be in love with _you_ , but one cannot deny he is remarkably handsome and smart."

"Should I be jealous?"

"There is nothing to be jealous about."

"Are you sure?"

Neptune giggled, "Are you going to contradict my words? Do you have a valid excuse?"

Uranus blinked and pursed her lips, "Well... I don't know, isn't that going for the obvious?"

"There is more to him than just physical beauty, Haruka. You are still having a hard time accepting he knows the trade of a warrior like the back of his hand." Neptune arched her brow, "You know, he could teach you some techniques on how to use that sword of yours a little better,"

Uranus narrowed her eyes, "Okay, now you're mocking me."

"You have to admit you did a poor job." Neptune chuckled, trying her best to lift her lover's spirit and nudged the blonde's ribs, "Come on, don't drag this for much longer... do it for her, but most importantly, do it for your own peace of mind. You know what you did wasn't your best, not because he's the prince of earth, but because it doesn't mirror your values."

Uranus let out a heavy sigh, "I suppose you're right... I'll find the time tomorrow."

"Good girl," Neptune smiled and closed the water faucet and helped Uranus dry the remaining glasses and put them back in the cupboards and walked out of the now impeccable kitchen. The couple walked holding hands to the other side of the temple to go to the room where Pluto was waiting with Saturn when they passed by the living room and saw the prince was still there lulling his wife resting on his lap. Neptune's lips curved in a confident smile and gently squeezed Uranus' hand in encouragement and looked up, "I guess your time came sooner than expected,"

Uranus clenched her jaw with slight anxiety and took a deep breath; her eyes widened at Neptune when she cleared her throat to break the silence in the room and get the prince's attention. Endymion turned his head slightly over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of Neptune standing behind, who quickly waved her hand in an apologetic fashion, "Hi, didn't mean to catch you off guard..." she said softly; Endymion gave her a small smile, "It's okay," he said in a hushed voice, "I thought everyone was asleep by now,"

"Almost everyone. We were finishing cleaning the kitchen," Neptune let go of her lover's hand and walked into the living room; her aquamarine eyes landed on the princess, "She finally allowed herself some sleep,"

"Right after you left the room, she couldn't hold on for much longer," Endymion said and looked down at his sleeping wife, "I am waiting for her to be completely snoozed out to take her to the bedroom,"

Neptune giggled lightly, "She's pretty much snoozed to me,"

"One would think that..." Endymion gently combed her long fringe away from her face, "She's a heavy sleeper but it takes her time to get there. If I move her now she will wake up and will take her long to fall asleep again," Endymion smiled and looked up at Neptune, "And well, she can get a little cranky,"

"You know her well," Neptune chuckled and looked around then back at him with a slight frown, "So, in the meantime what are you doing?"

Endymion chuckled under his breath and showed her the book in his hand, "Ami lent me this book to entertain myself, so... it's fine. I can wait." It was then when he noticed Uranus standing in the corridor. Neptune looked over her shoulder and smiled, sensing the tension and also more than aware this was the perfect time she was talking about with Uranus, "Well then, I will leave you to it..." she patted his shoulder in a friendly gesture, "Good night, Mamoru,"

"Good night, Michiru," Endymion watched her leave the living room and turned to put his attention back on his wife, then on the book in his hand. As soon Neptune was out of his sight, she patted Uranus' arm and walked to the bedroom at the end of the hall hoping the best out of this situation and so did the blonde as she found herself glued to the floor thinking of many possible ways to start a conversation with the prince.

"It's late, you should go to bed as well,"

Uranus' blue eyes widened when she heard him break the awkward silence. Endymion didn't move, he didn't even turn his head to look at her but it was more than obvious he knew she was there and that his comment was aimed at her.

"I was wondering if you needed help carrying the princess to the bedroom,"

"I'll take care of it, Uranus, thank you."

Again, no eye contact was made but Uranus couldn't see herself walking away. She agreed with Neptune when she said this needed to have some sort of resolution where she could at least lose some of the obvious tension between them. She took one deep breath and with it, she silently hoped for the best.

"You're wounded,"

"I'm alright."

"But it would make it worse if you tried to carry her yourself,"

"It's fine. Kunzite is close... I can ask him the favor."

The calm but very serious tone in the prince's voice made Uranus feel uneasy. Whatever thread she wanted to pull to start a conversation he immediately cut it down, making things clear for her: he didn't trust her anymore. She got too lost in her thoughts she didn't realize she had been standing there for a little too long, this time catching Endymion's attention and turned over his shoulder to look at her, "Do you need anything else, Uranus?"

"Time,"

"Excuse me?"

"I would like to have a moment..." Uranus sighed, "With you."

Endymion blinked but remained expressionless, cold. He turned and stretched his arm politely inviting her to sit on the sofa next to him, "We will have to keep our conversation low for obvious reasons." He looked at his snoozing wife, and exhaled softly, "What can I do for you, Uranus?"

The tall woman took a seat on the sofa and sighed, "It should be the other way around,"

"I don't understand," Endymion frowned, genuinely confused. Uranus sighed again, "I genuinely don't know a better way to say this..."

"Say what?"

Uranus looked at him and took a deep breath, "I owe you an apology." She noticed no change in the prince's expression and couldn't help the awkward feeling that made her want to put things to rest and walk away, but again, she was glued to the situation and couldn't allow herself to go any worse—whatever it was left. Endymion turned to close the book and put it on the table with a sigh, "You don't need to do that, Uranus."

"Yes, I do." Uranus muttered softly, "My behavior was inexcusable. I was blind to the facts that in reality, you are—"

"What made you change your mind?"

Endymion's blunt and unapologetic question took Uranus by surprise. She blinked and tried to come up with the best words to describe what she had been feeling ever since the princess was taken away. The aftermath was worse than the actual fault because it was when everything settled down and revealed the truth.

"I wasn't lying when I said I was not your prince and that you didn't owe any loyalty to me." Endymion looked down at Serenity sleeping for a second then back at the sky soldier and narrowed his eyes, "What made you change your posture in all of this?"

Uranus looked down at his arm resting over the princess's waist to keep her secure and then looked up at him, "All my life I was forced to believe this truth. As a single person then as sailor senshi. I needed to believe in something. Back then, I lived to follow the gods' laws without fail and I was taught to never disobey or that they would be grave consequences." She sighed, feeling like no matter how much she did it, the heavy fog in her lungs didn't go away, "I heard many stories about the goddess' son that lived as a normal human being but with a strength that matched those of divine blood. I was taught to be his enemy because of what he represented and once reincarnated, I couldn't understand why, not until that day when you regained your memories and that man, the one I was taught to be enemy's with made an appearance and sadly, I didn't know how to deal with it because to me, you were harmless. You were my friend's boyfriend and an ally in battle, not this... murderous creature." Uranus lowered her head with embarrassment, "I felt threatened... I felt disposable... and my best way to deal with this sentiment was to listen to the laws of god and see you as my enemy, all over again. I admit it was easier for me to hold a grudge than to accept things the way they are and let go," She wet her lips and closed her eyes, "When the princess was taken away, that was my breaking point and I did horrible things." The soldier shook her head, "But true pain came after I realized that god's law is something they created to keep things under their control and not an absolute truth, that I was some sort of a puppet that played a role with excellence. They condemned love and I better than anyone knows what it's like to live under scrutiny and judgment and yet, I let myself become one of those gods."

Endymion saw the turmoil Uranus was going through, proving she was experiencing inner growth. He saw the effort it was taking her to be there telling him all this and because of the level of pride he knew she had and yet she was there willing to accept any outcome of this conversation.

"Anger clouds reason, Uranus. You were upset, we all were,"

"It doesn't justify my actions. You're my princess' husband; the crown prince of this planet and I tried to kill you. I failed both of you at the first test of loyalty."

Endymion let out a long sigh as he gently combed his fingers through Serenity's long hair, "You and I have never been close. Our conversations have always revolved around things in common with others and the only way we could maintain a fluid conversation was whenever Usa or Michiru were around. It's been like that for years, and I am fine with it because it's not an obligation for us to be friends." His face suddenly turned a little somber, "But when I had to go to America—the first time—and fell under the curse of Shadow Galactica, you were the first one to sense something was wrong when I didn't reply to Usagi's letters and you stood by her side. When Seiya stepped into her life, you defended our relationship and then I knew, that even when we didn't have much in common or much to talk about, we had each other's back. Despite not being close, I had high respect for you." He turned to look at her, "I know you took a defensive stance when all this started happening and I always knew that you would be the first one to step in the line if Usagi's safety was compromised. What happened was something that sprouted out of rage and frustration. I get that, I am no stranger to divine law. I break all of their rules by just existing." Endymion shrugged one shoulder, "I don't blame you, the only thing I blame is how you managed that rage, not toward me, but to the girls, to Michiru, and consequently, to Usagi."

Uranus looked at the prince with genuine awe and took a deep breath, "I-I don't know... what to say..."

"You don't have to say anything, Haruka. Just stop following a life manual. Live the life you feel it's right for you to live. It's the best piece of advice I can give you," Endymion gave her a much more complicit glance, finally shedding all remains of awkwardness between them, "You're a pillar to Usagi, and for the girls too. You are not disposable and by any means, you should feel threatened." He arched his brow, "You can't afford that luxury, plus, it doesn't suit you."

Uranus blinked in complete startlement, "Prince..."

"We can't win a war if we are divided," Endymion looked down at the princess in his arms, "As I said before, don't do it for me—do it for her. Do it for the team, for your beloved; do it for you, because this is also your future and your life at stake. Do it for the things you want to accomplish once all this is over."

Like if a cloth was taken off her eyes, Uranus could clearly see what Neptune was talking about when she spoke of the prince the way she did, and why she described him with such specific descriptions. The beauty she was talking about was something beyond the obviosity of his physical attributes; it was something that came from within and surprisingly for her, she was instantly drawn to his personality and kind nature.

In all her years knowing the man, this was the first time she actually sat down and had a conversation with him that lasted more than the typical polite greetings and farewells. It was in his way to speak and in his way to keep things simple and straight to the point. He had experience, skills, and knowledge. He had guts and he had a fearless resolution but also knew how not to hold on to grudges making it easier for her to see and understand why the princess fell in love with him with so much passion. This mortal man she mocked and tried to kill with so much treachery had inspired the moon princess to break barriers and stereotypes, become a senshi, and later learn battle skills; face countless enemies without hesitation and with that same fearless resolution.

It surprised her, a woman who always felt too set in her ways and that was deeply in love with another woman could find beauty in a man. But more than feeling a physical attraction, it was like Neptune had said: he was a good person and he was also very cool. And if given the chance, she could really put her bitter insecurities and guard down and actually allow herself to be friends with him.

"I'm really sorry, Prince Endymion," Uranus said with a soft tone. Endymion arched a brow "Prince, _really?_ "

Uranus nodded, "Well, you are..." she narrowed her eyes, "Aren't you?"

The gesture made Endymion catch the playful undertone in her voice, "Supposedly," he smiled, finally putting this matter to rest. Uranus quickly responded to his gesture, feeling a thousand pounds lighter and much more determined to fight for the right causes and not for imposition. The apology had given a chance to mend things and a chance to make new opportunities, new friends and also, gain more life experience.

"Is it too late to ask you if we can start over?" Uranus looked at him shyly; Endymion smiled and shook his head, "It's never too late to welcome any act of goodness in one's life."

Uranus smiled and offered her hand to the prince, which he quickly took and gave it a reassuring shake before letting go "By the way, you need to learn how to use that heavenly sword of yours, you can't always rely on its mystical power."

The blonde took a deep breath, "Yeah... Michiru mocked my poor skills in sword fighting," the comment made Endymion crack a chuckle, "Just a tad,"

"Think you can teach me a thing or two?" Uranus asked in a playful but much hopeful tone, "I could really use the help..."

"Sure," Endymion nodded, "For starters... stop holding the weapon like a baseball bat,"

"Oh..." Uranus blushed, "O-Okay." The prince smiled, "You just need to learn the basics and you'll be fine."

"How long did it take you to learn how to master a sword?"

"I was six the first time I held a sword."

"Oh,"

Endymion chuckled, "I joined the military years later—back then, of course. I didn't rely on any divine power; I didn't know I had any in the first place, so I had to learn physical combat and how to use weaponry to get ahead in a battle."

Uranus felt the itch to know more, to try to understand more of his upbringing and his training as a warrior thinking this could be the beginning to a very cool friendship—just like Neptune had said. Besides cars and racing, this was a topic that really caught her attention and finally knowing someone who knew how to use weapons in battle, suddenly, her intimidation and fear of being replaced was substituted by a grand curiosity and sense of awe. She bit her lower lip and tilted her head, "Were you really trained to kill?"

"I was taught how to do it. I was trained to master skills for defense and attack but I never did it with the sole purpose of becoming a murderer. I did because I wanted to be strong and step away from the common shadow that comes attached to any royal title. I trained to be a soldier so I could protect everything and everyone I cared about." Endymion shrugged his shoulder carelessly, "I was never complotting a masterplan to take over the universe like you were told to believe. If I sent deities to the underworld like the gods say I did, it's probably because they sent them there to threat and disrupt Earth's balance and I never saw them as aliens, I never went on a hunt for divine beings. You created the monster—I was born and raised a like a normal human being; both times."

"I'm sorry for calling you a monster," Uranus said with shyness, Endymion sighed and shrugged, "It's fine. I don't get why the gods feel so empowered when using that word to describe me. The hybrid thing I can understand because technically it is what I am but... monster? It's like a certain rank they want to overcome, I don't know... it's stupid."

"It is... it truly is." Uranus nodded, "Again, I'm truly sorry."

Endymion nodded, "I accept your apology Haruka, thank you."

Uranus smiled and let out a deep breath, she looked down at the princess and widened her eyes when she heard her soft snores and heavy breathing, Endymion snickered, "Okay, _now_ I can take her to bed,"

"She's completely out..." Uranus said with amaze, "I don't think I've ever seen her like this,"

"She usually doesn't snore... she is more of a talker and a kicker, but she's exhausted. She needs to sleep and regain her energy." Endymion looked at his wife and planted a soft kiss on her head, "My Luna Bunny, how much I missed her."

Uranus smiled at the soft nickname and the endearing show of affection the prince gave his wife and looked at him, "I can help you carry her,"

"No, it's fine. I'll do it,"

"You have a deep wound, you shouldn't be doing any of this,"

Endymion cradled her in his arms and turned with a sad smile in his face, "I shouldn't make her sad either, but I did."

Uranus widened her eyes, "P-Prince..."

"Leave the royal title aside, Haruka, Mamoru or Endymion—take your pick." The prince looked at her and shook his head, "I don't care much for the protocol. If we ever come across an event or a situation where it is required for me to be a prince, then I'll act the part, otherwise, I'm just like everybody else."

Uranus nodded, "Since Odango-chan started calling you Endymion and everyone else by their divine name, I figured we should do it too."

"That is her personal preference." Endymion shrugged his shoulder, "It comes naturally with us, one moment she would be calling me Endymion, then Mamoru. But all of you are free to call us however you prefer."

"Okay," Uranus helped the prince put Serenity's arms around his neck and sighed, "You really shouldn't be carrying her when you have a wound so deep,"

"I'll be fine," Endymion said in a low tone as he slowly pushed himself up with his wife secured in his arms, "The same energy I am using to stabilize Earth is allowing me to heal faster. I needed Motoki's help to treat the wound and close it with stitches, the rest is up to me."

Uranus was so engrossed in their conversation and her apology that she didn't notice that in fact, Endymion looked less pale and that the bruises in his jaw and his broken lip were almost gone. She blinked with surprise. The blonde helped the prince blow the candles in the living room and walked behind him as they went to their respective rooms. She helped Endymion open the door to their room and smiled when he saw him carefully lay the princess on the futon and covered her with a thick blanket. She admitted it in silence—he was more Endymion than Mamoru to her, no matter how simple and down to earth he was. There was a regal quality in him that made him stand out and maybe that was the vibe that made him so attractive to others. He was a prince after all, even after she apologized and left their differences behind them, she wasn't in the same level of camaraderie the shitennou, the girls, or Motoki had with him. She didn't feel like she could call him Endymion so carelessly, he had earned it—the respect everyone had for him and it was for very valuable reasons.

Finally, she had created an opportunity by pushing her pride aside and it made her think if this was the time to set that foundation for a new friendship between them, so she had to gain the confidence to someday to call him by his royal name like a good friend, but for now, she had to start from the very beginning and she was fine with it, "Rest well, Mamoru."

"Thank you," Endymion turned to look at her over his shoulder and nodded, "You too, Haruka."

O—o—o—o—O

In a warm flash of gold, the former queen of Earth appeared and quickly turned to look over her shoulder at Obelix and young priest Helios who had helped her find the string in space and closed the link for her to enter Elysion. Her hazel eyes locked with the priest's caramel ones and nodded her head to confirm his suspicions.

"What you did was dangerous, not to mention reckless. You still have the heart of a rebel."

Gaia's lips faintly curved into a soft smile when she heard the melodic low voice she knew by heart and turned to see her husband, Eros, walking toward her wearing his deep green uniform, fully restored to its former royal glory.

"Mind before action, dear. Those were *Avus' words and a valuable lesson Ares later taught us in our training." She looked at the young priest and tilted her head, "Young Priest Helios, I thank you for all the aid you have given us in these times of crisis, but I must now bid you farewell since your time is yet not here." Her hand gently cupped his cheek, " Nehellenia's curse urged you to manifest when the crystal's safety was compromised but you must remain an ageless spirit until it is your time to fully awaken. You have given much valuable support up until now proving why Obelix chose you to be his successor." Gaia smiled and narrowed her hazel eyes with endearment, "A beautiful star that had lost its course and found comfort in the silage of a solar flare, saving you from extinction. You saw beyond our abrasive nature and let it brighten your fickle fate."

Helios widened his ruby gold eyes and gaped with shock at the queen, "Y-Your Majesty..."

"Your given name is no casualty, young Helios. I agreed with Obelix the moment he suggested it, you are a beautiful homage to my dear grandfather. I can see the similarity and undying care to protect those around you. Your dedication and loyalty are unbreakable and it has never gone unnoticed, young priest." Gaia smiled, "You always wondered, you always had that question echoing in the back of your head: _Why?_ You are the best person to be the guardian's holy priest. You are connected to Elysion—all this, it would not be alive in remembrance if it was not for you. You created a safe haven and have preserved the foundations of our dynasty, of that world we fought so much to create and protect... our golden age."

"Queen Gaia..." Helios looked at the titaness with glossy eyes, so full of awe and respect. This was the first time they met face to face since Obelix always told him the reason behind his anonymity to them was to test his loyalty and see if he was up to the task. Sacred priests had a lonely upbringing and training, and because they were spirits that represented divinity in the mortal realm, their trust and worth were often put to the test until they were chosen to protect a deity. Gaia leaned closer, her hand still resting on top of his cheek, "The same way Obelix chose you, you chose her to do the work you knew you couldn't perform. I know it was you, the one who reached out to Ares and asked him to search for the young maiden and give her the task to guard the sword and take it to its rightful owner. Your decision was wise and mature; she has proven her courage and earned her honorary place as holy maiden."

Young Helios went on one knee in respect for the terran king and queen and bowed his head low, "How I once was for Priest Obelix, how I once was his pupil and worked with him... I knew Megumi had earned Prince Endymion's trust with fairness. That was enough for me to know she was the only one that could reach out to him. Due to my current position and other tasks at hand, she was the only one I could rely on in times of crisis since I was no longer allowed to pull the strings of time and crossed realms." The young priest nodded, "It is all clear to me, I understand it now. Why I was not allowed to meet with Prince Endymion despite being connected—it was her, my maiden, the one I was asked to guide and look after."

"Navus Helios and the generations of Titans before him created this intricate method of protection—Obelix prayed for me and Aurea took place as a holy maiden by aiding me. Now, you pray for Endymion and Megumi has taken her role as a holy maiden by aiding not just him, but Serenity as well. It will be up to you to decide her fate once this battle is over but now, you must return to your post young priest, as your time to awaken is yet not here."

"Salve, Regina De Terra," Helios gave her a low curtsy and in a flash of golden light, the young priest was sent back to the sacred part of the temple that gave life to Elysion; the now land of dreams. Eros stood next to his wife and looked at her with concern in his cerulean blue eyes, "What shall we do now, Gaia?"

"We must wait,"

"Irony, I never got to understand it. Why it does exist." Eros let out a weak chuckle and crossed his arms, "In a land suspended in time—we must wait,"

Gaia turned and gave her loving husband a sad smile, "I know, you were never a good example of patience."

"Hm,"

"You know my words are true,"

"For years you silently cursed fate; the power of your blood and our son's life choices." Eros sighed, "You fought to keep it a secret,"

"And I paid a high price for my silence, Eros," Gaia sighed with acceptance, "I paid for betraying you and Endymion's trust by staying quiet. I paid the price for being so afraid by spending more than two thousand years confined in a solitary pocket in time crying my heart out. Just like Obelix did with our son in Purgatorio, I too was taught a lesson—a lesson to learn how to trust and let things go. Chronos made me purge the shadows in my soul and while it took me time..." The queen sighed again, "I accepted I was becoming my mother. A woman trapped in fear. I wanted to shape and mold our son the same way she tried to do with me and my brother. I became a woman cursing her own nature and desperately trying to forget everything that has happened and coiled in fear. Like her, I tried too hard to convert him when in reality the miracle of his birth was all the sign I needed to understand there was light at the end of the dark tunnel I unconsciously kept supporting. To believe things could change."

The king looked at her like a man very much in love but also, a man deeply worried for his wife. Gaia took a deep breath, "I do not blame Chaos for rebelling. Sadly, I understand his actions because, in a way, I rebelled too. He had so many questions unanswered, and I held too much pain. But deep wounds rot if they are not treated and it ends up becoming something more macabre. We let ourselves be consumed by our thoughts... and then, there is Endymion."

"Are you comparing yourself to your brother?" Eros frowned with disbelief, "Are you even going as far to say our son is like him as well?!"

"Without a speck of doubt, I will go as far as to admit Endymion is more like Chaos than me." Gaia took a deep breath, "The Chaos of ancient times—the Chaos I grew up admiring and loving. And that is why I wanted to hide him from the divine realm. The gods thought our son was a reincarnation of Chaos and in a way he is, but Endymion is not Chaos. Peace can only come after beating the storm. You cannot see a rainbow in all its glory if you do not allow rain to fall. Victory does not come easy and it does not happen before a battle. There has to be chaos for fate to help you shape the future you want for yourself. Without chaos there is no redemption just like rebirth cannot come without death. Endymion is the chaos our dynasty needs to reinvent and rise from the ashes up to greater heights. Endymion is the chaos that brings evolution and my grandfather knew this. He knew I was too confused and hurt to fight my own brother, so he trained me and later asked Ares to take me under his wing as his pupil with the hopeful thought that I would later give birth and prepare to whom would become our dynasty's redemption—his successor. The force of nature that needs to put an end to the stigma and evolve."

Eros took a deep breath, "Thousands of years later and this still chills me to the bone." His cerulean eyes narrowed, "It still feels unreal..."

Gaia nodded, "That is why Grandfather Helios patiently waited and did not stop Chaos when he had the opportunity. Even if he wanted to, he was not going to be able to do it because he didn't match my brother's strength and grounded roots—not anymore. Navus was giving up, he was tired; disappointed. The real difference that divides titans from gods is that we are not born from wishes as they do. We exist without needing mortals to believe in us. Titans are forces of nature—basic instincts. Ancient creatures born from the pandemonium the giants caused by the void and mystery of the universe. We are the ripples of their energy, a cause and effect—the good and the bad. But even Helios, a titan with immaculate power and skill, could not compete with that of my brother's because although Helios knew war like the palm of his hand, he was not born from the brutal aftermath of a war. He knew another kind. We were born amidst the ripples of the Titanomachy when titans desperately wanted to live and were stripped from that simple right. Navus earned a place, he did not live through a stigma as *Frater did." The queen took a deep breath and exhaled, "Chaos never knew limits or consequences; he never knew pain or anger. He has never shed a tear or felt joy. While he has superb intelligence, he was born without empathy. To him, life and death are the same. The massive explosion that created the solar system came out of his boredom, for his own entertainment. Chaos does not comprehend the virtue of emotions and that is what has fed his interest in bringing everything to dismay. He does not really care, he just wants to pull the strings of life, play with fate and dig deeper just to appease his curiosity. That is why I was born. Gaia—mother Earth. The cause and effect of the density of the void. I gave Chaos the mental stability he lacked and since then, it was us against everyone else. I looked up to him, I respected his discipline and he discovered how emotion worked for others. I taught him to study other's gestures and learn how to smile for me. Even if it was not genuine or if he never truly felt it, it was for me; whatever gesture of good he did—it was for me and later left me to nurture Earth with Navus' power."

Eros widened his eyes, "Chaos holds no emotion... that is why he represents something much more macabre than just plain destruction,"

Gaia nodded, "The gods aimed to own that skill and power for their own convenience and the best way to do it was to make him a living weapon under their control. Without emotion, without empathy or understanding, they thought it could be an easy task and shape him according to their needs. Navus had trained Ares, and he later trained Chaos just like he did with me years later. Ares taught him to excel as the fighter he is now but as we grew, he began to see and fully understand his nature and power and that is when he rebelled. Something in his mind snapped the moment he learned he was not chosen to be Helios' successor and that the golden crystal was not for him to hold. He was nothingness. Chaos never protected anything, he barely understood what it was to have a sense of duty. He only knows how to take—to possess—to destroy—not to earn. And that is what makes him so dangerous. Chaos was not born evil, Eros, but he never met benevolence either and this is the result. Tartarus's is only the surface of who he is and what he represents."

Eros gave his wife a stunned glance, one that capsuled all the horror and disease he witnessed, "Gaia…" the terran queen nodded, "The moment I felt Endymion moving inside me, I immediately knew he was the one Navus had chosen to follow his legacy. And it was all confirmed the very moment he revealed to us the beauty of his eyes. I knew our son was the key to free Chaos but also the sentence that would put an end to him. Endymion has the same grounded roots of determination and fearless nature Chaos has but unlike Chaos, Endymion has learned to overcome the emotional turmoil that comes attach with evolution and growth. Endymion has shown more courage than I had in all my ancient years of existence. He has stumbled down in both realms—mortal and divine, and unlike me, he never gave up. He kept trying, he kept pushing and paving his way. For two thousand years, I tried to hide him from everyone in order to protect him but it is Endymion who has been protecting us all this time."

"Gaia, what did you do?" Eros frowned with increasing panic. Gaia took a deep breath and let it go slowly, "My love for my brother is never going to change." She looked at the starless sky above them, "But my love for our son is far much stronger."

Eros looked down at his petite wife and cupped her flushed cheek in one hand, "You never cease to amaze me, Gaia, with you, it is always like that first time we met by the lake. It has always been an adventure,"

"Please forgive me for not having gone sooner to get you... for failing you, my sweet Prince." Gaia looked at Eros with tears in her hazel eyes, "It took me so long to find your location... and—"

"My beautiful Dea, you did not fail me." Eros pulled his wife into his arms and kissed her forehead lovingly, "It has passed. I am here. It was not your fault Gaia but of those who have falsely condemned us like criminals." He took a deep breath, "Our son... it is because of him that we are together again."

The terran queen nodded softly and turned to look at him with love nested in her hazel eyes, "It took me long to understand that the time to set things right is coming close." Gaia moved her hand to hold Eros' and laced her fingers with his, "They are ready, our son and our daughter,"

"Our son and daughter," Eros smiled with pride "And... what about us?"

Gaia tucked a piece of ashy brown hair behind Eros' ear, "We must pray so they can be strong and light their way because from this point on, our fate is in their hands."

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is rated M. Violence, cursing and intimacy may occur._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _*Frater: Brother_

 _*Soror: Sister_

 _*Navus: Grandfather_

 _A/N: I have not bailed! Divinity is still going. A lot has happened. A lot out of my control but equally requires much of my attention. Thank you for staying with me and for your support. It truly is my greatest value. Chapter 77 will come soon. It's a promise._


	77. Chapter 77

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Seventy-Seven

* * *

Chaos walked down the long empty halls that led to Zeus' palace in Olympus. The second Gaia used her power to defend herself from him, the titan used his power to take the warp in space under his control and exploded it to nothingness but failed into taking his sister under his influence and stopping her from vanishing right before his eyes. The dark titan walked without single mindfulness of his surroundings as he stepped the sharp veins of poison and thorns with spirits haunting every nook and corner in the endless darkness imposed to the realm.

His boots made a crashing sound every time he took another step over bones and debris that was left from his last encounter with Ares and Zeus, where he knew for certain they were trying to come up with something to fight him back in a hole somewhere in the universe. Accompanied by the steady sound of his footsteps, the hollow cries of spirits echoed his way to what he knew was the main vein that connected Olympus to all realms in the universe, a special gate crafted and guarded in its time by none other than Chronos, the lord of time. As he came close and unwilling to stop, Chaos waved his hand to blast any obstacles out of his way and walked into the large empty room that only housed the large intricate door with ancient symbols carved on its heavy frame at the very end of the room. The titan narrowed his amber eyes when he remembered that precise moment he knew of its existence, and later on when he stood in this same room thousands of years ago. It was a vague but very vivid memory where he witnessed the mighty power of the titan of time being granted to aid his grandfather to cross and marking this the beginning of his fixation on the true power of titans.

Something in him stirred like a thunderstorm at sea, it revolved his curiosity and interest, completely taking his full attention and urging him to want to know why such powerful race was obliged to follow Olympian laws, how it came to be; their condemned fate. The root of his rebellion: oppression, ambition, power, reign.

Reign.

Later he learned about the power of giants and what gave way to their existence, all down the lineage of Helios's creation and birth and later his descendants. Chaos wanted it, he wanted it all. He wanted his rise and control over the universe to be remembered as an absolute response to those who once thought of them as savages.

To Chaos, titans represented more than just being a superior race. They were absolute. He was absolute.

His amber eyes studied the deep carvings on the gilded gates and narrowed them in deep thought, knowing exactly what he had to say to made them open to his command. A prayer. A thing, Chaos has not done in thousands of years of his existence and deep down, it bothered him, to know the words and yet been obliged to mouth them with sincerity and respect he did not have.

" _Tempus Custos; scindite seorsum caelum, et aperuerit spatium-vicis ostium mihi, Voco verum nomen omnipotens Titanus Tempore quia Custodis Pater! Chronos! Mihi fecísti vias lucem,"_

The large golden doors roared with magnificent power as they reacted to the ancient prayer and opened wide before Chaos. The raging winds of the corridors of time and space hit at all directions, playing with the titan's long and pitch-black hair as he crossed. With a snap of his fingers, the road became clear and without complications he stepped right in front the underworld's gates.

His golden eyes immediately caught an entity in white lurking in the corner and raised his hand before the androgynous entity respawned and morph into the sins that guarded the entrance. In an almost invisible move, he took out his sword and cut its head in one clean straight move, "Non enim est in rem ineptias," _(I do not have an interest in trivialities,)_

Chaos walked straight to the welcoming meadows and with the same controlled movement, he dug his sword in the ground and released his power. The calm luminescent waters started to bubble and sway with unusual direction at his command, bringing the many spirits trapped inside to the surface with loud cries that caught the attention of the beasts Hades had sent to guard the rims of the realm which he easily cut through with his energy while others he took full possession of with just a flick of his hand.

The anomalies were soon caught by no other but the ferryman of the underworld, Charon, who appeared in his boat with wide eyes and dug his bone paddle in the water to control the restless spirits. He pointed his bony finger at Chaos and squinted his fiery eyes with anger, "Oi... I was starting to wonder... where the demon has been. I was not expecting to see you coming back to this realm."

"Quam molestum," Chaos pursed his lips, "Sedulitate transveheret, movere transeunt,"

 _(What a nuisance. Move aside, ferryman.)_

"These waters are not for you to cross and I am not always the merciful kind!" Charon extended his arm and with a flick of his hand, manipulated the raging waters to create a barrier to block Chaos' path and stomped his paddle on his boat to summon one of his demon allies, _"Arise, Kraken!"_

Chaos arched a brow as he watched the ferocious and gigantic sea monster coming to the surface from the depths of the river; he narrowed his prismatic golden eyes with zero amusement or surprise, "Et Hades... fortasse ut semper cum servis suis," _(Hades... always so flamboyant with its servants,)_ he leaped out of the beast's way and raised his hands to create a barrier blocking the beast's poisonous spit and landed with his sword in hand, this was a set up the lord of the underworld had clearly prepared for this moment.

With a quick turn, Chaos extended his arm and aimed his palm at the monster spitting fire and narrowed his amber eyes; with a swing of his majestic onyx sword Chaos cut through the barrier and stretched his arm to summon the power within him, "Adhuc non intelligere, quod nulla res quot decipit trahendum est, nihil metu deprecati sunt in medio vestrum et omnia quae fecerunt nidos." He looked at the dark sparks of energy bursting in his hand and in a matter of seconds, the shadows appeared to defend the territory.

The titan in black dug his sword again on the muddy ground and sent a strong gravity wave that pulled everyone down to a point it was almost impossible to move and continued to walk until he was inside Charon's boat and looked up at the kraken moving toward him with bestial movements, "Feras et bestias... omnia haec nihil sunt, sed in spectaculum mihi. Doliturum censeret primo genere pugnae, non sum tua remige transeunt."

 _(You still do not understand that no matter how many tricks you pull, it will do nothing to appease the fear you all have nested inside of you. Monsters and beasts... all these are nothing but a spectacle to me. I am not amused by your primitive tactics ferryman.)_

Charon widened his fiery eyes when he saw Chaos impulse himself from the boat and in a perfect leap and a turn in his axis and with a move faster than sight itself, slashed through all the long arms of the beast and kicked them to break them apart from the rest of the body as he went down and landed on the boat before its slashed head splashed into the luminescent waters creating tidal waves. As the gigantic body fell and before it hit the water the dark titan aimed his hand toward it and blasted a massive charge of energy disintegrating it before it could respawn.

Charon widened his fiery eyes when he felt a strong sense of familiarity in the titan's attacks, he had seen these merciless and eye-catching movements before, perhaps not exactly the same, but the energy, the imposing presence, and the chilling and intimidating glare—that glare that warned the dangers of their power rushing within; it was there, echoing in his memory.

The ferryman watched the scene completely deadpanned and unarmed now that the vicious Kraken, his most trusted ally in the waters, had fallen without putting out a valuable fight. His parched lips parted as he watched Chaos swung his long onyx blade down to wipe the gore dripping from it and put it back in the sheath secured around his waist. Blood cold and impressed, the old man looked up at Chaos holding the long bone paddle,

"Vos ipsi vidistis eum. Qui diuino lumine Solis." _(You have seen it. The one touched by the light of the Sun.)_

Charon clenched his jaw, with realization. With a frown, the old man stood up and looked at the hauntingly beautiful specimen of a man and confirmed that in fact, the one he was talking about had the same blood running through his veins. The same one that said creatures like him should not exist. A casualty of the universe.

Chaos looked into the fiery eyes of the ferryman and formed a ball of dark energy in his hand and with a careless and disinterested glance at the old man, he dropped it into the water knowing the catastrophic result of such action. In a storm of madness, the thousands if not millions of souls trapped in its depths screeched in lament and pain; the always calm luminescent waters of Styx's river started to sway with force as Chaos manipulated the course to sail them faster to his desired destination.

In a quick attempt to stop Chaos from crossing over, Charon pushed himself up but his eyes widened when he felt a sharp pain in his chest and looked down at his bone paddle piercing through his chest and slowly looked up at Chaos with a complete lack for words.

"Ne hoc errore deciperis omnia, portatorem inveniunt eam dissimilis, non opus est tibi ut in hoc itinere. Scio mea modo valde bene." He pulled the old man close enough and whispered in his ear, "Quia fecit illud quod est."

 _(Do not mistake things, ferryman, I do not need you to go on this journey. I know my way very well. I made it what it is.)_

Charon widened his eyes when he saw Chaos lifted him off the boat and threw him with force into the waters and watched the old ferryman being pulled down by the spirits he mercilessly condemned for not giving him a proper pay. With one last glance, Chaos narrowed his eyes as he looked how the now vulnerable rim that divided the underworld from Tartarus.

"Deprecor nomen tuum, Helios. Omni genere esse deprecor."

O—o—o—o—O

 _-O-_

 _As she stared at her reflection in the mirror, Usagi carefully stretched her arm down to open one of the drawers in her vanity and looked down for a specific glass bottle—the one with the lilac flowers printed on the front and the lilac cap wrapped in a silky ribbon in the same shade. She pressed her glossy peach lips while she looked down to take the cap off and with a shaky hand, she sprayed the sweet and subtle scent of perfume behind her ears and down her neck. She took a deep breath, held it for a couple of seconds, and then slowly let it go as she stood up from her cushion bench and took a quick final look at her outfit mentally thinking she should add a light denim jacket over the striped blush pink light sweater and black pants to pair with her recently purchased find of the year—a pair of rose gold sparkly flats. She had done her hair in her classic and already trademark messy buns and the long streams of abundant hair falling on her back like rays of morning sunshine and was more than ready to take on the world outside._

 _Tsukino Usagi saw herself in the mirror one last time and pressed her lips nervously before taking a turn and left her room. As she walked down the stairs, the warm and inviting scent of breakfast welcomed her into the kitchen—it was a Sunday, and Ikuko would always wake up a little later than usual to start making breakfast since Kenji would go to the office at a later time whenever there was new information to look more into at the magazine company he worked on as writer, and lately, the strange events that had happened in Tokyo and some other places around the world not to mention the mysterious heroes that also had made an appearance were keeping him quite busy. At first, the talk around town about the people's obsession to find out the secret identity of the famous masked thief in black, Mysterious Face 2098—who further on made himself known as Tuxedo Kamen, and later on, the need to know who Sailor Moon and the Sailor Senshi were._

 _As she walked into the dining room, she saw her father drinking his usual cup of coffee while making some quick notes on a pad and took a quick glance at his annotations as she bent down to give the man a light kiss on his temple, "Good morning, Papa."_

 _Kenji smiled and looked up, his deep brown eyes blinked with shock when he saw his daughter was fully dressed and not to mention wearing perfume so early in the day. Usually, Usagi would be the last one waking up on the weekends, she never pardoned whenever she had to be up early for something. Before he could ask, Ikuko walked into the room with her husband's breakfast and widened her eyes when she saw her daughter was there as well, "Usagi! This is a surprise..." the woman blinked, noting she was not wearing her usual pink PJs "Are you going out dear?"_

 _Usagi gave her mother a soft smile and nodded, "Yes, I-I have... um... plans..."_

" _Oh?" Ikuko exchanged a quick glance with Kenji and looked back at her daughter, "It's ten in the morning. You don't usually wake up at this time..."_

" _Yeah... but, um..." Usagi nervously tapped the backrest of one of the dining chairs with her fingers and smiled, "I promised the girls I would meet them to go shopping. Minako-chan has this event she has to go with her family and she needs a new outfit."_

" _Ah, I see," Ikuko smiled as she refilled Kenji's coffee mug; she looked at her daughter with a complicit smile "A girl always needs to look good for these types of occasions."_

 _Usagi wasn't sure why she would feel so shy about her mother's comment, maybe because in a way it suited the occasion and what she had in mind. Her small train of thought was suddenly interrupted by Kenji's warm voice, "Well, why don't you eat something before you go?"_

 _Usagi fidgeted in her place behind the chair and looked at her mother who agreed with Kenji, "How long will you be gone?"_

" _Oh, I'll be back late in the afternoon... Mako-chan will be cooking at her place, so... right on time before my curfew,"_

" _Well, then... eat some breakfast—if you are going to be out for the day, at least have breakfast with us," Ikuko walked into the kitchen and minutes after came back with a small plate with diced fruit and a sliced tamagoyaki on the side._

 _Her mother always had a keen ability in the kitchen; she loved to cook and like Makoto, she would always be trying new recipes or giving new twists to her already classic ones. Usagi was sure about something: her mother was a true sweetheart; a little strict, very kind and loving, but if she offered you a plate of food it was an offer that wasn't up for any type of negotiation. You had to eat it—you had to eat. it. all._

 _Without anything else to say, Usagi took her usual place at the table across from her father and started eating her breakfast in silence while taking quick glances at the ticking clock on the wall that reminded her how much she was going to be late for her day if she didn't hurry. Her tardiness and lack of organization wasn't a novelty to anyone anymore, but to Usagi, this was a day where she wanted to make the extra effort to change those habits she knew very deep down weren't good_ _, as Luna would always say._

 _After finishing her breakfast, Usagi went to give her father another quick kiss on his temple and then to her mother before heading to the bathroom and brush her teeth quickly before rushing out the door with her little black kitty crossbody purse on and her glistening shoes. Ikuko watched her daughter running out of her sight as soon as she closed the front gate and smiled, silently figuring the reason of her jumpiness._

" _It's the pendant..."_

 _Ikuko blinked and looked at Kenji over her shoulder, "Papa?"_

" _It means something to her," Kenji took a small sip of his coffee, "I did not want to believe it, but she did not deny it when I asked if she got it from a guy friend."_

 _Ikuko smiled and turned to look out the window; she took a deep breath and slowly let it out, "Well... she is not a little girl anymore and you know she is very special. She is not just any girl."_

" _No, she is not, Mama. Usagi is becoming a beautiful lady and lately, she's been acting with a newly found grace that really keeps me wondering when did my little girl grow up so fast." Kenji nodded and took another sip of his coffee, "But," his brows furrowed, "Boys will always be boys, and when that moment comes, it better be one that respects her and makes her happy; really happy." The man looked up his wife, "I will only welcome that person into this family when I make sure he is worthy and capable of making our daughter feel like the only girl in the world because she is truly one of a kind."_

O—o—O

 _It was a very lovely spring morning. The birds chirped happily as they hid in the branches of the many trees that led the way to her destination. Usagi gave a quick glance at her wristwatch to check on the hour while mentally kicking herself for not planning her morning a little better. As she turned around the corner and entered the park, she stopped when she spotted Mamoru sitting in his usual bench reading a book._

 _Like her, he was out of his usual school uniform and was wearing a much more relaxed and casual outfit that actually made him look more approachable than his formal uniform. Mamoru looked fresh in a plain white t-shirt underneath an open black and blue plaited flannel shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, slim fit dark jeans, and a pair of classic black and white converse. His dark hair was styled in its usual relaxed way with his fringe casually falling over his deep blue eyes he now had hidden behind a pair of dark shades._

 _Usagi felt her heart skipped a beat a couple of times and it hit her—the moment before her. She didn't lie; not entirely. She did have plans to be out for the day but unlike the schedule she gave to her parents, she didn't make plans to meet the girls and do some shopping for Minako and later have dinner at Makoto's place. No. Usagi had made plans, but she had made them with Mamoru instead._

 _And this was it, the day had come. This was their first actual date since the whole battle with Beryl and the Dark Kingdom ended._

 _They had come past the awkward phase of just bumping each other as strangers. They had become friends—good friends. The girls and Motoki had seen their relationship slowly bloom with so much organic nature that it made them forget they already knew each other thousands of years ago._

 _This was the first day after Beryl, the first day after a life or death battle. The first day of a new beginning but also, the first day they would have for themselves to get to know each other better and talk. Sure, they did a crash course while everything was happening as Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen aided themselves in many occasions and later as Serenity and Endymion, but this was the first time they would go out as two normal teens who felt incredibly attracted to each other._

 _This was it._

 _Not long after things went back to normal, Motoki broke his newly acquired bro-code he had with Mamoru and told the girls that it took a lot of courage for the dark-haired man to ask Usagi out on a date despite knowing there was more than just plain friendship going on between them because while close, they still acted shy around each other at times. The news made them so happy and excited that they jumped in and give them a little extra push to the couple and encourage them to make a move. In support, they even helped Usagi plan a whole itinerary of what to say to excuse her long absence to her parents—Motoki included. Even Luna and Artemis joined the cause giving her the confidence to go for it and just let fate takes its course._

 _She wanted to get to know him—she really wanted to; after that slice of chocolate cake with the little note, this was the perfect time to craft that friendship they both wanted so much to have that could either or not lead to something more._

 _Usagi wasn't sure why she was so nervous since they already knew who they were as both, civilians and as agents of justice. She even armed herself with courage and kissed him right before going into battles and before learning they had been lovers in another lifetime. It was clear they liked each other. Before Beryl appeared to capture Mamoru, they had met several times behind everyone's back and even went as far to exchange a few subtle flirts here and there every time they happened to coincide in the same place. Whether he was talking to Motoki whenever he had to help his family at the parlor or whenever she was on her way back from school and they bumped each other on the street. There was always something there. A little and harmless flirt, a hidden smile, a polite yet playful compliment—it was an energy Usagi could not put her finger on to describe but she found it to be so incredibly magical. But now, as she looked at him wearing such casual clothes, she could notice there was a side of him she had yet not seen before since they always met on school days or when the situation required for them to meet in their special clothes that masked their secret identities._

 _There was always a code, and Usagi always had this idea that one could get to know much of someone's personality by the way they dressed and right now, as she saw Mamoru so detached from the image she always got from him whenever she saw him wearing his usual white shirt, red tie, and blue blazer with formal gray slacks, it made her realize that the young man was much simpler than the dashing hero in a black tuxedo with a cape and the upper-class elite student._

 _Usagi took a deep breath and gave her watch another quick glance before taking a few steps closer to him and that's when she noticed it: the light tapping of his foot on the ground and the way he randomly pressed his lips in a tight line every other minute that proved that just like her, Mamoru was also nervous. Seeing this, somehow made her feel a little more relaxed because it meant it was something new for both of them because this time the only reason they were there was because they wanted to. Because he armed himself with courage to ask her out on a date and she shamelessly said yes._

 _It didn't take him long to notice he was no longer alone. Mamoru closed his book with one quick snap, looked up, instantly gifting Usagi a gentle and very genuine smile, "Hi,"_

 _Usagi responded the same way, "Hi," she blinked and pressed her lips as she saw him put his book aside the crossover black messenger bag he had brought with him, "I know we said ten but you see... my mother... she's always so—" her eyes widened when she saw him crack a light chuckle as he pushed his dark shades up along with his raven hair, exposing both his face and magnetic deep blue eyes, those she said were like looking into the deep oceans of Earth, so beautiful and alluring, "No problem, don't worry about it."_

" _I do want to point out that I did wake up early," Usagi giggled, "But no one can ever say no to Mama once she offers you food."_

 _Mamoru smiled, "Don't worry, Usako. That's totally fine." He glanced down at his watch and shook his head, "It's not even that late," Usagi giggled and went to sit next to him on the bench, "Alright... but you must know... I am not the most punctual person in the world."_

" _Noted," Mamoru chuckled, "Wait, is this why you didn't want me to pick you up at your house?"_

 _Usagi blushed knowing that the fact was indeed true but also because she knew her father would be there and she wasn't ready to answer awkward questions that would also put Mamoru on the spot, especially with his past, a thing she recently learned about and knew he had been struggling to find out the truth of what happened to him. After so many years of searching for answers, she figured he was still trying to process all the series of events that brought them to this very moment, just like she was doing as well._

 _With a soft giggle, Usagi bit her glossy lip nervously, "Maybe... well, also because I am not used to this formal way to go out on a date... this is actually the first time I ever go out on one... so, I don't know much about it."_

 _Mamoru arched a brow, then cracked a nervous chuckle, "Huh..." he turned quickly and let out a soft sigh, "Well... I don't know if this applies as something 'formal' but... I brought you something,"_

 _Usagi widened her crystal blue eyes when she saw him holding a pink rose and felt her cheeks flush almost instantly, "W-What..." she blinked, still very much surprised as she held the plump flower in between her hands and looked at it with disbelief. Mamoru gave her a soft smile, "It reminded me of you." He pressed his lips, "I know your favorite color is pink, so I imagined you would like it... but you can, you know... you can... it's okay if you don't..." The nervous tone in his voice gave Usagi the comfort she needed to believe she was not the only one vulnerable to the occasion._

" _What? No, I love it! No one has ever given me flowers before." Usagi smiled, "Thank you, Mamo-chan." She felt her cheeks flush even more at the slight modification she made to his name that up until now, she had noticed it was a much more intimate way to call a simple friend but the same happened with him. It came so naturally and it never felt forced or weird._

 _With a reassuring smile, Usagi pinned the flower inside one of the button holes of her light jacket and turned to look down at the book in his hand, "So, what were you reading?" She squinted her eyes lightly and looked at him, "You read a lot, don't you?"_

" _I do, it's my favorite hobby..." Mamoru chuckled and glanced down, "Uh... this..." he pursed his lips and smiled with melancholy, "Well, it's kind of an old book I took as a loan and never got to return it to its owner, so I am finally taking the time to actually finish it."_

" _Ah..." Usagi blinked with curiosity, "Can I take a look at it?"_

 _Mamoru arched his brow, "Uh, sure," he handed her the thick book and gave himself a moment to appreciate the beauty of the girl sitting next to him and took a slow breath to calm the pounding inside his chest. She was breathtakingly beautiful, but the energy that flowed from her was so soothing—it was enchanting. The way her pouty lips curved into so many different smiles he's seen gifting her friends made him wonder if she could have one for him. The way her pale blue eyes glistened with joy every time she talked to her loved ones made him think if she could ever grant him that wish, to be looked at the same way._

 _Mamoru caught the subtle hints of her perfume and felt his heart skip a beat in his chest; silently confessing his feelings to himself. He could look at her forever. He could listen to her forever. He wanted to, that he was more than sure. There were things said when the battle with the Dark Kingdom ended and they returned from the Moon but also, there were others hanging on threads drizzled with hope. He wanted to be with her but not because they had been together before and he wanted her to know that—he wanted to prove her that._

 _He smiled when his mind caught her reading some of the paragraphs out loud and widened his eyes when Usagi started to giggle ever so sweetly, "Okay wow... this is one complicated book and it doesn't even have any cool pictures in it..."_

" _Told you it's kind of old..." Mamoru chuckled lightly. Usagi pursed her lips and looked at the back cover, "But here it says it was pri—ohh, I see..." she laughed, "It's an updated edition... but the book is old..."_

" _I mean, it's not that old, about twelve years maybe? But the ideology in it is more of a utopian kind," Mamoru shrugged his shoulder, "I admit it is a little robust with its terminology and that its semiotic depictions are a little hard to follow at times but its complexity is what makes it truly fascinating."_

 _There was something in the way he spoke that always charmed Usagi and made her think she could hear him speak forever. He was always so elegant and proper that could basically turn any random conversation into something else; proving he was fluent with words and made everything sound too cool—that was it, she thought. He made everything come out so cool and that low and warm tone of his voice made everything sound so charming—sensual even._

" _A little?" Usagi mumbled as she flipped through a couple of more pages, trying her best not to let her mind wander more than she can allow it to, "How can you read this?"_

" _I read whatever comes available to me. I'm a bookworm, but, that book, in particular, has been making much sense to me on what my life turned out to be, of what I learned about myself... and, also, what I would want my life to be in the future."_

 _Usagi smiled, understanding what he was trying to say. She pressed her glossy lips, still not ready to drown her soul into his piercing indigo blue eyes, "How come you never returned it to its owner?" She looked up and gave him a playful glance, "Are your thieving tricks still peeking through?"_

" _What?!" Mamoru tilted his head back and let out a carefree laugh, one Usagi immediately fell in love with by the smooth baritone sound of it. Mamoru shook his head and looked at her with a boyish side grin on his handsome face, "No, not at all! The person whom I borrowed it from moved away and I didn't get a chance to return it—hopefully, I get to do it one day,"_

" _Ah," Usagi laughed, "I thought... well, since you are a thief and all..."_

" _I don't steal anymore," Mamoru chuckled with a faint blush in his cheeks, "And I won't do it again. I am officially retired from my thieving adventures."_

" _Well, I hope so or otherwise Sailor Moon will get mad you know?" Usagi smiled and returned the book to him, "And she can kick serious butt." Mamoru flashed her a grin, "Oh, I know that, for sure."_

 _Usagi smiled and tilted her head with curiosity "So, what are you feeling like doing today, Mamo-chan?"_

" _That should be my question, Usako." Mamoru smirked and turned to put his book inside his messenger bag along with his trusty green jacket he had brought in case it got chilly in the afternoon and tied the leather band inside the metal hoop to close it securely. Usagi grinned, feeling much more relaxed than when she got there and exhaled the remains of her nervousness as she stretched her legs and looked at her sparkly flats then at him with a curious grin, "Okay, what do you have in mind?"_

" _It's a secret,"_

" _Oh?"_

 _Mamoru smiled and offered his hand to her, "Do you trust me?" Usagi blushed and nodded as she leaned closer to shake his hand, "I trust you,"_

" _That's all I need to know." Mamoru winked an eye at her and stood up without letting go of her hand and helped her stand up; he slid his dark shades over his eyes and grinned, "Alright, let's go."_

 _Usagi nodded and helped him arrange his messenger bag across his chest and walked with him all the way to the subway station in Azabu-Juban. Usagi blinked surprised and turned to Mamoru, "Mamo-chan, where are we going?" Mamoru paid for their tickets and turned to look at Usagi with a soft smile, "A little birdie told me you've haven't really been out of Minato and that you love manga and art... so... I came up with a plan that I think you'll enjoy." He wiggled his brows playfully. Usagi blinked startled as they walked into the subway train and took their seats by the window and slowly turned her gaze at Mamoru who was taking his shades off again while thinking about how different he was from the initial idea she had of him. So simple and gentle—innocent even. She knew the young man had a growing brotherly bond with Motoki but even with him, she didn't see the playful gestures he was showing her and it was precious, it truly made her heart flutter in her chest—it made her feel like the only girl in the world. Mamoru turned to look at her and flashed her a beautiful relaxed smile, one she had never seen before but that she was sure she didn't want to ever stop admiring. It was genuine. A boyish grin that barely exposed his pearly white teeth. Almost sided, almost mischievous—playful and carefree._

 _The more she looked at him when she thought he wasn't looking, the more she could see he was letting her in into this mysterious yet bittersweet life of his. For good or bad, he was opening up to her and she was grateful because she wanted to see it all—she wanted to know everything about him just as much as he wanted to know everything about her, but as of now, he had the advantage because he was taking her somewhere she has never been before._

" _How is it that you know your way to all these places outside of Azabu-Juban?" Usagi asked with a curious tone. Mamoru's lips curved to a much subtler smile, almost melancholic and for this answer, somehow, he preferred to look away, "I used to live in Shinjuku—well, Suginami-ku, to be exact. Later on, I moved to Minato, first to Moto-Azabu, and about a year ago to Azabu-Juban." He looked up at the sky with that same melancholy ghosting his lips, "I 've done a lot of commuting over the years that helped me learn and memorize the tracks and routes..."_

" _Oh, I thought you have lived in Juban all this time,"_

" _No, just recently,"_

" _You moved around a lot..."_

" _You can say that."_

 _Usagi propped one leg up on her seat and hugged it lightly as she looked at him, she wanted to ask more but she didn't want to pry into the things he probably wasn't ready to share. It made her wonder how his life must have been before they met, where did he live, who were his friends—if he had any friends. While dealing with the Dark Kingdom, she learned by him that he was an orphan and how he had lost his parents in an accident on his sixth birthday, but that was very much it. She figured that if he lived somewhere else, it was probably because he moved with other relatives, or to a foster home after being adopted. She wished to know his journey in life, what brought him to Azabu-Juban from all the way from where he used to live before. She wondered if it was the same as it happened with Makoto but she wasn't going to force him to tell her more than he was willing to give at the moment so she just went with that little piece of information and continued enjoying the ride._

 _Around ten minutes after, their stop finally came. Mamoru quickly stood up to help Usagi move around and helped her come out of the train. She was completely smitten by the way he watched over her every move; Mamoru was being a true gentleman with her; with the flower as an adorable initial gesture, he opened all doors for her, watched her step at all times, and held her hand whenever they walked through crowded places so nobody would come close enough to make her feel insecure and also, so she wouldn't get lost. The young man knew what he was doing by taking her out of her comfort zone and he was well aware that he had to be extremely careful because unlike him, she had a family to return to. Usagi felt butterflies in her stomach as they walked out of the station and were soon walking down the busy and overly kawaii Takeshita Street in Harajuku. Despite the bright and almost blinding light of the sun at noon, Usagi turned to look everywhere with wide eyes; she didn't know where to turn, everything was so eye-catching, so colorful, loud and busy—very busy. Mamoru looked at her and noticed she was struggling to keep focus as she put her hand over her forehead to create a small shade and quickly took his sunglasses and put them over Usagi's eyes, "Here you go,"_

 _Usagi jumped surprised and turned to Mamoru, "B-But..."_

" _It's okay," Mamoru smiled, "It's very bright and so much for you to see,"_

 _Usagi wanted to tear up with emotion, how is that this young man could be this adorable, this uncommonly shy and innocent; like a little boy who wanted to show her everything with a unique spark in his eyes. It moved her, this was a side she never thought she could get to see of him. Underneath that unbreakable seriousness, was actually an incredibly charming guy. It was more than clear there was much more sparking between them that just ancient history. There was a friendship and complicity none of them had found before, an understanding and excitement and need to make each other happy—there was love. She had the biggest crush on Mamoru, that she was sure, and she was just one smile away from falling completely for him but she needed to try her best to disguise it and instead, the sunny blonde giggled with a mocking hint, "Ah, so this why you wear shades all the time?"_

" _Kind of," Mamoru chuckled and held her hand, "It's more of a developed custom than anything else..."_

 _Usagi tilted her head with curiosity in her snarly grin but quickly pushed it aside when she felt his hand holding hers ever so gently; she liked it—the warmth that flowed within him, it was so much like the sun above their heads. How many times it saved her, she thought. After this, she didn't know how it was going to be possible to let go—she didn't want to let go, not now and she knew not ever._

" _Come, there is a place I want you to see first. It's just a few more streets down but—" Mamoru said with mirth as he made way for them to walk in the crowded sidewalk. Between small talk and sweet and flirty jokes, Mamoru pointed a building when they were finally around the corner in Omotesando and smiled. It was so adorable to see him so excited, "I have a feeling that you will like this place, Usako,"_

 _Usagi smiled widely, she was loving the nickname he gave her just mere weeks ago and she was loving the lightness of his voice that always came attached to it, it was a sweet, sweet sound—sweeter than a chocolate milkshake, "Really?" She held onto his arm as they crossed the street, "Well, then Mamo-chan... surprise me."_

 _Mamoru chuckled and opened the glass door for her to walk in first. Usagi didn't need to look much around to know where they were. The minute she stepped inside she was instantly welcomed by a large image she knew by heart and loved. A manga illustration from her favorite mangaka she had as a bookmark in one of her art magazines and declared it was her all-time favorite. With much care, Usagi took the sunglasses away from her face and took a deep breath, "M-Mamo-chan..."_

 _Mamoru turned to give the people at the entrance the pair of tickets he had bought in anticipation and smiled once he caught up with her, "I was reading the paper the other day—shocking, I know—and it said they were going to show a retrospective about the history of manga and anime and well, since I know you love illustration in general, I thought this would be a good place for you to visit."_

 _Usagi stood in the middle of the first floor of the Watari Art Museum with tear-glossed eyes. She was beyond moved; she didn't believe she couldn't feel so happy and melancholic at the same time. As she turned around to look at the almost endless list of image compositions on the walls, she thought about the many times she told Naru about how much she loved to draw and how it ringed the idea of becoming an artist in the future, setting this the foundation of her love and dedication to the art of illustration and design—aside from her fascination with astrology. Usagi clearly remembered the day she was showing Naru one of her magazines while eating a chocolate parfait at the crown parlor one afternoon and she clearly remembered how she told her she wanted to go to visit this particular museum and see it all in person. Her light blue eyes widened when it finally made sense, how this came to be, "Naru-chan..." she mumbled with shock and turned to Mamoru, "Naru-chan told you! Naru-chan's the little birdie!"_

 _Mamoru smiled as they walked around the large room and looked at the many framed images. There it was again, that unique smile Usagi loved so much to see, the same one that made her legs jiggle and her heart skip countless of beats._

" _I was on my way home one day and ran into Osaka-san outside the jewelry store while she was giving away flyers to the people passing by. She recognized me and asked me for you since she saw us talking many times... and later it came to the conversation how much you loved art and that you were always drawing in your spare time—even during classes."_

 _Usagi felt all the color in her cheeks had left and shook her head still not believing Mamoru had planned all of this just to surprise her and took a deep breath, "Oh my god..."_

" _I don't understand much about all this but I really want to learn... so, who better to teach me than someone who truly values and understands the many forms of art?" Mamoru kept his smile intact, "So, here we are. I'm all ears, Usako. Teach me about the art of illustration."_

" _Seriously?" Usagi blinked, "Me?"_

" _Yes, you." Mamoru nodded, his eyes couldn't look more honest and curious, "I really want to learn and who better than you to teach me?"_

 _Usagi blushed. With a crazy flutter in her chest, she smiled. Without thinking it twice, she turned and pointed one of the pictures she clearly recognized as one of the most popular in her art magazines and started explaining what she liked about them, emotions and all. Mamoru was genuinely immersed in the conversation that quickly peaked to a much deeper analysis and debate—a thing he truly enjoyed since he was more of an analytical person rather than creative. Sadly, for him, all he could do were straight lines and write with impeccable but rather boring calligraphy._

 _Mamoru was impressed by how much Usagi knew about the matter and how she would describe every single thing with such detail and expression. At her fourteen years of age, she proved that she was more than the klutzy girl everyone got to see; the girl who liked to sleep and eat sweets—the playful one. With him, she was showing another layer he had yet not gotten the chance to see in all the times they have been together; on top of all the cuteness and klutziness, Usagi was showing him a side that wasn't afraid to expose her passions and he was loving every second of it._

 _The young couple went through each of all four floors looking at the different paintings, drawings, sketches and even little sculptures from very famous Japanese artists in the manga industry and some other very popular designers. It was a meticulous collection—as she would say. Usagi couldn't feel more connected and understood by someone as she felt with Mamoru right now. She was truly amazed to see he asked her genuine insight questions and how much he appreciated her likings and passions, proving her that the mocking person she thought he was didn't really exist. He really wanted to learn, and he was catching up pretty fast._

 _Usagi had finally found someone with whom she really could open a debate about anything and make the best conversations that would clearly go on for hours. This moment was a clear example of it. Mamoru was incredibly smart, that she had it more than clear, but he never bragged about it, he never mocked her much simpler way to describe and tell a story behind a piece; he was genuinely interested and the most curious thing about it was that she didn't feel intimidated by him. He made her feel comfortable around him, which inspired her to learn more on the matter and have more deep and thoughtful moments like these she knew she couldn't have with anyone else—except with Ami, but even the bluenette was also more into the arts of science rather than creative. This was something she had never experienced before, the man aside from the obviousness of his handsome looks and mad intellectual skills, was incredibly cool and fun to hang out with._

 _The moment slowly swayed them into a flirtatious frenzy and without really thinking, as they stood in front of a giant painting, she felt this inexplicable need to hold his hand. Out of the blue and without really thinking if there was going to be a consequence for such abrupt action, her hand slowly moved closer to his and let her fingers lightly held it without expecting anything in return; her heart skipped a beat when she felt him responding to her touch by lacing his fingers with hers with a much secure grip. They stayed holding hands in silence for the rest of the tour and decided to leave when they felt the room was starting to get a little too crowded for them and went out of the building not after passing by the gift shop and on Mamoru's request, she could pick anything she liked as a memento from the exhibition and choose something for him to take home as well._

 _They walked around the many little shops around the block while joking and playing around like two silly lovebirds. Usagi flipped her head to the side, her long pigtails flowed with the breeze like two bright rays of sunshine whey she spotted a kawaii store in the crowded alley, "Oooh! Plushies!"_

 _Mamoru cracked a careless laugh like he hadn't done in years and let himself be taken to wherever the bubbly blonde wanted to go. She was his sail, the breeze to guide his boat to better shores; his heart beat strong in his chest every time she turned to look at him with those rosy cheeks and sweet smile. He was completely smitten by her, he had known it for weeks. Ever since he saw her for the first time, she had his heart on her sleeve. Usagi had a contagious laugh and clear energy he could not get tired of; her eyes were so expressive and clear like a cloudless day and all he wanted to do was to stare into them all day._

 _Usagi stopped at a spinning display with a large selection of sunglasses in all shapes, colors, and sizes, "Oh look!" She giggled and took a big pair of round glasses with flicking little lights and turned to Mamoru with a grin, "Would you feel embarrassed if we went out and I was wearing something like this?"_

 _Mamoru tilted his head back and started laughing like he probably had never done in his life, "No," he turned and grabbed a similar pair but instead of flashing lights, these had feathers all over the frames and put them on Usagi's face, she wiggled her brows, "Fancy, huh?"_

 _Mamoru grinned, "Classy too."_

 _Usagi chuckled and turned to look at her reflection in the little mirror, "Oooh... I look good," she grinned, "They go with everything."_

 _Mamoru laughed, "Sure, the feathers—" he clicked his tongue, "Nice touch,"_

" _Top notch," Usagi laughed and took them off. She put them back in the display and bit her lip, "So, I just realized I actually don't own a pair of sunglasses... I actually never had a nice pair, aside from the ones my mom got me when I was a little girl," she pouted her lips as she looked for a much more civil and modern style, "By the way... I couldn't help but notice... I've seen you wear yours a lot,"_

" _Yeah..." Mamoru smiled, "I do, a lot."_

" _You said it was more of a custom?" Usagi put a pair of black aviator shades and turned to face him, "How are these?" Mamoru chuckled, "Nice, you look tough,"_

" _Really?"_

" _Yeah,"_

" _I do feel like a mobster," Usagi giggled and put them back and kept looking for another pair, "So... how come it became a custom?"_

" _I wear them because well, to me, they're a necessity. After the accident, I was diagnosed with optic nerve damage. Thankfully, it didn't become a severe problem, but because of it, I am sensitive to very bright lights and at times my vision can get blurry and tired whenever I am not wearing my glasses when reading."_

" _Oh... that's why you wear glasses!" Usagi turned with wonder; Mamoru nodded. His smile faded a little, "But, to be honest, I also did it to feel less vulnerable and hide my eyes from view,"_

" _Vulnerable?"_

" _Yeah..."_

" _Why?"_

 _Mamoru shrugged his shoulder and kept surfing through the many options, a little nervous. He felt a layer of his well-constructed fortress was peeling off and he felt exposed. Here goes, that part he didn't think he would ever have the courage to admit._

" _It gave me the invisibility I needed... if it makes sense. When I started using them, I felt safe. I felt like myself. When I was in the orphanage, whenever there were people meeting with us, I would always get comments on my eyes and I felt uneasy."_

" _Like if that was the only thing that made you be you,"_

" _Yes, exactly like that." Mamoru nodded and let out a soft sigh, "I mean, eventually I got over it, and I continued using them more for necessity rather than a safety factor, but that was the first motive as to why I depended much on them whenever I went out,"_

 _Usagi tilted her head with wonder, she was in complete awe by his unfiltered honesty. She didn't need to ask anything to know he had a completely different childhood compared to hers. One when he often felt like an amusement more than a boy trying to find answers about his family. It broke her heart, to know he went through such hard moments but now more than ever she wanted to lift the somberness that had followed him for years and make him laugh just like he was doing moments ago. She turned with a blush warming up her cheeks, "I don't want to sound like any of those people but... you know... I've never seen eyes as beautiful and unique as yours,"_

" _Thank you," Mamoru blushed three shades of red, "Coming from you, I'll take it as the best compliment I've ever gotten,"_

 _Usagi smiled and pursed her lips as she turned to the display, trying her best to hide her flushed cheeks. She was usually carefree whenever she said something nice about someone, she often did and that made her be her, but she had never flirted before and now, here she was, flirting with the cutest guy she's ever met and felt like her heart could pound out of her chest any minute, "Um, so... should I look for something like the ones you're wearing?"_

" _Hmm..." Mamoru pursed his lips to the side in thought and started looking for a specific style, "I think you should look for something that makes you feel comfortable and something that matches your personality more,"_

" _So, yours are classic square because..."_

" _...I basically have the personality of a square,"_

 _"What if the ones with the flashy feathers make me feel comfortable? I think the personality thing is more than set with those,"_

" _Then you should totally go for the ones with the feathers,"_

 _Usagi laughed, "Well, I might," her eyes widened when she spotted another pair of black shades and sighed when she realized they were too up high and turned with a shy smile, "Could you help me? You're the tall one of the team..."_

" _I get it, I get it," Mamoru chuckled and leaned closer to grab them and carefully put them on her face; there it was again, that handsome smile that warmed up Usagi's heart and made her legs feel like jelly, "I think you found your pair."_

" _Really?" Usagi grinned with excitement and turned to look in the mirror, "Oh my god, yes!"_

" _Like them?"_

" _I_ _ **love**_ _them!" Usagi puckered up her lips and turned her head both sides pay more attention to the detail in the cat-eye shape of the frame, "They're chic and comfortable," she giggled and puckered up her lips, "And I think it matches my personality, don't you think?"_

" _I do. Quirky but classy. They're lovely on you,"_

" _Really?"_

" _Yes,"_

" _It's like an homage to Luna too—you know, because of the kitty-eye frames..."_

" _That too,"_

" _I'll take them,"_

" _Perfect, say no more."_

 _Usagi turned to look at him, "W-What?"_

 _Mamoru pinched her nose lightly and turned to the cashier with his wallet in hand and paid for the sunglasses—her very first pair that instantly became her favorite from any others she would buy in the future. Usagi blinked completely shocked by his naturalness, "T-Thank you so much, Mamo-chan,"_

" _You are very welcome." Mamoru smiled and slid down his dark shades, "Hungry?"_

 _Usagi nodded and put on her new sunglasses as they walked out of the little shop, the blonde smiled, feeling good with her the new custom she naturally adapted into her lifestyle. After a while, they walked into a little café famous for its bread and many lunch options and sat by the little terrace that gave the best view of the many Harajuku girls passing by with their best attires and taking pictures with many tourists and locals. She was really enjoying every single thing from their little date trip; it was exciting, it was new, and the best part of it is that she was spending quality time with Mamoru._

 _They continued with their conversation from their time at the museum and not sure when it happened, they started talking about the different kinds of salt and pepper and later about their taste in music and other random hobbies. As they waited for their food, they embraced the moment to get to talk a little more about themselves and get to know each other better including their unexpected journey that led them to become agents of justice and later meet._

 _Usagi smiled and propped her chin on her hand, "Did you really just go for it, just like that?"_

" _Yes," Mamoru nodded as he pushed his beverage aside, "Just like that,"_

" _So, you really just decided you wanted to be a famous thief,"_

" _Yeah..." Mamoru chuckled and leaned back in his chair, "Well, famous... not so much."_

" _You are so random," Usagi said with a grin, Mamoru cracked a mirthic laugh, "I wasn't finding any answers... I had to take extreme measures. That was my safest bet at the moment."_

" _This is why you're so athletic and active,"_

" _Well, I kind of had to. I had to train myself, otherwise, I would have broken a lot of bones from all my climbing and leaping."_

" _In a tuxedo,"_

" _Ah, well... that," Mamoru chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, "It's weird, I really can't explain how it happened. I just saw it on a display and had this itch to have it—it was a pinch of nostalgia I had to carry on with me."_

" _So, you stole that too," Usagi squinted her eyes with curiosity, "What?" Mamoru laughed, "No!"_

" _Well, I don't know! Maybe you're a kleptomaniac, Mamo-chan,"_

" _I wasn't a common thief, Usako."_

 _Usagi laughed, then leaned closer to him with wonder in her crystal blue eyes, "Can I ask what did you do with the things you stole? Did you get to keep them all?" Mamoru shook his head, "No. Once I realized it was not what I was looking for, I would leave a clue to the authorities so they could find the bounty at a certain hidden place. I wanted answers, not things. I returned everything—if you don't believe me, ask Sailor V."_

" _Wait," Usagi's eyes widened, "You knew Sailor V?!"_

" _Yeah... although, we were not in the best of terms. I was a criminal."_

" _Oh my god, that's so cool!"_

" _That she wanted me in jail?"_

" _No! That you guys met before it all began,"_

" _You did too!" Mamoru laughed; Usagi blushed and scratched the back of her head shyly, "Well yes, but... you know...V came first and she became an instant celebrity... as you did later on... Mysterious Face 12345,"_

 _Mamoru laughed, "Okay, that I was not expecting at all." He smiled and leaned closer to keep the confession intimate, "But I will tell you this, Sailor Moon: the only things I kept, and the reason I was chased after—I think up until now—are the gold medal and the pocket watch."_

" _Oooh!" Usagi's eyes blinked with realization, "Yeah... about that..." she sighed, "I accidentally broke the glass of your watch... probably—_ _ **you know**_ _—but I'm so, so sorry,"_

" _That's alright, Usako," Mamoru shook his head, "Don't pay mind to it."_

" _It feels weird to know I have something that's been on the search for so long. Do you happen to know how much it costs? You know... if they got to sell it?"_

" _I have no idea but I think that due to their historical or mythological value, they would probably cost a fortune if they were auctioned." Mamoru shook his head, "I stole them from a gallery—they were part of a private collection, actually, from the man who wrote that utopian book I'm reading." He let out a muted chuckle, "That was the night I met V."_

" _Wow..." Usagi blinked with surprise, "Oh... now it makes sense why you are reading that book," Mamoru smiled with a nod, "Now, everything makes sense. I felt some sort of attachment to them the moment I saw them—now I know why..."_

" _You felt a connection to them... you knew there was something that tied them to you."_

" _Yeah..."_

 _Usagi was happy to be having this private moment with Mamoru. Aside from the facts they knew about each other when they confessed their reasons to be searching for the silver crystal and they revealed their secret identities, it was nice she got to know him—Chiba Mamoru, the guy behind the mask of the mysterious Tuxedo Kamen. She got to know a little more about his common life as a high school student, his likings and dislikes and everything in between, including his plans and dreams for the future—a thing no one else had asked him until he met her. The same was for Mamoru, as he got to know more about her curious and honest nature with every question she asked._

 _Once their meal was served their conversation had to take a rapid turn to keep their anonymity intact and quickly caught up in a friendly talk that later led to sweet and innocent flirts; a wink of an eye, a little mischievous grin. All the little things that brought them together in the first place, way before they even met all over again in a new era. Without knowing, they were in love without knowing they had been in love before—thousands of years back._

 _While enjoying their food, they told each other jokes and laughed until their eyes teared up. They talked about everything and anything at the same time, it was addicting, being around each other. By now, the invisible mantle that made them feel shy and self-conscious had vanished and now, they silently wished this day would never come to an end._

 _Once done with their lunch, the young couple decided to continue their little tour. They walked down a few more blocks now holding hands without any shyness or remorse and decided it was time to have some dessert. Since it was Usagi's specialty, she got to choose what and the place to get it. After considering many options of sweet treats, Usagi spotted a cute little ice-cream shop where she later discovered they both had a love for chocolate, although with different levels of sweetness. He chose a mocha-espresso flavor and she went for the milk chocolate malt with chunks of brownie and sprinkles on top, mostly for the added pop of color. As she always said: when in doubt, always add sprinkles._

 _While he paid for the decadent dessert, Mamoru took a quick glance at his watch and turned to scoop some of his ice-cream when he saw Usagi took the lead by leaning close to do it first without notice and blinked his eyes rather surprised. Usagi started laughing, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! It's just that your ice-cream looks soooo good... I had to—" her crystal blue eyes widened when he leaned down to take a bite of her fudgy ice-cream in the same playful manner and savored the rich flavor melting in his mouth, "It's good,"_

" _You got—" Usagi chuckled and tried to get closer to wipe some of the fudge smudged on Mamoru's cheek and blushed softly, "Some chocolate... here..." she couldn't see his eyes because they were hidden behind his dark shades again but she could feel his strong gaze on her looking into her soul. It didn't make her feel uncomfortable but she was very grateful she now had her own pair of dark shades to mask her fascination with the young man as he willingly leaned down so she could wipe off the sweet trace with a napkin. All the ideas she had about him had been proven wrong, and now, all she could do now was to succumb to her feelings. That was it, she finally admitted it. Tsukino Usagi had fallen for Chiba Mamoru and she had fallen hard._

" _I should have asked for a sample first..." She let out a shy giggle. Mamoru smiled, "It's alright. We can trade."_

" _Really?"_

" _Of course," Mamoru smiled and gave her his cone and took hers, "Next time we come, you can try a different flavor, deal?"_

 _Usagi nodded with excitement, "Deal." Mamoru looked at the time in his watch again, "Ready to go?"_

 _Usagi felt like if her heart had dropped in her chest and gave him a slow nod. As they walked all the way back to the station, she looked at her watch and freaked out when she saw it was still early for her to go back home and it made her wonder if she had done something that made him uncomfortable like holding his hand out of the blue or cleaning the smudge of chocolate off his cheek and it finally hit her. The things she was doing were things only a girlfriend could do and her eyes widened with panic realizing they were not an official couple despite the light shows of affection. This was a date, nothing less, but also, nothing more._

 _Once they took their seat inside the train, Usagi came to the conclusion that it might have been the fact that she licked his ice-cream without asking, or maybe the action was so bold it forced him to give her his cone. Yes, that was it—she had grossed him out and scared him away. She still had to learn to control her impulses—she thought, and then, she remembered the kiss she stole from him the night they were fighting Kunzite at Tokyo Tower and froze in her seat with panic._

 _Thirty minutes later, the train stopped at another station Usagi didn't recognize as the one in Azabu-Juban. Mamoru turned to look at her with that same charming smile she had declared to be hers in silence hours ago and held his hand as they walked out of the station and all the way down the street. Usagi's eyes widened when she saw the ocean peeking into view from a distance and turned to Mamoru with surprise, "Where are we, Mamo-chan?"_

" _Tokyo Bay," Mamoru smiled, "Well... the bay is all the way over there, but we're exactly at Odaiba Marine Park," the young man led his date to a stone bench that was close to the sandy beach ahead and sat under the shade of a tree to enjoy the peaceful scenario. The sky had started to paint the warm colors of the afternoon with the sun was slowly setting in the distance, giving a chance to the many tall buildings in Tokyo to start lighting up like little twinkling stars. They watched the ferry boats come and go filled with people adorning the wavy waters with many blinking lights as they passed by._

 _Usagi pointed the Daikanransha_ _Ferris wheel moving in the distance and widened her eyes with genuine wonder, "Wow, it's so huge!" Mamoru smiled, "Yeah... it's one of the tallest Ferris wheels in the entire world,"_

" _Really?!"_

" _Yep,"_

" _Would you ride it?"_

 _His little train of thought was interrupted when he heard her sweet, powdery voice. Mamoru chuckled and turned to look at her, "Only if you came with me,"_

" _Why?" Usagi wiggled her brows in a mocking gesture, "Don't tell me you are scared of heights..."_

 _Mamoru chuckled, "After all the things we've gone through with our adventures? Nah... but... you know, it would be kind of sad for a guy to ride it alone." Usagi burst laughing, "Aww! But I thought you didn't care what others thought about you!"_

" _I normally don't," Mamoru said almost in a whisper and turned his view to the ocean ahead, "But I do care about you—I do care what you think of me."_

 _Usagi's giggles slowly died down, giving a cue to Mamoru to continue. To him, it has come to a point that it was either now or never, regardless of the outcome. He took one deep breath and let it out slowly along with the overflowing feeling in his chest, "I'm in love with you, Usagi."_

 _Usagi blinked but didn't say anything—she couldn't. She was completely taken by surprise and trapped in her own whirlpool of emotions. Mamoru blushed and took a deep breath, "I know how it sounds... I am well aware of what I'm saying..." he slowly turned to look at her and touched Usagi's cheek very gently, "I don't know how to explain it better but it's something I've never felt before—that I am sure. Ever since I met you, every time I look at you, you just... take my breath away."_

" _Mamo-chan..." Usagi blushed; Mamoru gave her a shy smile and turned to look away again, thankful that the sky had darkened enough to cover the blush in his cheeks, "I know we found out things about our past and it may sound crazy, but I genuinely don't feel any of this is influenced by it. My feelings for you are not a result of that truth, I am more than certain. It's amazing how things came to be, true, but I didn't meet you as Endymion in this time, I met you as who I am now. We got to know each other again and slowly became friends and later accomplices in battle—this is our present. The girl I've been looking for, the girl I wished so much to find for years... it's you. This wonderful, beautiful girl named Tsukino Usagi."_

 _Mamoru looked down for her hand and held it in between his, he took a minute before looking up at her again and smiled, "I would like to keep seeing you, I would like to be with you. I would like to start over and let things flow naturally and take us wherever it has to go if that is something you would want to do too, of course. The only thing I do not want, for sure, is to let our past dictate what we should be doing with our present. If this is meant to be, it has to be because we both feel it's right. Because we both want it."_

 _Usagi felt her eyes burn with tears and looked down at their hands together and laced her fingers with his. She looked up with teary eyes, her biggest fear had been demolished with the most wonderful set of words she's ever heard. In his own darkness, he was looking for her; despite not letting the past meddle with their feelings, just to know that he kept his promise to her made her feel all kinds of emotions. He loved her and not the idea of an ancient romance—it was her, Tsukino Usagi, not what it meant to be the reincarnation of a princess, but the simple girl sitting right next to him._

 _Usagi didn't feel conflicted with the idea of being a cosmic monarch, she learned to be fine with it after making the decision to never be a tragic princess ever again, but she didn't want that to define who she was now. Times were different, so were their experiences, and just like Mamoru had said, she fell for him before she even knew she was Serenity or even Sailor Moon. It was an instant pull of attraction and after that, it was genuine endearment far from the fact of having shared something in the past. She fell for Chiba Mamoru before she remembered he was Endymion. She wanted to be with him, she wanted to get to know him more and be happy with him without any of the obstacles that stepped in their way in the past. It was a clean slate—a fresh start, a new romance and it was happening right now. Love was within their grasp._

 _Mamoru combed his fingers through the silky hair cascading from one of her buns and smiled, feeling somewhat shameful for his blunt confession, "I'm sorry if—"_

" _Me too,"_

 _Mamoru widened his eyes when he saw Usagi's tears rolling down her cheeks, not really caring if they ruined her makeup she put on with so much detail and care for the occasion, "I want to keep seeing you too... I can't stop thinking about you. I want to be with you. I know what I feel and I know it's something I want to share just with you." She turned fully to look at him and used the sleeve of her light jacket to dry her tears, "I want to erase that somber look in those beautiful ocean-blue eyes of yours. I want to be able to look at them gleam without you feeling guilty or vulnerable. I want you to feel safe and make you smile and hear you laugh and giggle like you've been doing all day..." she beamed at him with the most honest and genuine smile and shrugged her shoulders surrendering her deepest feelings in the most adorable way, "I love you, Mamo-chan... I do... I really do. I am not as good with words as you are, but my feelings are true. After all that has happened... I am more than aware that I should not take anything for granted, and that is you, my very first love—my only love. The one I want to be with."_

 _Mamoru felt a lump in the back of his throat and a very familiar burn in his eyes that reminded him of all the things he had promised himself to keep in check and never show to anyone ever again. But she wasn't just anyone. She was a dream come true. He felt exposed by the gleam in his eyes but he was extremely moved to know that there was someone who had genuine feelings for him and that enjoyed his company, making him realize this is the first time he felt this indescribable desire to be with somebody and give anything to make that person smile forever._

 _With Usagi, everything was so simple and at the same time she made him feel safe despite being so different, she never mocked him but on the contrary, she always showed a great interest to know more. She eased his insecurities and allowed him to be himself, all the things that make him be him—him. The guy he had learned to keep well hidden from the world. Mamoru leaned closer and cupped her cheek with his hand and wiped Usagi's tears with his thumb, "Are we crazy?"_

" _Most likely," Usagi giggled, gathering enough valor to lean on him "I know it's up to us to make this work, but it feels right. It's a good kind of craziness..."_

" _It is a very good kind of craziness. I would say it's the best." Mamoru nodded and put his arm around her shoulders as she propped both legs on the bench and let her rest her back on his chest, "That is why I wanted to have a day for just us two. I wanted to spend time with you and tell you all this... regardless of what happened after." He rested his chin on one of her hair buns and smiled softly, "You deserved a proper declaration, a new one. One that wasn't thousands of years old."_

 _Usagi smiled and looked up at him and put her hands on each side of his face, "I'm so happy that I found you,"_

" _I'm blessed for having found you," Mamoru leaned down to rest his forehead on hers, "I'm truly blessed." he looked at her in the eyes, "Tsukino Usagi, all I have left is to ask if you want to be with me as my girlfriend,"_

 _Usagi blushed as she looked into his eyes and tilted her head to welcome his lips with hers in the sweetest and most heartfelt kiss they shared "I would love nothing more,"_

 _Without any distractions, without mixed emotions in the way, without people watching—it was them, just them, enjoying the blessings of fate. They stayed in their own little romantic frenzy, both finally letting their emotions flow free that would set the ground for something they both knew it was going to be so grand that it was going to surpass what they once had in the past._

 _This was the bliss of committing to the moment with the excitement of knowing that every following day was set to become a new adventure and they could not wait. The stars started peeking through the velvety evening sky and let the new couple know it was time to go. They held hands all the way back to the station and walked all the way to Usagi's home, right on time before her curfew, as she promised to her parents._

 _As they looked into their eyes for a moment, they exchanged a few mischievous smiles and playful taunts, both succumbing to the excitement of their new blooming love. Usagi ran her hand through Mamoru's silky hair and flicked his fringe away from his face and giggled, "It always gets in the way and your eyes are too pretty to be covered,"_

 _Mamoru blushed, "I may have to ask you to cut it then,"_

" _Oh no, no, no," Usagi chuckled, "I would never dare... I would leave you looking like if a beaver chewed on your hair... plus, you go to a very elite school, you can't go looking like that. You might get expelled—I heard from Ami-chan they're very strict."_

" _Who knows? It might become a thing. The school board might think it's cool," Mamoru laughed; Usagi giggled while combing his hair back gently, "It's fine the way it is, I like it this way." She stepped on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck to secure her height, "Good night, my charming Prince. Thank you so much for today, I'll remember it forever." Mamoru smiled, "My pleasure, sweet Princess. See you tomorrow."_

" _After school at the park, say around three-ish?"_

" _That sounds specific. I'll be there,"_

" _Alrighty," Usagi grinned, "Oh! Bring a book, you know... just in case..."_

" _Huh?" Mamoru arched a brow, "In case of...?"_

" _I get detention, the 'ish' is for a reason," Usagi bit her lower lip; Mamoru cracked a laugh, "Ah, look at you all confident about it..."_

" _It's going to be your fault, just so you know."_

" _Wait, what? How's is it going to be my fault?!"_

" _You're too cute, Mamo-chan," Usagi blushed and rubbed his nose with hers in Eskimo style, "And I may daydream a lot about everything that happened today. I may daydream a lot about you,"_

" _You should be studying..."_

" _Ah... yeah, that too."_

" _Seriously,"_

" _I don't like it..." Usagi whined, "I'm so bad at studying... so, so, so bad... I've been failing every test,"_

 _Mamoru sighed, "I know. I'm familiar with your grades." He chuckled when he saw her blushing, "I'll help you out, don't worry."_

" _You will?" Usagi's eyes gleamed like two bright stars, "Really?"_

" _Yes," Mamoru smiled, "I'll take a look at your notes tomorrow,"_

" _I'll try to stay focused, I promise."_

 _Mamoru felt his cheeks flush, "You are unbelievable," he leaned down and kissed her lips ever so gently. A minute after of pure bliss, they parted and gave themselves another minute to enjoy their company. Usagi cupped his cheeks lightly and stood on her tiptoes again to kiss him softly on the lips one last time before turning on her heel and open the front gate of her house. Mamoru waited until he made sure she got inside the house and started walking back to his apartment with a wide grin on his face._

" _I'm home!"_

 _Inside, Ikuko waved her hand at her daughter from the living room where she was watching television with Kenji, "Hi dear, how was your day?" Usagi smiled as she took off her sparkly shoes and let out a soft sigh, "It was wonderful..." she whispered while looking down at the pink rose pinned in her jacket and quickly turned to join her parents in the room, "It was great,"_

" _Did Minako find what she was looking for?"_

" _Yes, Mama."_

" _I'm glad you're home early, Usagi." Kenji smiled at his daughter, "You are proving to be very responsible with your free time. That's good."_

 _Usagi smiled, "Thank you, Papa, that means a lot."_

" _Are you hungry dear? I packed some food from dinner in case you wanted to eat something," Ikuko looked at her daughter lovingly, Usagi shook her head, "I'm alright Mama, thanks. Actually, I am going to take a bath and then I think I'll go to bed, I am a little tired—it's been a long day." She smiled, "Good night,"_

" _Good night, dear," Ikuko and Kenji said in unison as they watched their daughter turn on her heel to go upstairs; Ikuko widened her eyes, "Oh, Usagi, before I forget—" she turned to look at her daughter, "Naru-chan called,"_

" _Naru-chan?" Usagi blinked nervously, silently kicking herself for forgetting telling her she had made plans with Mamoru that day, "Oh, and... what did she say?"_

" _That she knew you were going to be out with the girls today but she wanted to let you know their jeweler fixed the broken glass of the watch you left at the jewelry. She said it started working again on its own when he gave it a little maintenance—it's all polished and looking like new."_

 _Usagi's eyes lit up with excitement, "Oh! Goodie, goodie!" She smiled when she remembered the little conversation she had with Mamoru while they were having lunch. "I will go pick it up tomorrow after school, then. Thank you, Mama."_

" _Which watch is it, dear?" Ikuko asked with a curious tone in her sweet voice, Kenji turned to look at his daughter with the same curiosity mirrored in his brown eyes; it was now or never, Usagi thought. There was no point in keeping it a secret, it wasn't fair for Mamoru, her parents, but also, it wasn't fair for her. Not when they just declared their feelings and made a promise to each other to live their love without obstacles; not when it was nearly impossible to hide the love reflected in her eyes and the intense blush in her cheeks every time she thought about him—her Mamo-chan._

" _It's more like a gift... for someone..."_

 _Ikuko and Kenji exchanged glances for a second and looked at their nervous daughter standing by the door with a soft blush in her cheeks, "Oh? And this someone is?" Kenji asked with an arched brow, expectant of his daughter's answer. He already knew it—he felt it—call it a father's instinct, but he needed to hear it from her to put all speculation aside. Usagi looked at her father, "Chiba Mamoru..." she smiled confidently, "My boyfriend."_

O—o—O

Serenity slowly opened her eyes and waited a minute to allow herself to adjust them to the very dim light in the room and later to bring herself back to reality. She felt a sharp rush of anxiety once it came clear what was happening but before she could jump out of the futon where she realized she was sleeping on; she felt a light squeeze on her hand that made her turn to the man that has been her loving companion for years and that now she could finally call her husband—her Mamo-chan.

"Hey..." Endymion whispered to calm her down and reassure her that she wasn't trapped in a strange dream. Serenity took a slow breath, "Hey..."

"Bad dream?"

Serenity shook her head and gave her husband a soft smile, "No... far from it." She snuggled closer to him, "It was more of a memory than a dream..." Endymion rested his arm over her waist and looked at her with wonder, "A memory?"

"Yes..." Serenity exhaled softly, almost dreamily, "When we ended up sealing our love with a kiss at Tokyo Bay." She smiled as she turned to rest on her side, "Do you remember?"

Endymion traced her nose with a feathery touch, "Of course, I do, it was our first date."

Serenity slowly nodded, "I was _so_ nervous that day..."

"Me too," Endymion returned the smile, "But I wouldn't have it any other way,"

"Me neither." Serenity shook her head, "But... you know... we never got to ride the Ferris wheel,"

"Huh, you're right..." Endymion pursed his lips in wonder, Serenity giggled, "We also made a deal and you haven't delivered, Chiba Mamoru." Endymion chuckled, immediately knowing what his wife was talking about, "That was some really good ice-cream, huh?"

"It was really, _really_ good—I don't think we've had another as good as that one," Serenity bit her lower lip and sighed, "Do you think we can go back there when it's over?"

"Sure thing, my love."

"And do all the things we did that day?"

"Every single one,"

"Go to the museum?"

"I'm always up for another debate,"

Serenity giggled, "Eat at that little café in Harajuku,"

"By the terrace," Endymion smiled; Serenity bit her lower lip, "And can we go see the sunset at the bay again?"

"Anything you want," Endymion winked an eye at her, "I don't have to take you back home to your parents anymore... so... we can go wild and stay until the park closes," Serenity blushed and moved closer to him, "Ouuh, I would love that,"

"Then is a date, Usako." Endymion brought his hand to his lips and kissed it softly. Serenity moved her free hand to comb his hair away from his eyes, "Your hair is so long..."

"I know..." Endymion sighed, "I'm not so thrilled about it, to be honest, but at least I got to shave... Yuuichiro left a lot of things laying around at the shrine that came in handy for me now." Serenity giggled light enough to match their whispering voices, "I don't think I've seen you with hair this long,"

"I may ask you to cut it, it gets in my way, I don't like that," Endymion muttered with slight annoyance as he tried to blow the fringe away from his face making Serenity crack a light chuckle, "It always does! Why is such a bother to you now?"

"Well yes, but not like this..."

"Hm... if I leave it all uneven I'll never hear the end of it,"

It was Endymion's turn to crack a muffled chuckle to try to keep it low so the others would wake up, "What? Of course not." Serenity arched a brow, "Oh please..."

"You made me cut your hair, why can't you do that for me? Tit for tat, Princess."

Serenity laughed a little louder and shook her head, "Because, unlike yours, my pulse isn't the steadiest in the world... I am not a doctor, I'm an illustrator. I would truly leave you like if a beaver chewed on your precious midnight hair and I would never ever forgive myself and neither would you... you're still as feisty as ever, my darling Leo." She whispered as she kept combing her slender fingers through his hair in slow motion; a gesture her husband picked right away. Endymion narrowed his ocean blue eyes, "Hmm... whenever you give me those sorts of strange compliments is because you are trying to evade a certain topic. I feel like you want to tell me something but you're not sure if you should..."

"How the hell do you do it, seriously?"

"We're soulmates," Endymion winked an eye at her, "I love you madly,"

"I love you too... so much, so much..." Serenity cupped his cheek and took a deep breath; Endymion turned his face to lightly kiss her hand and looked at her with worry, "Tell me,"

Serenity wrapped her fingers in his hair and gave him a shameful glance, "Did you see him?" She finally dared ask, "When he... do you know what happened to him?"

Endymion took a deep breath and shook his head, "No... my vision was blurry, so was my consciousness..." he saw the traces of worry in her beautiful face. Serenity looked at him with teary eyes, "He's never going to leave us alone, isn't he?" She shook her head, this time with growing fear, "He'll just keep re-spawning like a maniac demon and be on the hunt for us,"

Endymion pulled her into his arms and kissed her temple but Serenity couldn't leave it at that, "He needs to find some sort of closure... but I am afraid to ask..."

"I can't give you a straight answer, Usa. I'm not sure if he is ever going to find any at all. He has done too much harm, too much disaster, and well... he hasn't made the best life decisions either..." Endymion wrapped his arms tight around his wife, "The Andromedian's fate is not in my hands, baby, you know he won't find peace or closure if the favor comes from me. Not after what he did to you in hell."

Serenity closed her hands into tight fists as she grabbed onto Endymion's yukata when the memory of Athamas trying to take her by force played in her mind all over again, but before another wave of anxiety could sprout out of her, the prince cupped her cheek and caressed her lips with his thumb, "You were limited by the heavy ambiance and your weak health but I don't need much to know you made him see you're not helpless and that you're not someone to be played with." He narrowed his ocean-blue eyes, "You are well aware of the situation, Usa. You know your strengths but you also know your limits—you know there is a very thin line that no matter how much you want to do it, you cannot cross it because it is not who you are."

"Does that make me weak, Endymion?" Serenity looked at her husband with teary eyes, "Does that make me just a cheap impersonation of a warrior?"

"No, not at all." Endymion shook his head as he tucked a long piece of her pearlescent hair away from her face, "Murder isn't synonymous of strength and neither is what makes someone a warrior, Serenity. It's the truth in its words and the passion put in its beliefs and actions. You don't kill, Sailor Moon. You don't wield weapons that claim blood and mirror death. That's why I always told you how much I was against the idea of you using a sword to kill because I knew that if you did, it would have unlocked a chain of insecurities and self-loath. You are a soldier of mystery; you cleanse and purify—you fight, you punish evil, and you inflict pain to those who do wrong, yes, that is true, but you are a soldier that brings redemption and gives a much-needed balance to the universe. You don't work with chaos to achieve peace... you make your own paths. We're a different kind of soldier, my love, that is a given fact, but that doesn't pull us far apart and it doesn't mean we can't fight together. We want the same things and that's what we always have to keep clear in our minds. It's perfectly fine to have different abilities and approaches to tackle a problem... I once told you, a warrior has a partner in battle and that some may even spend a lifetime looking for it because it's not easy to entrust one's life to another person. You are my partner in life and in battle and you have been a true example of a warrior."

Serenity cupped his cheek and looked at him with emotion but allowed him to continue, "There are things— _many things_ —you do that I can't, but I know that when I need your help, you're there for me and the same goes to you too. If you need me, I am here. If you need to rely on the power of a weapon, I will use it for you because we are a team—we're together in this and in any other battle that gets in our way. I may have a destructive nature that burns everything in its path, but you Sailor Moon, you are the cleansing light that will appease the flames and build a new world from its ashes."

Serenity couldn't hold her tears this time and closed the tiny gap that was left between them in the most innocent but heartfelt kiss. She felt his words to the very core of her being and believed them as a truth—a motive to stay strong and walk victoriously at the other side of this dark tunnel they were currently trapped on. Crystal Tokyo or not, she didn't care anymore. She wanted to be with him, she wanted to be with her friends and family—she wanted the freedom they had been stolen for far too long. This was a battle that had put every fiber of their selves to the very edge between reason and madness. From heaven, all the way straight to hell and back, the love and trust they had for one another had proved that together they could face whatever came in their way.

As she cuddled into the arms of her husband, Serenity came to a blunt realization; the future was not something waiting for them in the horizon. It wasn't a palace or an identity; it wasn't a lifestyle or a dream come true—a speck of magic from their crystals, but in fact, it was something they had to work on day by day as humans and royals, as a couple madly in love and accomplices in both battle and life. It was all clear to her now, Serenity silently admitted, the future was now.

* * *

 _The Divinity Series is rated M. Violence, cursing, and intimacy are present._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _A/N: SailorGuardian... this is for you. I knew it was something you always wished to know (or read about from this plot) I wrote this so long ago, but you earned a milestone and this is my way to celebrate your victory with you._

 _I want to give a heartfelt thank you to everyone that's been following this story week after week (or month) and for your reviews. They're my fuel to keep the words coming, and I don't speak only for me but for all my fellow writers. Chapter 78 will take a little longer to be up (all are written but there are things-personal-that I need to tackle first so I have free time to post them), in case you don't see an update in a little while, it's not because I've given up on the story. I will return. Promise._


	78. Chapter 78

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Seventy-Eight

* * *

Ares walked into the conclave room he and his brother's, Hades and Zeus, had been using as a hidden base to plan and measure the level of damage that has been occurring after his challenging meeting with Chaos back at the Olympian palace. He just came back from Earth, where he met face to face with Eris, and later, with the terran prince himself who had finally returned after what would be a month since he made a deal with Hades to stay in the underworld in exchange for the princess' freedom and had a brief talk.

"Ares,"

Zeus was the first to notice his brother walking in, looking distraught, "What happened?" He frowned, "Show me a status?"

Ares extended his arm and manipulated the thin air between them, using the high technology of the higher realm to show the god of thunder a hologram of a constellation map showing the position of his army around the strong points of the limits of Olympus and started tracing the titan's current movements as he went to steal his sources and conquests.

"Chaos' presence has extended further away from the limits of Olympus and has started attacking other realms as well as compromising several dimensions in space and time. He took possession of the energy from Omega's black hole and has been using it to manipulate the currents of space creating wormholes and pockets of void, allowing him to move faster and unnoticeable. As of now, Kappa, Omicron, Rho, and Eta are under his full control; Andromeda included. He has taken countless of living souls and converted them into tormented shadows—Abell is next, Carina is heading towards the same route of destruction."

Zeus frowned, "And the celestial army?"

"Already on position and attacking. Centaurus confronted Chaos at Omega but he escaped after he caused a massive explosion with the energy stolen from the black hole. If he had not gotten out, the lives of the inhabitants of Omega and the clusters and dwarf planets and stars around it would have come to an end, including the emperors, guardians, and sailor senshi." Ares knitted his brows, "Alpha is gravely injured, his life hangs on a thread. The polemarchos of Astra, Aeora, Grus, and Alnair, are scanning the red areas but yet cannot locate his whereabouts. I have given a different task to Centaurus, given the gravity of the situation, he is currently on the hunt for Chaos and taking the frontline of the northern points with Delta, Mu, and Tau covering North Eastern and North Western points. Aegeus has taken his position to lead the first quarter to the rim of Andromeda to cover any possible attack on the South with Sirius, Halo, and Meta taking South Eastern and South Western points and have already tackled and contained several on Chaos' minions close to the axis rim but the Nova in Borealis has been targeted as well; Sigma has taken his post and is ready for annihilation." The god of war took a deep breath and exhaled, worry crossed his face "Minos might be needed to step in,"

"Minos is in the Underworld. He is its polemarchos and one of the judges that set the balance of souls, moving him out of his jurisdiction would affect the realm's safety," Zeus frowned and turned to Ares with concern, "Considering the level of damage at the rim of Tartarus and the Underworld, it would give Chaos the advantage,"

"Chaos is a skilled polemarch too, Zeus, do not forget he was born a force of his own and that he was trained by Helios and later by me to excel in battle," Ares waved his hand to disintegrate the hologram and shook his head, "He knows us well, whatever we plan, he has thought of it as well and taken action; the control and fall over so many planets and stars are clear proofs of it. To be able to get some advantage, we have to be as erratic as him to be able to counter-attack."

"Have you had words with other polemarchs?"

"Alpha Centaurus has been compromised and is lacking vitality since Chaos took the galaxy's core with him."

Zeus sighed heavily, "This only complicates matters, that core holds much power and if merged with him it will make of him a living nightmare."

"He already is," Ares muttered dryly, "He always has been..." He sighed, "But at least in the past, he did not know any better, now, he does."

Zeus frowned, "Gaia..." his stared at his brother, Ares nodded, "Without Gaia, Chaos has no safety seal. She was his anchor; so to speak. It is bitter for me to say and admit that Geb and Nut brought Gaia into existence to appease Chaos' abrasive nature."

"Chaos rebelled even while Gaia was still among us, even when she was a sailor senshi and a polemarch," Zeus shook his head, "Earth suffered the consequences of their confrontation, remember what happened. Earth acted in self-destruction."

"No, Zeus," Ares shook his head, "It evolved. It set its course to a new life—a new direction. It made use of its resources and bloomed into what we later knew of it, a self-sustainable planet." The god of war sighed, "And it might be going through the same process again but for different reasons..."

"Which brings us back to where we started."

Both Zeus and Ares turned to Hades who up until now had been quietly listening to Ares' wide and detailed explanation. The god of death looked at the god of war with a taint of curiosity that put his loyalty on the matter to the test. Zeus frowned, "Meaning?"

"Titans are savages with no forgiving nature. It comes naturally to me that at this point they should be brought together until they kill each other, putting an imminent end to them all."

"That is something deeply baleful to say, Hades..." Zeus muttered with a despondent tone in his voice, "Even for you."

"Are my words mistaken, brother?" Hades narrowed his eyes, "Are they at fault?" He arched his brow when he saw Zeus staring at him with a lack for words for debate and turned to Ares who had the same stunned expression in his face, "And you? Are you going to argue my words as you always have?" Ares remained silent, allowing his older brother to step further into the conversation.

"Hades..." Zeus tried to intervene but the god of death quickly interrupted, still with his eyes fixed on Ares' "The hybrid,"

Zeus widened his eyes, "What about him?"

Hades arched his brow with enough authority still staring back at Ares, "The titan hybrid can take Minos' place. After all, he is part of the Underworld now. Its soul belongs to me." He narrowed his gray eyes, "That would have been my first command if the hybrid was actually _here_ ,"

Ares' clenched his jaw at his brother's words. Zeus frowned and turned to Hades, "What are you talking about, Hades?"

"The hybrid..." Hades snarled the words with caution, "Is _not_ in the Underworld."

"What?!"

"He left along with his cursed ancestor," Hades ran his tongue over his lower lip to dissimulate his discontent, "Which only aggravates its sentence and that of its dynasty."

"Hades..."

"Titans are a damn curse,"

"Hades!"

"This is what Asteria warned me about when I went to get the contract of her soul. She knew the seal on Chaos was going to break, the plan of his release has been passed from one pawn to another for centuries." Hades squinted his eyes, "Or are you going to argue with me again and say I am lying?"

"This cannot be happening..." Zeus turned to Ares with rage clouding his eyes, "You knew about this and you did not speak a word of it, Ares?!" He frowned, "Is what is Hades saying the truth?"

Hesitant to confess his whereabouts, Ares thought his options carefully but sadly enough, there was not much to prevent, not anymore. With this high level of threat and disbalance happening all over the universe, he knew perfectly well Hades was far from being clueless of the occurrences in his realm and everything that happened in it; including the prince's sudden absence.

"Hades is telling half a truth. Yes, the Prince of Earth is no longer in the depths of the Underworld, but revenge on us is not what he seeks, nor is to pay tribute to Chaos' life, it is—"

"Nonsense. This only proves my point, Ares. Why I always said it was a hazard letting him live in the first place. These are the consequences of your sudden change of heart. For pretending to be something you are not." Hades waved his hand with despicable measure, "I have a binding contract with the Terran; its soul belongs to me and this would not have happened if you—"

"Do not mistake your blind obsession with Helios' dynasty with anything else that has happened to us, Hades. This is nothing but the result of our misguidance and ambitious behavior. Do I need to go over our past to make you remember how we got to this point?" Ares frowned, "Do I really need to dig deeper and scratch the remains of both of your prides to make you understand the gravity of this situation?" The god of war raised his voice in frustration and turned to Zeus, "I warned you this was going to get out of your damn control. I warned you this was something beyond a simple rebellion; this _is_ war. Your wife and family are paying for your egocentrism!" He then turned to Hades, "Your daughter has turned her back on you for betraying her and give preference to your own ambitions." His gray eyes narrowed, "We all carry our sins on our back—even you. You know the truth about the terran prince and you know we need him on our side, you know what he is capable of because you have seen it with your own eyes. Whatever was the deal you made with him—put it aside for now. The Terran prince is on Earth and I, as Commander of the Celestial Army that is where I need him to be; that is his rightful place. I need him to follow his duty and jurisdiction like any other polemarch."

The god of war flicked his hand with pique reflected in his handsome features, "And stop referring to him like _it_ ; it is appallingly vulgar and coming from you, it tests my patience."

Hades narrowed his gray eyes and came to accept Ares' words in silence. True, as hard as it was to come to terms with it and be on his brother's side after so many years of constant disagreements and fights, it was irrevocable, the terran prince had to be on their side; right now, the one closest to match Chaos' nature could be her most valuable ally and he had to put his own plans aside.

"If Chaos is free, that only means he knows the meaning behind Gaia's seal,"

"We must rely on Minos, then," Zeus tightened his jaw and swallowed hard, accepting this was the most bitter taste, to hear the truth over and over again and be open to accepting he made terrible mistakes for the sake to protect his pride and ego, "We need him to step in."

"The three judges will take charge," Hades muttered and clenched his jaw when he felt something strange; he turned to Ares with urgency and arched his brow, Ares caught the gesture and frowned, "What is it?"

"He has returned," Hades' continued with alarm in his deep voice, "The gates have been breached,"

"Are you certain?" Zeus turned to his younger brother with a coldness in his eyes but the urgency in his voice was clear enough to prove he was alerted and ready for to face the shadow of their past: war. Ever since Chaos broke from Tartarus and the three high gods escaped the Olympian palace, they had kept a very low profile, hiding their presence as much as possible so they could have more time to plan and wait for any signals from Chaos and the battle with the celestial army that had already begun.

For the time being, they had to focus on the battle ahead with Chaos; their biggest problem at the time.

"A titan's aura is unmistakable and easy to sense, Zeus," Hades muttered dryly but with clear notes of disgust; he looked at the youngest of the three brothers again and frowned, "This only means one thing,"

Ares nodded, "He's looking for something in the Underworld..."

Hades narrowed his gray eyes, "Or better said, _someone_ that has something _he_ wants. _"_

Zeus arched his brow in wonder, "The key of his freedom."

"Lord Hades!"

Ares looked up at the group of soldiers running their way toward them and quickly turned to Hades and Zeus; the lord of the underworld took a step forward, "Location,"

"Thanatos,"

Zeus narrowed his eyes, "The rim—" with a flick of his wrist his ferocious energy surrounded him streams of lighting changing his royal uniform into his silver armor, "We must not let him break what is left of it."

Ares nodded and turned to the soldiers to give them a solid command to block all entrances; Hades clenched his jaw and without a single warning ripped the dark cloak covering his dark armor and turned to Ares with a much more familiar gleam on them, "Lend me your strength, God of War."

Ares gave his older brother a single nod and channeled his power, changing his military uniform into a sleek ochre gold armor with dark cape, "Prepare the army to surround us and wait for my signal to attack. Aegeus is close,"

He rested his hand over the hilt of his claymore sword and in a flash of light, the god of war was gone.

O—o—o—o—O

In the deep hours of the cold nightfall, a light echoing sound slowly brought back the moon princess from her slumber. She slowly opened her crystal blue eyes, lightly disoriented and saw the weak flame of the candle still flickering in the corner, surrounding the room with its dim light. It took her a minute to fall into account that she had fallen asleep once again without noticing but it was the lack of warmth in the futon and the absence of its source what made her grasp reality even quicker. Serenity jolted anxiously but before she could call out her husband's name with a desperate cry, her eyes quickly landed on the silhouette of his back against the light and stayed quiet to catch the sound of his whispering voice.

Endymion was sitting Buddha-style in front of the large window in the room that gave a view of the shrine garden. Guessing by his straight posture and the way his arms rested over his bent knees, Serenity could tell he was meditating—praying even. The princess rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and sat on the futon as quietly as she could so she wouldn't disrupt his concentration and kept staring at him with both curiosity and admiration for a few more minutes.

Meditating wasn't new in his life. Usagi knew it was one of the things Mamoru learned to do from a very young age to keep himself away from depression and other traumas in his life. While she still didn't know the tight details of his childhood, she knew he didn't have it easy when it came to deal with the real world as a lonely boy. To her, it made sense such strict discipline followed him through time since Endymion also did it often to keep himself grounded, back in the day. It wasn't new for Serenity to catch her husband doing this simple exercise early in the morning; she knew he depended much on it because as he would often say, it was to keep himself in check— _whatever that meant_ —she thought. Whether was stretching before or after going for his morning run, another thing he has done religiously for so many years.

Serenity always found it fascinating how he learned to train his mind to enter such a deep state but now, despite being something she has seen him doing countless of times before, she could tell it was different. There was no aura shining through, no golden specks, no shift in the ambiance, but there was clearly something she felt was soothing her spirit too. Serenity heard him mumble a few things she couldn't grasp to understand but she quickly recognized they were spoken in Latin and noticed he had the golden dagger that came attached to his sword in his right hand and that his grip on its onyx haft was unusually tense.

"Non amo te, ego nunquam iens ut exsisto amo te. Desciscendum a me ut esses status."

Serenity widened her eyes when she saw him grab a handful of his uncharacteristic longer hair and glide the sharp blade through it in an act of rebellion. The motion itself was strange for her to see since her husband was not egotistical, nor he cared about appearances. True, it was known and clear fact the man was very careful with his hygiene and how he presented himself to the world but Endymion wasn't a vain person, much less someone that truly care if he missed an appointment to get his hair cut, but this time, it felt more of a necessity than a caprice of vanity, it was something he needed to do to feel better and suddenly now it made sense to her what he was trying to do.

Serenity got off the futon with extreme caution not to take him by surprise while he was still trying to measure the position of the blade on his hair to glide it through it again and slowly sat next to him. She put her hand over his for a brief moment and lightly pulled it back. Endymion widened his eyes and jerked his head to look at her, "Usa..."

Serenity went down on her knees with grace and turned to check the wound on his side that thankfully, while still there, it was healing at a much faster pace than a wound that deep normally would. She leaned closer to him and brushed her lips with his for a brief moment and raised her other arm to take the blade from his hand; her slender fingers curled around the onyx handle, taking full control of the small but intimidating sharp weapon and put it away.

She looked into his eyes and cupped his cheek with her free hand, "If you keep doing this recklessly, you'll really look like if a beaver chewed on your hair."

A low chuckle escaped Endymion and took a deep breath. He gently tugs his dark hair still wrapped in between his fingers and clicked his tongue with disillusion, "Yeah, well... it's still better than this,"

Serenity combed her fingers through his midnight hair a couple of times in silence; she looked at him with worry as she leaned closer, "Mamo-chan—"

"We'll get through this, Usako." Endymion sighed softly and nodded, "We will—we have to. I will make sure—" his eyes widened when he saw Serenity pressing a finger on his lips. The hidden desperation tone in Endymion's always calm voice shed light on the internal struggle Motoki had told her earlier. Just like her, he was also surfing through the emotional ripples of past events and even when he was trying his best to deal with it, he still didn't know how. It was something that ran deeper not even meditation or praying could make it easier; less painful, less traumatic.

In the dim lighted room, it became clear to Serenity how he had been focusing on being her anchor to keep her steady and lift her up to her known self without really paying mind to actually invest a moment to work on himself and how sadly, given her current fickle state, she hadn't been the anchor to keep _him_ grounded.

Endymion had been doing his best for the sake of both, but at this point, she couldn't risk his well-kept character and push him to reach his limit, giving the cue to Motoki's words echo in her mind and make sense,

" _You need to keep dreaming because it's what will brighten the future for the rest of us, but most importantly, it will set you free."_

The princess shook her head and gave her husband a soft smile, "I will take care of you too. We are in this together. We made a promise to be in the good and in the bad times and that is what we are going to do. This is hard... but you are right, we will get through this... together." She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close until his head laid on her chest and leaned down to kiss his temple. She smiled when she heard him humming softly and worked her fingers through his hair, gently lulling him as she always did when he was stressed.

"Teach me," She said sweetly. Endymion opened his eyes and frowned confused, "To hum?"

Serenity giggled, "No, silly, to meditate. I saw you doing it just now," her eyes locked with his when he turned to lay on his back, one knee casually bent, and his other leg stretched with his head now resting comfortably on her lap. Endymion sighed as he looked up into her eyes, "Usa, you need to sle—"

Serenity leaned down kissed him, and pouted her lips, "Please?"

"Wait..." Endymion squinted confused, "Are you shutting me up with kisses?"

"...No,"

"Yes, you are."

"... No,"

"Oh my god,"

"I can't believe you," Serenity bit her lower lip with a playful frown, "How much feistier can you be?"

"I don't know... I'm a Leo, what did you expect?"

"Ah, _now_ you believe in astrology!"

"What?"

"You rather argue with me than to teach me, seriously?"

"You're unbelievable," Endymion snorted and shook his head, completely mesmerized by her, "You really are,"

"Me?!" Serenity chuckled, "You're the one—" she was completely taken by surprise when Endymion cupped her face and gently pulled her down to kiss her deeply on the lips, completely surrendering to their most deep feelings and desires. It had been long since they gave themselves a moment to feel the love between them. To be more intimate.

Things have been so hectic and traumatic that it had been long since both gave themselves to a heartfelt, mind-blowing, and stupidly sensual kiss that proved how much they had missed each other; the kind of kiss that made them forget whatever was happening outside their little self-created world.

Serenity felt chills all over her, thinking how much she had missed his lips gently nibbling and enjoying the sweetness of hers. She missed the scent of his skin and the warmth of his arms around her as he slowly pushed himself to sit up again. Her bond with him was so unique and right; the way he always put one hand at the nape of her neck to support her as she gradually intensified the kiss pushed herself to the very edge of reason. It was inevitable, the attraction between them was too strong to break. The energy between them was always incomparable to any other good feeling in the world. The need to together suddenly become much stronger than any other thing that happened to them in the past couple of months and one good kiss was all they needed to pull the thread and unravel all of the desire they had piled up until now. It was taking them a lot of self-control not to rip their clothes off and make the moment their own; it took a lot for them not to let their moans and gasps for air become loud enough for the others to hear from behind closed doors.

Their passionate bliss lasted a couple of more minutes until a heavy wave of guilt washed over Serenity's mood, strong enough to overshadow the strong need to be with her husband. In that very moment, she jolted back, breaking the kiss abruptly. She took a couple of hasty breaths while trying to avoid all visual contact as much as possible with him and without noticing, she had welcomed a horrible void in the pit of her stomach to a point that she felt disgusted and angry with herself. It felt like a crime, to end something so perfect, so intense and beautiful. It felt like a crime to pull herself away from him and yet, she couldn't help it.

Endymion didn't need to ask anything to know what just happened. It pained him to see her struggling, to see her delicate body shivering and trying her best to stay calm and be in control. It pained him to see her so emotionally fragile given that she was the strongest woman he knew.

Serenity always carried her heart on her sleeve, she was compassionate and truly believed in second chances. She was always very keen on her emotions but looking at her being so hostile and unforgiving to herself and doing her best to shut all of her feelings was truly heartbreaking. This wasn't like her and it was mortifying, not because she wasn't giving way to intimacy, but because she was not allowing herself to be forgiven for what has happened. She blamed herself of all that has happened ever since Asteria made her grand appearance, the loss of their baby, and later on, for what happened with Athamas, and what was worse, she had started to feel disgusted with herself.

Endymion felt a strong sting in his chest when he heard her take a couple of deep breaths. It was almost as she was struggling to fill her lungs with air; it was forced, panicked, and it was breaking her into anxious sobs. He quickly jolted to her side and pulled her into his arms to calm her down, "It's okay, it's okay... it's okay... breathe,"

"I-I—I can't—"

"Breathe,"

Serenity started shivering and shook her head, "I can't... I can't do this... I can't..."

"It's okay," Endymion closed his eyes and started to rock her back and forth slowly and kissed her head, "Take a deep breath,"

"I can't..."

"Yes, you can,"

"I can't get over this..."

"You will,"

"I—I can't..."

"Grab on to me," Endymion tightened his arms around her and whispered in her ear, "Let it out baby, let it out."

"Don't go..."

"I won't go,"

"Don't leave me..."

"Never,"

Serenity tightened her grip on his sleeves until her knuckles turned as white as his yukata and let another rush of anxiety take over her, breaking her spirit. Endymion kept swaying with her back and forth for as long as she kept crying, never losing his grip on her; allowing her depression also become his. He opened his eyes and silently cursed the chain of events that put his beautiful wife in this agonizing state. It was a war inside of a war, with Serenity being her own worst enemy. Her depression and anxiety had been taken their toll on her to the extent of losing herself into the vicious cycle of self-loath. How things could change in just a matter of seconds and give a 180-degree turn when just moments ago she was giggling and smiling and now she was crying her heart out and cursing her mere existence.

Endymion was deeply hurt, he was angry, he was furious with himself for not be able to do more at the time being, for not being able to snatch away that heavy guilt she wasn't willing to share; for being stuck in the middle of a war instead of devoting himself to his wife and make her feel better. As he looked out the window and up the darkened sky, he made himself a silent oath to put an end to this madness once and for all. Now more than ever, he wanted to burn everything to the ground. He had never been so angry in his entire life.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying his best not to get carried away with the same emotions as his wife. He knew this well, he knew the bitter taste and the haunting feeling of depression like the back of his hand because he had lived through it before. Not in the same way Serenity was doing it now, but he knew what it was to be angry over something that went beyond one's control, he knew what it was like to feel limited, to feel lost. The frustration of being submerged in questions without any answers and the unpredictable twists of fate.

He took another deep breath, and then, another one, and so he repeated one time after the other until he felt more capable of speaking. Without really trying to remember, a faint memory of his childhood came to his mind as he continued to rock Serenity back and forth, who was now much less stressed and tense but still much drowned in sorrow.

That image of him standing in the middle of the long hallway, taking all of his effort and energy to take one step after the other until he reached the therapist's office and deal with another strenuous session to deal with the core of his depression; his anger and anxiety. The more he heard Serenity's misery and frustration manifest in heavy sobs, the more he remembered—the clearer it was. The mint colored curtains blocking half a view from outside, the strong smell of chlorine mixed with the cheap scent of faux leather. The humming sound of a desk fan in the distance doing basically nothing to clear the tension in the air and make the room cooler, more bearable. The sound of the therapist's pen gliding over her notepad and the constant feel of how all of it was pointless. He remembered himself being six-years-old, sitting in that uncomfortable sofa, staring back at the therapist with nothing much to say and nothing else to lose.

He had dealt with desolation one too many times in his life, it killed him to see his always cheerful wife was suffering from its ravages.

"Sometimes you can't help it... to be angry at the world."

Endymion exhaled slowly and putting extra care in the serious tone of his voice to not make her feel more vulnerable, "It boils in the pit of your stomach, it curses you—it follows you everywhere you go like a ghost. You want to find a culprit, you want to aim the blame at something that could justify the vexation blistering your peace of mind. You want everybody to be away from you and you almost—if not already—give up hope."

His haunting words made Serenity open her eyes, but she didn't say anything. She couldn't find words to add to his because she knew exactly what he meant, and she understood. She finally understood the somberness behind her husband's character; the same somberness that was now shadowing her.

"I don't want this for you." Endymion felt a hole in the pit of his stomach; for a moment he felt like that little boy afraid of the overpowering sense of loss, afraid of uncertainty. He tightened his arms around her mortified, afraid of losing her, "I can't let you do this to yourself, Usagi."

Serenity widened her eyes when he heard his deep voice breaking with emotion and quickly responded to his arms, holding on to dear life. Endymion took a deep breath and shook his head, "I know my faults. I am very well aware of the pain I've caused you and how much I have failed you as your husband. I am a shitty husband—the worst there is. I cannot forgive myself for that because this isn't what I promised you, this isn't what you deserve, but I will make up for it, I swear I will... I swear on my life that I will."

"Mamo-chan..." She whispered more to herself than to him to hear and curled her fingers on his hair and sniffed, "I missed you so much..."

"I missed you too, horribly." Endymion kissed her temple, "I was miserable. Being away from you is pure torture, Usagi."

Serenity opened her eyes and couldn't help but smile at the sound of his voice giving sound to her name, making her feel more grounded, more like herself and less like a lost girl. Her arms tightened around him and took a deep breath, slowly closing her eyes. Serenity snuggled her face in the nook on his neck, between his head and shoulder—her favorite place to snuggle like the bunny she was, "You owe me so many pancakes..."

Endymion sniffed and slowly nodded, "I do..."

"Like, so, so many..."

"We can try something new if you want,"

"I don't feel like giving up pancakes just yet. They're too good. They're too buttery and fluffy to give up, it's like eating clouds and I love clouds. We could try something different. Either French toast, or, better yet, crepes. They're like thin pancakes, no?"

The quirky comment and the sudden lightness in her voice warmed his heart; the corner of his lip curved in a sad smile and gently snuggled his face on her head, "Yes, love, they are..."

"Do you know how to make them?"

"I... yeah... I can... I can learn..."

The sudden change of tone and light strain in his voice made Serenity open her eyes, "Mamo-chan?"

Endymion tightened his arms around her and shook his head with frustration, "It angers me, Usako... it angers me we can't move on with our lives just yet," He combed his fingers through her long platinum hair in slow motion, "But I won't let you succumb to misery... I won't let depression get the best of you because we have a life ahead of us waiting to be explored. We still have a lot of things to do, baby, please... don't let go... please stay strong... please stay with me..."

His words and the low yet soothing tone of his voice helped Serenity find the strength she needed to pull herself back up and finally look at him and get lost in his alluring ocean blue eyes, ever changing, ever hauntingly beautiful. It was as if he welcoming her into that part of his life he has kept well hidden from the world and she so much wished to know more about; the story behind the lonely young man that grew up in an orphanage. The story of the boy that went through so much emotional and psychological trauma. The boy that lived between two worlds and who learned how to persevere—that is what she wanted to do, to persevere, and that same person was right there, holding her in his arms to give her the motivation she needed to reach her goal.

She found herself no longer feeling cold; her body wasn't shivering anymore and she knew it was because she was with him. Serenity thought about how much she had wanted to be with him, how much she missed his voice and the way he looked at her and now that he was here, she couldn't betray herself and let bad emotions take the little spark that wants to keep burning in her heart, the same one that had brought him back to her. Serenity took a deep breath and tucked a piece of dark hair behind his ear, "I don't want to... I don't want to fall apart. I don't want to be left alone in this darkness, I don't want to give up... but it's so hard... it's so hard Mamo-chan..."

"I know... I know it's hard..." Endymion leaned down to rest his forehead on hers, his eyes never leaving hers, his lips almost gracing hers ever so sweetly, ever so sensually, "But you won't." His hand reached for her cheek and cupped it softly, "I will bring the sun back up again—I will bring plenty of sunshine so you don't lose your way, my beautiful moon goddess."

Serenity put her hand on top of his hand still resting over her flushed cheek and surrendered to his loving words by closing the tiny gap between them with a tender kiss that went on for several minutes. There was no rush, no unraveling force of desire but it was heavily charged with emotion and love. Their lips danced in a tender, slow rhythm that kept them completely devoted to themselves in their own little world. Serenity slid down her hands and secured them on each side of his neck and inched closer into her husband's arms indulging completely by the cozy warmth of his body. The moon princess was no stranger to the lulling effect of Endymion's caresses on her; she shamelessly enjoyed the unique sense of comfort the prince ever gave her when alone; his breath gracing the soft skin of her neck, his fingers running through her long hair. Always so sweet and gentle, always so warm, like a protective cocoon.

She could not put words to what she was experiencing that very moment as they kissed, she never could. But this time it was somewhat different, it was new; magical. She could feel his aura pulsing life into hers, shedding all of her worries away in the most enchanting of spells.

As if he had opened a magical door that enhanced the mystical link between them, Serenity had a rush of instant emotions. She could feel the ground beneath them pulsing steadily. She could feel the layers and layers of life that protected the very core of Earth beating at the same pace Endymion's heart was beating in his chest. She could feel the ice on the surface, the cold air gushing with force in the remotest parts of the earth; the bass and tremble echoing in the skies at the other side of the world. She could hear the faint sound of prayers and mystic chants of people wishing for everyone's well-being. She felt the fear of the innocent, the rage of the frustrated; the somnolence veil hovering every inch of land. The fierce waves and strong tides of the oceans and the brusque rustle of the trees caught in the middle of a storm. The scents of wet grass and muddy roads, of sweet lavender fields and roses. She could feel the rain falling and later turn to snow, she could feel the sharpness of hail falling somewhere close. The cool breeze on the mountains, the salty moisture of a breeze by the sea; the thick water droplets crashing on the ground. The rushing of water pooling at a river's mouth, and the fiery magma boiling deep underground and bursting out in rivers of lava from volcanos that had grown in remote islands floating in the middle of an ocean far, far away. The unforgiving force of a typhoon and the rage of an earthquake escalating from below. The tingling sound of water creeks and waterfalls, the crashing sound of the waves on a shore. She could feel the planet spinning slowly and the density of its atmosphere; the gravity the moon caused on earth as it went around it like a pearl in space. Serenity felt it all, she could feel Earth the same way Endymion could, she was experiencing what it was like to be one with the planet—what it was like to be its born guardian, and now, he was sharing all this wonder with her.

Can there be something more wonderful than this? The power to be one with Earth itself, she thought with amazement as she continued to enjoy every bit of this precious gift and the sultriness of their wonderful kiss. She understood that beyond just a simple meditation, Endymion was keeping the planet from going berserk, this is what it was to monitor the status of Earth. Not ever could be something that would be as wonderful as this—Serenity silently concluded.

Not long after, Endymion slowly opened his eyes and slowly pulled apart from his beloved's lips and used his thumb to wipe the trails of her tears on her cheeks, "You protect all of this with me," his husky voice sent shivers down Serenity's spine and widened her eyes with allure; Endymion gave his wife a shy smile "...And yet, none of it is still as wonderful as you are."

"Wait, h-how...?" Serenity blinked, still rattled by his enchantment "How did you know...?"

"I read minds after all," Endymion winked an eye at her, making Serenity feel like falling even deeper in love with the man, "I love you," Serenity whispered, "I love you madly..."

"I love you too... madly," He answered lightly, still short for breath. Serenity closed her eyes and leaned her head on his shoulder "I'm so sorry,"

"For what?"

"You know why,"

"There is nothing you should be apologizing for," Endymion kissed her forehead and rubbed her back slowly, "Don't push yourself, love."

"But I don't want you to think—" Serenity opened her eyes when she felt his arm around her waist and looked up at him; Endymion cupped her cheek lovingly, "I understand. One day at a time, all right? One day at a time."

"One day at a time..." Serenity nodded and took a deep breath, "I love you, Mamo-chan,"

"I love you too, Usako." Endymion kissed her head and helped her sit straight, "All right, Princess. Cross your legs," he pressed his hand on her lower back, "Don't slouch—arms extended, palms facing up over your knees."

Serenity blinked a little startled and still feeling under his charming gestures; it took a minute to understand that he was complying to her request in teaching her how to meditate and with much interest, she followed his gentle instructions. She watched him take a similar pose next to her and blinked again, "But... your palms were not facing up a while ago..."

Endymion turned his head enough to catch a glimpse of her and arched his brow, "Were you spying on me, Odango?"

"...No," Serenity felt her cheeks flush slightly, "Just... ugh, who am I kidding? Yes! Yes... I was watching you. I can't help it... I like you... I like you a lot, okay?" She saw the corner of Endymion's lips curving up in a boyish grin. Shy and sincere. He cracked a light chuckle and cleared his throat, "So, palms facing up, don't pay mind as to why I had mine facing down."

"Oh... so there is a reason?"

"Yes, love, there is a reason but that is an explanation for some other time."

"All right," Serenity blushed when she felt his hand touching her neck, "Neck straight, remember not to slouch so you can focus and breathe better,"

"Okay,"

"Close your eyes,"

"Mhm,"

"Don't cheat,"

"I'll try,"

Endymion let out a light chuckle, "What do you mean you'll try? You asked me to teach you and I am trying to do so..."

"I know, I'm sorry... it's just..." Serenity sighed and turned slightly over her shoulder with a shy grin, "With you so close to me, it's kind of hard to stay focused,"

"Ah, well... now you know what it's like to be me," Endymion took notice of the flush on his wife's cheeks, he brushed his lips on her exposed shoulder as he leaned closer "Take a couple of deep breaths with me, okay?" He said in a lower much calmer tone.

Serenity nodded and closed her eyes. She did as she was told but her mind couldn't seem to shut down, she couldn't reach a state of pure calmness. In a weak attempt to focus, she rubbed her teeth over her bottom lip brusquely and felt her heart skip a beat when she felt her husband sitting behind her and sliding one hand under hers and slowly lace his fingers with hers as he held her tight. She fluttered her eyes open and blinked, still very much startled.

"Relax, we will take it one step at a time,"

His warm breath grazed her ear, sending shivers all over her; making her wish they were completely alone and kicking herself mentally for having stopped what they had just moments ago.

"Keep your back straight."

Serenity felt his long hair tickling her cheek, meaning Endymion was leaning close, too close to concentrate on his teaching, "Close your eyes," he interrupted her fleeting thoughts. Serenity closed her eyes again, feeling much more secure and let herself be guided by Endymion's voice, "Take a deep breath... hold it there for a few seconds," she felt his hand gently pressing her abdomen and left it there, strong and secure, "Hold it," his press loosened up a little after a few seconds, "Now, release it slowly, let it out through your mouth,"

Serenity slowly did as she was told and remained with her eyes closed; Endymion tightened his grip on his wife's hand and nodded, "Good. Take another breath as deep as you can," his hand pressed on her belly again, "Hold it there for a few seconds... now let it out,"

After a few attempts, Serenity was finally feeling she was getting somewhere. It was truly incredible how something so basic and simple could make such a big difference; how a couple of breaths could calm her troubled mind and made her feel more at grounded and less afraid. She knew this was barely a scratch of progress but at least it was better than how she felt just mere moments ago. Maybe it had to be because she knew she wasn't alone or maybe because she could feel he was there teaching her how to do it; teaching her exactly what she needed to learn: how to persevere.

Endymion kept repeating the same instructions over and over until he felt Serenity had started to relax and feel much more connected to herself and her surroundings. Her grip on his hand was less tense, it felt less desperate. The anxiety brooding her was slowly backing down and her breathing had started to become slower, much deeper. She had finally reached a much peaceful state. Feeling much relieved for the accomplishment, Endymion let go a deep breath himself and leaned his head on her shoulder from behind and closed his eyes, basking in the peaceful and much clearer aura coming from his wife and synched his energy with hers to make her feel warm and more secure. They stayed in an almost suspended and calm state for the longest time they've been since they reunited and this was surely the most rest Serenity has had ever since she parted ways with him in the underworld. This was as much tranquility he could offer her for the time being until things went back to normal and thankfully, Serenity was willing to take as much of it as she could so she could be prepared for anything.

After a while, a burning twitch pulled Endymion back to reality and opened his eyes. He moved his head from his resting place in Serenity's shoulder and looked out the window with a frown. His jaw tensed when he began to analyze the situation and narrowed his eyes in thought. His focus shifted when he felt his wife moving, also coming back to the moment and turned her head enough to be able to look him in the eye and tightened her grip on his hand, giving him a silent nod of acknowledgment.

O—o—o—o—O

Surrounded by swirls of smoke and debris stood the God of War facing a swarm of long-limbed demon creatures crawling on the ground and sliced his claymore sword through them to make himself way and find Chaos.

By now, he was aware that the judges of the underworld had been sent on the hunt for the titan of void but he knew it would take more than a polemarchos from the underworld to put Chaos under their control again. He knew what he was fighting against, he knew well how strong his once-pupil truly is despite hearing Zeus and Hades' false declarations of victory; he knew he needed more than just an army to stop him because it was not just about fighting a man, but also the invisible force he represented. Chaos had surpassed the myth of his existence; he was a nightmare, and it was more frightening than just the haunting sound of his name.

With Hades' help, Ares was able to create portals of his own and travel to the depths on the underworld with the same liberty as if he was the lord of this realm. As he touched the ground, the god of war was instantly welcomed by decoy and malice, a fog of pulverized bones and mists of demon's gore; he looked around and immediately knew he had reached a point where it was impossible going back, wherever he turned there was infinite penumbra.

"Receperint comis quam Tartaro, Magister."

Ares tightened his grip on his sword and turned to his head slightly to his left. There he was, standing in the middle of a valley of rotten corpses still crawling the remains of their momentary life and hidden in the midst of putrefaction and ruin, stood the man that represented it all.

"Et tandem abiit ex vobis foraminis, in quibus absconditi fuerant," _(You finally walked out of the hole you have been hiding in,)_

The fog camouflaging the titan's presence soon after dissipated, like a veil opened to his silent command; as if he had allowed himself to be seen. Chaos's amber eyes gleamed as he stared back at Ares through his waist long tresses, hypnotizing and dark as a starless night.

"Tempus est ut expendas in ditionem pertinet divinam, eo magis errore vias vestras et salvos testis assistam." _(The more time I spend in the divine realm, the more I witness your dullish ways of survival.)_

He turned to the void ahead of them with his profile now hidden from view, "Post milia annorum, et maledic in maledictum: et tu non dimittet et Helios dynastia." _(Thousands of years after, curse upon curse, and still, you cannot let go of Helios' dynasty.)_ Chaos turned and narrowed his striking eyes, "Usque adeo ut cum eo de insidiarum et stantes in Tartaro nisi quemadmodum ad ultimus ligo," _(To such extent, that you came out of hiding and are now standing in none other than Tartarus, just to get that final link.)_

"I did not come here for any links. I am here to stop you from getting out again." Ares frowned, "This is where you belong, in the rottenness of your own abyss, in the swirls of your own spit and poison."

Chaos sighed and shook his head, "Diuinitas a tincidunt velit, nec tu mihi bene exerceri memoriam qui pugnant contra me. Crevit infirma tu, Deus de Bello, et vos, mox ut eam habere curam. Experiar dissimulare non metus fortiter quantumcumque possum tamen intellexit. Et hoc potest videre, gustare non. Ego tibi longa satis ludere bellatorem, salvatores in universum, sum, sed non re verboque moveatur." _(Divinity may have stopped you from aging, but you are not even a memory of the one that trained my own kind to fight against me. You have grown weak, God of War, and you, just like her, have concerns. It does not matter how much you try to disguise your fear with bravery, I can still grasp it. I can see it, taste it. I have let you long enough to play the warrior; the savior of the universe, but, I am no longer amused.)_ He turned to the void below them again "At illa certe adhuc tenet verum in se verba. Quid me quæritis, non est hic." _(At least she still holds true to her words; it is not here.)_

Ares clenched his jaw and launched himself at him without preamble. With sword in hand, the god of war clashed his hefty weapon against Chaos' dark blade in an uproarious echo and held position, both men measuring their level of strength. Ares looked up into Chaos' amber eyes and saw them swift from one vivid shade to another, like orbs of liquid gold staring back at him without a single trace of emotion or familiarity, not even in remembrance of their past as master and pupil.

" _Nos autem non longe a nostro proposito, deo belli. Volo ego relictus contereret eam rem vobis vocare familiam."_ Chaos narrowed his alluring eyes, "Omnia ædificata fuerit, et Helios licuit est."

 _(We are not that far from our ideals, war god. I too want to crush what is left of it, this thing you still want to call a family. Everything Helios built and allowed to exist.)_

With a growl Ares pushed his weapon harder against Chaos and clenched his jaw, trying to keep his balance. He was aware of how a false step could result in him falling into the abyss around them. Chaos' movements were calculated—automatic even. Every turn, every hit and clash it was perfectly dodged perfectly counteracted, memorized to perfection and it sent a chill down his spine realizing his great disadvantage; the titan in front of him had him all studied and figured out.

Ares turned to dodge Chaos' long swing just in time before he dug his sword in the already unstable ground and frowned. He was aware of his limitations, going into full battle in this place could break whatever was left of the seal Hades had put to keep Tartarus from filtering into the underworld that not even the army or polemarchos could prevent from going havoc; his gray eyes widened in awareness, what the titan was trying to do.

He was not there to look for answers, he was there to finish what he started thousands of years ago and as Ares bent to evade the sharp blade of Chaos' sword, he felt his blood run cold when he saw the shadows rising around them. Chaos quickly pulled his arm back, giving Ares some leverage but only to give him an opening to turn into his axis and kick the weapon out of his way and aimed his charged palm at him, "Et sigillum potest ab altero omittente rumpatur testamentum tetigit lux sol, id est, Ares?" _(The seal can be broken by one of royal blood, touched by the light of the Sun, is it not, Ares?)_ He arched his brow, "Bene, nos hic esse." _(Well, here we are.)_

"Chaos!"

A loud rumble interrupted the titan. The man did not need any introduction, Minos, the robust and tall polemarchos and one of the three judges of the underworld stared at him from a fair distance fully disposed of his fine robes, he was now wearing his intimidating titanium armor that contrasted his dark skin and pale silver eyes. Along with him, Rhadamanthus and Aeacus made an appearance wearing similar armors and with the army of shadows from the underworld standing behind and keeping Chaos' demons at bay.

Rhadamanthus, a broad handsome man with tanned skin and long dark-reddish hair turned to the soldiers behind him and pointed his halberd weapon at the void behind Ares and Chaos and stomped the heavy metal on the ground to give the silent command and allow Aeacus take account of the souls that have escaped with his heavy ax and drag their souls back into the bottomless pit.

"Non tamen ante pugnam, Deus Mortem," Chaos fixed his golden eyes on Hades, standing next to Minus who was ready with his weapon in position. The titan of void and dementia shared a quick glance with Ares on his side while still pointing his palm charged with energy while the other held the hilt of his sword that still dug on the ground, "Intellige verba, quae acturus es, Minos. Egressus es in solo tu scis." _(Think carefully about what you are going to do, Minos. You know the soil you are stepping on.)_

"Intimidation does not work on me, Chaos," Minos frowned his brows and immediately charged at Chaos who quickly turned and responded to his attack by pulling out his sword from the ground and clashing it against the dark polemarchos, giving Ares the liberty to move from position and run toward the dark titan with sword in hand. Chaos engaged in a two-sided battle with Minos and Ares, both aiming at him from both sides and much by their surprise the titan put up a fair fight that not even them could keep if fighting to enemies this strong at the same time. First came Minos swinging his curved blade and clashing it against Chaos' obsidian weapon, then a much more straight-forward slash from Ares' claymore sword. Chaos kicked and jumped back and turned to block the heavier attack with his sword and took his onyx sheath and rotated on his axis just in time before Minos' halberd hit him on the side. With both hands busy, one with his long sword and the other with its sheath, Chaos bent down slightly to absorb the impact and force from both attacks. In a quick movement, the titan spotted Hades summoning his majestic scythe and Zeus charging his thunder blade sword and tilted his head with revelry.

Hades watched the three polemarchos's destructive force manifest with every move and swing of their heavy weapons and felt his brother's words finally set in place, echoing in his mind and then, he noticed it—something was awfully wrong.

More to what he would have liked, it came clear how Ares' prophecy came true: he lost control and doing damage control was going to take more than just pulling a few life strings. Ares usually would be more aggressive—barbaric. He was a born from trauma and he chose battle as his path in life, Ares was a man that completely changed his stance whenever he summoned his godly powers and made use of his sword; that same sword he had in his hand but yet dare not to use on Chaos.

His eyes studied their movements, both, Minos' and Ares' and the more he watched their performance, the more he could tell Ares was containing himself, his movements were erratic, limited, too measured, but not because he did not know how to attack, it was almost as if he did not want to fight the titan.

Ares had said it before, many times. Chaos once was his disciple; and before him, there was Helios, the titan god; his grandfather. The same titan god that helped them escape their hellish prison eons ago. The same titan god that served as political advisor and guardian in the very beginning and that led them to many victories in battle. The same titan god that shaped and formed Ares to what he was now.

It felt like a million-pound weight sinking in the pit of his stomach. Hades wanted to push the facts aside and ignore them, he wanted to deny such part of their history from his mind but things came to a point it was no longer possible; their biggest fear was happening. Their mistakes were rising against them. Olympus was crumbling beneath their feet, he was now losing control over a realm as big as Olympus itself and along with it the fate of the universe, all, to a man who does not even want to take revenge but to appease his boredom and get control just to keep himself amused.

There lies the danger with Chaos. He does not want revenge; he just wants to do whatever he wants and get whatever he thinks is his regardless of any damage he could cause. To him, is all about taking and destroy whatever he doesn't seem useful or worthy as a true titan of void and he could not let that happen. He could not let a tormented deity like him take control of something he has kept intact and has worked on for millions of years.

A strong wave of anger started to peak and take over the always behaved and collected god of death and turned furious at Chaos. He raised his hand and with almost an automatic fashion called for his majestic power and weapon and charged after the beautiful titan.

"I will reap your soul! I will cut your head off you maniac demon!"

"Hades!" Zeus widened his eyes and froze in place just to be a witness of his brother's uncommonly violent and erratic behavior. "Hades no!"

Hades turned on his axis with his scythe in hand and used its centrifugal force to suck the souls of demons around and lower it down, crushing the ground with a deafening echo. He tilted his head to look up and pulled the long blade from the debris and turned it again, repeating the same maniac and unforgiving move; reaping more demons as it glided through the air. Chaos took a step aside and easily dodged Hades' weapon; he drew his weapon quickly to exert force against the curve of his scythe and block the deadly blow and narrowed his golden eyes, showing he was struggling, giving Hades the advantage in battle.

Chaos growled as he tried to keep his weapon steady against the god of death's scythe. Hades gave the titan a cocky grin, one that he barely ever showed to anyone, not even in his best days he would show so much satisfaction over taking someone's soul, not even when he met Endymion and reaped his soul, not even when he took control over the underworld. This went beyond common satisfaction, it was an unmeasured pleasure, the avid desire for power "Not so magnanimous now, demon."

Chaos groused when he felt his feet slid back as Hades kept pushing him closer to the edge where Aeacus was taking more souls into their account.

"Hades!"

Hades' eyes darkened, with a scowl he kicked Chaos weapon and swung his scythe again, cracking the ground beneath their feet. Chaos jumped to avoid falling into the pit but the lord of death moved fast to grab his leg and pulled him down to the ground with rage. The closer he felt to him, the more furious he went, the more insane his moves and gestures went; the more he wanted to see his blood pouring out of him.

"No!" He heard the titan yell again, this time, with an uncharacteristic panic that only fueled Hades' wayward temper even more, "Hades!"

"Suffer, squirm—I've never felt so much pleasure for torturing someone's' soul,"

"Hades!"

"Die!" Hades' pupils dilated and grinned with malevolent nature as he raised his scythe above his head, ready to take Chaos' head, "Die!"

"HADES!"

Chaos raised his sword and struck it with force creating a strong ripple of energy that stumbled their ground and made the lord of death lose his balance for a second. He took a hoarse breath once he regained consciousness from the impact to continue his killing spree.

A slow clap came through the echoes of death.

"Well, that was easy. I did not know high gods could be lured so easily into their own madness."

Hades felt a strong chill going down his spine when he regained focus as he picked his scythe from the ground and gave a side-eye glance at his opponent on the floor and widened his eyes with confusion. Before he could swing his scythe again, Hades turned to find Zeus taking place for Chaos and slowly turned to his side and saw Ares staring at him with panic and raised his hand to stop him from moving any further. Again, there it was, the same hesitation—the same calculated move. It was then when he realized it was none other than Zeus, the one he had been going against and that Chaos was standing at a considerable distance enjoying the whole spectacle with marvel. He quickly spotted his former master's gestures and blinked; Chaos didn't need much to understand what Ares was doing, the excited gleam in his haunting golden eyes compensated the lack of emotion on his face, still hidden underneath his long black hair.

Hades felt his blood freeze in his veins when he realized what just happened. How everything from the moment they reached the rim of Tartarus had been the result of Chaos' manipulation taking over their minds, feeding himself from their fears, making things exactly how he had wanted things to go. They had been toyed, invaded, possessed by the very core of hatred. His mind had been easily bent and taken by the energy Chaos represented, by his mere presence he had become a common pawn—a shadow in his own realm.

With the same calculated move, the god of death turned to Zeus who was almost close to falling into the pit in his attempts to avoid the brutality of his attacks and turned to see all of them had fallen into the same effect with Minos fighting Rhadamanthus and Aeacus after Ares.

One growl and the god of war turned to block Minos' curved sword and quietly kicked both weapon and polemarchos away from him, then came Rhadamanthus swinging down the sharp edges of his halberd but it only ignited Chaos' amusement by using the long and heavy weapon as a medium to leap from one point to the other, breaking monotony and all of the polemarchos' patience.

Sanity is Chaos' playground. This ringed in Hades' mind with deadpan horror as he watched him standing so close to the rim on the other side; his gray eyes quickly scanned the area and arched his brow when he saw Zeus with his charged blade in hand while Aeacus, still under Chaos' influence turned on his axis and aimed his ax at Ares who without much effort cut in half with the sharp blade of his sword to avoid getting hit. The loud echoing sound of metal hitting the ground was enough to freeze everyone in their tracks as reality hit them and turned stunned at Chaos standing with his arms crossed watching with much allure over the edge with Tartarus' energy and putrid matter raging behind him like lava spitting out from a mad volcano.

"Have you seen it, already? How predictable you all are. Time has done nothing for any of you, it only made you shadows rejoicing over past victories that have only lingered in the strings of time because of your own glorified egos." Chaos raised his hand to summon the energy of the black stars he had stolen throughout the universe and let the strong energy flow through him, finally manifesting in all the power Chaos represented.

Strings of dark fire lifted the shadowy cast over Chaos, revealing his impeccable black uniform and armor. With an elegant move, the titan ran his hands through his long hair and combed it back, allowing the energy still flowing through him instantly put it up in its classic high ponytail; regaining its glory of his ancient times as he exposed the beauty of his face to the gods, finally setting the fact of his revival once his famously known doubled bladed spear appeared in his hand.

It felt like time never passed by; looking at him standing with so much pride and effortless beauty. Ares felt his soul and everything they had fought for had been just a curtain of illusion. Common pieces of a strategy game Chaos had been peeling and playing with for thousands of years.

"We are not the same, when will you understand?" Chaos turned to the three high gods and narrowed his golden eyes, "The ghost of a polemarch, an egotistical king, and a reaper, cannot match the ancient nature of a titan, the proof lies below our very feet; Tartarus. You cannot put up a fair fight, so you threw your sins and mistakes into this pit unaware that your secrets would become my allies to destroy you." He tilted his head, "But you know, you cannot cover the Sun with one finger. You can no longer ignore we existed and that our fall plowed the path for you to reign."

Ares felt his throat going dry and shook his head with caution, recognizing Helios' familiar advice, "Chaos..."

"I am part of that war that later became a taboo. I was born from the Titanomachy. A force of nature and of the universe. A secret in whispers in your life, but truly, how much of it was real? You have seen it yourselves, how you can become your own worst enemy. You cannot really condemn me for being a result of your own actions when you created it in the first place." Chaos narrowed his eyes when he saw Hades taking a sharp, hasty breath as he turned to take hold of his scythe and pushed himself off the bloody ground, "You are nothing but a tool hungry for power, Chaos. All you want is to have everything under your command, to gain power and get your revenge."

"Power?" Chaos arched his brow, "Revenge?" He turned to Ares and Zeus and gave them a confused glance "Did you listen to anything I just said? I do not understand you—never have." He tilted his head finding it difficult to express any bafflement. With a careless flick of his hand, he turned to Hades, "We have different concepts of what owing and power is, Olympian. I do not care about such trivial things. What you find valuable bores me without measure. A throne to sit in? Servants? A palace? Praise? Why is that important when you could experience the universe the way it should be? Where you can become one with it? To be absolute—a truth, a law."

"Then what is it Chaos? What is that you want?"

"What is mine. What it should have always been mine without many interceptors, games, spells, and obstacles." Chaos narrowed his golden eyes, "I want everything to revolve the way it should go and see it become into whatever it has to be. Let the universe squirm, let it bend and break—let things die. Whatever does not stand the strain of my presence is because it is not meant to exist. As simple as that." Chaos turned over his shoulder at Ares with his hand still holding the orb of dark matter vibrating with force in his palm, he opened his golden eyes wide, "One touched by the light of the Sun... interesting, you all seem to forget I am of such royal bloodline, which means I was not the only seal that could be broken."

Zeus widened his eyes with horror and felt a strong chill running all over him like a thousand bolt electric shock. Chaos gave the gods a faint smile as he dropped the black hole into the pit, "The seal can be broken by one of royal blood touched by the light of the Sun, well gods, here I am."

* * *

 _ **A/N:** And I am here too! Sorry for taking so long to reappear with a new chapter, my schedules have been very tight recently but the sudden shows of affection and new followings from new readers just prompted me to act and leave a nudge that the story **is** **still going** strong. I haven't given up on it just been taking some time to write and edit some good stuff for you to read. Thank you for super warming support and kind words you've given me throughout this (almost forced) hiatus, it's because of your reviews and comments what encourages me to keep the inspiration going and keep posting much faster. Thank you so much._

 _I promise this is not the end. The next chapter will come very, very soon._

 _The Divinity Series is rated M. Violence, gore, cursing, and intimacy may occur._

 _I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters._

 _Fun fact time: Aside from the iconic names known in mythology, all the names mentioned for polemarchos' of Ares' army are actual names of stars, galaxies, and constellations._


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